Change that can kill off great, well‐run companies

Abstract

Profiles two types of technological change — sustaining and disruptive. Employs an inset of definitions explaining technology, innovation, sustaining technologies and disruptive technologies. States a lack of understanding about the strategic difference between sustaining and disruptive technologies can result in a crucial failure. Further insets shows Hewlett‐Packard’s laser jet and ink‐jet printers as a prime example of how to cope with disruptive technology, even if it threatens suicide for its original business division. Sums up firms are rarely in a position to have the correct organizational, managerial or cultural response to enable them to cope successfully with changes generated by disruptive technologies.