IFIP 8.6 Working Conference: Re-Imagining Diffusion of Information Technology, Guimarães, Portugal, 2017 RE-IMAGINING THE DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION THEORY IN THE DIGITAL PLATFORMS ERA Position paper Amany Elbanna, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK, amany.elbanna@rhul.ac.uk Abstract IFIP 8.6 is considering recent developments in the IS field and how they impact the adoption of ICT in organisations and society. This position paper questions the premises of the traditional disruptive innovation theory in light of the development and rise of the digital platforms phenomenon. It consid- ers the case of Uber as an illustrative example to argue that its digital platform’s disruption takes a different trajectory that significantly challenges the traditionally assumed disruptive innovation theo- ry. The paper then calls for the re-imagining of our current theorisation of disruptive innovation to take into consideration the unique characteristics of the digital platforms phenomenon. Keywords: Disruptive Innovation Theory, Digital platform, digital innovation, Uber 1 Introduction The disruptive innovation theory has been developed over two decades based on the original work of Christensen in 1997. Since Christensen’s 1997 publication of his book ‘Innovator's Dilemma’, the theory has gained significant attention in business and academia. The book describes the process through which new entrants to the market who acquire and utilise new technology could quickly achieve a dominant market position, potentially pushing incumbent firms out of their markets. The theory has evolved from a descriptive framework of technological developments and change to a more expansive causal theory of innovation and competitive response (C. Christensen, McDonald, Altman, & Palmer, 2017). According to the theory, disruptive innovation, whether involving disruptive tech- nology, business models, or both, tends to provide different values from mainstream markets; either addressing the low-end of the market or a new market (C. Christensen, 1997; C. Christensen & Raynor, 2003). It offers products that are either of lower performance if measured on traditional per- formance attributes (Yu & Hang, 2010) or with new characteristics. Hence, disruptive innovation equips entrants to rapidly gain markets, replacing and pushing incumbent firms out of it. The reasons for customers switching to disruptive innovation have been identified as the affordable prices, new value proposition and the decreasing differences in performance dimensions (Adner, 2002). Despite its popularity, the theory of disruptive innovation continues to be in need of elaboration and examination through different lenses (Yu & Hang, 2010). Indeed, “empirical management research on disruptive of innovation has simply not kept pace” with its popularity and extensive citation (C. Christensen et al., 2017). This paper argues that digital platform innovation challenges most of the assumptions of the original disruptive innovation theory and that it is in need of significant reformula- tion considering the unique characteristics of the digital platform phenomenon. As IFIP WG8.6 is formulating new directions for the working group that addresses emerging trends and contemporary