Technology: tool or scapegoat in social responsibility?

Abstract

‘Social responsibility’ is a concept now attracting a lot of attention. In the UK recent legislation impinging directly on this area includes that of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974, and of the Sex Discrimination Act. Some public companies are working to produce audits of their standing in respect of identified social-responsibility factors; see Table 1. From this list it seems that technology plays only a subsidiary or indirect role in the total. We may then ask: ‘Is this a new development ? And why ?’ Surely technology has traditionally been blamed for all kinds of socially-irresponsible developments: exploitation of labour; automation of jobs, causing unemployment; despoiling the environment; etc.So what has caused the change ? Why does technology now seem less of an ogre ? In other words, is technology now seen as a tool, rather than as a scapegoat, in the matter of social responsibility ? And if so, in whose hands is it ? Management ? Unions ? Shareholders ? Or groups working together cooperatively ?This article will explore some of these questions, and try to produce some answers.