Disruption Innovation and Theory

Abstract

Disruptive technology was a term coined by Harvard business professor Clayton Christensen in his book Innovators Dilemma. Disruptive technology opens up windows of opportunity for new products. It can enable low-income markets to have a piece of otherwise inaccessible technology. Education and health care are not immune to disruptive technology. Distance learning has a new and significant role in the education market, displacing traditional education. The healthcare industry is currently in trouble and hospitals are losing millions. The industry has identified several disruptive innovations that have decreased this loss. Disruptive technologies join the marketplace by offering more cost-efficient products and cater to a different consumer base. This paper will describe in detail Disruptive Technology and how it applies to business, education, and healthcare as a low-level entrant into the marketplace. It will also discuss how organizations can successfully meet the challenge of disruptive technology. Recent studies independently inferred that the theory is unsupported and attacked the authenticity of Christianson’s claims. In The Innovator’s Dilemma and its follow-up, The Innovator’s Solution, Christensen cites 77 disruptive cases. However, here the researchers posit only 9 percent of the cases fit this theory. The attacks have not dimmed disruption’s popularity as a theory or as a buzzword.