Christensen updates disruption theory

Abstract

Purpose – Recently, observers of the battle between incumbents and challengers have turned the field of disruptive innovation theory into contested territory. What strategies work for defenders and attackers? Design/methodology/approach – For an update the author asked the opinion of the world’s foremost authority, Harvard professor Clayton Christensen. Findings – According to Christensen, “We discovered that there are three types of innovations, only two of which we had caught in the [original] theory of disruption. Practical implications – The only permanent way out of the innovator’s dilemma is to change the game being played and adopt a new corporate focus in which innovation is a necessity, not an option. Originality/value – The article updates and broadens disruption theory. Disruption, as Christensen defines it, is a theory of competitive response.

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