Technology in Society最新文献

{"title":"Industrial robotisation and local taxes: Evidence from South Korea","authors":"Taehoon Kim ,&nbsp;Hoyong Jung","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rapid advancement of industrial robotisation, growing attention has been paid to its broader economic implications; however, little is known about its fiscal impact on local governments. This study addresses this gap by being the first to empirically examine how robot adoption affects local tax revenues in South Korea—a country at the forefront of automation. Leveraging a Bartik-type instrument to establish causality, the analysis reveals that robotisation significantly increases both the volume and share of local tax revenues, particularly in manufacturing-intensive and rural regions. These findings highlight the fiscal potential of automation and offer novel insights for local fiscal policy design in the era of technological transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"84 ","pages":"Article 103043"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107929","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}

{"title":"Convergence of environmental innovation in Europe with or without United Kingdom: Technological implications for the environment","authors":"Sakiru Adebola Solarin ,&nbsp;Hasan Kazak ,&nbsp;Muhammad Shahbaz ,&nbsp;Ahmet Tayfur Akcan ,&nbsp;Hamide Selcuk","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study analyzes the convergence of environmental innovation for 21 European Union countries and the United Kingdom during the period 1992–2021. We contribute to the literature by looking at the convergence of two different variations of environmental innovation-environmental innovation per capita and environmental innovation intensity. We have used three convergence testing approaches-stochastic, beta, and sigma convergence methods. Our empirical results based on these three approaches generally suggest convergence in environmental innovation. Further, our findings based on the beta convergence method suggest that environmental innovation depends on CO2 emissions per capita, real gross domestic product per capita, financial development, and institutional quality of each country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103047"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144924905","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}

{"title":"Gauging citizen preferences for the emerging energy-technology of nuclear microreactors","authors":"Mark Peterson ,&nbsp;Shawn Enriques ,&nbsp;Rob Godby ,&nbsp;David Feldman","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nuclear microreactors (NMRs) are an emerging energy innovation designed for small-scale and transportable energy production. The long-range development of NMRs must account not only for technical functionality but also for social acceptance. Drawing on principles from technology assessment, this study advocates for including citizen survey research in the front end of new-product development (NPD) for nuclear microreactors when fielding a commercially viable version of an NMR remains “over the horizon” and years away. Citizen input gathered through discrete-choice methods, such as those used in this study, can reveal how trade-offs in cost to citizens, safety, employment, waste handling, and environmental impacts influence public support for NMRs. Such knowledge of citizen preferences can powerfully inform developers of technologies, such as NMRs, on how to make changes in these new technologies so that NMRs align with citizen preferences and thereby increase the social acceptability of NMRs. In the current study, citizens in Wyoming and Alaska gave the most importance to NMRs that can reduce their electric utility bills and minimize the storage and transportation of nuclear waste. Researchers used the importance weights for the dimensions used in the study to derive four segments of citizens using clustering analysis: 1) skeptics, 2) nuclear supporters, 3) nuclear waste concerned, and 4) jobs-focused. For policymakers, the results of the segmentation analysis suggest that those supporting NMRs in the development process account for 53 percent of the sample, while those opposed to or concerned about nuclear waste and its transportation account for 47 percent—comparable percentages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103046"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003850","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}

{"title":"Mapping the landscape of cybersecurity preparedness: A systematic review of non-technological determinants and consequences","authors":"Songkhun Nillasithanukroh ,&nbsp;Chul Hyun Park ,&nbsp;Jaejong Baek ,&nbsp;Gail-Joon Ahn ,&nbsp;Robert Richards","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given the escalating technological reliance of organizations, the development of robust cybersecurity preparedness has become imperative to preempt and mitigate the spectrum of cyber threats that jeopardize operational integrity, data security, and reputational standing. Constructing an effective defense, however, remains challenging due to the prevailing tendency of existing cybersecurity preparedness assessment frameworks to prioritize technological solutions, often downplaying the critical roles of human, organizational, and environmental factors. Moreover, such frameworks frequently overlook the complex interplay among these domains and the full spectrum of consequential outcomes. This systematic literature review seeks to address these gaps by synthesizing empirical findings from a broad corpus of academic literature. The review elucidates the multifaceted determinants of cybersecurity preparedness, with particular emphasis on underexplored non-technological variables, and explicates the mechanisms by which these factors interrelate and ultimately influence preparedness outcomes. While the findings underscore the substantial impact of human, organizational, and environmental factors—often engaging in complex interactions with other variables—extant empirical research on these interdependencies remains limited. As a result, future research employing integrative frameworks is warranted to more comprehensively capture the dynamic interplay of determinants shaping cybersecurity preparedness. Further investigation is also necessary to delineate the range of long-term consequences of preparedness, thereby better informing organizations about the comprehensive value of cybersecurity investments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103042"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144896047","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}

{"title":"Unveiling user challenges in immersive technologies: A deep learning approach to social media analytics","authors":"Juite Wang ,&nbsp;Jung-Yu Lai ,&nbsp;Rou-Ting Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organizations are increasingly exploring the integration of immersive technologies into their business models. Understanding the barriers to adoption from the user's perspective is essential for successful implementation. This study proposes a deep learning framework to analyze social media data and uncover user-reported challenges associated with immersive technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). To detect adverse user experiences, we employ a semi-supervised learning approach based on Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), a context-aware language model developed by Google in 2018 and widely used in natural language processing. This approach incrementally builds a sentiment prediction model to identify negative user posts. We then apply BERTopic, a topic modeling technique built upon BERT, to classify these posts into semantically coherent topics. Finally, the identified topics are evaluated based on post volume, growth rate, and their strategic positioning using a topic strategy map. The analysis reveals 21 topics for VR, 8 for AR, and 8 for MR. These reflect a wide spectrum of concerns, including hardware malfunctions, tracking instability, content limitations, user discomfort, and governance skepticism. While some issues are shared across modalities, others, such as controller mapping failures in MR or WebAR instability in AR, are uniquely emphasized. The findings offer practical insights to guide user-centered design, improve platform reliability, and support the broader adoption of immersive technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103044"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144896048","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}

{"title":"Linking manufacturing digitalization and technological Innovation: The mediating role of dynamic capabilities","authors":"Weimin Chen ,&nbsp;Haiyan Lu ,&nbsp;Luca Mora ,&nbsp;Ting Chen ,&nbsp;Dominik Beckers ,&nbsp;Mengyun Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amid the expanding digital economy and the progression of Industry 4.0 initiatives, both industry professionals and academic researchers are increasingly focused on unraveling the mechanisms by which manufacturing digitalization drives technological innovation. Build upon the resource-based view and dynamic capability theory, this study develops a theoretical framework and proposes research hypotheses to investigate how manufacturing digitalization and dynamic capabilities influence technological innovation, with particular attention to product and process innovation. Analyzing survey data from 276 manufacturing firms located in the first national-level pilot cities for digital transformation in China, structural equation modeling results reveal that: (1) digitalization within manufacturing firms can significantly promote both product and process innovation; (2) dynamic capabilities play a mediating role in linking manufacturing digitalization with technological innovation. Specifically, dynamic capabilities partially mediate the relationship between manufacturing digitalization and process innovation, and serve as a full mediator in its impact on product innovation. These findings provide theoretical insights and practical implications, helping manufacturing firms better recognize the strategic value of digitalization and dynamic capabilities in enhancing technological innovation through digital transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103041"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144863824","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}

{"title":"The impact of U.S.-style digital trade rules on digital services trade between China and CPTPP member countries","authors":"Huilian Ma ,&nbsp;Chengwen Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As digital trade expands globally, U.S.-style digital trade rules have garnered increasing attention from scholars and policymakers. Drawing on panel data from 2005 to 2023 covering China's digital services trade with CPTPP member countries, this study quantifies the depth of U.S.-style digital trade rules using the TAPED dataset and empirically evaluates their impact through an extended gravity model. The results indicate that these rules exert an overall positive effect on China–CPTPP digital services trade, with a more pronounced impact on exports. Mechanism analyses reveal that U.S.-style digital trade rules facilitate bilateral trade by reducing transaction costs, while also introducing constraints by narrowing ICT development gaps and intensifying institutional trade barriers. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that different types of provisions exert varied effects: e-commerce and data-specific provisions significantly promote digital trade, whereas other high-standard or complex provisions have relatively limited influence. This study provides both theoretical underpinnings and policy-relevant insights for China to enhance its digital services trade with CPTPP members within the evolving framework of U.S.-style digital trade rules, thereby strengthening the global competitiveness of Chinese digital firms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103040"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893581","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}

{"title":"A decision architecture for epistemic prioritization: Machine learning at the intersection of technology and society","authors":"M.Z. Naser","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This review examines how machine learning (ML) methodologies are transforming the philosophy of science and engineering through five critical epistemic functions: Prediction, Explanation, Discovery, Understanding, and Decision-making (P.E.D.U.D.). We analyze each function individually and then provide examples of how ML applications embody these epistemic aims. Building on this analysis, we develop a framework to help users/practitioners determine which epistemic function to prioritize for specific problem domains by creating a decision architecture that aligns ML methodologies with epistemic goals. Finally, we explore the broader philosophical implications of this epistemological landscape by analyzing tensions between data-driven and theory-driven approaches and argue that ML necessitates a reconsideration of the traditional philosophy of science as the balance between these five functions evolves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103039"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144831424","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}

{"title":"Generative AI as a source of information on environmental Problems: Understanding its influence on Generation Z","authors":"Carla Rodriguez-Sanchez ,&nbsp;Franco Manuel Sancho-Esper ,&nbsp;Luis Vicente Casaló ,&nbsp;Manuela López","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly emerging as a transformative tool in digital information dissemination. However, its influence on environmental communication problems remains underexplored. This research examines whether exposure to information on an environmental problem provided by GenAI (namely ChatGPT) influences individuals' pro-environmental outcomes in terms of awareness of environmental consequences, moral obligation, and attitudes toward that problem. It addresses the research gap on GenAI's effectiveness compared to traditional sources (digital newspapers) in shaping environmental perceptions, as well as the underlying mechanisms behind this effectiveness. Two experimental studies were conducted with samples of Generation Z users given this demographic's high level of engagement with AI tools. Study 1 examined changes in pro-environmental outcomes when participants were exposed to ChatGPT-generated messages about water scarcity or messages in a digital newspaper. Study 2 focused on the underlying mechanisms of ChatGPT's influence. It examined how perceived usefulness of information mediates this influence and how individual characteristics (psychological distance to the problem and technological innovativeness) moderate this process. Exposure to messages about water scarcity significantly enhanced participants' awareness of consequences, moral obligation, and attitudes toward the problem, regardless of the source. In Study 2, emphasizing problem severity enhanced perceived usefulness, a key factor in shaping pro-environmental outcomes. However, this effect varied based on individual characteristics, with moderation by psychological distance and technological innovativeness. These findings contribute to the growing discussion about the role of GenAI in environmental communication. The paper discusses the potential implications of GenAI for fostering pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. It emphasizes the need to consider audience-specific factors to maximize the effectiveness of GenAI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103036"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144863825","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}

{"title":"Entrepreneurship processes: Digital self-efficacy, technostress, and entrepreneurial behaviour in South Africa","authors":"Amon Simba ,&nbsp;Patient Rambe ,&nbsp;Paul Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research identifies digitalisation as the ‘<em>holy grail’</em> of entrepreneurship. But the interplay of digital self-efficacy, technostress, and entrepreneurial behaviour in a non-Western setup is unsubstantiated. Using a digital technology-technostress-entrepreneurial intention interface, we examine multiple relationships influencing early-stage South African entrepreneurs. Regression results derived from 643 of these entrepreneurs confirm that digital self-efficacy impacts the link between perceived behavioural control and technostress. Entrepreneurial passion and the benefits of digital technology amplify this effect. Similarly, digital self-efficacy affects perceived behavioural control and technostress. However, the link between technostress and entrepreneurial passion is weak. Test results on the impact of technostress on entrepreneurial intention are inconclusive. Thus, the originality of these observations lies in revealing how ambivalence towards technology differentially influences the various relationships of digital self-efficacy, technostress, and entrepreneurial behavior in a non-Western context. This ambivalent effect at the intersection of digital technology, technostress, and entrepreneurial intention has socio-economic and policy implications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":"83 ","pages":"Article 103038"},"PeriodicalIF":12.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144826861","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}