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Technophobia
Part 2: Learn to recognize it and the damage it causes

By Theo Gantos

In part one, we defined technophobia. In the second part of this series, we’ll talk about how to recognize it in an organization, and what its effects are.

Technophobia affects individuals and groups differently. Individuals with technophobia resist change. They may want to go off in their own direction, either actively or passively resisting technology enhancements. Individuals experiencing technophobia may not be significant by themselves unless they are critical “gatekeepers” or in leadership positions.

Technophobia Multiplies in Groups

When technophobia spreads to a workgroup or organizational level, it becomes very difficult to redesign workflow or improve substantively operations. Where individuals resist, groups ossify. Technophobic groups become protective of the status quo, afraid to use a new machine or software no matter how significant the benefits may be. Individuals reinforce each group member’s technophobia and may even increase it. They use their own tools, ignoring the rest of the organization. They may even find creative ways to finance their own choices. This can cost an organization a lot as it all adds up. These groups then make individuals harder to move from technophobes to techno-users.

Learned Helplessness

The psychological term “learned helplessness” characterizes one major defense mechanism of technophobes. Someone who has learned to be helpless takes no responsibility for the outcome of their own technology use. They have given up and have over-generalized that all technology is bad because of a few bad experiences. But then, who can blame them? Even technology education caters to the cookbook mentality in contrast to actual understanding.

Leaders are Pivotal

Leaders play a pivotal role. They set an example for others and can modify attitudes and behavior of groups or entire organizations. Leaders who resist using beneficial technologies can be said to have technophobia. The CEO who won’t use a computer has technophobia. I separate intelligent or productive use from complete non-use. CEO’s who have others do their typing for them are merely exercising a choice of input. The executive who is never found using a computer is a technophobic one. There may be many excuses or rationalizations, but in the end, actions speak louder than words, leaders are either technology users or avoiders.

Perfectly effective or perhaps even brilliant CEOs can become ineffective and hinder an organization as the pace of business increases. They lose (or perhaps never learn) the ability to manage the use of technology. This creates a dependency upon what I refer to as the technology priesthood. The irony is that most, if not all of these technophobic executives may have substantial investments in technology to help deal with the pace of change.

The Rise of The Priesthood

How could this happen? Looking at this from the psychology of addiction tells us that both are to blame. The technology priesthood recognizes that their knowledge gives them power and increased budgetary scope. They naturally desire to keep that power and funding. Unconsciously (or consciously?) they create and foster continued dependence.

During the early years of the computer age there was a need for specialized computer scientists and programmers. Today most companies do not perform programming like in the early years, but buy and manage software solutions. Many executives have either directly or indirectly abdicated strategic technology planning to their own technology priesthood. This furthers the scism and dependence. This trait will be further explorer in the last installment, when we discuss remedies to technophobia.

Technology is a tool and an investment which offers benefits, drawbacks, costs, and return on investment. There is nothing fundamentally different about managing technology investments that requires a CEO to defer to the priesthood.

The bottom line is that technophobia costs are staggering...money, productivity, aggravation, market and organizational competitive responsiveness are lost. Some organizations never recover. Others may be wounded or have limited growth. Most often technophobia is never seen as the true cause of these problems. Look for the signs and you can identify the cause. In the final installment to this series, learn how to take action to banish technophobia and unleash the benefits of technology.

Theo Gantos is president of TEKA, a technology consulting firm. Contact him: