An empirical analysis of differences between sustaining and disruptive technology innovations

This paper reviews the literature on disruptive technologies. It then describes a survey that captures the differences between disruptive technology areas and sustaining technology areas and the characteristics of the firms that engage in each. The survey of firms engaged in the commercialization of sustaining technologies or of disruptive technologies is piloted and analyzed to determine differences in firm characteristics, situational issues and firm history. The survey focuses on the movement of the research findings from the laboratory into the marketplace and all of the problem areas that disruptive technologies face in this arena. The paper then states hypotheses that are tested. The data are described with results and conclusions reported.