Abstract
Disruptive innovations often engage in a fierce battle with incumbent technologies for hegemony. Past studies on technological innovations are silent about factors that extend the duration of the 'era of ferment' - that is, the period during which competing technologies fight for dominance. We argue that complexity of the underlying technology, ecological and institutional dynamics may permit coexistence of competing technology regimes. The paper illustrates such coexistence by discussing the persistence of disparate technologies in steel making and kidney disease treatment. We conclude that the process of 'creative destruction' can be delayed in certain settings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 345-365 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of Engineering and Technology Management |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Disruptive technology
- Technology cycle
- Technology persistence