A multilevel perspective on technological discontinuities: What do we know & where do we go from here?

In this panel symposium, we aim to stimulate a rich discussion on theories of technological discontinuities, in particular disruption of established firms by entrants. Building on the seminal work of scholars such as Christensen, Henderson, and Tushman, researchers have made great progress explaining under what conditions disruptions occur in a range of industries. However, recent theorizing points to more complex competitive (and cooperative) interactions between firms, which may require a reconsideration of the applicability of these general theories. For example, the effects of heterogeneous groups of firms within industry landscapes, such as submarkets, or ecosystem niches on the survival of incumbents vs. entrants may require a reconceptualization of technological discontinuities at multiple levels. This approach also includes examining from where disruptions originate, such as technology disruptions and market disruptions. In this symposium, after briefly outlining what we know so far about the disruption of incumbents, we will draw on a multilevel perspective in order to bridge established theories of discontinuities with contemporary thinking, aiming to come up with a further research agenda.