Appraisal Of New Technologies Research Articles

Coming to grips with scientific ignorance in the governance of endocrine disrupting chemicals and nanoparticles

• We argue that ignorance places new technology experts in irreducible double binds. • Adequately addressing double binds require phronesis, or practical wisdom. • Being phronimos, a person who can do phronesis, involves synthetic phronesic skill. • Phronesic skill is deeply related to the human capacity of pattern recognition. • Phronesis enables a new operationalization of the precautionary principle. New technologies are characterized by various forms of incertitude that challenge both scientific expertise and regulatory action. In this paper, we argue that these incertitudes place experts in irreducible double bind situations, which may end in paralysis. Double binds emerge when primary injunctions are contradicted by secondary injunctions at a different logical level, which affects the interpretation of the primary injunction. Adequately addressing the challenges posed by new technologies requires phronesis, or pragmatic, context-dependent and action-oriented knowledge grounded in value deliberation. Using endocrine disruptors and carbon nanotubes as empirical examples, we argue that in relation to new technologies involving various kinds of incertitude, being phronimos—the person who can do phronesis—involves synthetically and simultaneously enacting parts of the three interrelated domains of knowledge, ethics and institutions, also across different logical levels. The special kind of experience-based phronesic skill that required in the regulatory appraisal of new technologies is thus fundamentally related to the human capacity of pattern recognition. Finally, we argue that being aware of and making full use of practical wisdom thus conceptualized enables a new operationalization of the precautionary principle.

Towards a systemic development approach: Building on the Human-Scale Development paradigm

Since its inception, the scope of inquiry within modern economics has been overall reduced to the chrematistic, market-centred dimension of the economic process. This has been reflected in the very way it shaped the modern idea of development which, more and more, has been represented in monetary terms to the point of being equated to chrematistic growth altogether. This reductionism has been severely criticized for various reasons, mostly related to the ignorance of the complex, multidimensional, social, cultural and psychological motives and aspirations of human beings, ignoring as well crucial environmental and ecological dimensions within and by means of which the economic process unfolds. One fundamental early contribution to the re-conceptualization of the economic development process in terms of well-being from a systemic perspective came about with the Human-Scale development approach (H-SD) in the 1980s. Central to this paradigm is a systemic re-conceptualization of human needs and an attempt to place this discussion at the centre of the development debate. It suggested a recovery of the oikonomy in its original classical meaning, as a means for achieving better well-being beyond the chrematistics narrow scope. This theory presents a very wide outlook for its theoretical and practical applications and in this paper we will try to build on H-SD's original contribution. We begin this by briefly outlining what can be termed the chrematistic turn within both modern economics' theory and practice at the dawn of modern capitalism. In the second section the main aspects of the H-SD approach are briefly presented and discussed. The last sections are devoted to propose some methodological extensions to the original H-SD version suggesting innovative ways of enlarging its scope through the development and improvement of its evaluation tools. Thereby we hope to enhance its application within its traditional context as well as indicating means for applying it to other fields as development policies, strategies or eventually, appraisal of new technologies.

Comparing methods for full versus single technology appraisal: A case study of docetaxel and paclitaxel for early breast cancer

The aim of this study is to compare and contrast the reports of the rapid National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) single technology (STA) process with the full Health Technology Assessment Report (TAR) for the same technologies (docetaxel and paclitaxel for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer). Documentary analysis was used to compare three reports. A data extraction form was developed to record information on the decision problem addressed in each report, literature searching methods, the clinical effectiveness review, cost-effectiveness analysis, conclusions and issues of concern. The decision problems and search strategies for the STAs differed from those reported in the TAR. Not all trials of clinical effectiveness included in the TAR were reported by manufacturers. The methods and assumptions used to assess the cost-effectiveness of the technologies were generally similar between reports, although only one common health economic comparison was presented across the three reports. The TAR supports the STA results for docetaxel but suggested that the manufacturer's cost-effectiveness estimates for paclitaxel were highly optimistic. Although the STA process provides the opportunity for rapid appraisal of new technologies, there remains uncertainty concerning the extent to which STAs adequately address the specific decision problem under consideration.

An integrated model for part-operation allocation and investments in CNC technology

This study addresses the issue of investment appraisal of new technology, specifically computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools in conjunction with optimal allocation of parts and operations on CNC machines as the investments take place. Part-operation allocation is the allocation of parts and operations to either the conventional machines or to the new technology as they are acquired. It is shown that part allocation is an important consideration in the assessment of profitability from investments in CNC technology. A mixed integer programming model is presented to (1) determine the optimal allocation of parts and operations to conventional machines and to new CNC machine tools; and (2) determine the optimal investment sequence and timing of investments in CNC machine tools. The optimality criterion is based on a maximization of net present value (NPV) over a specified planning horizon. The application of the model is illustrated using a numerical example, and the implications for industrial practice are also indicated.

Economic appraisal of new technology in the absence of survival data—The case of total hip replacement

The development of total hip replacement has reached a level at which little further inprovement in pain relief or quality of life can be expected from the introduction of new prosthetic technology. Rather, it is reasonable to expect longer trouble-free prosthetic life. This paper develops a mathematical model for a comparative economic appraisal of two types of prostheses, the conventional cemented one and the new cementless one. The lack of reliable survivorship data precludes reaching definite conclusions. However, by extensive sensitivity analysis with respect to a number of cost parameters the model can be used to derive conditions under which the cementless prosthesis is more cost effective. Expert medical judgement can then be used to gage whether these conditions are likely to be satisfied. The paper highlights the importance of collecting statistically valid performance data on any new medical technology from its first introduction. Without these, its full-scale adoption will be based largely on subjective grounds rather than a proper cost benefit analysis. It finally shows how both aspects—economic modeling and scientific data collection—form part of an integrated management programme for the economic evaluation of new medical technology.

The Capital-Investment Appraisal of New Technology: Problems, Misconceptions and Research Directions

The application of traditional techniques of capital-investment appraisal to new technology has been criticized for its bias towards short-term gains and the consequent favour of the status quo. This paper considers four classes of criticisms. They relate to the use of payback and discounted cash-flow methods, the assumptions made about the future, benefits of new technology which are ignored, and issues related to management control. The paper rehearses the criticisms and discusses their validity. The overall conclusion is that the biases in capital-investment appraisal are avoidable. The criticisms are not valid with regard to the overall approach of capital-investment appraisal, and the apparent bias is due to misapplication of the techniques.

The Capital-Investment Appraisal of New Technology: Problems, Misconceptions and Research Directions

The Capital-Investment Appraisal of New Technology: Problems, Misconceptions and Research Directions

The Capital-Investment Appraisal of New Technology: Problems, Misconceptions and Research Directions

The application of traditional techniques of capital-investment appraisal to new technology has been criticized for its bias towards short-term gains and the consequent favour of the status quo. This paper considers four classes of criticisms. They relate to the use of payback and discounted cash-flow methods, the assumptions made about the future, benefits of new technology which are ignored, and issues related to management control. The paper rehearses the criticisms and discusses their validity. The overall conclusion is that the biases in capital-investment appraisal are avoidable. The criticisms are not valid with regard to the overall approach of capital-investment appraisal, and the apparent bias is due to misapplication of the techniques.

Ex Ante Appraisal of New Technology: Sorghum in Northeast Brazil

Policy instruments used to stimulate agricultural output without penalizing the urban consumer are examined. Three categories of instrument variables are considered: a traditional instrument, credit policy; policies to affect risk through reduction in the income variance; and, finally, increased information to improve perception of the distribution of returns from new technology. A model of adoption of sorghum varieties is used to analyze the relative importance of these instruments on the decisions of small farmers in N.E. Brazil. The model indicates that new technology, appropriate for the farmers and the region, should be adopted by farmers highly averse to risk even with an overestimation of the variance of the returns. For nonadopters, improved estimates of the distribution of returns will occur over time as their neighbours adopt and they obtain more information on the new technology. Crop research programmes may need to consider several alternative technologies, as the model results for the sorghum technology adopted were highly influenced by the farmer's risk-aversion coefficient.ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT:Of the several methods which may be used in aiming agricultural development at the small farmers, three factors are examined: credit policy; development and adoption of new technology; and increased information available to the small farmer. A model was constructed using these three factors, and data from semi-arid northeast Brazil was tested. The object was to introduce climatically better suited sorghum into the region in which corn is presently the main crop. The model findings, which were not field tested, show that the new sorghum technology will be adopted partially by a limited number of farmers who are least averse to risk-taking. Credit policy had little to do with the decisions. It is expected that from this foothold, sorghum cropping would spread as other farmers became convinced by the successful adoption of sorghum by their neighbors.