IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/teinso/v67y2021ics0160791x21002256.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What are socially disruptive technologies?

Author

Listed:
  • Hopster, Jeroen

Abstract

Scholarly discourse on “disruptive technologies” has been strongly influenced by disruptive innovation theory. This theory is tailored for analyzing disruptions in markets and business. It is of limited use, however, in analyzing the broader social, moral and existential dynamics of technosocial disruption. Yet these broader dynamics should be of great scholarly concern, both in coming to terms with technological disruptions of the past and those of our current age. Technologies can disrupt social relations, institutions, epistemic paradigms, foundational concepts, values, and even the nature of human cognition and experience – domains of disruption that are largely neglected in existing discourse on disruptive technologies. Accordingly, this paper seeks to reorient scholarly discussion around a broader notion of technosocial disruption. This broader notion raises three foundational questions. First, how can technosocial disruption be conceptualized in a way that clearly sets it apart from the disruptive innovation framework? Secondly, how does the notion of technosocial disruption relate to the concordant notions of “disruptor” and “disruptiveness”? Thirdly, can we advance criteria to assess the “degree of social disruptiveness” of different technologies? The paper clarifies these questions and proposes an answer to each of them. In doing so, it advances “technosocial disruption” as a key analysandum for future scholarship on the interactions between technology and society.

Suggested Citation

  • Hopster, Jeroen, 2021. "What are socially disruptive technologies?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:67:y:2021:i:c:s0160791x21002256
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101750
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X21002256
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101750?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kilkki, Kalevi & Mäntylä, Martti & Karhu, Kimmo & Hämmäinen, Heikki & Ailisto, Heikki, 2018. "A disruption framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 275-284.
    2. Fernando F. Suarez & Rogelio Oliva, 2005. "Environmental change and organizational transformation," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 14(6), pages 1017-1041, December.
    3. Schot, Johan & Steinmueller, W. Edward, 2018. "Three frames for innovation policy: R&D, systems of innovation and transformative change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(9), pages 1554-1567.
    4. Schuelke-Leech, Beth-Anne, 2018. "A model for understanding the orders of magnitude of disruptive technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 261-274.
    5. Carlsen, H. & Dreborg, K.H. & Godman, M. & Hansson, S.O. & Johansson, L. & Wikman-Svahn, P., 2010. "Assessing socially disruptive technological change," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 209-218.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. He, Yubing & Lin, Ting & Zhang, Si, 2023. "Does complementary technology within an ecosystem affect disruptive innovation? Evidence from Chinese electric vehicle listed firms," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Kalpokiene, Julija & Kalpokas, Ignas, 2023. "Creative encounters of a posthuman kind – anthropocentric law, artificial intelligence, and art," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Baudier, Patricia & Kondrateva, Galina & Ammi, Chantal & Chang, Victor & Schiavone, Francesco, 2023. "Digital transformation of healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: Patients’ teleconsultation acceptance and trusting beliefs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    4. Xi, Xi & Ren, Feifei & Yu, Lean & Yang, Jing, 2023. "Detecting the technology's evolutionary pathway using HiDS-trait-driven tech mining strategy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    5. Padmanathan Kasinathan & Rishi Pugazhendhi & Rajvikram Madurai Elavarasan & Vigna Kumaran Ramachandaramurthy & Vinoth Ramanathan & Senthilkumar Subramanian & Sachin Kumar & Kamalakannan Nandhagopal & , 2022. "Realization of Sustainable Development Goals with Disruptive Technologies by Integrating Industry 5.0, Society 5.0, Smart Cities and Villages," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-31, November.
    6. Löhr, Guido, 2023. "Conceptual disruption and 21st century technologies: A framework," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Wang, Zheng, 2024. "Artificial intelligence in dance education: Using immersive technologies for teaching dance skills," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    8. Dimitris Koryzis & Dionisis Margaris & Costas Vassilakis & Konstantinos Kotis & Dimitris Spiliotopoulos, 2023. "Disruptive Technologies for Parliaments: A Literature Review," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Godart, Frédéric & Pistilli, Luca, 2024. "The multifaceted concept of disruption: A typology," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    10. Setyowati, Milla Sepliana & Utami, Niken Desila & Saragih, Arfah Habib & Hendrawan, Adang, 2023. "Strategic factors in implementing blockchain technology in Indonesia's value-added tax system," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    11. Wen, Yuni, 2023. "Rightful resistance: How do digital platforms achieve policy change?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    12. Löhr, Guido, 2023. "Do socially disruptive technologies really change our concepts or just our conceptions?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Papanikolaou, Efstathios & Angelis, Jannis & Moustakis, Vassilis, 2023. "Which type of ecosystem for distributed ledger technology?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Blume, Maximilian & Oberländer, Anna Maria & Röglinger, Maximilian & Rosemann, Michael & Wyrtki, Katrin, 2020. "Ex ante assessment of disruptive threats: Identifying relevant threats before one is disrupted," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Mario Coccia, 2020. "Cyclical phenomena in technological change," Papers 2010.03168, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2020.
    3. Rijswijk, Kelly & de Vries, Jasper R. & Klerkx, Laurens & Turner, James A., 2023. "The enabling and constraining connections between trust and digitalisation in incumbent value chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PA).
    4. Trabucchi, Daniel & Talenti, Luca & Buganza, Tommaso, 2019. "How do Big Bang Disruptors look like? A Business Model perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 330-340.
    5. Hongyi Mao & Zongjun Wang & Lin Yi, 2021. "Does Entrepreneurial Orientation Lead to Successful Sustainable Innovation? The Evidence from Chinese Environmentally Friendly Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Pietro Moncada-Paternò-Castello, 2022. "Top R&D investors, structural change and the R&D growth performance of young and old firms," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(1), pages 1-33, March.
    7. Janssen, Matthijs J. & Abbasiharofteh, Milad, 2022. "Boundary spanning R&D collaboration: Key enabling technologies and missions as alleviators of proximity effects?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    8. Xiaoran Zheng & Yuzhuo Cai, 2022. "Transforming Innovation Systems into Innovation Ecosystems: The Role of Public Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-26, June.
    9. Allen, Darcy W.E. & Berg, Chris & Markey-Towler, Brendan & Novak, Mikayla & Potts, Jason, 2020. "Blockchain and the evolution of institutional technologies: Implications for innovation policy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(1).
    10. Krammer, Sorin M.S., 2022. "Human resource policies and firm innovation: The moderating effects of economic and institutional context," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    11. Jelena Vapa-Tankosić & Vera Miler-Jerković & Dejan Jeremić & Slobodan Stanojević & Gordana Radović, 2020. "Investment in Research and Development and New Technological Adoption for the Sustainable Beekeeping Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-17, July.
    12. Laima Gerlitz & Christopher Meyer, 2021. "Small and Medium-Sized Ports in the TEN-T Network and Nexus of Europe’s Twin Transition: The Way towards Sustainable and Digital Port Service Ecosystems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-24, April.
    13. Švarc, Jadranka & Dabić, Marina, 2021. "Transformative innovation policy or how to escape peripheral policy paradox in European research peripheral countries," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    14. Song, Yang & Zhang, Zhiyuan & Sahut, Jean-Michel & Rubin, Ofir, 2023. "Incentivizing green technology innovation to confront sustainable development," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. Mäkitie, Tuukka & Normann, Håkon E. & Thune, Taran M. & Sraml Gonzalez, Jakoba, 2019. "The green flings: Norwegian oil and gas industry’s engagement in offshore wind power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 269-279.
    16. Cantarella, Michele & Fraccaroli, Nicolò & Volpe, Roberto, 2024. "Does language prevent policy take-up? Evidence from the Italian Start-up Act," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(6).
    17. Anne Rainville, 2022. "Green Public Procurement in Mission-Orientated Innovation Systems: Leveraging Voluntary Standards to Improve Sustainability Performance of Municipalities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-22, July.
    18. Godart, Frédéric & Pistilli, Luca, 2024. "The multifaceted concept of disruption: A typology," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    19. Al Lily, Abdulrahman Essa & Ismail, Abdelrahim Fathy & Abunasser, Fathi Mohammed & Alhajhoj Alqahtani, Rafdan Hassan, 2020. "Distance education as a response to pandemics: Coronavirus and Arab culture," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    20. Jaros³aw Brodny & Magdalena Tutak, 2023. "The level of implementing sustainable development goal "Industry, innovation and infrastructure" of Agenda 2030 in the European Union countries: Application of MCDM methods," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 14(1), pages 47-102, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:67:y:2021:i:c:s0160791x21002256. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/technology-in-society .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.