#1Pick
an industry, or organization which has experienced a profound
disruption by a newcomer displacing the former market leader(s). It need
not be a technology, per se. It can be a process innovation, marketing
innovation, or combination of any of the components depicted on the
Business Model Canvas. Take the reader through a timeline of the
disruption. Identify the conditions: market, economic, cultural,
technological, competitive, behavioral prior to the disruption.
You
might consider: Business model element(s) which were key to the
innovation, insights the disruptor did or did not have before or during
the adoption, factors which drove customer adoption. Was there a new
performance metric, or shift in customer behavior or expectations? Who
were the stakeholders – who wins and who loses? Did the companies being
disrupted take action – perhaps too little too late? Note both first-
and second-order effects. What must the disruptor do to stay relevant,
and defend their position?
Tell the story in a narrative,
demonstrating your understanding of the concepts from class that
illuminate your topic. Include any graphs or visuals as appropriate,
citing sources if not your own work. Finally, speculate about the
future. What do you foresee will happen next? Does the disruptor have a
sustainable competitive advantage or will they be eclipsed by an even
bolder innovator?
Projects
should use 1-inch margins, 11-point type, 1-1/2 line spacing (that is
halfway between single and double spaced) and be no longer than about
three written pages, not counting any graphs, diagrams or figures, which
can be placed at the end, or interspersed with the text. Include any
such materials necessary to clarify or validate your assertions, and
demonstrate mastery of course material – visuals really help!
Use
a variety of sources to get multiple perspectives on your topic.
Technical, financial, trade and general interest media use very
different lenses to view the same subject. Feel free to take some risks
in this assignment – go outside the expected if the insights derived
from your research give you an unconventional viewpoint – that’s how
fortunes are made.
I am aiming for 3 pages written with graphs and charts within the paper
and it has to be 1 inch margins, 1.5 space
#2
There
many examples of organizations who were once leaders in their field
with great resources in people, intellectual property, and access to
capital. These once towering idols somehow lost their way. Some even
disappeared. It is said that “success has many parents, but failure is
an orphan.” Pick one example of a business disaster to research and
describe in which the demise was due to a failure to innovate.
With
sufficient research, quantify the once lofty position and chronicle
either the mistakes made, or opportunities missed. Based on what you
have learned in class, why did the leaders fail to chart the right
course – any cognitive traps, risks unmitigated, ignorance of key
trends, poor technology strategy, resources misallocated, or failure to
capitalize on opportunities right under their noses? Be as specific as
you can, with detailed examples to support your reasoning.
In the
second part of your paper, use your 20-20 hindsight to creatively make a
winner out of one of history’s losers. Craft an “alternate reality” and
propose how things might have gone differently with you as the leader.
Consider specific factors under the management’s control, or otherwise
knowable at the time. What insights would you have derived, and how?
How might you have allocated resources, discovered unmet needs, forged
the right alliances, taken prudent risks, established feedback loops or
invested in advanced technology? Walk the reader through a timeline of
your actions, and the resulting effects. Take some risks with this
assignment – write your own best-case scenario.
with graphs and charts within
and 1 inch margins and 1.5 space