Abstract
The question of what to make of disruptive innovation is complicated by the fact that it is used frequently and carelessly: it is simultaneously a cohesive management theory, an evocative metaphor, and an empty buzzword. Influenced by the work of conceptual historian Reinhart Koselleck, in this chapter I attempt to draw out a few of the shared commonalities that connect various iterations of disruptive innovation. Tracing the history of disruptive innovation from its formal theorization in management theory to its use as a metaphor to describe any manner of sociotechnical change, I identify two characteristics of disruptive innovation: first, an adherence to an organizational strategy that favours smaller start-ups; and second, a concept of technology that informs ideas about the history, pace, and trajectory of technological change.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Handbook on Alternative Theories of Innovation |
Editors | Benoît Godin, Gérald Gaglio, Dominique Vinck |
Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing |
Chapter | 11 |
Pages | 182-196 |
Number of pages | 15 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781789902303, 9781789902297 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2021 |