Can disruption be useful? Christensen (business administration, Harvard Business School) and his collaborators believe so. They predict industry change using theories of innovation, locating new organizations that use simple, convenient, low-cost innovations to overpower incumbents. Noting that data only describes the past, they assert that working from theories can be useful in predicting such disruptions at an industry, national, or international level. Their examples and case studies include Western Electric, which lost its monopoly over telephone equipment in a lawsuit with a tiny upstart competitor. They also examine the intrusion of discount airlines into a deregulated market, the reasons why new entrants and not established firms created the semiconductor industry, and why for-profit higher education providers are disruptive innovators. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Every day, individuals take action based on how they believe innovation will change industries. Yet these beliefs are largely based on guesswork and incomplete data and lead to costly errors in judgment. Now, internationally renowned innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen and his research partners Scott D. Anthony and Erik A. Roth present a groundbreaking framework for predicting outcomes in the evolution of any industry. Based on proven theories outlined in Christensen's landmark books The Innovator's Dilemma and The Innovator's Solution, Seeing What's Next offers a practical, three-part model that helps decision-makers spot the signals of industry change, determine the outcome of competitive battles, and assess whether a firm's actions will ensure or threaten future success. Through in-depth case studies of industries from aviation to health care, the authors illustrate the predictive power of innovation theory in action.
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