Technology and entrepreneurship

Abstract

Some aspects of technology and entrepreneurship as well as their possible relationship are considered in this chapter. First, the question of technology and technology management in context is addressed. Thereafter, entrepreneurship is broadly defined for the purpose of exploring its possible relationship with technology and innovation. Technology, innovation and entrepreneurship are also contextualized as a system and some systems theory is introduced. The dynamic aspects of technology are also explored as part of this scenario from a brief literature perspective. This is then contrasted to and integrated with some elements and characteristics or drivers of entrepreneurship such as for example unemployment in the business and possibly technology environment. This chapter is also reflecting on some views presented by previous authors such as Faria and others and furthermore is an extension of the previous work of the authors presented at the BME conference in Lithaunia. The work of Faria is related to a conceptual systems thinking model using a causal loop diagram (CLD) approach. Some business statistics from databases are gathered and analyzed for entrepreneurship to show and support some arguments of Faria and others about cyclic nature of entrepreneurship. A conceptual system dynamics approach for the entrepreneurship and technology dynamics is presented based on previous research. This chapter therefore reflects on the dynamic nature of technology in relationship with entrepreneurship and unemployment. It can also be seen as a basis for discussion of technology and risk management.