Table Of ContentInnovation Management in
Robot Society
This book introduces cutting-edge issues and thought-provoking concepts
on innovation management. It illustrates how robotic developments allow
new powerful support functionalities for harnessing workplace innovations
and new types of work in enterprises. In particular, low status jobs—heavy,
repetitive and dangerous jobs—are disappearing and increasingly replaced
by creative and meaningful work. It situates the research within theoretical
developments and academic literature in business and management studies
on innovation networks and partnerships.
The book then introduces the notion of “friction management,” which
invites us to re-examine creative tensions and explore how contradictions
may spur or restrain change and innovation in this landscape. Innovation
and change challenge established patterns, cultures, value systems, interests
and network configurations—which creates a variety of frictions. There-
fore, a theory of friction management is crucial, particularly in innovation-
intensive industries, and can help professionals to understand change and
the dynamics of innovation so that they can orchestrate events and learn to
distinguish between the creative and negative frictions that can arise and
that are important for change and the innovation process. Thus, the goal of
friction management is to orchestrate, mobilize and (re)combine key organi-
zational resources to strategically increase innovation capacity and promote
dynamic renewal and creativity. It will be of interest to scholars and post-
graduates in the areas of innovation management, sociology and business
administration.
Kristian Wasen is a Researcher in Management Studies at the University of
Gothenburg, Sweden.
Routledge Studies in Technology, Work and Organizations
Edited by David Preece, University of Teeside, UK.
1 Information Society and the 6 Technological Communities and
Workplace Networks
Edited by Tuula Heiskanen Triggers and drivers for
and Jeff Hearn innovation
Dimitris Assimakopoulos
2 Technological Change and
Organizational Action 7 Health Technology Development
Edited by David Preece and Juha and Use
Laurila From practice-bound imagination
to evolving impacts
3 Managing Complex Projects Sampsa Hyysalo
Networks, knowledge and innovation
Neil Alderman, Chris Ivory, Ian 8 Nanotechnology and Sustainable
McLoughlin and Roger Vaughan Development
Claire Auplat
4 Information and Communication
Technologies in Rural Society 9 Challenging the Innovation
Being rural in a digital age Paradigm
Grete Rusten and Sarah Skerratt Edited by Karl-Erik Sveiby,
Pernilla Gripenberg and
5 Software and Organizations Beata Segercrantz
The biography of the enterprise-
wide system or how SAP 10 Innovation Management in
conquered the world Robot Society
Neil Pollock and Robin Williams Kristian Wasen
Innovation Management in
Robot Society
Kristian Wasen
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of Andrew Thomson to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him/her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wasen, Kristian.
Innovation management in robot society / Kristian Wasen.
pages cm. — (Routledge studies in technology, work and
organizations ; 10)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Technological innovations—Management. 2. Human-robot
interaction. 3. Robotics. 4. Robotics—Social aspects. I. Title.
HD45.W374 2015
658.4'063—dc23 2014044585
ISBN: 978-1-138-79004-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-76448-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
To my mother
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1 Powerful Robot Laborers in the 21st Century 1
2 Innovation Networks and Partnerships 18
3 Social and Cultural Friction as Creative Forces 47
4 Two Cases of Robots in Medical Science and Health Care 74
5 Robots in Eldercare 88
6 Robots in Services 103
7 Robots in Agriculture 115
8 The Paradoxes of Friction Management 127
9 Conclusion: Implications for Innovative Workers and
Their Place in Robot Society 154
Bibliography 159
Index 169
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Acknowledgments
The initial inspiration for this book was an interdisciplinary conference in
Oxford, England, on the timely topic “The Value of Work: Exploring Criti-
cal Issues.” Many thanks to the three anonymous reviewers commissioned
by Routledge for their very useful feedback. For commenting on the origi-
nal book proposal and/or various parts of the manuscript, I would like to
especially thank David Preece, Bernd Hofmaier, Jing Cai, Robin Cooper and
Aant Elzinga, who spent their valuable time reading various chapters and
whose sound criticism and valuable feedback helped improve the content
and structure of this book.
Other friends and colleagues have generously provided ideas and encour-
agement over many years. There are too many to name individually but
I am particularly grateful to participants at research seminars and work-
shops who inspired many interesting discussions and intellectual debates,
especially members of the National Institute for Health Innovation and
the Health Informatics Group at the University of Auckland. I communi-
cated my initial thoughts to MBA students in the early phase of the book
project and these discussions played a central role at lectures and seminars
that I gave in the School of Business at the University of Aberdeen. These
research and teaching programs in New Zealand and the UK—as well
as my co-workers in the SMEC/STS Research Group at the University of
Gothenburg—provided environments of academic support and stimulating
intellectual curiosity.
The book is based on several case studies of organizational change and
workplace innovation in various industries and sectors. Acknowledgement
is given to all practitioners (respondents). At each local worksite, people
were generous with their valuable time, for which I am very grateful. The
Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE)
has provided financial support and backed my research on socio-robot orga-
nizations in working life.
