Abstract
Social influence is an umbrella concept encompassing the work of many theorists such as Paul Lazarsfeld famous for social communication theory and E.M. Rogers known for diffusion of innovation theory. Theories are useful for structuring thought and knowledge about consumer behavior such as how an innovation is communicated through channels over time to members of a social network. Researchers have found that certain people, opinion leaders whether online or offline, are more central and influential than others in a group. The Two-Step Flow Model illustrates that ability and access are crucial to gaining successful influence.
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Goldsmith, E.B. (2015). Social Influence History and Theories. In: Social Influence and Sustainable Consumption. International Series on Consumer Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20738-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20738-4_2
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