The champions need not comprehend the technology itself, but they do need to give pioneers a push in the right direction and some assurance. Initially, it is important to allow pioneers to experiment with the technology. Slack resources assist pioneers to experiment and they thrive best in an undisciplined structure. They are characterised as being venturesome, having a high tolerance for uncertainty and often are externally well connected to other information and opinion sources. These pioneers are unlikely to be the technicians responsible for creating and maintaining the new technology.
Pioneers serve as intermediaries between the technicians and potential users.
Their successes need to be publicised to early adopters by networking and user groups. Early adopters who follow pioneers are internally well connected in the organisation. They are usually less interested in technology for technology s sake and are good at applying the technology to the tasks of the organisation. The early adopters should have provided solid evidence of the value and feasibility of the new technology. Informal communication by opinion leaders is very important, together with their modelling behaviour.