Short abstract:

Sociotechnical transformations (e.g., digitalization) are significantly influenced and propelled by future-oriented narratives on sociotechnical transformation. In this paper, I delve into the potential of integrating the analytical notion of organization into STS research on sociotechnical futures.

Long abstract:

In this paper, I delve into the potential of integrating the analytical notion of organization into research on sociotechnical futures (also Raible 2022, Meyer 2020).

Sociotechnical transformations (e.g., digitalization) are significantly influenced and propelled by future-oriented narratives on sociotechnical transformation. Scholars in STS have emphasized the pivotal role of sociotechnical imaginaries (Jasanoff, Kim 2009, 2013) and expectations in technological development (van Lente, Rip 1998) in shaping these transformations. The latter argues that these expectations are generated by promising narratives about the future that enable present practices (e.g., development, funding, or implementation of technology) and consequently possess transformative capabilities.

However, the importance of organizations in modern societies and their role in these processes are often analytically under-represented in such research.

To address this gap and take organizations seriously, I propose a structurational model (Giddens 1984) that synthesizes the STS concept of expectations in technological development (van Lente, Rip 1998) with insights from organizational sociology (Ortmann et al. 2023).

This proposed perspective enables the understandig of the interplay of future-oriented narratives and organizations.

As an illustration, I will discuss two cases from my own research representing various interplays of future-oriented narratives on digitalization and organizations: (1) organizational practices involving the development of existing narratives (e.g., Industry 4.0, Autonomous Driving) and the proposition of a new narrative about the future to other organizations; (2) reflexive re-structurations of organizations enabled and constrained by future-oriented narratives (e.g., Cloud technologies).