Identification of issues with controversial technologies

Abstract

Long-term and cumulative side-effects of technologies (e.g., health effects) are likely to become more relevant management issues in the future. Social processes play an important role and companies are forced to deal with such issues more intensively. Identification of such topics is the first and most important step to managing issues. We have conducted interviews with company representatives to understand the companies' perspective during these early phases. The 42 cases are arranged around the European phase-out of the use of lead-bearing solders in electronics manufacturing in 2006. We found that the outside-in perspective is the main source of information about upcoming issues. Sensing weak signals is the prevailing mechanism to become aware of these topics. Even though hints about the necessity to phase out a technology are known long before, customer push and strict regulatory requirements have been found to be the most important triggers for systematic actions by companies.