Identify Opinion Leaders Research Articles

Looking for Opinion Leaders: Traditional vs. Modern Measures in Traditional Societies

Since the introduction of the opinion leadership conceptualization, both practitioners and academics have been keenly interested in its applicability in modern society. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify potential opinion leaders, learn of the characteristics distinguishing them from their ‘followers,’ and understand how they exert their personal influence to change opinions and behaviors of the masses. Despite the growing research on opinion leadership, the identification of appropriate opinion leaders for practical purposes continues to be a challenge. Several methods were used to identify opinion leaders. The existence of numerous methods and their use in various societies, social settings and cultures and the variance across domains of opinion leadership raises questions on the applicability and validity of the modern, advanced measures when applied to other social settings. The present study is in fact a first attempt to apply the modern personality strength (PS) scale to a traditional community. The PS scale was found to be an efficient, valid, and useful instrument to identify opinion leaders in numerous studies. However, it was always used, tested, and validated in Western societies (e.g., Germany, USA, and Israel). When we applied the method in the Skukuza community, a small village in South Africa, the findings revealed the inapplicability of the scale in a traditional community. Several factors are suggested to explain the futility of the PS scale in a traditional society.

Identifying Opinion Leaders and Elites: A Longitudinal Design

The term longitudinal design refers to a flexible research approach that can be applied to a wide range of topics involving change over time. Longitudinal refers to both the data collected and the methods of analysis used, and project designs can combine several data-gathering and analysis methods within a longitudinal framework. Longitudinal research demonstrates several features that permit the observation of process and change and facilitate identification and evaluation of the underlying factors. Several library and information science studies demonstrate the application of a longitudinal approach to both prospective and retrospective research questions. This article draws primarily on a longitudinal study of leaders who emerged in the archival profession during the 1980s when archivists developed the first set of descriptive standards (MARC AMC) in response to trends in the automation of library cataloging. The study identified a core group of leaders whose influence drove the archival profession to move in a specific direction. The identification of opinion leaders and elites, and the factors that led to their status, has significant implications for understanding patterns of decision making and communication within organizations.

Is the involvement of opinion leaders in the implementation of research findings a feasible strategy?

BackgroundThere is only limited empirical evidence about the effectiveness of opinion leaders as health care change agents.AimTo test the feasibility of identifying, and the characteristics of, opinion leaders using a sociometric instrument and a self-designating instrument in different professional groups within the UK National Health Service.DesignPostal questionnaire survey.Setting and participantsAll general practitioners, practice nurses and practice managers in two regions of Scotland. All physicians and surgeons (junior hospital doctors and consultants) and medical and surgical nursing staff in two district general hospitals and one teaching hospital in Scotland, as well as all Scottish obstetric and gynaecology, and oncology consultants.ResultsUsing the sociometric instrument, the extent of social networks and potential coverage of the study population in primary and secondary care was highly idiosyncratic. In contrast, relatively complex networks with good coverage rates were observed in both national specialty groups. Identified opinion leaders were more likely to have the expected characteristics of opinion leaders identified from diffusion and social influence theories. Moreover, opinion leaders appeared to be condition-specific. The self-designating instrument identified more opinion leaders, but it was not possible to estimate the extent and structure of social networks or likely coverage by opinion leaders. There was poor agreement in the responses to the sociometric and self-designating instruments.ConclusionThe feasibility of identifying opinion leaders using an off-the-shelf sociometric instrument is variable across different professional groups and settings within the NHS. Whilst it is possible to identify opinion leaders using a self-designating instrument, the effectiveness of such opinion leaders has not been rigorously tested in health care settings. Opinion leaders appear to be monomorphic (different leaders for different issues). Recruitment of opinion leaders is unlikely to be an effective general strategy across all settings and professional groups; the more specialised the group, the more opinion leaders may be a useful strategy.

Introduction on open government information implementation

The opportunities for dynamic and timely interaction afforded by micro-blogs, accompanied by the increasingly widespread use of mobile devices, have drawn disparate groups of people together to form communities online. For businesses, marketers should not underestimate the importance of understanding and communicating effectively with customers, but it is difficult to use micro-blogs to estimate bloggers’ marketing influence due to their lack of structure. In this study, a framework is proposed for identifying opinion leaders and maximizing the dissemination of messages by analyzing existing micro-blogs. More specifically, the framework enables companies to ascertain the subjects of marketing, select keywords, retrieve micro-blog content and blogger information, form ontologies, estimate and analyze the indices of bloggers’ influence, identify opinion leaders, and maximize message dissemination. We use Weibo, the most popular micro-blog platform in China to demonstrate the framework.

HIV Prevention among Women in Low-Income Housing Developments: Issues and Intervention Outcomes in a Place-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

The scope and urgency of the HIV epidemic requires the development and evaluation of community-level behavior change intervention strategies. A randomized, multisite community-level HIV prevention trial was undertaken with women living in eighteen low-income housing developments in five U.S. cities. In the nine experimental condition developments, an intervention was undertaken that included identifying opinion leaders to attend risk reduction workshops and to form Women's Health Councils to carry out community events to reach all residents and support risk reduction efforts. Baseline and twelve-month follow-up risk characteristics were assessed by surveying 690 women at both time points. In comparison to women in the control condition developments, women in the community intervention developments reported significant reductions in frequency of any unprotected intercourse and increases in the percentage of condom-protected intercourse occasions. Community-level interventions that engage women in neighborhood-based HIV prevention activities can bring about reductions in HIV risk-related sexual behavior.

Characteristics of Opinion Leaders in Substance Abuse Treatment Agencies

Objective. This study was part of a larger effort to test the effectiveness of technology transfer approaches related to evidence‐based treatment of co‐occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Specifically, this study examined characteristics of “opinion leaders” as technology transfer agents. Method. A network analysis was conducted within four large substance abuse treatment agencies to identify individuals that other counselors sought out for consultation on co‐occurring issues. The identified opinion leaders were then compared with other counselors on demographic variables, education and experience, and attitudes and knowledge about working with individuals with co‐occurring disorders. Results. The analyses demonstrate that opinion leaders differed from other counselors in competency‐related characteristics including more postgraduate education, relevant professional credentials, and years of experience in mental health treatment. They also had greater knowledge of the dynamics and treatment of co‐occurring disorders as well as a greater willingness and confidence in working with such clients. Conclusion. These results suggest that opinion leaders are used within agencies for information and consultation regarding treatment issues. Therefore, opinion leaders may provide an important vehicle for dissemination and adoption of evidence‐based treatment practices in community treatment settings.

Identifying opinion leaders in ward nurses: A pilot study

This pilot study assessed the validity of an instrument used to identify opinion leaders within a sample of nurses. Survey data were collected from all nurses within four surgical wards at a Scottish teaching hospital. The survey tool had three components: professional and personal characteristics; attitudes towards research; identification of opinion leaders. The main outcome measure was the identification of opinion leaders and the number of people who nominated each opinion leader. A total of 93 nurses were surveyed, of whom 61% (n=57) returned a questionnaire. However, only 40% (n=38) of the sample completed the opinion leader component of the survey tool. These response rates varied across the four wards. Four opinion leaders were nominated by more than five people: two in ward C; one in ward A; and one in ward D. Coverage across the wards was 58% (n=33) of those who had completed the questionnaire. This comprised just over one-third of the total sample (35%). All those identified as opinion leaders were of a significantly higher nursing grade than their non-opinion leader peers. The opinion leaders were also more likely to have academic qualifications and a greater awareness of research, and to participate actively in additional educational activities. The findings of this pilot study indicate that the survey instrument may be able to identify nurse opinion leaders in a ward. However, doubts exist over the use of the instrument to identify opinion leaders nominated by enough nurses in the sample.

Effect of Local Medical Opinion Leaders on Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

SOUMERAI, STEPHEN B.; McLAUGHLIN, THOMAS J.; GURWITZ, JERRY H.; GUADAGNOLI, EDWARD; HAUPTMAN, PAUL J.; BORBAS, CATHERINE; MORRIS, NORA; McLAUGHLIN, BARBARA; GAO, XIAOMING; WILLISON, DONALD J.; ASINGER, RICHARD; GOBEL, FREDARICK Author Information

The limits of leadership: opinion leaders in general practice.

To explore the importance and characteristics of opinion leaders in general practice, particularly in relationship to the use of laboratory tests. Focus group discussions and a mailed survey. Five focus groups (n = 29 participants) in four different municipalities and a random sample of 85 general practitioners (GPs) in Norway. While Norwegian GPs recognised colleagues who were influential in determining how they practised, they found it difficult to identify opinion leaders specifically with respect to the use of laboratory tests. Opinion leaders were thought to be less important in influencing the use of laboratory tests than continuing medical education activities and practice guidelines, but more important than industry, patients or personal financial interests. Norwegian GPs recognised and characterised opinion leaders in much the same way as physicians in the USA. Influential colleagues were characterised as being good conveyers of information and willing to take time, as well as being up-to-date and having a high level of clinical expertise. GPs expressed a negative attitude towards 'superspecialists' who give advice without knowing the epidemiology of general practice, people who are arrogant and people who do not show respect towards GPs. The potential to identify and use opinion leaders to improve the use of laboratory tests by GPs in Norway appears to be limited.

The Rediscovery of Opinion Leaders. An Application of the Personality Strength Scale

Opinion leadership has been the subject of numerous studies, in areas ranging from politics to marketing. The present study examines a new measure to identify opinion leaders (the personality strength scale developed by the Allensbach Survey Center in Germany) and combines it with modern social network analysis. An application of this scale to agenda setting and public opinion research is the main point of concern in this study. The findings of the study (a survey of a representative sample of 900 adults in Germany) suggest, that the Strength of Personality Scale fits a more sophisticated characterization of opinion leadership which is based on modifications of the original opinion leader concept. Moreover, the results indicate that people with high personality strength have social networks of great range and are especially active in interpersonal communication. They use print media very frequently and know very well the actual topics and issues on which the mass media report. Although people with high personality strength are able to exactly assess the true climate of opinion, they hold distinct positions which differ from public opinion. In contrary, persons with low personality strength tend to adapt their opinions to the perceived climate of opinion.

Social network thresholds in the diffusion of innovations

Threshold models have been postulated as one explanation for the success or failure of collective action and the diffusion of innovations. The present paper creates a social network threshold model of the diffusion of innovations based on the Ryan and Gross (1943) adopter categories: (1) early adopters; (2) early majority; (3) late majority; (4) laggards. This new model uses social networks as a basis for adopter categorization, instead of solely relying on the system-level analysis used previously. The present paper argues that these four adopter categories can be created either with respect to the entire social system, or with respect to an individual's personal network. This dual typology is used to analyze three diffusion datasets to show how external influence and opinion leadership channel the diffusion of innovations. Network thresholds can be used (1) to vary the definition of behavioral contagion, (2) to predict the pattern of diffusion of innovations, and (3) to identify opinion leaders and followers in order to understand the two-step flow hypothesis better.

The Influentials: Back to the Concept of Opinion Leaders?

The concept of opinion leadership has been related to a lingering theoretical and methodological debate. The present study examines a new measure to identify opinion leaders (the Strength of Personality Scale) developed by the Allensbach Sur- vey Center in Germany. The results of applying this measure in Germany and Israel allowed the testing of its validity and effi- ciency. The findings, however, do not suggest that the influentials identified by this scale are opinion leaders according to the origi- nal conceptualization, but fit better the more sophisticated char- acterization of opinion leadership that stemmed from modifica- tions of the original concept of opinion leaders.

Fashion Opinion Leadership and Media Exposure among College Women in India

The concept of fashion leadership among college women in India was examined by assessing the attention given to media exposure (fashion information sources) of identified opinion leaders and fashion nonleaders. A survey design with a pre tested questionnaire was used to conduct the research. The final sample con sisted of 509 college women from four universities in northwestern India. Anal ysis of variance and chi square analysis were used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that fashion opinion leaders used significantly more sources of fashion information and more often than nonleaders (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). Fashion magazines were a significantly discriminating fashion information source for the two groups during the awareness, comprehension, and legitimation stages of fashion adoption (p < 0.01). Although most of the findings were consis tent with Western literature regarding the fashion adoption process, the role of parents and family members in legitimating the fashion choices of the respon dents did reflect a cultural difference.

Identification of Opinion Leaders across Cultures: An Assessment for Use in the Diffusion of Innovations and Ideas

The objectives of this paper were: 1) to determine if there exists an underlying dimensionality of opinion leadership across different cultural groups, and 2) to determine if this underlying structure can be used to identify opinion leaders for the purpose of targeting communications by multinational businesses to assist them in the diffusion of innovations and ideas. Opinion leaders were rated by students representing five different cultural backgrounds. Results tended to show that there is a set of common dimensions by which opinion leaders are evaluated, but that different cultures assign different weights to the dimensions.

Opinion Leaders and the Mass Media in Rural Egypt: A Reconsideration of the Two-Step Flow of Communications Hypothesis

This study is based on a survey conducted by the author in a rural community in Egypt (a) to determine how mass media messages reach the population, (b) to identify opinion leaders, and (c) to assess the relation between mass media exposure and political awareness.The data from this survey were used to test the two-step flow of communications hypothesis of Lazarsfeld and colleagues and to compare the effects of the mass media and opinion leaders on the public. Analysis of the data did not support the two-step flow of communications hypothesis; instead it was noted that the greater the exposure to the mass media, the more direct is the flow of communications.Opinion leaders reached a smaller and less educated section of the population and were found to be the elected and official representatives of the village organizations rather than shopkeepers, teachers, and clergy. Finally, it was found that opinion leaders were specialized, each conveying policy information relevant to his role in the community. The flow of communications was found to be functional and organized rather than casual and haphazard as is usually the case in transmitting non-functional information.The last part of this article deals with the relation between exposure to the mass media and political awareness. Indices were constructed to give each respondent a score on the degree of exposure to the mass media and another on his level of political awareness. Analysis showed that mass media exposure and political awareness are directly related (r = .53). It was also found that those who had direct access to the mass media were more sensitized to political news than those who had no such access, thus underlining the politicization role of the mass media.Finally, the article compares the degree of correlation between mass media exposure and political awareness with similar correlations obtained in rural areas in Latin America.