Language as a structuring factor of technological trajectories

ABSTRACT

This work seeks to illustrate and analyse the role of language as a social technology in structuring technological trajectories, as well as how it lays the foundation for economic agents' decision-making in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the innovation process. To this end, a multidisciplinary theoretical review was conducted to support the analysis of two selected articles, demonstrating the importance of understanding the organisational language of firms to comprehend some complex phenomena. This exploratory exercise revealed that language acts as a prism through which agents perceive observed phenomena. Consequently, language plays a role in guiding agents' decision-making processes and, in doing so, influences future technological trajectories according to the existing linguistic framework within the organisational field. It can be concluded that language may be a contributing factor to the technological lock-in process in firms.

KEYWORDS
Language; Technological trajectories; Economic agents’ decisions