ASSIGNMENT 1: PFA

Assignment 1: PFA

Assignment 1: PFA

Q1- Referring to the scenario and CPCL's position this technology transfer refers to the development of technology in one setting that is then transferred for use in another setting. The technological innovation is focused on the originator with successful transfer being recognised through acceptance by the end user (Market, 1993). In contrast, technology diffusion relates directly to the end user and as the term suggests it depicts the spreading or use of technological innovations within a society, organisation, or group of individuals.

Adoption of new technology, though appearing to be significant departures from tradition, are in reality rooted in it, trailing usually unrecorded strands of history which weave back in time along seemingly unrelated paths (Sundbo, 1998). For example the creation of the Internet would not have been possible without the development of telecommunications and that in turn would not have been possible without the discovery of electricity.

An analysis of the second age provides some explanations to the relationship between technology and change. It can be seen that this era consists of three significant phases; the steam phase; the electric phase; and the atomic phase (Jones, 1982). In 1926 Nikolai Kondratiev, a Russian economist, offered his 'Long Waves in Economic Life' proposal that was based on a study of the European and USA economies between 1789 to 1920. He concluded that important discoveries and inventions were made during the period of the rise of the long waves, the economic up swing. At an organisational level there are many explanations for this phenomena including: -

Mechanisation aiding higher productivity, higher volumes of production creating favourable economies of scale. Mechanisation releasing workers who can be used in more creative roles(Dunnett, 1997)

Q2- This would suggest that technology is dictated by economic forces and is inherent in the essence of the capitalist economy. The adoption process is governed by the rate and direction of new technologies and is explicitly determined by the interplay with the economy as stimuli for growth (Teece, 1993).

Kondratiev did not attempt to forecast past 1920 or theorise his proposal that was largely discredited when the second phase produced two economic up swings (see appendix 1). However, Kondratiev identified a non-economic relationship; the most disastrous and extensive wars and revolutions take place during the periods of up swings in the long waves which he considered to be times of high tension (Jones, 1982). Interestingly the last period of high-tension coincided with mans most destructive technological advance to date.

When working with printed questionnaires, the best data input method would be the optical data readers. Optical data readers would be best because (OMR), Optical mark recognition devices and (OCR) optical character recognition devices can be used as the system recognizes the marks as the user would only be required to darken in boxes on the questionnaires.(Stair & Reynolds, 2006)Voice input devices are the best method for conducting a telephone survey. This would be the best choice as a voice input device is programmable to recognize ...