Applying change management theories to support implementation of activity-based funding

Diffusion of innovation theory overview Diffusion of innovation theory was developed by Everett Rogers in the 1950s from research investigating why particular farmers delayed the decision to use an improved variety of corn, despite being aware of the benefits. Rogers undertook further investigation looking at adoption of innovations across a range of sectors, including education and health, and found there were several common themes that emerged. These included: a common pattern of adoption by the cohort over time; the sources and types of information that influence the decision to adopt; and that the earliest adopters of an innovation tended to have a more ‘cosmopolitan’ outlook. (Rogers 2004). The theory explains how a new initiative, or innovation, is incorporated through a social system over time. There are four key concepts: