Why you need to understand the management of new technologies

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As a concept, technology has gone from creating fear, to bringing comfort and ease, to ushering in new ideas about its development

To the extent that not even a day goes by that we are not confronted with theories on how robots will one day take over the world, and all of humanity will need to fend for themselves or run for their lives. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is viewed as either the big bad scary wolf that will destroy life as we know it, or the new utopian leisure lifestyle and convinced focused ideal. Where is the line, and what about managing these technologies is so pivotal that we need to hand over certain skills to certain people? In this blog, we will discuss the Management of New Technologies, and how this career stream will help shape leaders that know change happens in and outside of new technologies.

Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies: Managing new technologies, explainedA Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies: Managing New Technologies not only enables the learner to become knowledgeable in the next shiny new technology, but how that technology could benefit their organisation, society and the economy at large. It also exposes learners to alternatives such as biomimicry and indigenous knowledge technologies, and looks further than mere financial benefit, as well as towards how that technology could potentially impact society and the environment from a negative perspective. The programme is strongly anchored in an understanding of the world and all aspects involved, seeing it from systems and creative perspectives, but also moving towards responsible leadership within that context. This unique programme thus moves beyond the blind and mindless adoption of technology as a must but is contemplative in measuring each technology in terms of its risks, alternatives and larger potential impact to ensure responsible and future-focused adoption of new technologies from a management, leadership and business perspective.

Who is this programme for?The ideal students for the Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies: Managing New Technologies would be managers, business leaders, intrapreneurs, and entrepreneurs that want to explore the scope of new technologies and how they can be used and adapted from a responsible and sustainable perspective nested in a futures perspective. The range of prospective students would come from businesses, start-ups, non-profit organisations, as well as governments alike and could range in ages. Because we live in an era where we are all striving towards equality of all people, and as a course, this Diploma believes in these values, it is inclusive to all gender identities and races of the world. The students would ideally not only be from the Western Cape or even South Africa, but all English-capable regions of the world.

What will you gain?Students will leave as alumni that are able to perform various thinking frameworks to understand the contextual world outside and inside their organisation, and its relational impact on the introduction, use and management of New Technologies – the specific modules related thereto are the compulsory module Understanding the World, Thinking Frameworks and the electives Organisational Behaviour.

They should apply the principles of responsible Leadership in terms of New Technologies in their organisations – the specific module related thereto is Responsible Leadership, and be able to enable a sustainable and equitable future for all through the innovative application of New Technologies – the specific modules related thereto are Management of Technology and Innovation and The Future of Technology. Students/alumni will understand the risk and uncertainty related to specific technologies and create a foundation of understanding to keep updated on the new emergent technologies and their potential applications – the specific modules related thereto are Managing Risk & Uncertainty and New Technology Taxonomy. Students should be able to develop and manage a new technologies project and choose what specific technologies are most prudent for such a project, based upon the competencies gained in the programme – the specific module related thereto is the Managing New Technologies Capstone.

The value you will learn and earnThe Postgraduate Diploma in Futures Studies: Managing New Technologies includes modules with a strong focus on innovation, where technology should be developed, and implemented with the focus on responsibility and environmental sensitivity, thus echoing the vision of the Stellenbosch University with a focus on excellence, inclusivity, as well as knowledge creation for the greater good.

Why?Technology, especially in a complex, fast-changing and increasingly connected world, impacts society and the environment in ways that we cannot predict, but for which we can plan through foresight and deliberate management. Thus, the core of the proposed course supports the Stellenbosch University mission in its entirety. University of Stellenbosch Business School is globally renowned for its contribution within the practical and academic realm in the context of Business and Society, with annual reporting that includes a focus on research and practice in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Final wordsTechnology was on a steady trajectory of moving the world towards big data, self-driving cars, gig work, social networks, online education, and remote work. Then Covid-19 escalated this steady trajectory and slowed the uptake of digital and virtual alternatives for education and work. Many organisations were confronted with the realisation that their systems are not geared for the digital world, and cybersecurity became a pressing issue. However, with the focus on digital technologies, other technologies were neglected, and people became increasingly confronted with climate change, plastic pollution, and health challenges. Materials technologies, energy alternatives, and health technologies will solve these problems, more than digital technologies could. Quantum computing and its associated technologies are developing at a rapid rate, soon to replace the dependence on digital technologies. Leaders and businesses are confronted with these choices in terms of what technology to implement, the effect of technological migration on the environment, society and the planet, and also what technology to invest in and what to wait for to not waste money or resources. It is in this light, and an increasingly expressed need from former students and corporate associates, that the University of Stellenbosch Business School has embarked on a path of developing a qualification to address not only the digital realm, not only the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but technology from a wider and inclusive perspective.

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