[PDF] The Innovator’s Dilemma

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, generally referred to as The Innovator’s Dilemma, first published in 1997, is the best-known work of the Harvard professor and businessman Clayton Christensen.

“The Innovator’s Dilemma” demonstrates why outstanding companies that had their competitive antennae up, listened astutely to customers, and invested aggressively in new technologies still lost their market dominance. Drawing on patterns of innovation in a variety of industries, the author argues that good business practices can, nevertheless, weaken a great firm. He shows how truly important, breakthrough innovations are often initially rejected by customers that cannot currently use them, leading firms to allow their most important innovations to languish. Many companies now face the innovator’s dilemma. Keeping close to customers is critical for current success. But long-term growth and profits depend upon a very different managerial formula. This book will help managers see the changes that may be coming their way and will show them how to respond for success. It is part of the “The Management of Innovation and Change” series.

The best-selling classic on disruptive innovation, by renowned author Clayton M. Christensen. His work is cited by the world’s best-known thought leaders, from Steve Jobs to Malcolm Gladwell. In this classic bestseller, one of the most influential business books of all time, innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right, yet still lose market leadership. Christensen explains why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. No matter the industry, he says, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know how and when to abandon traditional business practices. Offering both successes and failures from leading companies as a guide, The Innovator’s Dilemma gives you a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation. Sharp, cogent and provocative and consistently noted as one of the most valuable business ideas of all time, The Innovator’s Dilemma is the book no manager, leader, or entrepreneur should be without.

This lucid and provocative analysis of corporate failure should be required reading for CEOs and managers. It’s not about small or mismanaged companies, but of sterling national and international corporations that failed in large measure because they were customer-oriented and did everything right. This is succinctly pointed out by the author in the subtitle of his publication, ‘When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail’. Herein lies the crux of the dilemma as Dr. Christensen analyzes not only why great companies fail, but also discusses and examines the concepts and issues of managing disruptive technological change. Certainly incompetence, arrogance and bureaucracy deserve a share of the credit, but the patterns of failure are far more fundamental and go deeper. Dr. Christensen is associated with the Harvard Business School.

The Innovator’s Dilemma PDF

Author(s): Clayton M. Christensen

Publisher: HarperBusiness, Year: 2000

ISBN: 0-06-662069-4