Technological change as a trade-off between social construction and technological paradigms
Original version
Olsen, O.E & Engen, O.A. Technological change as a trade-off between social construction and technological paradigms. Technology in Society, 29(4), pp. 456-468 10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.08.006Abstract
The theory of social construction of technology (SCOT) and the theory of technological paradigms (TTP) are normally
regarded as competing or even incompatible perspectives on technological change. In this paper, we show how and when
the perspectives are complementary by comparing how the theories conceptualise technology development, understand
stakeholders, and determine driving forces for technological change. When stakeholders have different relations to the
innovation process, and when the outcome of the innovation process is open, we argue that the two theories could be
complementary tools for analysing the process. When using SCOT and TTP as complementary analytical tools, it becomes
easier to understand and design innovation processes in which different stakeholders are attached to roles where they are
able to contribute in the most productive ways.
Description
Made available from Technology in Society, 29/4, Odd Einar Olsen, & Ole Andreas Engen, Technological change as a trade-off between social construction and technological paradigms, Pages No. 456-468, Copyright 2007, with permission from Elsevier. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0160791X