emerged. First, are historical technologists who advocate an organizational competitive advantage is simulated from past inventions and innovations. Second, are futuristic technologists who proffer that organizations should adapt to nonlinear and disruptive technology. Within this train of thought are technologists who posit using technological situational happenstances (known as TSH) for innovative technologies. TSH encompasses all nonlinear spheres of technology (Christensen, Verlinden, & Westerman, 2002; Hirooka, 2003). Nonlinear refers to the ability of leaders, real estate brokers and technologists to infuse innovative technology effectively to the point of disrupting the existing systems and triggering new changes. Therefore, TSH is an enabler or a conduit in facilitating and deploying informational materials vertically or horizontally within and outside organizations for competitive advantages. TSH also permeates leadership styles and hierarchies within organizations.
Stak… More >>

Leadership, Real Estate and Disruptive Technology: Technological Situational Happenstances

What are the characteristics of an environment that is conducive to technological innovation? In recent years several studies have appeared which have emphasized the comprehensive institutional framework of innovation in various countries. These studies have focused on the institutions and actors, primarily in science and technology policy, at the national level. The present study takes as its starting point the idea that the institutional infrastructure, important users and suppliers of technology and their capabilities, policy agents and networks which tie them together, differ across various fields of technology, and that the boundaries of the system may not coincide with national frontiers. Thus, Technological Systems and Economic Performance: The Case of Factory Automation represents the first in-depth analysis of a `technological system’, namely that which constitutes the context for factory automation in Sweden. From a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary perspective, a group of r… More >>

Technological Systems and Economic Performance: The Case of Factory Automation

Information theory, cybernetics and the theory of finite automata are used to model learning-by-doing, bounded rationality, routine behavior, and the formation of teams. The non-neoclassical characterization of production developed in this book ignores the usual quantitative relationships between inputs and outputs and instead views production strictly as a problem of control and communication. The motivation for this unconventional characterization of production comes from Schumpeter’s critique of neoclassical economic theory. Schumpeter argued that neoclassical economic theory, and the habits of thought engendered by it, was the major obstacle to acquiring an understanding of technological change. The non-neoclassical characterization of production developed in this book is in keeping with how economic historians describe specific technological changes and how they write technological histories about particular machines, firms or industries.Information theory, cybernetics and the the… More >>

Control, Information, and Technological Change

Usually firms introduce new technology in an incremental way, wisely seeking to minimise the adverse effects which business and employees might face. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes technological discontinuities occur when radically different technological systems and working practices are implemented, with the possibility of widespread disruption and conflict. This book looks at this topical issue through the experiences of the international giants of the Finnish paper industry – an industry at the cutting edge of fundamental technological innovation…. More >>

Managing Technological Discontinuities

The original edition of this book summarized more than a decade of work on communications flow in science and engineering organizations, showing how human and organizational systems could be restructured to bring about improved productivity and better person-to-person contact. While many studies have been done since then, few of them invalidate the general conclusions and recommendations Allen offers. In a new preface he points out – new developments, noting areas that need some modification, elaboration, or extension, and directing readers to the appropriate journal articles where the findings, are reported. The first three chapters provide an overview of the communication system in technology, present the author’s research methods, and describe differences in the career paths and goals of engineers and scientists that cause special problems for organizations. The book then discusses how technological information is acquired by the R & D organization, shows how critical technical c… More >>

Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization

The original edition of this book summarized more than a decade of work on communications flow in science and engineering organizations, showing how human and organizational systems could be restructured to bring about improved productivity and better person-to-person contact. While many studies have been done since then, few of them invalidate the general conclusions and recommendations Allen offers. In a new preface he points out – new developments, noting areas that need some modification, elaboration, or extension, and directing readers to the appropriate journal articles where the findings, are reported. The first three chapters provide an overview of the communication system in technology, present the author’s research methods, and describe differences in the career paths and goals of engineers and scientists that cause special problems for organizations. The book then discusses how technological information is acquired by the R & D organization, shows how critical technical c… More >>

Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information Within the R&D Organization

This anthology brings together, for the first time, a collection of both seminal historical and contemporary essays on the nature of technology and its relation to humanity.

Contains extensive selections from the great classical philosophers on technology.
Integrates the latest developments in the philosophy of science with philosophy of technology and clarifies the relation between the two.
Discusses technology in relation to feminism, deep ecology, multiculturalism, social constructivism, and hermeneutics…. More >>

Philosophy of Technology: The Technological Condition – An Anthology