Key Management Models, 3rd Edition

53

Disruptive innovation

The big picture

Introduced by Joseph Bowyer and Clayton Christenson in their 1995 article, a disruptive innovation is an innovation that leads to a product or service designed for a new set of customers. By contrast, sustaining innovations are typically innovations in a new technology or application, whereas disruptive innovations change entire markets (Figure 53.1).

Figure 53.1 Disruptive innovationSource: based on Bowyer and Christensen (1995)

When to use it

The use of disruptive innovation helps to answer the question: ...