Skip navigation
The Technology Fallacy
Book

The Technology Fallacy

How People Are the Real Key to Digital Transformation (Management on the Cutting Edge Series)

MIT Press, 2019 more...

Buy the book


Editorial Rating

9

getAbstract Rating

  • Applicable
  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Over the course of four years, authors Gerald C. Kane, Anh Nguyen Phillips, Jonathan R. Copulsky and Garth R. Andrus surveyed more than 16,000 businesspeople worldwide about the impact of digital disruption on their organizations. The researchers’ insights can help guide any company to “digital maturation.” They found that technology alone doesn’t drive digitalization. Rather, a firm’s talent, culture, adaptability and leadership matter most. The authors offer strong arguments, detailed examples and solid advice, including a warning not to copy another firm’s digital path but to adapt the process to your unique culture. 

Summary

Digitalization has changed the business environment profoundly and will continue to do so.

Almost 90% of 16,000 businesspeople who took a worldwide survey agreed that digitization will change their business. Despite this certainty, most believe that their firms have responded inadequately.

Employees, particularly important talents, who understand the threat of disruption but believe their organization isn’t sufficiently prepared may jump ship. This means leaders need to act. Every organization faces imperative change. Digital disruption will affect almost every industry, manifesting in many forms: mobile technology, AI, blockchain, virtual reality, 3D printers, self-driving vehicles, and more. Companies must update the skills and advantages that they are deploying to compete or today’s practices will become tomorrow’s impediments and will enable your more nimble competitors to win.

Leaders who wait for disruption will have waited too long. Print newspapers, for example, earned increasing – even record – profits right up until the day...

About the Authors

Gerald C. Kane, PhD, teaches information systems at Boston College and is an editor with MIT Sloan Management Review and MIS QuarterlyAnh Nguyen Phillips, Jonathan Copulsky and Garth Andrus, PhD, are or have been affiliated with Deloitte, a partner in this research.


Comment on this summary

More on this topic

Related Skills

Attract and Recruit Talent
Be Creative
Become More Adaptable
Build Your Startup
Communicate Effectively
Develop a Business Plan
Develop the Organization
Technology Industry
Drive Team Performance
Entrepreneurship
Foster Team Culture
Human Resources
Lead Operational Planning
Leverage AI for Sales
Manage Change
Manage Learning and Development
Manage Product Innovation
Manage Teams and Departments
Management
Market Insights by Industry
Marketing
Navigate Leadership Challenges
Personal Growth
Production and Logistics
Sales
Soft Skills
Understand Organizations
Use AI for Production & Supply Chain
Workplace Skills
Use AI for Learning & Development
Discover and Understand Digital Technologies
Tech Industry Best Practices
Drive Product Development
Lead Strategically
Assess Digital Maturity
Understand AI Impact on Learning and Cognition
Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Understand AI Ethical Impact
Use AI for Workflow Automation
Digitize Business Processes
Manage Talent
Plan AI Workforce Transformation
Promote a Learning Culture
Use AI for Disruption Monitoring
Discover AI Use Cases in the Technology Industry
Start-up Case Studies
Reskill and Upskill Employees
Build Digital Culture
Succeed as an Entrepreneur
Increase Your Cultural Awareness
Guide Teams Through AI Transition
Strengthen Team Collaboration
Future of Work
Leverage AI for Management
Develop Team Members
Measure Digital Transformation Impact
Use AI Ethically
Use AI for Skills Matching
Discover AI Use Cases
Master Digital Tools
Place Talent Strategically
Translate Strategy into Action
Emerging Work Technologies
Drive AI Adoption in Teams
Use AI for Personal Productivity
Encourage Experimentation
Executive Leadership
Leverage Ambidexterity
Use AI to Enhance Communication
Create a Hiring Strategy
Organize for AI
Execute Digital Operations
Strengthen Your Digital Literacy
Communicate Digitally
Understand AI Capabilities and Limits
Understand Leadership Approaches
Build Digital Business Models
Define Digital Strategy
Strategize Digital Transformation
Leverage AI for HR
Develop Innovative Products
Innovate Strategically
Leverage AI Agents
Leverage AI in Your Daily Tasks
Leverage L&D Technology
Leverage AI for Product Development
Master Marketing Strategy
Understand AI Risks
Leverage AI for Marketing
Innovation
Leadership
Foster a Culture of Innovation
Innovate Business Models
Choose AI Priorities
Enable Digital Organization
AI Transformation
Understand AI
Lead through Change
Leverage AI for Leadership
Understand AI Impact on Business and Economy
Manage Digital Risk and Ethics
Manage People and Talent
Drive AI Transformation
Leverage AI for Business Strategy
Understand AI Societal Impact
Apply Lean Startup
Use AI for Workforce Planning
Shape Organizational Culture
Practice Transformational Leadership
Tech Impact on Work
Digital Transformation
Set AI Vision & Strategy
Understand AI Impact on Work
Implement Agility