BEST ARTICLE AWARD 2020

The Three Stages of Disruptive Innovation: Idea Generation, Incubation, and Scaling

We are pleased to announce that "The Three Stages of Disruptive Innovation: Idea Generation, Incubation, and Scaling" by Charles O'Reilly and Andrew J. M. Binns is the winner of the 2020 Best Article Award.

Each year, California Management Review recognizes the article published during the preceding year that has made the most important contribution to management practice. This article was selected as a finalist based on its performance and distribution, and the final selection was made by members of the California Management Review Editorial Board and International Advisory Board in April 2020.

This article addresses a problem faced by many large, established firms: how to remain competitive in markets defined by persistent disruption. It sheds light on three distinct disciplines necessary for large firms to introduce disruptive innovations of their own - ideation, to generate potential new business ideas; incubation, to validate these ideas in the market; and scaling, to reallocate the assets and capabilities needed to grow the new business.

The Three Stages of Disruptive Innovation
Facing imminent disruption, many large, established firms have embraced innovation as a way to develop new growth businesses. Firms need to master three distinct disciplines - ideation, incubation, and scaling.