Title: A four-stage framework for disruptive innovation

Authors: Chakunnath Madhusudan; Ramasamy Panneerselvam

Addresses: Department of Management Studies, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, 605014, India ' Department of Management Studies, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, 605014, India

Abstract: The theory of disruptive innovation propounded by Clayton Christensen has been successful in explaining why some seemingly well managed companies fail under the onslaught of some new entrants. Keeping close to Christensen's definition of disruptive innovation, which is termed as 'Christensen disruption' here to highlight its uniqueness, a simple four-stage disruption framework is proposed for the evolution of incumbents and entrants in this special form of disruption. The proposed four-stage disruption framework offers a new and simple insight into understanding the process of Christensen disruption. Applying the framework to the evolution of the Indian domestic low cost carrier (LCC) aviation industry over a 15 year period, it is found that Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation provides a coherent explanation for not only the disruption of the Indian incumbent airlines but also the subsequent evolution of the surviving LCCs.

Keywords: disruptive innovation; Christensen disruption; four-stage disruption framework; disruption matrix; low cost carriers; LCCs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2020.111491

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2020 Vol.22 No.4, pp.474 - 491

Received: 25 Feb 2018
Accepted: 11 Dec 2018
Published online: 30 Nov 2020 *

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