Good Technology

“The exclusion of wisdom from economics, science and technology was something which we could perhaps get away with for a little while, as long as we were relatively unsuccessful; but now that we have become very successful, the problem of spiritual and moral truth moves into the central position.”

—E. F. Schumacher

Cathedrals are beautiful buildings. They are buildings that raise our sights to higher purposes. They encourage us, in both direct and subtle ways, to become better human beings. They elevate us beyond the practical and economic to a larger perspective.

Saint Patrick, who is celebrated on March 17 each year as the Patron Saint of Ireland, is also the Patron Saint of Engineers. He earned this accolade because of his work building the first churches in Ireland and bringing engineering construction methods from the Romans to Ireland. Two engineering practices he introduced were lime mortar (as opposed to dry masonry) and arch construction. He was not an engineer, but he did much to spread the use of engineering practices in a day almost a thousand years before the advent of the printing press.

I had not realized that there was a Patron Saint of Engineers, but I certainly think that we need one. Every designed artifact can be made to appeal to our baser selves or to elevate the dignity of its users. Each artifact can be designed to work well with its greater environment or to disregard it. The designers themselves can be engaged in a purely professional or economic activity or in a greater calling.

Engineers are creators, and we are meant to do so in the image of our Creator. To do this, we need to create design principles and practices that reflect this potential, practices that go beyond engineering ethics to the design of technology “as if people really mattered” (to borrow a phrase from the subtitle of Schumacher’s classic work, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered.)

Several articles in this issue point us in the right direction.

Don Norman in “Design for a Better World” goes at the issue directly. Norman, a world-renowned expert in design and an originator of user-centered design, believes that these practices have led us astray. In his view, we have learned how to use design to make more appealing products and to increase corporate profits and growth, but they have not dealt with the externalities—the way our designed artifacts affect the planet. His interview is a call for action to create a discipline that will do that.

Eric von Hippel coined the term “lead user.” His work has made visible the importance of user innovation and user innovation communities in the creation of functionally new products and services. The culmination of his work is an entirely new paradigm for under­standing innovation, one that turns the notion of producers as the primary innovators in the world on its head. von Hippel has a mission of democratizing innovation by making user innovation visible and by removing impediments to its success. The article in this issue provides a concise summary of his work.

Jana Matošková, Zuzana Crhová, and Aleš Gregar discuss another aspect of good technology in “Why Manu­facturers Need to Engage Emplo­yees When Implementing a Smart Factory.” They focus on the importance of eng­aging workers in the design of intelligent technologies, like those associated with Industry 4.0. Their focus is on change management, but good change management and meaningful engagement with workers will move us closer to the design of good technology.

This issue’s Resources column focuses on generative AI, the latest of a rapid succession of capabilities built on machine learning. As leaders of innovation and technology management, one of the things we need to consider when a radically new technology bursts onto the scene is not only how it might be used, but how it might affect people and the work that they do. The generative AI systems released toward the end of 2022—and which have achieved a pace of adoption that is unprecedented—are no exception. The limitations of these technologies, as well as the ethical dilemmas they present, are discussed in that column.

The article by Robert Cooper and Anita Sommer on “Dynamic Portfolio Management for New Product Develo­pment” addresses our ability to develop good technology more indirectly. Many companies as part of their portfolio management process include strategic goals, like sustainability, in their evaluation criteria. These tend to be long-term objectives. As Cooper and Sommer note, however, the portfolio itself is very dynamic. External events—and the development process itself—may result in new data that should prompt a re-evaluation not just of a project but of the portfolio itself.

Good technology—which ennobles people and sustains our values—cannot be taken for granted. By intent or neglect, our engineered objects are often designed in ways that worship economic gods alone. As engineers, scientists, and computer scientists, we need to develop practices that keep human values in front of us. Those practices should include those that reinforce values like sustainability, participation, good work, and the use of new technologies in ethical ways.

Although many agree with the general sensibility expressed in this column, enacting values in practice is a tall order. Doing so can be counter cultural. It may require creating new ways of talking about technology, new ways of performing economic analyses, or new tools to help technical people keep values in front of them in the practice of their daily work. Only then might we be able to live up to the best uses of technology that our professions can deliver. We hope this issue helps.

Research-Technology Management seeks submissions

CALL FOR PAPERS: Special Issue: Innovation People, Teams and Culture

Submission Due Date: Beginning March 1, 2023

Review process: On a rolling basis beginning March 31, 2023

Research-Technology Management welcomes articles that explore the people and teams engaged in innovation and shifts in innovation culture.

Companies are operating in a VUCA world—one characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. The world of work is very different compared to just five years ago. Remote work, which became a necessity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, is now a reality, and requirement, by larger numbers of staff. And technology is advancing so quickly, it’s hard to keep pace. The Great Resignation has created a war for talent.

RTM is actively seeking papers on the following topics:

Unique approaches companies are using to attract and retain innovation talent (hiring and onboarding practices; balancing the needs of different employees, remote work policies, etc.)

Novel management strategies and training and development tactics companies are using with innovation staff

How companies are adapting or reshaping their innovation culture to fit the new work and business environment

Ways companies can ensure effective collaboration and engagement for innovation in a remote/hybrid environment

How companies can capture important institutional knowledge and transfer it to the next generation

The best strategies to deal with IP issues in an increasingly digital world

The ways companies can engage with R&D researchers at academic institutions and startups to complement internal talent and R&D

Papers and case studies should highlight specific, firsthand examples of how companies are adapting their workforce, their workplace culture, and their R&D and innovations processes. Submissions should include data on the practices, companies’ experience with them (positive and negative), adaptations to make them successful, and managerial lessons learned.

RTM articles are concise and practice oriented. Ideal submissions offer concrete examples and data to support theories about invention and innovation, the management of technology and capabilities to support innovation. Successful submissions will offer readers practical information they can put to work immediately.

We prefer submissions at around 4,000–4,500 words, although we will occasionally publish truly groundbreaking pieces as long as 5,000 words. Articles should be submitted via our Editorial Manager system at http://www.editorial manager.com/rtm/. For submission requirements and author’s guidelines, visit us at www.tandfonline.com/urtm.

For more information about this call or to join our email list to receive notification when calls for papers are released, please email RTM’s managing editor, Tammy McCausland, at [email protected].

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jim Euchner

Jim Euchner is editor-in-chief of Research-Technology Management. He previously held senior management positions in the leadership of innovation at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Pitney Bowes Corporation and Bell Atlantic. He holds BS and MS degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Cornell and Princeton Universities, respectively, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. Jim is the author of Lean Startup in Large Organizations: Overcoming Organizational Resistance (Productivity Press 2022). [email protected]