Technology in Society最新文献

Internet use, social capital and high-quality employment 互联网使用、社会资本和高质量就业

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-31 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103031

Peikun Luo , Yongqing Chen , Donglu Shan , Pengcheng Wang

引用次数: 0

Advancing the circular economy in Europe: The role of eco-innovation, economic complexity, and digitalization 推进欧洲循环经济：生态创新、经济复杂性和数字化的作用

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103027

Joshua Adeyemi Afolabi

{"title":"Advancing the circular economy in Europe: The role of eco-innovation, economic complexity, and digitalization","authors":"Joshua Adeyemi Afolabi","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global economy faces serious challenges, including resource depletion and environmental degradation, that have paved the way for the emergence of a circular economy (CE). To maintain the European Union's (EU) leadership in CE transition, this paper examines the role of eco-innovation, economic complexity, and digitalization in advancing CE using 2010–2021 data from 22 EU member states. The Panel Ordinary Least Squares (POLS), Driscoll-Kraay Standard Error (DKSE), and Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) estimation methods are used to analyze the impact of these three factors on CE. The Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test was also applied. The results show eco-innovation, economic complexity, and digitalization as significant drivers of CE, with digitalization emerging as the most influential, followed by economic complexity and eco-innovation. However, their impact differs across levels of CE performance, with eco-innovation being more effective in countries with lower CE performance, and economic complexity showing greater benefits in more advanced economies. Further analyses show causal independence between digitalization and CE, and eco-innovation and CE, but a unidirectional causality from economic complexity to CE. These findings suggest the need to strengthen country-specific and regional efforts to improve CE and enable the EU to achieve its long-term environmental and economic goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103027"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Industry 5.0 and opportunities for promoting supply chain sustainability: A study of the renewable energy industry 工业5.0与促进供应链可持续性的机会：可再生能源产业研究

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-25 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103023

Behzad Masoomi , Iman Ghasemian Sahebi , Anil Kumar , Morteza Ghobakhloo , Mohammad Iranmanesh

{"title":"Industry 5.0 and opportunities for promoting supply chain sustainability: A study of the renewable energy industry","authors":"Behzad Masoomi , Iman Ghasemian Sahebi , Anil Kumar , Morteza Ghobakhloo , Mohammad Iranmanesh","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies has led to substantial socio-industrial shifts, with impacts reaching into societal frameworks such as labor markets and environmental sustainability practices. In response, the fifth industrial revolution integrates human-centered approaches within sustainable frameworks, promoting both environmental and social welfare in industrial transformations. Industry 5.0 added value, such as increased human-machine collaboration and societal focus, and its role in addressing Industry 4.0's limitations in sustainable practices. This study aims to analysis the facilitators of Industry 5.0, examining their interrelationships to establish a framework for achieving sustainability in the renewable energy sector. The research employs a three-phase decision-making model, incorporating Fuzzy-Delphi Method (FDM), Best-Worst Method (BWM), and Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach. A subsequent sensitivity analysis is conducted to validate the solution's robustness. The study incorporates expert opinions and literature reviews to investigate eleven sustainability-promoting facilitators within the renewable energy industry, highlighting the substantial impact of specific facilitators. Examples of such facilitators include human–machine collaboration, digital and integrated process capabilities, smart manufacturing via exoskeletons, Industry 5.0 policies supporting supply chain sustainability through workforce empowerment, and mixed reality. The findings contribute novel insights into the realm of Industry 5.0, bolstering environmental and societal sustainability capacities within supply chains. Notably, this research marks the inaugural examination of environmental and societal sustainability drivers in Industry 5.0 era.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103023"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144749340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Digital transformation speed and firms’ ambidextrous green innovation: Do employee stock ownership and education levels matter? 数字化转型速度与企业双向绿色创新：员工持股和受教育程度是否重要？

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103024

Xi Zhong , Yanfeng Zhang

{"title":"Digital transformation speed and firms’ ambidextrous green innovation: Do employee stock ownership and education levels matter?","authors":"Xi Zhong , Yanfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the conditions under which digital transformation speed influences firms' ambidextrous green innovation, which is a dual capability encompassing both exploitative and exploratory dimensions of sustainable practices. Anchored in dynamic capabilities theory, we propose that accelerating digital transformation speed may erode firms’ dynamic capabilities—namely, their ability to sense, seize, and reconfigure resources—thereby exerting a negative effect on ambidextrous green innovation. We further argue that employee stock ownership fosters greater alignment between individual and organizational goals, thus mitigating the disruptive impact of digital transformation speed, whereas higher levels of employee education enhance cognitive and problem-solving capacities, enabling firms to better navigate the complexities arising from faster digital transformation speed. Drawing on panel data from publicly listed Chinese manufacturing firms over the period of 2015–2021, our findings substantiate the majority of our hypotheses. By delineating, for the first time, the intricate logical nexus between digital transformation speed and ambidextrous green innovation, this study makes a substantive contribution to the burgeoning literature on sustainable industrial transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103024"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Do restaurant customers and owners differ in their preferences for serving robots? A choice experiment and latent class approach 餐厅顾客和老板对服务机器人的偏好不同吗？一个选择实验和潜在类方法

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103026

Changeun Park , HyungBin Moon , Jungwoo Shin

{"title":"Do restaurant customers and owners differ in their preferences for serving robots? A choice experiment and latent class approach","authors":"Changeun Park , HyungBin Moon , Jungwoo Shin","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Serving robots are increasingly being adopted by restaurants to address labor shortages and improve operational efficiency. These robots offer a range of benefits to restaurant owners, including increased productivity and a novel customer experience. However, there are barriers to adopting these technologies, including the digital literacy gap, emotional resistance, and social concerns regarding the impact of automation. Nevertheless, most existing research has focused on customer acceptance of serving robots, overlooking the perspectives of restaurant owners, who are the actual decision makers driving their adoption. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the heterogeneous preferences of customers and restaurant owners regarding serving robot types. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) and latent class analysis (LCA), this study identified two segments in each group. Customers were technology-progressive (43.6 %) or technology-conservative (56.4 %); owners were interaction-oriented (60.3 %) or appearance-oriented (39.7 %). The results showed that customers generally prefer non-humanoid robots, whereas owners favor fixed-type or humanoid robots. Notably, customers were the least likely to accept humanoid robots, indicating a potential “uncanny valley” effect. These divergent preferences suggest that successfully introducing serving robots to restaurants requires a strategic alignment between customer experience and owner priorities. By comparing these two stakeholder groups, this study provides practical insights for restaurant owners and robot manufacturers seeking to facilitate the effective introduction of serving robots in customer-facing environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103026"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Revolution, transformation, and emergence: The transmutation of emerging technologies in the Chinese context 革命、转型与涌现：新兴技术在中国语境下的嬗变

IF 10.1 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103022

Bowen Song , Danni Liang

{"title":"Revolution, transformation, and emergence: The transmutation of emerging technologies in the Chinese context","authors":"Bowen Song , Danni Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emerging technology represents the future trajectory of scientific and technological innovation. Integrating existing theoretical perspectives with practical needs to advance such innovation remains a pressing yet unresolved issue in China. Drawing on results from a systematic content analysis, this paper develops a thematic framework of emerging technologies, outlining seven typical dimensions: novelty, uncertainty, widespread influence, rapid development, convergence, theoretical foundation, and territoriality, each embodying self-evolution and application effects. We further extend the discussion on the evolution of emerging technologies by constructing links between their typical attributes, developmental dimensions, and innovative concepts. Our findings reveal that the dimensions of emerging technologies vary across different development contexts and exhibit distinct stage-specific characteristics. Indeed, this thematic framework highlights the core concerns of innovation management research in China, and illustrates how innovation concepts evolve alongside environmental upgrading, transformation, and emergence. This study offers theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing the national science and technology innovation system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103022"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144702422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Creating existential authenticity experience by combining technology capability with gamification in the metaverse: An affordance perspective 通过将技术能力与虚拟世界中的游戏化相结合，创造存在的真实性体验：一个可视性视角

IF 10.1 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103019

Xinyu Jiang , Junbin Wang , Nianqi Deng

{"title":"Creating existential authenticity experience by combining technology capability with gamification in the metaverse: An affordance perspective","authors":"Xinyu Jiang , Junbin Wang , Nianqi Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Games play a pivotal role in the strategic development of the metaverse. However, how gamified metaverse environments align with users' experiential needs remains unclear. Understanding the antecedents and internal responses that shape users’ intentions to engage with gamified metaverse platforms is critical for advancing the field. Grounded in affordance theory, this study empirically examines the interplay among technological capabilities, gamified interfaces, and user engagement, and explores their influence on existential authenticity, appraisal processes, and usage intention. Data from 314 participants were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that both technological affordances (i.e., physical presence, social presence) and gamification affordances (i.e., achievement, identity, competition, self-expression) are effectively perceived by users. These affordances contribute to a sense of existential authenticity, which, in turn, drives both cognitive and affective appraisals. Ultimately, positive appraisals enhance users' intention to engage with the metaverse. Notably, affective appraisal significantly influences cognitive appraisal. These findings offer novel insights into the value drivers of gamified metaverse experiences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103019"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144696901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Industrial robots for a sustainable future: Uncovering the asymmetric effects of AI on ecological quality in G7 economies 可持续未来的工业机器人：揭示人工智能对七国集团经济体生态质量的不对称影响

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103021

Brahim Bergougui

{"title":"Industrial robots for a sustainable future: Uncovering the asymmetric effects of AI on ecological quality in G7 economies","authors":"Brahim Bergougui","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Artificial intelligence is increasingly recognized for its potential to enhance ecological quality by streamlining production processes, reducing environmental emissions, and improving ecological monitoring systems. However, the influence of artificial intelligence on ecological quality is neither uniform across different stages of technological adoption nor consistent across national contexts. The central objective of this study is to investigate the asymmetric and stage-specific effects of artificial intelligence adoption on ecological quality within the Group of Seven (G7) economies over the period from January 2000 to December 2019. Employing a novel multivariate quantile-on-quantile regression framework, this research examines how varying intensities of artificial intelligence adoption impact different levels of ecological outcomes. The results indicate that artificial intelligence exerts a modest positive effect on ecological quality during early stages of adoption, a more substantial effect during transitional phases, and a significantly positive influence at advanced stages of integration. To address endogeneity concerns—particularly reverse causality and omitted variable bias—this study utilizes an instrumental variable multivariate quantile regression approach, using lagged values of artificial intelligence adoption as an instrument. The findings are validated through robustness checks using kernel regularized least squares and standard quantile regression techniques. The results also reveal considerable variation across countries, highlighting the necessity for country-specific and stage-aware policy interventions. Accordingly, the study offers detailed, actionable recommendations tailored to the adoption stage of each G7 member to maximize the ecological benefits of artificial intelligence. This research provides a rigorous, causally grounded analysis of how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to advance environmental sustainability in highly industrialized economies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103021"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144724162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Returns to information infrastructure: Evidence on women economic empowerment in Ghana 信息基础设施的回归：加纳妇女经济赋权的证据

IF 10.1 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103018

Yazeed Abdul Mumin , Paul Kwame Nkegbe , Shamsia Abdul-Wahab

{"title":"Returns to information infrastructure: Evidence on women economic empowerment in Ghana","authors":"Yazeed Abdul Mumin , Paul Kwame Nkegbe , Shamsia Abdul-Wahab","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inadequate information infrastructure remains a major challenge to economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, and this situation is compounded by the footprints of the digital revolution which appear to be exacerbating the existing gender inequalities and divides. In Ghana, progress has been made in information infrastructure and women's human endowment. However, there are concerns about whether such improvements translate into improved women economic empowerment. We used the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) datasets, and the marginal treatment effects approach to examine the impact of information infrastructure on women economic empowerment. We find that having an information infrastructure in a community significantly increases women economic empowerment in general, but with higher effects of ICT centre and community radio station compared to internet café. Also, our estimates show that the availability of the information infrastructure benefits less endowed and marginalised women. This study sets itself apart from existing studies by considering the intragroup differences among women and impact mechanisms. The study also demonstrates the importance of support policies in stimulating the availability of the information infrastructure and its effect on women economic empowerment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103018"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144713343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Beyond simple interaction: Uncovering the perception-interaction intrinsic mechanism of generative AI agents—A multi-modal big data analysis with PLS-SEM and fsQCA 超越简单交互：揭示生成式人工智能主体感知交互的内在机制——基于PLS-SEM和fsQCA的多模态大数据分析

IF 12.5 1区社会学

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2025-07-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103020

Hao He , Shizhen Bai , Chunjia Han , Mu Yang , Weijia Fan , Brij B. Gupta

{"title":"Beyond simple interaction: Uncovering the perception-interaction intrinsic mechanism of generative AI agents—A multi-modal big data analysis with PLS-SEM and fsQCA","authors":"Hao He , Shizhen Bai , Chunjia Han , Mu Yang , Weijia Fan , Brij B. Gupta","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly being adopted across industries, yet existing literature has not fully explored the unique traits and the complex mechanism it introduces. To address this gap, this study investigates the unique characteristics of GenAI agents and their impact on user interaction behaviors. By analyzing user-generated text and AI-generated images from the Character.AI platform, we examine three key perceptual characteristics: social personalization, functional customization, and emotional affordance. Through multi-modal machine learning approaches combining Structural Topic Modeling (STM) and Facial Action Coding System (FACS), we propose the “perceived characteristics of GenAI agent-empathy-interactive willingness” (PCoGenAI-E-IW) theoretical model to explore how user perceptions transform into interactive behaviors. Furthermore, the PLS-SEM analysis and configurational approach identify 10 distinct variable combinations that influence users’ interaction willingness. The findings validate our multi-modal analytical framework while providing valuable empirical evidence for marketing strategy formulation, service experience optimization, and theoretical advancement in human-AI interaction research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103020"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144721713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0