Change and Learning in Technology Management: Totems, Toys, Traps, and Transmogrification

Technology management is both a planned strategy and an emergent process. To integrate both, technology and the management of technology may be contemplated from a four-point metaphorical structure technology as totem, technology as toy, technology as trap, and technology as transmogrtjkation. A totem is an emblem held in respect and symbolizing hope; a toy is an object for play, entertainment, and learning; a trap is an encounter with the unforeseen, unexpected, concealed danger or disaster; transmogrtijication is to change into a dserent shape or form. Working from this fourcomponent symbolic structure as an evolutionary paradigm, and incorporating a variety of current and historic illustrative examples, this manuscript uses the organizational change the planned strategy and organizational learning the emergent process -perspectives to explore the consequences of technology, including information technology, and technology management to suggest new avenues of understanding, learning, and evolution. Suggestions are made regarding benefits that result from this perspective. New technologies alter the structure of our interests: the things we think about. They alter the character of our symbols: the things we think with. And they alter the nature of community: the arena in which thoughts develop. . . . it is essential that we listen to their conversation, join in it, revitalize it.