The innovator's dilemma : the revolutionary book that will change the way you do business / Clayton M. Christensen.

Originally published: 1st HarperBusiness ed. New York : HarperBusiness, c2000.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Pt. 1. Why great companies can fail. How can great firms fail? Insights from the hard disk drive industry -- 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 -- The innovator's dilemma Book group guide.

In this revolutionary bestseller, Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership -- or worse, disappear completely. And he not only proves what he says, he tells others how to avoid a similar fate. Focusing on "disruptive technology" -- the Honda Super Cub, Intel's 8088 processor, or the hydraulic excavator, for example -- Christensen shows why most companies miss "the next great wave." 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. - Publisher.