ABSTRACT
The application and design of technology are often dealt with from the perspective of performance policy or the humanization of work in German industrial sociology. In these contexts, the processes underlying the development of technology and technological concepts have also been studied. However, the way in which they get diffused in user companies is rarely touched on. This process is precisely the subject of this chapter. Using machine manufacturers of companies in the consumer goods industry, the very complex relationships of dominance and dependence on the technology market are analysed and the consequences for manufacturer and user companies outlined.
