Information technology: The need for social experiments

Highly industrialized societies are at present in a critical period, i.e., confronted with futures problems. Information technology is both the historically specific agent, which brought about the present critical period, and the basis for new developments in accordance with emerging new perceptions of the ideals of freedom and equality. Utilization of information technology in agreement with the new perceptions of these ideals requires renewal of the assumptions about the employee-place of work relationship and about the quality of knowledge, the infrastructure, and the decision-making processes of the highly industrialized societies. In order to explore the best uses of information technology under new assumptions, social experiments, as well as a clear understanding of the future as a historical concept among decision makers and participants, are imperative.