Technological life cycles: causes and effects

All technological developments progress through a series of life cycles. Managers of technology must be fully aware of how these life cycles interact. Technology life cycles can have significant impacts on society. These impacts arise from interaction of a myriad of forces which may be represented by a model, using the Pearl equation of sigmoidal curves. Technologies impact the productivity of industries and in turn, affects the number of workers. The introduction of new technology leads to higher productivity and could eventually cause economic growth requiring more workers. However, new workers will require technological skills that the displaced workers did not possess. This paper presents the results of an initial analysis of the interaction of technological life cycles in terms of socio-economic factors.