Determining appropriateness for management of appropriate technology: an empirical study using factor analysis

ABSTRACT

Appropriate technology’s significance has been growing due to the burgeoning interest in constraint-based innovation that transforms plausible challenges into practical solutions. However, the notion of technological appropriateness in appropriate technology management remains under-explored, following a prescriptive trajectory from earlier studies. This study assesses factors that establish appropriateness in a developing country context using a multi-case design approach. The cases involve both organisations and institutions that are engaged in the design, development, and dissemination of appropriate technologies. The empirical data obtained from the cases are analyzed using an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to determine the appropriateness for the management of appropriate technology. The findings generate four factors that define appropriateness. They include entailing appropriate design for sustainability, participatory mode of development, sustainable rural delivery mechanism, and indigenous knowledge development. The seminal contribution of this study provides a predictive understanding of appropriateness for effective technology functioning at the grassroots.

KEYWORDS:

• Appropriate technology
• appropriateness
• Exploratory factor analysis
• technology management

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the organisations and institutions for letting to conduct research seamlessly. The authors sincerely thank the reviewers and editors for their valuable comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jayshree Patnaik

Jayshree Patnaik is currently pursuing Ph.D. from Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. Her research interest lies in Appropriate Technology, Technological Innovation, Sustainability.

Bhaskar Bhowmick

Dr. Bhaskar Bhowmick is presently working as Assistant Professor in Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. He teaches Strategy, Techno-Entrepreneurship, and Business Models. He has published in many noted international journals, presented papers in international conferences and contributed to book chapters.