The Next Age of Disruption

Clayton Christensen's groundbreaking theory of “disruptive innovation” has proven to be one of the most influential management ideas of the last several decades. In this book, business and management experts—many of them Christensen's colleagues and former students—discuss the innovation challenges that lie ahead. Building on Christensen's work, they offer companies a guide for navigating a new world of disruption—a future in which artificial intelligence is a business tool, the speed of innovation increases dramatically, and capital is more easily accessible. The book also includes one of the last interviews with Christensen before his death in January 2020.

The contributors first consider “the human element,” discussing such topics as why good ideas get stuck and how innovators can allay skittish potential supporters' concerns, ethical issues in an age of disruption, and how to retain top talent. Turning to issues of competition, they examine the nearly frictionless shopping experience offered by such new disrupters as Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club, discuss AI as a game-changer, and explore the power of platforms. Finally, they consider the future, listing eleven sources of disruption every company should monitor, explaining how to anticipate uncertainty, and describing the benefits of both internal and external partnerships.

Contributors

Scott D. Anthony, Didier Bonnet, Greg Brown, Clayton M. Christensen, Michael A. Cusumano, Karen Dillon, Jeff Dyer, Sebastian K. Fixson, Nathan Furr, Joshua Gans, Annabelle Gawer, Rita Gunther McGrath, Brian Halligan, Nicole Helmer, Mike Hendron, Michael B. Horn, Marco Iansiti, Rahul Kapoor, Thomas Klueter, Karim R. Lakhani, Tucker J. Marion,, Michael Putz, Neil C. Thompson, Amy Webb, Max Wessel, Ardine Williams, Yun Ye, David B. Yoffie