Chapter 18: The Roles Of Business In Contemporary Technology Flashcards
(18 cards)
Define autonomous technology
The idea that technology develops independently of human decision making, proceeding along a predetermined path of development that individuals cannot change
Define system
A series of devices or other objects functioning together as an interconnecting network or forming a set of parts for a larger mechanism
What is a technique
According to Jacques Ellul, technique is the totality of methods rationally arrived at and having absolute efficiency in every field of human activity
What is technological determinism
A theory from the philosophy of technology that postulates that technology determines a society’s development in terms of cultural values and societal structuring
What is the triple bottom line
It measures the overall success and performance of a business along three axes, environmental, social and financial.
It also suggests that businesses should not just consider financial profit but have a balance of these considerations to achieve sustainable results
Explain the mutually shaping influence of technology and society
- Technology is part of a broader system and can therefore be understood as gathering together a series of interrelations. (not in isolation)
- There is a chance of influence from one aspect of the system (social) to another (devices) and vice versa
What is the importance of society’s acceptance of technology
An example is illustrated by the deployment of atomic weapons by the US during world war.
The public opinion in the US aligned with the use of atomic weapons and thus society influenced the use of this specific technology.
However they later concurred. It is these shifting views in society that influence how likely a nation would be able to use such weapons again.
In conclusion these considerations of how society influences our use of technologies are crucial for making sense of technology in relation to politics, economics and business
What is the influence that businesses have on people’s perception of technology
It is important to debunk the myth that when two or more technologies are competing in the end the better one will succeed.
The success of the gasoline powered engine was determined by social factors, such as the fact that it was simply better promoted (over and above technical reasons)
It had to be advertised in a manner that allowed penetration and eventually acceptance into a society (through building trust, and addressing ethical concerns)
What is the social construction of technology
It argues that human action and societies shape technology as a tool, and that technology itself can do little to determine human action
Explain planet as part of the triple bottom line (3P framework)
Measures the environmental impact of a businesses activities considering elements such as pollution, sustainability and resource conservation
Technology has had a negative impact on the environment through resource depletion, which is the process of natural resources being consumed for technological and industrial development (more quickly than they can be replenished)
On the other hand technology also plays a role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, creating technologies such as solar power and even nuclear energy as alternatives to fossil fuel-based energy.
Explain people as part of the triple bottom line (3P framework)
Takes into account the social impact of the business on stakeholders such as employees, communities and other involved parties. Consideration is given to community engagement social responsibility, fair practices, inclusion and diversity.
Institutional factors influence the creation of technology through regulatory frameworks that govern the deployment and use of technology. (these frameworks can encourage or discourage certain technological development)
The institutional culture of a business also influences the types of technology that are advanced.
This relates to the fact that any institution has its own goals and concerns, its own set of capabilities and weaknesses, and its own biases about the best way to do things, which will have an impact on the technological innovation.
Explain profit as part of the triple bottom line (3P framework)
Addresses the economic sustainability and financial performance of a business, considering aspects such as growth, profitability, revenue generation, cost management and long-term financial viability.
Economics and financial considerations can impede the adoptationof certain kinds of technologies. Or they could have the finances needed to expand technological research and development.
(touch on academic research by institutions and financing development separately)
In conclusion had it not been for the promise of future profitability most businesses would not invest in technology and most technological innovation and development would stop overnight.
How does technology influence and change our society
The major way in which our society is shaped by technology include how we communicate and connect with each other through the use of cell phones
The ways in which technology impacts economy such as AI, and how it changes the nature of how we work.
We can also look at medical technologies that may extend our lives, and the environmental effect of technology (such as the facilitation or destruction of natural resources)
Lastly technology has also changed the way in which we think, we rely on our devices to store phone numbers or give us directions instead of remembering such details.
Name and describe the categories of the social effects of technological development
- The production of new technology such as cars changes our society. It lead to the invention of new businesses and industries
- There’s a direct effect on society since the users of a new invention quickly develop new habits through their use of the invention.
(just like how smartphones have shifted always of living > into digital spaces) - There is a derivative and often unexpected social effects. It goes beyond the obvious changes into the personal habits in people. Which leads to changes in traditions and attitudes. (for example sexual habits change because of the existence of contraceptives)
Provide a description of how the development of contraceptives influence society
Because of contraceptives, sexual habits changed, which then later changed the family life in broader society allowing women to take more active interest in civic and political activities.
Women could then have greater control over their reproductive choices and they could pursue interest beyond traditional roles as wives and mothers.
Secondary directive effect of the invention of contraceptives allowed women to take up more roles in the economic system and earn salaries or become breadwinners for their families. This then entailed the institution of legislation that would protect women in the workplace from discrimination or inequality.
In this way political institutions are changed through technology
Explain how technological artifacts can be politically neutral by referring/critiquing the concept of political technology
Technologies embody social relations, such as power relations either through intentional design or untended consequences on the part of engineers and designers who shape technology according to their own (unconscious) political considerations.
In other words, technologies are often designed and engineered with “politics” being placed into the technology. Moses’s Parkway Bridge is an example of how technology may be used to maintain oppressive regimes of power, to discriminate and intimidate.
However sometimes it is unintentional, for example, failing to design for individuals with disabilities
What are the two central choices in the consideration of technological change
(1). whether to adopt a new technology, and then once it’s been adopted it is (2). to investigate the special features in the design or arrangement of a technical system - search as what is the most effective tool or which two would be the cheapest
Differentiate between technological determinism or technological autonomy
Who has control over technology? is it the engineers? the technological theorists? the scientists? the politicians? or any other person? no says Ellul, the system of technology has become too complex and intertwined that no one person of group is truly in control and that human choices cannot alter its course.
We see this reflected in the fear of the fact that technology will somehow “rule” us as part of the progressive mastery. He also argues that technology continually disrupts society with unforeseen consequences which in turn requires more techniques that are intended to solve the problems created by the latest technological developments
