Session 4

Diffusion of Innovation

Americans are at different stages when it comes to the level of comfort in using technology, it also holds true when it comes to the diffusion of technology in an organization. I find Rogers’ 5 categories of individual’s willingness to adapt technology highly applicable to any organization. Technology literacy’s level depends on the society and era in which the context is found.

I have to say that I place myself in different categories at different times. I like to find myself in the innovators’ category. I look at the possibilities that different avenues of approach can produce. If there is technology available that can help my department improve its efficiency, I am the first one to want to try and incorporate it. Unfortunately, sometimes the lack of budgetary funds will prevent me from having the luxury of being adventurous, or even being one of the early adaptors, having to settle for the early majority group. However, the category I identify with the most in my professional life is the early adaptors.

For example, in an assignment I found myself a few years back as my squadron’s transportation chief, the runsheet assignment, a logistics table of vehicles, cargo and drivers needed daily for the function of the squadron, was being done by hand. The runsheet would be delivered to us at the motor pool by 3 P.M., where assignments of drivers, vehicles and time for the runs were done. Numerous updates were called in between 3 P.M. and close of business. Information on the runsheet had to be erased and updated several times during this period. Sometimes the runsheet was rendered illegible. When this happened, a duplicate had to be made from scratch. This process would take time and resources away from the dispatcher’s office which coordinated all the runs. The licensing office, which conducted vehicle upgrade classes, sometimes had to wait until the last minute to plan their classes after the runsheet was finished Fridays to be able to predict the number of vehicles available the following week. Time and resources were substantially being wasted. After observing this process, I went home and sat down to think what we could do to improve it. I decided to use my home computer and make a table including all the fields necessary to accommodate the runsheert. Finally, after some adjustments, a very workable runsheet was available. I proposed my new sheet to my boss who was clearly a ‘late majority” category, slightly resistant to change. He was cautious; other things had been tried before that had not worked. We assigned a computer to the dispatcher’s office and the training section. I instructed the sections on the program and the manipulation of the table. After the sections got used to it, efficiency increased. Runsheets did not have to be redone, changes in times and vehicle type were done at the touch of a button. There was need for only one person to do the runsheet where before we needed three. Most importantly, the training section was able to derive a database that showed at a glance vehicle numbers and types available for their classes. After a little time, they were able to schedule classes well in advance.

In this situation, we did not need a sophisticated infusion of technology. A simple integration of a software program coupled with early adapter’s perspective improved the functionality of several departments.

Weekly Log
- Download and listen to Session 4 mp3
- Post response items
- Begin working on lesson plan for project 1
- Read classmates blog postings
- Post comments on classmates blogs