WILT Uuduci de picuui . After reading the module notes and all supplemental materials, discuss and support your opinions about entrep and technology today, using the following questions as a guide: Who comes to mind when you think of present-day entrepreneurs? Does today's economic and political environment promote or retard entrepreneurial efforts? What challenges are entrepreneurs faced with today regarding technological advancement and society? Comu n ica annunciata enunee that are properly cited. Your naner should be 1-2 pages in length Module 7: Module Notes: The Shaping and Control of Technology It has been firmly established throughout previous modules that technology is strictly a human creation, yet individual humans usually have little control over the technologies that affect their lives. This leads us to examine the validity of the basic assumption that technology is always subject to human control. When the first digital computer appeared in the 1980's, only modest expectations for future applications were predicted. The world as we know it today is almost unimaginable without computers. As it refers to technological determinism or social constructionism, the computer lends credence to the theory of technological determinism Within a few decades, the computer has become a universal and essential part of contemporary life. Social constructivism would refute this claim by noting that the technical development of the computer, like the internet, was Initially a creation of the United States Department of Defense. A proponent of the above theory may also point out that the rapid expansion of the computer, indeed its very R&D was fueled by massive purchases by commercial enterprises like banks and insurance companies. In summary new technologies both shape and change society while simultaneously being stimulated and shaped by these technologies Therefore, social constructivism offers the possibility for more human agency than technological determinism, but is unlikely that the course of technological change would be evenly distributed among the population Technology confers power, but that power is not wielded over only the non-human universe. The theory of 'cultural lag" is closely linked to technological determinism. This theory was formulated by William F. Ogburn and is predicated on the belief that habits, thoughts, values and social arrangements often fail to change at the same speed as technological Innovation. In short, technology moves ahead but many other things lag behind. The theory of cultural lag has many shortcomings. Technological changes are taken as a given without any effort to determine how they came about in the first place. It views technology as an independent source of social change. There is no way of determining when a society catches up with a given technological innovation. It assumes a unined society and culture and ignores the economic, political and cultural divisions found in all complex societies Finally, there is a hidden value judgment contained in this concept. Implicit in the concept is the notion that technology is a progressive dynamic element in human history, and that social and cultural arrangements are intransigent sources of obstruction. The concept attempts to measure different phenomena technological change versus socio-cultural changes. The bottom line is just because something is technically possible does not necessarily follow that it should be done, or that people should submit to it Since the basis of technology is knowledge, it stands to reason that those with the greatest technical knowledge will control technology. The body of scientific and technical knowledge has grown significantly. What is ironic is the fact that this knowledge explosion has for the most part rendered us ignoramuses. This ignorance can limit the ability of citizens and their representatives to control the course of technological change. Experts face difficulties in converting their knowledge into power. Being independent of outside influences and being technically correct is not enough. Wielding power requires the mobilization of a constituency and the ability to create a broad base of support. In modern industrialized societies, the design and development of new technologies is primarily the work of engineers and other technical specialists. Engineers have no say in the planning and direction of the industrial system except as an employee Like other skilled occupations, engineers want to be recognized as professionals. The essence of professionalism is autonomy. For the most part, engineers have been the employees of an organization, not owners themselves. Not subject to rigid supervision and have considerable discretion as to how they plan their activities and schedule their work. They have wide latitude in determining how the job is done. But their work is closely constrained by the expectations of their employers. Engineering is a common first rungon the engineering career ladder. Two thirds of engineers in the US become managers during their career. Strangely, as engineers move into management, their sphere of influence diminishes Engineering and management require different skills and orientations. The characteristics of a good manager appear to conflict with those of a first-rate creative engineer A practicing engineer is not likely to change managerial values, even when in conflict with his own. Expert knowledge and a lifetime of devotion to the acquisition and use of that knowledare integral to the engineer's value system. Business persons and managers value loyalty and personal initiative The problem of an engineer influencing company policy is illustrated by the dangers of whistle blowing A whistleblower someone who detects some sort of wrongdoing within his/her organization and bring it to the attention of the public Engineers may be willing to call attention to serious problems because of their conviction that the facts speak for themselves the pers of whistleblowy an engineer r e vealed by the events following the break up of the space shuttle Challenger Group of peers from Morton-Thokol the manufacturer of the shuttle d el booster rocket wanned the night before that cold weather could cause all of the o nes that sealed tha t of the booster rock After the erosion of an oring resulted in the tragedy that many had feared, Roger Holsjov, specialistisesse testimony before the government board or inquiry to carrate the technical and managerial allures. Was he fouded for his honesty and courage? He was ostradized Isolated t o be suffered from trans and stress and he resigned from his job and suffered financially. In summary, engineers do not exercise commanding influence over the course of technological change Organizations can shape technological change by their ability to affect the supply and demand for a particular technology. When a few organizations are the major purchasers of particular products, the requirements will determine the nature of the product wid the technology tartiodies. Or what basis do organizations make technological choices? Not much research has been devoted to this topic. Most studies simply take technology as a given implication of the studies Just Viewed is that organizations and the persone possively to the w eddicts of technology In this module, we take a critical the role technology p r oce s in the discussion consider how technological determinism and globalization affect society in both positive and ne