COMMUNICATION AND ADOPTION 3(3+0)

Lesson 27 : Agencies of Change

Change agent

A change agent is an individual who influences client’s innovation decisions in a direction which a change agent desires. Often the change agent influences individuals to adopt a technology. However he may also try to slow the diffusion process and prevent the adoption of certain innovations. For example the change agent may not want farmers to adopt certain pesticides as they are found to be harmful. In such cases he will prevent the adoption of the innovation.

Roles of Change Agents:
In general change agents perform two main roles in diffusion of innovation.

1. They provide linkage between change agency and client system. They pass the innovations from change agency to ultimate users.
   
2. They identify clients’ needs and obtain feedback about changed programme, and feed it to change agency.

If a change agent wants to introduce a single innovation in a client system, then he has to play the following seven roles

• Develops need for change
  
• Establishes an information-exchange relationship
  
• Diagnoses their problems
  
• Creates intent to change in the client
  
• Translates intent into action
  
• Stabilizes adoption and prevents discontinuances
• Achieves a terminal relationship