Calais Juma Explains How Society Accepts Innovation

Zheng Lei / Wen

Innovation is the most popular topic nowadays, but innovation research is often focused on technology and economy. Calais Juma took the initiative and chose the typical cases of agricultural mechanization, electrification, refrigeration and recording technology in the 600 years of technological development from the perspective of social acceptance of technological innovation. Or stakeholder conflicts. This is a very interesting perspective, showing the emergence and rooting of new technologies, and the process of establishing a new institutional ecosystem that is conducive to its own. The history of innovation evolution is of great value to solve problems in the process of innovation and popularization of new technologies.

History of innovation evolution. Data map

Joseph Inpet pointed out: "innovation is the core force of economic transformation." Innovation may be rejected by society and eventually be physically defended or directly attacked. The reason why people resist innovation is that the pace of technological innovation has aroused concern. Technological development has caused significant differences between countries and groups, which has aggravated people's concerns about social inequality. New technologies and their related business models have caused some severe social tensions. There are two sides to the development of science and technology and the resistance they sometimes face. On the one hand, if the society is low in tolerance to diversity, it will be difficult to develop, and it will react positively to the changes in technology. On the other hand, the society also needs continuity and stability of the system, otherwise it will be difficult to maintain calm.

From a global perspective, new technologies first appeared, then went into a low ebb, followed by dominance, and then maintained the status quo. This is the cycle of new technology cycle. The evolution of social economy is often related to the continuous adjustment of technology and system. The system and technology are inseparable, there is no system without technical elements, and there is no technology without system elements. In most cases, the power of transformational innovation comes from disruptive technology. Innovation seeks social reconstruction, and there is a certain conflict with the need to maintain continuity.

People's perception of short-term risk and long-term interest distribution affects the degree of concern about new technology. Economic and social inequalities, there will be more intense technical disputes. Transformational innovation is essentially the introduction of new forms of economic organizations to change the economy. New technologies bring new forms of social and economic organizations, and technological changes require complementary changes in social systems. Technology, economy and related systems evolve as an integrated system. Taking the agricultural economy as an example, replacing basic farm implements with tractors is not only a simple technology substitution behavior, but a complete reorganization of the whole social and economic system. The real challenge lies in maintaining the balance between long-term interests generated by innovation and short-term benefits that maintain the status quo.

When comparing new technologies with existing technologies, people often neglect that the prospects for improvement of new technologies may be very large and may underestimate the long-term impact of new technologies. In fact, new technology may initially appear unreliable and easy to fail, which will make the public feel bad. For example, early tractors did not have horses reliable, just like earlier guns were inferior to bows and arrows. This is the essential characteristic of technological succession and creative destruction.

The author also analyzes the negative influence of public psychology on technological innovation. Part of the worry is that people lack the knowledge of how to control new technologies. Skills and experience are constantly acquired by everyone, but the ability to learn new skills gradually decreases. Innovation will make people's labor skills obsolete, thus inevitably reducing their total life expectancy cycle. In addition, the challenges faced by new technologies depend on changing the quantity and intensity of our existing habits. Continuous behavioural change must rely on existing habits rather than trying to replace them. In the case of improvement rather than destruction, people are more likely to accept new ideas.

Although this book is discussing technological innovation, many experiences and lessons are beyond the scope of technological innovation, and can be applied to a wider range of social innovation. We are in the alternation stage of new and old Kang wave cycle, and nanotechnology, biotechnology, block chain and other financial technology technologies are constantly emerging. Some of these technologies have the power to change production relations, and the application process will obviously lead to more social disputes. But we have to face up to difficulties. The more valuable the existing stuff is, the stronger the challenge to innovation; the greater the benefits of innovation to society, the greater the opportunity to advance. The social obstacles faced by innovation are obviously the areas in which the government should be able to intervene. The premise is that the government really understands the key links and mechanisms of innovation and steadily and appropriately creates a more suitable social system and economic environment for reform and innovation.