Occupational Cultures as a Challenge to Technological Innovation

This paper explains conflict over technological process innovation in cultural terms, drawing primarily on a case study of electric power distribution and strategies to automate its operation. The paper shows how different occupational cultures, “operators” and “engineers,” use different mental models or cognitive representations of technology that are adaptive to their particular work contexts, but give rise to conflicting evaluations of technological innovation. While these cultural groups may be motivated by a common interest in the successful performance of the technical system, they value different sets of criteria for system design and promising modifications. Despite the apparent contradiction, each perspective is internally consistent and rational. The paper argues that it is beneficial for management to consider these diverse perspectives carefully when planning technological innovation.