Disruptive Innovation: An Intellectual History and Directions for Future Research

Clayton M. Christensen, Rory McDonald, Elizabeth J. Altman, Jonathan E. Palmer · 2018 · Journal of Management Studies

Summary. This paper reviews the intellectual history of disruptive innovation theory, showing how the concept has been misunderstood by practitioners and inconsistently engaged by researchers. The authors trace how the theory evolved from a narrow technology-change framework into a broader causal theory of innovation and competitive response. They identify gaps in empirical research and propose three underexplored areas—response strategies, performance trajectories, and innovation metrics—to guide future academic work.

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Christensen, C. M., McDonald, R., Altman, E. J., & Palmer, J. E.. (2018). Disruptive Innovation: An Intellectual History and Directions for Future Research. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12349

@article{christensen-2018-disruptive-innovation-intellectual-history-directions,
  title   = {Disruptive Innovation: An Intellectual History and Directions for Future Research},
  author  = {Clayton M. Christensen and Rory McDonald and Elizabeth J. Altman and Jonathan E. Palmer},
  journal = {Journal of Management Studies},
  year    = {2018},
  doi     = {10.1111/joms.12349},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12349}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Disruptive Innovation: An Intellectual History and Directions for Future Research
AU  - Clayton M. Christensen
AU  - Rory McDonald
AU  - Elizabeth J. Altman
AU  - Jonathan E. Palmer
JO  - Journal of Management Studies
PY  - 2018
DO  - 10.1111/joms.12349
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Details

DOI: 10.1111/joms.12349
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: innovation-theory, general-innovation
Added: 2026-04-28