The innovator's dilemma : when new technologies cause great firms to fail / Clayton M. Christensen.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Pt. 1. Why great companies can fail. How can great firms fail? Insights from the hard disk drive ― Value networks and the impetus to innovate ― Disruptive technological change in the mechanical excavator industry ― What goes up, can't go down ― Pt. 2. Managing disruptive technological change. Give responsibility for disruptive technologies to organizations whose customers need them ― Match the size of the organization to the size of the market ― Discovering new and emerging markets ― How to appraise your organization's capabilities and disabilities ― Performance provided, market demand, and the product life cycle ― Managing disruptive technological change: a case study ― The dilemmas of innovation : a summary.

In this revolutionary bestseller, innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership — or worse, disappear altogether. And not only does he prove what he says, but he tells others how to avoid a similar fate. Focusing on "disruptive technology," Christensen shows why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. Whether in electronics or retailing, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know when to abandon traditional business practices. Using the lessons of successes and failures from leading companies, The Innovator's Dilemma presents a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation. Find out: When it is right not to listen to customers. When to invest in developing lower-performance products that promise lower margins. When to pursue small markets at the expense of seemingly larger and more lucrative ones. Sharp, cogent, and provocative, The Innovator's Dilemma is one of the most talked-about books of our time — and one no savvy manager or entrepreneur should be without