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Complexity, Cost Reduction and Productivity Improvement through History

På svenska

Author

Editor

  • Marianne Hörlesberger
  • Mohamed El-Nawawi
  • Tarek Khalil

Summary, in English

History shows us that in the cost/performance ratio of any given product has decreased continuously. This may wrongly have led us to the conclusion that improvements can continue infinitely at the current pace. Our proposition is that we trust a mental picture that is not consistent with the future level of potential improvements in technology and business, which in turn has repercussions for societal change. This article draws on the theory of Tainter (1988) and it argues that recent developments in business may reverse the previous development towards increasing complexity, but it may still increase the risk of an economic collapse.

Publishing year

2007

Language

English

Pages

485-496

Publication/Series

Challenges in the management of New Technologies

Volume

1

Document type

Book chapter

Publisher

World Scientific Publishing

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • limits to growth
  • cost benefit

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISBN: 9812708553