Abstract
The effective management of technology must recognize that technology is embedded in social processes and that technology is shaped by both technical and social forces. The paper illustrates the study of technology through an examination of the interaction of these scientific, engineering, professional and social practices. Specifically we examine the case of computed tomography (CT) scanning, introduced in 1972 by EMI, an English firm. Despite EMI's early success, a handful of US, German and Japanese firms now dominate the global market. The question of whether EMI managed their entry into and exit from this business well has attracted considerable attention in the literature. We offer a new interpretation.