Cultural change is a complex process involving changes in people’s understanding, attitudes and behaviour. A number of models have been developed to understand how cultural change happens. These models may help in suggesting a strategic approach to community engagement in the Smart State. One model for understanding change, developed by Everett Rogers (Figure 1), provides insights into the adoption and diffusion of technological innovations.6
In the Rogers model, innovators were the smallest group (5%) of a population likely to take up innovations first. Early adopters (10 – 15%) are more integrated into the local social system than innovators. They provide leadership in the adoption of innovation. Because early adopters are not too far ahead of the average individual in innovativeness, they serve as a role model for many other members of a social system. Early followers (30 – 35%) adopt innovation just before the average member of a system.
The Rogers model can help to understand that cultural change will not happen quickly and that resources are best targeted at those likely to change. Some people were engaged in a culture of knowledge, creativity and innovation before the Queensland Government first articulated the Smart State. Others may never engage in creativity, innovation and knowledge. Practitioners who have adapted the Rogers model for use in organisations, stress the importance of working with the early adopters and early followers in leading change. Time and resources will be wasted on trying to engage people who will never change. By working with those who want or are at least open to change, a critical mass can develop and eventually take on a life of its own.
The Queensland Government has already followed a strategy of working with early adopters in spreading its Smart State vision. Over time, the Smart State vision may be adopted more widely, although its focus on economic development and its perceived exclusion of smartness outside science and technology may hamper diffusion in that people may not see it as being relevant to their lives.
Another model for understanding change and innovation is Richard Florida’s concept of creative capital, based on his ‘three Ts of talent, technology and tolerance.’ 7 Florida’s global creativity index attempts to capture the processes that lead to geographic concentrations of scientific and technological creativity. His focus is on the attraction of talent – artists, engineers, educators, researchers, lawyers and other classes of knowledge worker. A region’s ability to attract, retain and grow knowledge workers may rely on its technological capability as well as cultural indicators such as tolerance, diversity and openness. ‘Ranking places according to how successful they are in attracting highly mobile knowledge workers is a compelling approach, because it implies a different type of policy response. For example, Florida frequently cites such aspects as vibrant downtowns and thriving artistic communities as drivers of place-based success, and even uses a Bohemian Index to measure a community’s tolerance level.’8
The Roy Morgan Values Segments (Figure 2)9, used by media and communications industries to design marketing campaigns, is a way to understand the psychographic profiles of segment populations and how to develop and send appropriate messages that reach these groups.
Figure 2: Roy Morgan Values Segment
These tools for segmenting the Queensland population have potential to help communicators understand who they are talking to. They can also inform the development of tailored marketing campaigns.
So, for example, Early Adopters and Early Followers might be more likely to adopt and follow cultural change to the Smart State vision. A campaign targeted at this population sector might be useful at this stage in the life of the Smart State. A combination of the Rogers model and Morgan Values Segments might be used to describe in values terms a first group of Early Adopters and Early Followers (Visible Achievement, Young Optimism, Socially Aware).
Whatever model is applied to understand the process of cultural change and adoption of innovation, it needs to be understood that change will be a slow process, particularly if the Government seeks to engage with the community in deciding the change process.