Sociology will more meaningfully address social change within the private sector if it considers the relationship between business planning and the constraints which operate on industry in the sphere of technology implementation. Specifically, sociologists should incorporate realities of business planning into industry-related models if sociology is to meaningfully address social change within the private sector. The debate between technological advancement and environmental protection serves as a good example of a case in which social science research can provide information and help effect compromise on social problems. When business/industrial managers recommend a course of action or offer a specific technology forecast, they do not normally even when environmental concerns are involved--seek advice from social scientists. They do, however, consider many factors such as the size and financial resources of the organization, social reactions to the development, impact of the technology on internal company functioning, future prospects, and the ability of the organization to meet the technologically derived demands. Sociologists can help management make more sophisticated plans by offering to focus their research techniques on additional factors such as needs, demands, resources, regulations, values, trade-offs between technological development and environment, public education needs, and the relation of profit maximization to social needs. (DB)