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Organisational Responses To Discontinuous Innovation: A Case Study Approach

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  • JEFFREY T. MACHER

    (McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA)

  • BARAK D. RICHMAN

    (Duke University School of Law, Box 90360, Durham, NC 27708-0360, USA)

Abstract

Research that examines entrant-incumbent dynamics often points to the organisational limitations that constrain incumbents from successfully pursuing new technologies or fending off new entrants. Some incumbents are nevertheless able to successfully implement organisational structures and develop routines that overcome these institutional constraints. We provide a case-study analysis of how three firms — Motorola, IBM and Kodak — responded to "discontinuous" innovations and the associated structural and organisational limitations that are typical to incumbent organisations. Each firm was able to capture gains from new technologies and develop profitable products in emerging markets, although their abilities to sustain these gains varied due to subsequent organisational changes. Drawing from these case studies, we synthesise how firms can institute organisational strategies to continue to capture gains from disruptive innovations. A schema suggests that particular organisational strategies are comparatively optimal for corresponding points along an innovation lifecycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey T. Macher & Barak D. Richman, 2004. "Organisational Responses To Discontinuous Innovation: A Case Study Approach," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 8(01), pages 87-114.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:08:y:2004:i:01:n:s1363919604000939
    DOI: 10.1142/S1363919604000939
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dosi, Giovanni & Teece, David J. & Chytry, Josef (ed.), 1998. "Technology, Organization, and Competitiveness: Perspectives on Industrial and Corporate Change," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198290964, Decembrie.
    2. Giovanni Dosi & Christopher Freeman & Richard Nelson & Gerarld Silverberg & Luc Soete (ed.), 1988. "Technical Change and Economic Theory," LEM Book Series, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy, number dosietal-1988, April.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gilberto SERAVALLI, 2011. "Conflict, Contract, Leadership and Innovation: An Interdisciplinary View," Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, ScientificPapers.org, vol. 1(6), pages 1-48, October.
    3. Sommarberg, Matti & Mäkinen, Saku J., 2019. "A method for anticipating the disruptive nature of digitalization in the machine-building industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 808-819.
    4. Chen, Fu Chen & Indiran, Logaiswari Indiran & Abdul Kohar, Umar Haiyat Abdul Kohar, 2023. "Disruptive Innovation (DI) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO): A synthetic literature review," MPRA Paper 119321, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 26 Oct 2023.
    5. Kristina Stoiber & Kurt Matzler & Julia Hautz, 2023. "Ambidextrous structures paving the way for disruptive business models: a conceptual framework," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1439-1485, May.
    6. Isada Fumihiko & Isada Yuriko, 2017. "An Empirical Study Regarding Radical Innovation, Research and Development Management, and Leadership," Naše gospodarstvo/Our economy, Sciendo, vol. 63(2), pages 22-31, June.
    7. Shahzad (Shaz) Ansari & Raghu Garud & Arun Kumaraswamy, 2016. "The disruptor's dilemma: TiVo and the U.S. television ecosystem," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(9), pages 1829-1853, September.
    8. Bergek, Anna & Berggren, Christian & Magnusson, Thomas & Hobday, Michael, 2013. "Technological discontinuities and the challenge for incumbent firms: Destruction, disruption or creative accumulation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 1210-1224.
    9. Thierry BURGER-HELMCHEN & Claude GUITTARD, 2008. "Are Users The Next Entrepreneurs? A Case Study On The Video Game Industry," Working Papers of BETA 2008-14, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    10. Pinar Ozcan & Douglas Hannah, 2020. "Social Origins of Great Strategies Advertising Suppliers to Realize Disruptive Social Media Technology," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(3), pages 193-217, September.
    11. Bergek, Anna & Berggren, Christian, 2014. "The impact of environmental policy instruments on innovation: A review of energy and automotive industry studies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 112-123.
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    13. Thierry Burger-Helmchen & Claude Guittard, 2008. "Are users the next entrepreneurs ?," Post-Print hal-02189762, HAL.

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