Ways to Incorporate Disruptive Innovation as Part of the Management Agenda

Ways to Incorporate Disruptive Innovation as Part of the Management Agenda

A few days ago I was in a conversation with Adam Hartung, who observed brand managers are constrained, as a matter of practicality, to focusing exclusively on sustaining innovation. They normally don’t focus on entirely new, disruptive innovation.

The thought I explored with him was making brand managers responsible for making some portion of each year’s sales come from markets which are entirely new to that industry. And whether (or not) this would be a good way to incorporate innovation initiatives which would necessarily have disruptive potential.

I’d be curious to know whether you believe this might be an effective way to incorporate disruptive innovation into the development mainstream of large, multi-brand corporations. Or do you see other, better ways to incorporate disruptive innovation as part of the management agenda?

Thoughts?

		Charles Alter Consultant, United States
	Getting Management Attention for Disruptive Innovation The dilemma is that the skills that brand managers need for their jobs may not be the skills needed to probe for disrupt...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	To what Degree Might Productive Efforts (and Initiatives) Be Diluted Through Political Posturing and Infighting? Hi Charles and thanks so much for leading off this discussion. Let me pose the concern of vested interests playing a des...

		jaymie , United States
	Problem with Precise Definition of Disruptive Innovations In any organization, large and small, without a clear definition of the differences between disruptive and sustaining, y...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	Defining Disruptive Innovation Hi Jaymie and thanks and agreed. Note that the requirement is that a given proportion of sales (or revenues or whatever ...

		Dr. Eyal Policar Entrepreneur, Israel
	Disruptive versus Sustainability - Personalities Is first and foremost about personalities. A disruptive innovator is usually very creative, visionary, not detail orient...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	Perhaps It's Time to Redefine the Job Thanks Eyal, your concerns, similar to those of Charles Alter earlier in the thread, are clearly stated and appreciated....

		Mark Fuller Director, South Africa
	Innovation You Can Sell Rick I agree with you entirely. I have used Value Stream teams amongst other tools to drive customer-centric innovations...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	Great Example in More Than One Way Hi Mark and thanks! I think the Yellow Tail wine example you referenced provides excellent guidance on how a brand manag...

		Gandhi Heryanto Management Consultant, Indonesia
	Disruptive Innovation is Client / Market Oriented The term Disruptive innovation was first popularized by Clayton Christensen from Harvard University in 1995. On his webs...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	The Role of Brand Managers in Disruptive Innovation Yes Gandhi, that is the Disruptive Innovation topic we’re talking about. Operationally, Christensen recommends that Disr...

		Elizabeth Fowler Student (MBA), United States
	Company Size Matters for Answering the Question I agree with @Charles Alter, a marketing person might be better suited for pushing into new areas of innovation rather t...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	Indeed Marketing Should Be Involved, But Held Responsible? Hi Elizabeth and thanks, size does matter, but in firms where the marketing manager is not the brand manager wear...

		Gandhi Heryanto Management Consultant, Indonesia
	Disruptive Innovation Responsibility Rick, as an alternative of Christensen’s recommendation for the responsibility of launching the disruptive innovation fo...

		Rick Mueller Professor, United States
	Responsibility for both Disruptive and Sustaining Innovation Hi Gandhi and thanks for the opportunity to make it clear that I am not wedded to the brand manager in specific being ch...