28 MITSLOANMANAGEMENTREVIEW SPRING 2020 JINGJINGTSONG/THEISPOT.COM
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layton Christensen’s Theory of Disruptive Innovation first came to public
attention 25 years ago. Christensen presciently explained that fast-
moving disrupters entering the market with cheap, low-quality goods
could undermine companies wed to prevailing beliefs about competitive
advantage. In the last decade, however, the profile of disrupters has
changed dramatically. The critical difference is that they now enter the
market with products and services that are every bit as good as those
offered by legacy companies. Their ascendance doesn’t undermine
Christensen’s theory. In fact, they expand its reach and vitality — and
make it harder than ever for traditional companies to compete.The New Disrupters
By entering the market with products and services that are every bit as good as those
offered by legacy companies, a new breed of disrupters is making it harder than ever
for traditional businesses to compete.
BY RITA GUNTHER MCGRATH
DISRUPTION 2020: COMPETING ON QUALITY