EXPLORING THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE BODIES OF LITERATURE PERTAINING TO SOCIO-TECHNICAL TRANSITIONS AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT (PART 1): A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

• Imke H De Kock Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4136-7418
• Alan C Brent School of Engineering and Computer Science, Victoria University of Wellington http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3769-4512

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7166/33-1-2564

Keywords:

Technology management, socio-technical transitions, bibliometric analysis

Abstract

The purpose of the bibliometric analysis documented in this article is to investigate the degree of overlap or disconnect between the bodies of literature pertaining to technology management and socio-technical transitions. There is a general agreement in the literature that technology has an indispensable role to play in realising the promise of sustainable societies; this paper considers a specific relationship within this technology-social context — namely, the link between technology management and socio-technical transitions. The importance and value of integrating the concepts of technology management and socio-technical transitions have been highlighted in the literature. However, the extent to which these concepts have been considered together and/or the extent to which they are disconnected has not been elucidated. This study thus considers the respective scientific networks, compares them from a number of bibliometric perspectives, and concludes that no concrete evidence of integration or significant similarity in foundational concepts used in both bodies of literature is evident; and so the study further highlights the need for more research efforts that focus on both bodies of knowledge to support and enable efforts to integrate the concepts of technology management and socio-technical transitions.