DailyPost 948
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION CONUNDRUM
There are experts after experts on technology, some real, some not so real but it is rare to find a technology adoption expert. And that too across domains / sectors / geographies / at different technology levels. It has long been accepted that technology is not an issue, its adoption is the real challenge. Might be for the first time in human history, technology has become so abundant, that we don’t know what do with it. Discretion in adoption is the key, the owners decides the technology, its adoption modalities, the pace, milestones, commissioning, impact, sustainability and the like. This means ownership end to end. How many of such adoption have you seen in your professional career?
It has macro, micro, mini and also nano levels – from an individual and a single feature to a country and a complete technology. Drip irrigation in Israel. Though some research has happened in technology adoption either it is generic sociological model like the technology adoption life cycle or the theories for Disruptive Innovation etc, they don’t address the real life issues. That is the reason why we still struggle even with a PowerPoint presentation.
Technology Adoption Research is yet to be even thought off, leave aside taking off. It is left to the small and medium enterprises, institutions and organisations to struggle with it. The mother of all this is a Computer Lab in an engineering college, what is the technology adoption there? You find everybody struggling with every type of technology – the maturity and stability they say is always a stone throw away. But it does not happen. This has to become the topic of intense debate, objectively, well documented in every organisation– how to manage successful technology adoptions on parameterised improvements.
Technology Adoption Research Center well represented by all stakeholders – the technologists, the enterprises, vendors, consultants and researchers would certainly be able unravel the mystery of technology adoption. A roadmap for differently classified organisations would be an ultimate gift to this nation.
UNRAVELLING THE TECHNOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IS THE REAL CHALLENGE.
Sanjay Sahay