Brian P. Bloomfield and Theo Vurdubakis
The pupose of this paper is twofold. First, to consider the cultural reception of recent developments in genetic technology and human reproduction, particularly in relation to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The pupose of this paper is twofold. First, to consider the cultural reception of recent developments in genetic technology and human reproduction, particularly in relation to the prospect of human cloning and the advent of the “designer human”; and second, to explore the ways in which public discussion of these developments presuppose and recast issues of diversity, difference and (in)equality.
Design/methodology/approach
The research draws upon UK print media sources (broadsheet and tabloid newspapers) over the past two decades to examine the ways in which cultural expectations concerning developments in reproductive technology are commonly expressed. It does not aim at a quantitative examination of the content of what was said; rather it seeks to explore how it was said and thus the discursive resources that were employed in doing so.
Findings
The paper suggests that images of “technology” function simultaneously as “mirrors of society”, providing a means for articulating and rhetorically rehearsing the various philosophical antinomies and moral conflicts that characterize social organization.
Originality/value
The paper adopts a novel approach to the question of diversity, difference and (in)equality by considering the “monsters” discursively associated with recent developments in genetic and reproductive technology as well as the “monstrous” forms of social organization that they foreshadow.
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Brian P. Bloomfield and Theo Vurdubakis
Discusses the problematic nature of the boundary between the“technical” and the “social” and its consequences in respect ofunderstanding the relationship between technological and…
Abstract
Discusses the problematic nature of the boundary between the “technical” and the “social” and its consequences in respect of understanding the relationship between technological and organizational change. Illustrates the argument using material drawn from research on the implementation of a hospital information system and an R&D project to develop a knowledge‐based system to assist the implementation of strategic change.
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Chun‐Tsai Yeh, Marcela Miozzo and Theo Vurdubakis
Seeks to explore how perceptions of an ERP system‐requirement misfit in Taiwan have been construed as business opportuni4ties by domestic vendors in their response to competitive…
Abstract
Purpose
Seeks to explore how perceptions of an ERP system‐requirement misfit in Taiwan have been construed as business opportuni4ties by domestic vendors in their response to competitive pressures from international vendors.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected through interviews with three leading foreign ERP vendors, four leading domestic ERP vendors, the ERP trade association and a number of consultants in Taiwan to explore the perceptions of Taiwanese enterprise system providers and the business and design strategies through which such perceptions were enacted.
Findings
In comparison with leading Western ERP providers, the software technologies, resources and global market experience of Taiwan's domestic ERP vendors are weaker. Nevertheless, the analysis of the interviews and associated documentation shows that there are four areas in which domestic ERP vendors perceive themselves as having a competitive advantage over foreign vendors. The four areas are: the ability to meet special requirements, the ability to support the flexibility and speed of domestic small and medium‐sized firms, the benefits of direct implementation, and the ability to learn from their engagement with local customers.
Originality/value
While the literature on learning and innovation on East Asian manufacturing firms has stressed the important role of incremental improvement on borrowed technology, the role of government and the strategy and structure of domestic firms, there has been little research on the sources of competitive advantage of East Asian firms in sectors with services components. This paper contributes to one's understanding of the development of technological capabilities by East Asian firms in services.