Nondisruptive creation rethinking innovation and growth

Module 4 - Background

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION

Video material

http://www.ted.com/talks/sebastian_thrun_google_s_driverless_car.html

Required Reading

Litman, T. (2017) Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Predictions: Implications for Transport Planning. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Retrieved on May 26, 2020, from http://leempo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/M09.pdf

Kim, W.C. & Mauborgne, R. (2019 Spring). Nondisruptive creation: Rethinking innovation and growth. MIT Sloan Management Review, 60(3), 46-55. Retrieved from ProQuest database

King, A. A. & Baatartogtokh, B. (2015) How Useful Is the Theory of Disruptive Innovation? MIT Sloan Management Review. Fall. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/60e8/86aed65be4c6eecad9a27117a0c635bffaff.pdf

Allen, M. (2015) Disruptive Innovation and the Impact of Fully Autonomous Vehicles on the Auto Insurance Industry. Kalamazoo College. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://cache.kzoo.edu/bitstream/handle/10920/30405/Allen-MichaelSIP.pdf?sequence=1

Nagy, D., Schuessler, J. & Dubinsky, A. (2015) Defining and identifying disruptive innovations. Industrial Marketing Management. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph_Schuessler/publication/299413364_Defining_and_identifying_disruptive_innovations/links/5754617908ae17e65eccc99c/Defining-and-identifying-disruptive-innovations.pdf

Module 4 - Case

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION

Assignment Overview

As a focal example for this module, we will consider the case of a disruptive innovation that is roaring down on society at nearly the speed of light, despite common acknowledgment that we really do not know what its effects will be. This is so-called “automated driving” or “driverless vehicles.” There is no question that within the next 5 to 10 years, the bulk of vehicles on the roads will switch from being directly human-controlled to being largely robotically controlled, with only sporadic if any human intervention. For all of human history, transportation has required the direct involvement of a human being, whether that be the driver of an oxcart or the driver of a Mercedes 18-wheeler. Management of vehicles has been one of the central preoccupations of humans for at least the last 100 years. Giant industries are based on this technological framework. The introduction of robotically controlled vehicles promises to disrupt these giant industries in critical ways, even eliminating some of them entirely and reshaping others to be almost unrecognizable.

How will society deal with these issues? What will survive this disruptive transition, and what will not? What will our society look like when it is completely transformed by this virtually inevitable technology? Who will the winners and losers be? Any look at disruptive innovation always generates more questions than answers, but by examining those questions we may begin to formulate better ones and eventually arrive at a more complete understanding. If we do not, then we will be simply whipsawed by our own technologies whose underlying values may be significantly different from those we would like to see our society enact.

Case Assignment

After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 5- to 7-page paper discussing the topic:

“Self-driving vehicles as a disruptive technology”

You should begin your paper by summarizing what is currently known about disruptive innovations and their effects. Then provide a brief description of the self-driving vehicle technology and where it currently stands today. You should then proceed to address the questions posed in the case discussion above: namely, how will society deal with these issues? What will survive this disruptive transition, and what will not? What will our society look like when it is completely transformed by this virtually inevitable technology? Who will the winners and losers be? Conclude your paper with a couple of paragraphs summarizing your views on self-driving vehicles in particular, and how society and organizations might deal more effectively and productively with disruptive technologies generally.

Assignment Expectations

Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.

Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.

Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.

As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.

Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.

Cite at least five credible resources.

Module 4 - SLP

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION

During Module 4, your SLP assignment is to develop an annotated outline for chapter 2 - the literature review - of your project draft. This will consist of the headings in the chapter and a brief description of each paragraph under each heading. This description should include the sources you plan to be used in that paragraph, as well as notes on any further material that you have not yet been able to obtain. It may be that some paragraphs in your outline will not draw on any particular sources; that is okay, as long as you explain the purpose of the paragraph in the context of the chapter as a whole. It may also be the case that you still do not have some sources necessary to describe how they will fit into the review. That is okay as well, as long as you note where you are missing information and present some ideas about how you are going to get it during the next couple of weeks. The aim is to present a full outline of your literature review, prior to actually writing all the paragraphs to be included in the draft.

It may be that you have already prepared some paragraphs to be included during previous parts of this project assignment. If so, those should be included in your outline.

SLP Assignment Expectations

Length: The written component of this assignment should be 3-4 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.

Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.

Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.

As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.

Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.

Cite at least five credible resources.

Discussion 4:

Problems and/or questions arising in the course thus far

We assume that you are well launched on your literature review draft preparation. At this point, we would like to identify any general issues about the content of the course - specifically, the cases - that you are unclear about or would like the further discussion of. Identify at least two major issues arising from the cases that you think deserve further discussion and say why you believe this is so.

Have a crack at answering questions posed by your colleagues, or at least suggesting places they might go to get further information about resolving their questions. Help one another out as you study the course materials.