Creative Technological Change: The Shaping of Technology and Organisations

Creative Technological Change draws upon a wide range of thinking from organisational theory, innovation studies and the sociology of technology. It explores the different ways in which these questions have been framed and answered, especially in relation to new 'virtual' technologies. The idea of metaphor is used to capture the differences between, and strengths and weaknesses of various ways of conceptualising the technology/organisation relationship. This approach offers the possibility of developing new ways of thinking about, viewing and ultimately responding creatively to the organisational challenges posed by technological change.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Shaping Technology and Organisations The Problem of Technology and Technological Determinism What is Technology and What Does it Do? Metaphors, Technology and Organisation Creative Technological Change - Book Structure 1 Technology and Organisation: 'Machines', 'Organisms' and Virtual Realities Introduction The Machine and its Organisational Dysfunctions Technology as a Contingency in Industrial Organisations From Industrial to Post-industrial Organisations From Post-industrial to 'Virtual Organisations' From Technological Determinism to 'Computopia' Conclusion 2 The Evolution of the Innovative Organisation Introduction Evolutionary Economics and Technological Innovation Technological Innovation and Organisations Trajectories, Techno-Economic Paradigms and ICTs The Innovative Organisation Assessing Evolutionary and Biological Models Conclusion New Production Concepts: Fordism, Post-Fordism and the Electronic Panopticon Introduction Labour Process Theory and the Critique of Post-Industrialism Post-Fordist Production Concepts: flexible specialisation and lean production Virtual Organisation: the archetypal post-modern organisation? The Electronic Panopticon Assessment: Control, flexibility or panoptic power through technology? Conclusion 4 Choice, Organisational Politics and the Outcomes of Technological Change Introduction The Political/cultural Metaphor Strategic Choice and Organisational Politics The Process and Politics of Technological Change Change Management and the Micro-politics of Change The Independent Influence of Technology Assessment: Process, politics, power and technology Conclusion 5 Inside the Black Box: Social Constructivism and Technology Introduction Social Constructivism and Technological Determinism The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge and the Turn to Technology The SCOT Approach Actor Network Theory Comparisons and Applicability to ICTs A Preliminary Assessment of Constructivist Approaches to Technology Conclusion 6 Transforming the Organisation: Technology as Text Introduction Technology, Text and Culture The Electronic Mediation of Work and Organisational Transformation Restrictive and Thoroughgoing Constructivist Views of Technology as Text Configuring the User: Transforming the Organisation? Assessing the Constructivist Approach to Technology Conclusion 7 Outside the Black Box: The Socio-Economic Shaping of Technology Introduction The Socio-Economic Shaping of Technology Interests in the Production of Technology: class, politics and gender Interests in the Consumption of Technology: suppliers and users Re-shaping Technology: new wave socio-technical systems Assessing Socio-economic Shaping Conclusion Conclusion: Creative Technological Change Introduction Metaphors of Technology and Organisation The Shaping of a Manufacturing Innovation 'Reading' the three cases Shaping Socio-technical Configurations: the micro-politics of change Concluding Comment References Index

Review :
'Interesting and informative' - Angus Bancroft, University of Edinburgh