Technology Determinism and its Impact: A Functional Management Report

This report delves into the concept of technology determinism, a theory positing that technology shapes societal development, cultural values, and social structures. It begins with a definition of technology determinism, highlighting its view of technology as a key driver of social change, influencing political, economic, and social aspects. The report then explores the core ideas of technology determinism, including the notion that technological advancements follow a predictable path, often beyond cultural influence. It further discusses the effects of technology, such as the sleepwalker, transparency, and black box effects, and the device paradigm. The report also examines criticisms of technology determinism, providing a comprehensive analysis of this influential theory in the context of functional management.

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FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT
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Technology determinism
Technology determinism is the reductionist theory which assumes technology of society
determine development of the cultural values as well as social structure. Technology
determinism seeks in showing technological developments, technology or media as whole, as
key mover within social change. Innovation and technological development become principal
motor for political, economic and social change. Technology determinism is summarized as
technology as major governing force within society (Hauer 2017). Technology determinism is
defined as approach which identifies technological advances or technology as central element
within social change’s processes. As there is stabilization in technology, the design tends in
dictating behaviors of users.
Technology determinism implicit that all things are caused by the previous regular as
well as predictable events and conditions. Technology determinism implicit reduced technology
of human control. It means that there is increase in controlling of technology by itself.
Technology is represented as self-controlling independent force instead of as product as well as
society’s integral society. This is perceived for being out of the human control as this changes in
own pace as well as shapes the society blindly (Papageorgiou and Michaelides 2016).
Technology’s trend is there for creating machines which are under less direct human
control as well as seem in having more of own will. Sense that the technology might be out
of control also is influenced by side effects within technical developments.
Technology determinism’s critics that the technology is created itself along with directed
by the society as well as is subject of human control. Paradigm of device is consumption as well
as perception of the technological devices. This explains relationship among technological

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devices and people. Focal thing is significance’ item, which might be concealed with the help of
device paradigm as well as should be maintained for purpose of practice. As there is increase in
availability of service by the technological devices, they normalize use of the devices as
people don’t pay attention in the destructive behavior (Peters 2017). Technology determinism
is theory where technology in society determines culture, values and history. As per the theory,
the technological advancement operates social progress, course of history of society, leads to
production’s newer ways as well as it influences economic and political aspects of society.
There are two major concepts of technology determinism such as society is organized by
technology in way that this develops itself further and predictable path is followed by
technological development which is beyond cultural influence. Technological determinism could
be viewed as several levels. Initially, this begins with newer technologies’ introduction that
introduce several changes. These changes might lead in existing knowledge’s loss.
Technological advances dramatically have changed several aspects in organizations.
Technology influences knowledge’s level within organizations (Thompson 2016). For
instance, invention of the guns changed how the disputes were solved. The use of nuclear
weapons and guns needed very little skill and effort as well as might be used from safe
distance. It led to significant change within way battles and wars were conducted when
compared to use of swords and archery in the earlier wars.

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References
Hauer, T., 2017. Technological determinism and new media. International Journal of English
Literature and Social Sciences, 2(2).
Papageorgiou, T. and Michaelides, P.G., 2016. Joseph Schumpeter and Thorstein Veblen on
technological determinism, individualism and institutions. The European Journal of the History
of Economic Thought, 23(1), pp.1-30.
Peters, J.D., 2017. “You Mean My Whole Fallacy Is Wrong”: On Technological
Determinism. Representations, 140(1), pp.10-26.
Thompson, S., 2016. Worker cooperatives in the theory of the firm: Marx and Veblen on
technological determinism. Journal of Economic Issues, 50(4), pp.913-939.