IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/manrev/v75y2025i2d10.1007_s11301-024-00420-5.html

Potential vulnerabilities associated with emerging technologies: insights from a systematic literature review

Author

Listed:
  • Mohsen Farhadloo

    (Concordia University)

  • Saman Asvadi

    (Concordia University)

  • Kash Khorasani

    (Concordia University)

Abstract

Emerging technologies advance so rapidly that it is challenging to account for all of their positive and negative impacts. Discussion of vulnerabilities, the potential negative impacts, tends to be sidelined in favor of innovative transformations that such technologies have enabled in human lives. A holistic view of the impacts of emerging technologies is crucial for developers, policy makers, and technology users to improve design, evaluation, and policies to reduce threats and protect society. In this paper a systematic literature review has been conducted to identify various vulnerabilities that can be associated with emerging technologies, categorize the vulnerabilities, identify different types of each vulnerability and identify existing recommendations to mitigate them. Our analyses reveal that the potential vulnerabilities can be categorized into seven domains of technical, economical, health, ethical, legal/political, societal, and environmental vulnerabilities. In each category, vulnerabilities have been identified, examples and statistics of vulnerabilities have been explored, and protocols and suggested preventive actions have been identified. Our findings reveal that the most discussed categories of vulnerabilities are technical and ethical, and few protocols or preventative actions exist for reducing vulnerability in any of the categories. Considering both positive and negative impacts of emerging technologies is paramount in properly evaluating and regulating emerging technologies. This study sheds light in this direction by elaborating various vulnerabilities of emerging technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohsen Farhadloo & Saman Asvadi & Kash Khorasani, 2025. "Potential vulnerabilities associated with emerging technologies: insights from a systematic literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(2), pages 1717-1760, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:manrev:v:75:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11301-024-00420-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11301-024-00420-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11301-024-00420-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11301-024-00420-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gary Chaison, 2002. "Information Technology: The Threat to Unions," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 23(2), pages 249-259, April.
    2. repec:nup:jrmdke:v:2:y:2014:i:3:p:462-471 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Rotolo, Daniele & Hicks, Diana & Martin, Ben R., 2015. "What is an emerging technology?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 1827-1843.
    4. Grody, Allan D., 2020. "Addressing cyber risk in financial institutions and in the financial system," Journal of Risk Management in Financial Institutions, Henry Stewart Publications, vol. 13(2), pages 155-162, March.
    5. Izyan Hizza Bt. HILA LUDIN & Boon Liat CHENG, 2014. "Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction and E-Loyalty: Online Shopping Environment among the Young Adults," Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, College of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, vol. 2(3), pages 462-471, December.
    6. Keon Chul Park & Dong-Hee Shin, 2017. "Security assessment framework for IoT service," Telecommunication Systems: Modelling, Analysis, Design and Management, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 193-209, January.
    7. Polyxeni Vassilakopoulou & Eli Hustad, 2023. "Bridging Digital Divides: a Literature Review and Research Agenda for Information Systems Research," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 955-969, June.
    8. Lobschat, Lara & Mueller, Benjamin & Eggers, Felix & Brandimarte, Laura & Diefenbach, Sarah & Kroschke, Mirja & Wirtz, Jochen, 2021. "Corporate digital responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 875-888.
    9. Christian Voegtlin & Andreas Georg Scherer & Günter K Stahl & Olga Hawn, 2022. "Grand Societal Challenges and Responsible Innovation," Post-Print hal-03466563, HAL.
    10. Christian Voegtlin & Andreas Georg Scherer & Günter K. Stahl & Olga Hawn, 2022. "Grand Societal Challenges and Responsible Innovation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 1-28, January.
    11. Roland W. Scholz & Eric J. Bartelsman & Sarah Diefenbach & Lude Franke & Arnim Grunwald & Dirk Helbing & Richard Hill & Lorenz Hilty & Mattias Höjer & Stefan Klauser & Christian Montag & Peter Parycek, 2018. "Unintended Side Effects of the Digital Transition: European Scientists’ Messages from a Proposition-Based Expert Round Table," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-48, June.
    12. Stephanie Kelley, 2022. "Employee Perceptions of the Effective Adoption of AI Principles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 871-893, July.
    13. Anindita Chakravarty & Rajdeep Grewal & V. Sambamurthy, 2013. "Information Technology Competencies, Organizational Agility, and Firm Performance: Enabling and Facilitating Roles," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(4), pages 976-997, December.
    14. Jennifer R. Burnett & Timothy C. Lisk, 2019. "The Future of Employee Engagement: Real-Time Monitoring and Digital Tools for Engaging a Workforce," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(1), pages 108-119, January.
    15. Antonio CLIM, 2019. "Cyber Security Beyond the Industry 4.0 Era. A Short Review on a Few Technological Promises," Informatica Economica, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 23(2), pages 34-44.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Devi Vijay & Héloïse Berkowitz & Benjamin Huybrechts & Luc Audebrand & Marcos Barros & Marianna Fotaki, 2025. "Another World is Possible, It's Already Here: A Review and Research Agenda on Alternative Organizing," Working paper serie RMT - Grenoble Ecole de Management hal-05132352, HAL.
    2. Odeh Al-Jayyousi & Hira Amin & Hiba Ali Al-Saudi & Amjaad Aljassas & Evren Tok, 2023. "Mission-Oriented Innovation Policy for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Kyoko Sasaki & Wendy Stubbs & Megan Farrelly, 2023. "The relationship between corporate purpose and the sustainable development goals in large Japanese companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2475-2489, September.
    4. Mohamed Mousa & Ahmad Arslan, 2025. "Navigating between Grand Challenges and Unusual Work Setbacks: How Do Public Managers Use Strategic Human Resources Management?," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 867-883, September.
    5. Blessing Dirani & Ranzi Mazenge Rusike & David Damiyano & Josphat Nyoni, 2025. "Developing a framework for the improvement of stakeholder management plans," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 14(7), pages 108-125, November.
    6. Qiuyue Shao & Xiaoping Zhao & Shouming Chen & Jing Zhao, 2025. "CEO Pay Caps, Political Promotion Incentives, and Green Innovation: Evidence from Chinese Publicly Listed Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-21, June.
    7. Tilo Böhmann & Angela Roth & Gerhard Satzger & Carina Benz & Daniel Beverungen & Andreas Boes & Christoph Breidbach & Martin Gersch & Gerhard Gudergan & Jens Hogreve & Christian Kurtz & Barbara Langes, 2025. "Continuous value shaping: A boundary concept for innovating service innovation approaches," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 35(1), pages 1-20, December.
    8. Jacobsen, Lina Fogt & Frank, Darius-Aurel & Søndergaard, Helle Alsted & Peschel, Anne Odile, 2025. "From diversity to distinction: Exploring the role of diversity and inclusion related to consumer perceptions of company innovativeness and attractiveness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    9. Clement, Jessica & Alarda, Lama & Ochojski, Artur & Crutzen, Nathalie, 2025. "Engaging marginalized communities in multi-level transformative innovation policy: The case of the Just Transition Fund," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    10. Ehlers, Melf-Hinrich & El Benni, Nadja & Douziech, Mélanie, 2025. "Implementing responsible research and innovation and sustainability assessment in research projects: A framework and application," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(2).
    11. Ika, Lavagnon A. & Locatelli, Giorgio & Drouin, Nathalie, 2024. "Policy-driven projects: Empowering the world to confront grand challenges," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 835-842.
    12. Dinh, Jeannette Mai & Isaak, Andrew Jay & Yahyaoui, Yasmine, 2024. "Investing for good – Uncovering crowd investors' motivations to participate in sustainability-oriented crowdlending," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    13. Ilias O. Pappas & Patrick Mikalef & Yogesh K. Dwivedi & Letizia Jaccheri & John Krogstie, 2023. "Responsible Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Society," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 945-953, June.
    14. David Risi, 2026. "Society-centric corporate social responsibility through reflexivity: four reflexive research strategies," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    15. Clara Emefa ASEMPAPA & Andjela PAVLOVIC & Francesco ROSATI & Francesco RULLANI, 2025. "Navigating Heterogeneity In Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships," Working Papers 12, Venice School of Management - Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    16. Kate Odziemkowska & Yiying Zhu, 2025. "How Social Movements Catalyze Firm Innovation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(4), pages 1221-1241, July.
    17. Markus Reihlen & Matthias Wenzel & Monika Imschloss & Thomas Gehrig, 2025. "Futures Imagined: Navigating Sustainability, Digitalization, and Entrepreneurship in Business and Management Research," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 77(4), pages 585-596, December.
    18. Ye, Dandan & Yuan, Ruizhi & Luo, Jun & Liu, Martin J. & Yannopoulou, Natalia, 2025. "Responsible artificial intelligence (AI) for responsible innovation in Chinese manufacturing: From the affordance–actualization theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    19. Panizzon, Mateus & Janissek-Muniz, Raquel, 2025. "Theoretical dimensions for integrating research on anticipatory governance, scientific foresight and sustainable S&T public policy design," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    20. Cristina Caterina Amitrano & Francesco Bifulco, 2026. "The co-evolution of ecosystem and university’s roles: a focus on the integration of technologies and cultural heritage," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 535-553, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • M1 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:manrev:v:75:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11301-024-00420-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.