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122 Int'l Lab. Rev. 279 (1983)
Macro-Policies for Appropriate Technology: An Introductory Classification

handle is hein.journals/intlr122 and id is 293 raw text is: International Labour Review, Vol. 122, No. 3, May-June 1983 Macro-policies for appropriate technology: An introductory classification Frances STEWART* I. Introduction Actual decisions about technology are always made at the micro-level, that is to say, within a productive unit. The latter may be a large organisation with world-wide activities, such as a multinational corporation, or a very small unit, such as a family firm or farm. Whatever the size of the unit, the level of decision-making is defined here as micro, since the decisions are taken by the units in question in the light of their own objectives and resources. These decisions are nevertheless strongly influenced by the external environment in which they are made. Direct government interven- tions tend to be confined to a small part of total technology decisions, especially in a mixed economy. Hence a government's greatest potential influence on technology decisions takes the form of indirectly influencing the decision-making unit's external environment. Despite this, the appropriate technology institutions have tended to confine their activities to direct intervention. In contrast, this article considers government policies to affect the environment in which micro-decision-making takes place, with a view to identifying and classifying those likely to promote appropriate technology. II. Definitions It is necessary to be as clear as possible about the two main concepts under discussion-macro-policies and appropriate technology. Macro-policies: Macro-policies, in the sense used here, are all those general government policies that influence the environment in which micro- decision-making units operate. These units consist not only of conventional private-sector firms but also include public-sector firms, co-operatives, and * Institute of Commonwealth Studies, Oxford University. This article is based on a paper prepared for a workshop on macro-policies for appropriate technology, financed by Appropriate Technology International and held at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, in March 1982 and on the discussions at the workshop. The author wishes to thank participants in the workshop for many ideas, and especially Mr. Ted Owens of Appropriate Technology International for his support throughout the project. Copyright © International Labour Organisation 1983

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