This article examines the dynamics of surveillance as a form of peripheral vision – a diffuse, indirect mode of observation increasingly embedded in hyperconnected urban environments. Focusing on the widespread deployment of CCTV, it explores how contemporary surveillance operates less through overt control and more through an unobtrusive, continuous presence. Such conditions give rise to what is conceptualised here as soft dependence, a socio-technical state in which individuals become habituated to being watched, contributing to the normalisation of surveillance in everyday public life. Drawing on qualitative interviews conducted in Scotland with local authorities, law enforcement, CCTV operators and community members, the study investigates how public acceptance of surveillance is shaped not only by perceived safety benefits, but also by the subtle, often unnoticed, nature of peripheral observation. Central to the analysis is the concept of latent optics, which theorises how surveillance mediates spatial experience, influences social behaviour and reconfigures public trust, precisely by avoiding direct visibility. By engaging reflexively with both empirical data and conceptual frameworks, this article contributes to critical debates in surveillance studies, urban sociology and cultural criminology. It advocates a more ethically attuned and critically informed approach to surveillance governance in increasingly monitored societies.
Examining the writings of foundational Western political philosophers has led to past insights on leadership implications for managers in general, but what can we learn from such writings and their logics of organizing under uncertainty that may inform innovation management and the pursuit of responsible innovation? This conceptual research paper examines select writings from Plato, Aristotle, and Machiavelli. Focusing on The Republic , Politics , and The Prince , it considers how they relate to governance and leadership in the context of uncertainty and innovation. It then compares how their logics of organizing differ in their emphasis. Two tensions are central to these organizing logics. The first tension concerns sources of authority (whether organizing is governance-centered or leadership-centered), and the second concerns modes of commitment under uncertainty (whether innovation emphasizes sustained focus or flexibility). I describe the implications of these tensions for the principles on which managers may draw when leading organizations under uncertainty as well as for the pursuit of responsible innovation.
Digitalisation is assumed to extend the reach of higher education through asynchronous and online learning and is predominantly framed in positive terms in public discourse and academic research. Given that critical perspectives have emerged in a relatively limited and fragmented manner, this systematic literature review seeks to bring greater coherence to research on the darker sides of digital transformation, particularly in the post-COVID-19 context. COVID-19 forced higher education institutions into an overnight shift to emergency remote teaching. With regard to the darker sides of digitalisation, research has mainly focused on experienced shortcomings in basic technical requirements and deficiencies in digital learning solutions. This emphasis has led to a narrowly focused, operational approach. From this technocratic and problem-solving perspective, less manageable, darker sides risk being overlooked. A monopolised market for digital learning solutions has emerged, with learning analytics empowering Big Tech companies deliberately selected by neoliberal governments. This new, powerful elite tracks student behaviour through surveillance practices, positioning users as consumers of technology rather than as academic learners. The intrinsic risks of invasive profiling, unauthorised surveillance and the ongoing proliferation of digitalisation with built-in darker sides call for further research. The situation is particularly problematic when the academic community contributes to an overly optimistic view of digitalisation, which is exactly what happens. The key contribution of our article is to reveal that research on the dark side of digitalisation in higher education subtly reproduces technological solutionism.
Universities are increasingly influential in driving social and economic growth through technology transfer, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This study aims to improve knowledge regarding university-appropriate technology transfer as part of the university’s third mission, and to identify the key enablers and barriers in the technology transfer process in developing economies. Using a qualitative case study approach, we investigated the Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). We conducted online and telephone interviews with 38 individuals between March 2021 and May 2022. This study proposes a conceptual framework to enhance appropriate technology transfer from universities in resource-constrained settings. It highlights the crucial role of intermediaries and academic volunteers in university-appropriate technology transfer. Additionally, this study identifies specific barriers to technology transfer, such as cultural resistance, lack of sustained support, and institutional constraints, and offers recommendations to address these challenges.
