Introducing and Evaluation of Rogers’s Diffusion Innovation Theory

The process of acceptance and dissemination of innovations has been studied for years by multiple researchers. One of the most popular theories of acceptance and dissemination of innovation has been presented by Rogers in the book "Diffusion of Innovations". Many studies from various fields such as political science, public health, communications, economics, management, technology, and education have used this theory as a research framework. Rogers' theory is defined as a widely used theoretical framework, especially in the field of technology and innovation diffusion in organizations. Therefore, given the widespread application of this theory, the aim of the present study is to describe Rogers' theory of innovation diffusion and to examine and critique it using a combined critique method, which analyzes and interprets the theory based on its content, methodology, and historical, personal, and professional characteristics of the theorist. In this research, the strengths and weaknesses of the theory in terms of content and methodology are discussed, and the influences of the intellectual, social, historical, and personal aspects of the theorist on the theory are examined, and the application of the theory of innovation diffusion and acceptance in organizations is explained. The critique of the methodology of the theory shows that innovation diffusion research needs to shift from highly structured and quantitative methods towards deeper, qualitative, and hypothesis-driven case studies of the innovation process within organizations. This theory has been updated and revised in various ways, which is one of its most important strengths. These updates and revisions have enriched and expanded the theory of innovation diffusion. However, one of the most important criticisms of this theory is that it often does not consider the role of infrastructures in the acceptance and dissemination of innovations, and lacks the necessary predictive power to determine which innovations will succeed and which will fail.