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Comparative Theories of the Evolution of Technology

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Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance

Synonyms

Nature of technology; Technological advances; Technological change; Technological evolution; Technological progress

Definition

Evolution of technology is a stepwise advancement of a complex system of artifact, driven by interactions with sub-systems and other technological systems, considering technical choices, technical requirements, and science advances, which generate new and/or improved products or processes for use or consumption to satisfy increasing needs of people and/or to solve complex problems in society.

Introduction

The evolution of technology plays an important role for the economic and social change of societies and the competitive advantage of firms and nations (Arthur 2009; Basalla 1988; Bryan et al. 2007; Coccia 2018a, b, 2019a, b, c; Hosler 1994). In order to explain main theories of the evolution of technology, it is important to clarify the concept of evolution and of technology.

Firstly, evolution is a stepwise and comprehensive development of a complex...

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Correspondence to Mario Coccia .

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Coccia, M. (2019). Comparative Theories of the Evolution of Technology. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3841-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3841-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5

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