Transforming Technology

Thoroughly revised, this new edition of Critical Theory of Technology rethinks the relationships between technology, rationality, and democracy, arguing that the degradation of labor--as well as of many environmental, educational, and political systems--is rooted in the social values that preside over technological development. It contains materials on political theory, but the emphasis has shifted to reflect a growing interest in the fields of technology and cultural studies.

Create market-focused strategies that make maximum use of your company’s technologies What separates the best from the rest among professional managers? The ability to constantly create, rethink, and revamp strategies by creating and applying powerful new concepts. But a major problem for managers in technology-intensive companies is how to successfully integrate their choice of technologies into competitive market strategies. Transforming New Technologies into Cash Flow develops and applies a simple but powerful new set of concepts to help managers in technology-intensive companies integrate their technology choices with marketing strategies that drive profits high and keep cash flowing. This unique book helps managers map and plan new strategic paths that successfully integrate bundles of technologies, product functionalities, end-user segments, and market networks to create market-focused strategies and competitive differentiation. The book uses case examples and provides a “Management Application Toolkit” of simple and tested maps, worksheets, and interactive cash flow spreadsheets to connect strategic path choices to long-term net cash flow that results in real financial success. Transforming New Technologies into Cash Flow examines: a management process perspective the importance of creating market focus strategic paths; integrating technology choices organizing management teams around strategic paths major management problems with new technologies strategic path mapping, analysis, and integration managing the technology development and adoption processes integrating strategic path bundles: managing transformation processes creating powerful competitive differentiation creating “hot” zones on strategic paths driving cash flow with stategic paths the critical role of pricing and much more! Transforming New Technologies into Cash Flow is an essential professional resource for senior and middle multifunction managers in technology-intensive companies, technical, R&D, and engineering managers, and managers in executive education workshops. This book is part of The Foundation Series in Business Marketing, which also includes Fundamentals of Business Marketing Research and Fundamentals of Business Marketing Education: A Guide for University-Level Faculty and Policymakers (Series Senior Editor: J. David Lichtenthal, PhD, MBA, Zicklin School, Baruch College, City University of New York).

This book examines the progress made in e-enabling the HR function and the relationship with outsourcing. The editors will review and analyse recent developments in the application of outsourcing and ICT to the HR function and its overall contribution to organizational aims. This text aims to fill the gap in current literature, by providing accessible guidance on how to tackle the e-enablement of the function and on the factors associated with successful outsourcing. There is no single text that adequately deals with this increasingly important problem and which has been recognised by the CIPD as a key area of research for their forward programme. The contributors all have leading-edge knowledge and practical experience and aim to provide practical guidance for organizations and HR professionals.

This book discusses major issues in the field of agriculture: crop diseases, lack of storage management, pesticide control, weed management, lack of irrigation and water management and their effective resolution via automation, including IoT, wireless communications, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and deep learning. It further discusses the sterile insect technique, which is a replacement of conventional pesticide and fertilizer techniques. Hydroponics and vertical farming, two of the top-ranked agricultural engineering accomplishments of the past century, are also discussed. Features: Offers in-depth insights regarding the fundamentals of technologies associated with the agriculture sector Synthesizes earlier works of researchers and inventors in this field Sheds light on the challenges and problems of supply and demand worldwide Encourages the reader to innovate and ideate upon those issues Analyses the wide array of services provided by companies worldwide and discusses recent breakthroughs in agriculture automation This book is aimed at the work of many researchers to obtain a concise overview of the current implementation of automation in agriculture and derive important insight into its upcoming challenges.

This book uses case analyses and industry insights and blends them with forays into philosophy and ethics to conceptualise the mismatch between human values and the values inherent in an increasingly technologized world. Bringing together contributors from the disciplines of law, politics, philosophy, and communication studies, this volume develops an interdisciplinary vocabulary for thinking about the questions and antinomies of human-technology interaction while also resisting any deceptively straightforward synthesis. The topics discussed include the competition over and regulation of technology, the harm induced by autonomous technologies, and the place and role of humans in a world that is undergoing rapid and radical change.

Argues that in order to succeed, businesses must combine marketing, technology, and creativity to engage the modern consumer.