The Elusive Nature of Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Emerging technologies fundamentally transform society, with this process gaining ever more momentum as the digital era unfolds; however, the early innovation processes interwoven with them remain poorly understood. The dissertation clarifies these processes considerably by examining the nature of emerging technologies and how the latter influence the early stages of innovation in organizations. The research behind it addressed two questions: How can emerging technologies be conceptualized, and, given this conceptualization, how do emerging technologies shape the conditions for early digital-innovation processes? The work drew from an interpretative, qualitatively oriented case study of public-sector organizations engaged in early innovation processes involving blockchain technology. A study at a government agency served as an especially rich data source, informing two-phase analysis wherein separate analyses were conducted and presented in four research articles, then more general case analysis addressed the overarching research questions. Two central contributions to current theory emerged. Detailing the elusive nature of emerging technologies draws attention to vital facets of their ambiguity; they lack clarity both in their material structure (how they are technically constituted) and in the purposes articulated for them (what problems can be solved). Secondly, the dissertation presents elaboration on the framing paradox of emerging technologies, which is an outgrowth of their elusive nature. This explicates how grappling with the ambiguities requires a strategy to reduce the complexity bundled with the dual ambiguity. It also highlights key tensions: legitimacy-linked ones and tensions between innovation ambitions and responsibilities for existing structures. The research’s findings hold significant practical utility. An organization that acknowledges the “dual ambiguity” and the framing paradox is better equipped to guide its planning and execution of digital innovation processes. For government, one implication of understanding the ambiguity-rife nature of emerging technologies is development of more precise targeting of innovation funding. Also, in society at large, the power game of new technology development requires a corresponding focus on the labeling processes brought into play.