In his speech during the 2016 Speculative Design Symposium, held at the University of California, San Diego, Benjamin Bratton1 rightly argued that the job of 21st century design is to undo (much of) the design of the 20th.A number of recent controversial designs and practices in the business and public sphere have suddenly made ethical design (design ethics2) a hot topic in the design community.This master thesis is a highly critical and fairly philosophical examination of the design profession in the context of the current socio-technical landscape. It analyses the convergence between the fields of design, ethics and disruptive technology. Autonomous transportation is taken as an example to illustrate what circumstances (should) drive designers’ social engagement. Hopefully, it also accommodates for a productive reflection on the place of ethics in a broader social context. By utilising speculative and critical design approaches, the thesis aims to stimulate, provoke and ideally maintain a public discourse on the direction of development of technology and modern societies, and inspire designers to be more critical to the vocational portrayal of their profession. / <p><strong>The degree project is carried out at the Department of Science and Technology (ITN) at Faculty of Science and Engineering, Linköping University</strong></p>

歷史上出現許多既有領導企業被新興企業取代的例子，其背後的原因一直引起高度興趣。Christensen (1997)提出的破壞性科技 (disruptive technology)觀念為此現象提供一個解釋的方向。自破壞性創新的提出以來，已有眾多學者投入相關研究探討，但至今尚無一個廣泛被學界所接受且可適用於不同產業的模型，因此仍迫切需要更多的研究投入和實務驗證。評估破壞性創新的困難，就如預測未來般充滿著不確定性。對既有企業而言，藉由評估破壞性創新，可以對即將面對的衝擊早一步採取因應措施，使競爭優勢得以維持；對新興企業而言，評估破壞性創新即是找出成長的利基，並可依此進入主流市場甚至擊倒既有領導企業。 有鑑於評估破壞性創新的重要性和困難度，本研究提出評估成功的破壞性創新時應考量的關鍵構面，包含創新提供的性能對應於主流市場的需求、低價格或創造新的價值、市場擴散速度、以及社會環境。本研究以VoIP產業為破壞性創新個案來驗證各項構面。研究結果顯示PSTN的通話品質和功能已超過既有需求，讓VoIP有進入低階市場的機會。同時現階段VoIP的通話品質已可滿足大眾主流市場的需求，並提供較便宜的解決方案。尤其對既有網路人口而言，VoIP不僅是便宜且簡易的解決方案，更提供了多項應用服務的整合。VoIP破壞性創新正在市場上快速擴散，尤其在美國與歐洲等地區。透過評估構面的提出，使評估成功的破壞性創新能以更系統化的方式進行。評估構面的提出可為未來完整模型的建立提供一個發展方向，同時提供一個分析創新潛力的方法，產業界可以依據分析後的結果擬定相關策略。

Convergence is a topic that many point to as the driving force behind modern product development. The merger of similar devices into a single product form can create a number of advantages for both producers and consumers, but successful design must take more than just this into account. Convergence is the evolution of a product through a disruptive and uncertain environment of technology and user needs. While the digital revolution has certainly been the biggest recent disrupter to society and design, there are signs of convergence in both form and function that have occurred across many products, and product categories. Producers and consumers always clamor for devices that are useful and convenient, take advantage of the latest technologies, and yet remain intuitive, attractive, and easy to use. This paper will dissect the meaning of convergence in product design and provide a framework for understanding and dialog. Combined with an extensive survey and product mapping, this definition will then be used to delineate approaches and principles for the effective design of evolving products in today's changing environment. The findings of this paper will help designers make decisions when considering the trade-offs between aesthetics, functionality, and ease of use in technology based products.

Disruptive technologies continue to pose challenges for industries worldwide, and firms are constantly learning how to adapt in order to remain competitive. Family businesses are not immune to these “shocks” in their industry, and they too need to harness the potential advantages of novel technology just as much as corporations do. While there is extensive research on the methods and strategies employed by multinational corporations, the study of how a family business could or should adapt is virtually unexplored. There is a need to understand the intricate decision making process of business leadership in dealing with disruptive technology, particularly in regards to maintaining or gaining a competitive advantage. This study conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with three Swedish family businesses, all who were successful in adopting disruptive technologies to their benefit. Although each of the businesses took different paths for technology adaptation and to maintain their competitive advantage there was a consistent thread in the leadership strategy. The results revealed that strong family leadership, in the form of stewardship, was essential to maintaining their competitive advantage while dealing with the challenges of disruptive technology. Stewardship places emphasis on family core values, the drive to improve the performance of the business for the benefit for family and the employees, and a commitment to long-term goals. Stewardship proved to be the determining factors for these families in their successful disruptive technology adaption.

The traditional print publishing industry has been faced with significant change over the past decade. Advances in technology have led to the increased digitisation of business processes, and have debatably brought e-books to the brink of the mainstream market. With the growing popularity of e-books in the trade market come several opportunities for publishers to expand, improve and differentiate their businesses. But publishers also face a very challenging time ahead to successfully implement digital publishing in their business processes. This study examines the implications of digitisation and digital publishing on publishing business processes in the traditional print publishing environment. The research considers digital publishing as a disruptive technology in the publishing industry, and draws on the context and predictive value of disruptive technology theory. Disruptive technology theory examines why, when faced with a disruptive technology, some firms succeed in the marketplace, and others fail. The research applied the principles and predictions of disruptive technology theory to the publishing industry to develop a set of recommendations for publishers implementing digital publishing processes. The research employed a mixed methodology design that included an extensive literature review and an online survey of South African book publishers. The literature provided an overview of the issues surrounding digital publishing, and the opportunities and challenges that publishers are faced with. Literature on disruptive technology theory served to establish trends in industries faced with disruptive technology, and uncovered recommendations for its successful implementation. The researcher made use of an online survey that was sent to South African trade publishers that had already started experimenting with digital publishing in 2010 or 2011, or had plans to do so during the course of 2011 and 2012. The survey was designed to uncover the current state of digital publishing in the South African trade publishing industry, to discover the approaches that publishers are currently taking, and the barriers to implementation that they are experiencing. The research confirmed that the current state of digital publishing in South Africa, and the problems that publishers are experiencing, are characteristic of industries faced with disruptive technology. The principles of disruptive technology can therefore be applied to develop recommendations and suggest strategies for publishers planning to venture into digital publishing. Although the focus of the research was on South African trade publishers, the results and recommendations that emerged from the research can be applied to the wider international publishing industry. / Dissertation (MIS)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2013 / Information Science / unrestricted

With a purpose to provide insights on how to reduce the impact of future disruptive events on the supply chain and to raise awareness of the potential applications of disruptive technologies (DTs), this thesis will analyze the use of 3-Dimensional Printing (3DP), Big Data (BD), and Internet of Things (IoT) in Supply Chain Management (SCM). The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for greater Supply Chain Resilience (SCR), as disruptions can have a domino effect and damage co-dependent supply chain actors. Just-In-Time (JIT) and standardized supply chain practices have been blamed for operational failings, leading to calls for better strategies and solutions to prepare against future disruptions. The thesis bridges the gap in knowledge between supply chain strengthening and the potential of disruptive technologies, and what solutions are viable for supply chain managers to create more resilient SCM. The study contributes to industrial manufacturing firms managing consequences of COVID-19, and how they are implementing precautionary measures to keep their supply chain resilient for future threats. This research aims to contribute to both scholars, practitioners, and the supply chain management field.

In conjunction with the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot program (TIP), the State of Texas implemented a four-year annual evaluation called the Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot (eTxTiP). It focused on the technology immersion experience through one-to-one mobile technology of sixth grade students in 22 selected middle schools. Initial findings suggested academic growth, especially in math, increased rigor of student work, greater teacher collaboration, a more positive school environment, and transformation of instructional practices. This study focused on one of the original schools selected to participate in the TIP program, exploring the impact over time of one-to-one mobile technology on one group of students over an 8-year period beginning with their third grade year. The selected school’s demographic makeup reflected a large number of schools within the state, including its size, rural location and economically disadvantaged student population. Based on an interrupted time series design, state assessment data was analyzed using a piecewise growth model. The study revealed no statistically significant academic growth in reading and math performance among the participants.

The overall aim of this thesis is to look at some philosophical issues surrounding autonomous systems in society and war. These issues can be divided into three main categories. The first, discussed in papers I and II, concerns ethical issues surrounding the use of autonomous systems – where the focus in this thesis is on military robots. The second issue, discussed in paper III, concerns how to make sure that advanced robots behave ethically adequate. The third issue, discussed in papers IV and V, has to do with agency and responsibility. Another issue, somewhat aside from the philosophical, has to do with coping with future technologies, and developing methods for dealing with potentially disruptive technologies. This is discussed in papers VI and VII. Paper I systemizes some ethical issues surrounding the use of UAVs in war, with the laws of war as a backdrop. It is suggested that the laws of war are too wide and might be interpreted differently depending on which normative moral theory is used. Paper II is about future, more advanced autonomous robots, and whether the use of such robots can undermine the justification for killing in war. The suggestion is that this justification is substantially undermined if robots are used to replace humans to a high extent. Papers I and II both suggest revisions or additions to the laws or war. Paper III provides a discussion on one normative moral theory – ethics of care – connected to care robots. The aim is twofold: first, to provide a plausible and ethically relevant interpretation of the key term care in ethics of care, and second, to discuss whether ethics of care may be a suitable theory to implement in care robots. Paper IV discusses robots connected to agency and responsibility, with a focus on consciousness. The paper has a functionalistic approach, and it is suggested that robots should be considered agents if they can behave as if they are, in a moral Turing test. Paper V is also about robots and agency, but with a focus on free will. The main question is whether robots can have free will in the same sense as we consider humans to have free will when holding them responsible for their actions in a court of law. It is argued that autonomy with respect to norms is crucial for the agency of robots. Paper VI investigates the assessment of socially disruptive technological change. The coevolution of society and potentially disruptive technolgies makes decision-guidance on such technologies difficult. Four basic principles are proposed for such decision guidance, involving interdisciplinary and participatory elements. Paper VII applies the results from paper VI – and a workshop – to autonomous systems, a potentially disruptive technology. A method for dealing with potentially disruptive technolgies is developed in the paper. / <p>QC 20130911</p>

Teknologiutvecklingen av stora språkmodeller har på senaste tiden blivit uppmärksammad genom lanseringen av OpenAI:s ChatGPT. Det har förekommit diskussioner om vad detta innebär för samhället i stort men också hur utbildningen på lärosäten påverkas. Syftet med denna studie var att studera hur stor påverkan dessa verktyg har på utbildningen på Uppsala universitet. Fem studierektorer från olika institutioner har intervjuats. Datan analyserades sedan med hjälp av teorin för socialt disruptiva teknologier för att undersöka hur stor påverkansgraden är. Resultatet visar att det främst är examinationer som har påverkats, där vissa studierektorer har behövt ta bort eller kommer att ta bort hemuppgifter som konsekvens av ChatGPT. Skillnader i förändringsarbetet finns mellan olika institutioner, vilket tycks delvis grunda sig i brist på riktlinjer, men även i utbildningsstruktur och personligt engagemang. Det går dock inte att fastslå några systematiska skillnader mellan universitetets olika delar. Vidare har det diskuterats bredare frågor om studenternas lärande och hur man som studierektor kan förhålla sig till utvecklingen. / The technology development of large language models has recently received attention through the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. There have been discussions of what this means for society overall, but also how the education at universities is affected. The purpose of this study was to study how much impact these tools have on education at Uppsala University. Five directors of studies from different departments have been interviewed. The data was then analyzed using the theory of socially disruptive technologies to investigate the degree of impact. The result shows that it is mainly examinations that have been affected, where some principals have had to remove or will remove homework assignments as a consequence of ChatGPT. Differences in change management exist between different institutions, which seem to be partly due to the lack of guidelines, but also due to educational structure and personal commitment. However, no systematic differences can be determined between the different parts of the university. Furthermore, there have been discussions about broader questions about the students' learning and how one should relate to the development as a director of studies.

Additive manufacturing is described in literature as a disruptive technology for spare parts supply chains and shows the potential to impact business models for spare parts production through various advantages over conventional manufacturing. Understanding changes in business models is important for companies to adopt any technology and explore business opportunities around it. This research aims to fill the gap in literature on how business models change when additive manufacturing is used for spare parts production in the automotive industry. To investigate those changes a qualitative research design with semi-guided interviews with experts in automotive companies was chosen. The findings showed that the adoption of additive manufacturing in the automotive industry is generally slow and only a few spare parts are specifically developed for additive manufacturing. Especially for niche low-volume and high-value applications AM is already used. At the same time identifying new business cases is needed for broader adoption. Contrasting opinions in literature that additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology, the adopters referred to it rather as a tool. Moreover, the findings showed that the potential of additive manufacturing described in literature is still there but cannot be utilized yet due to various identified barriers at the current stage. The main identified barriers are lack of knowledge, suitable manufacturing data, and resources to explore additive manufacturing.