Meta-Technologies and Innovation Leadership : Why There May be Nothing New Under the Sun

The article discusses a conceptual framework for helping organizations to deal with two dilemmas associated with business innovation: the perceived need to bring new products to market while simultaneously respecting consumer preferences; and the perception that innovators can become obsolete once their innovation is overtaken by a disruptive technology. The author proposes that consumers purchase benefits which are generic in nature, and the core technologies on which innovations are based are also generic in nature. In this approach, there are no truly disruptive innovations because it is only the features of a product, not the underlying services, that are innovative. Underlying benefits sought by consumers include freedom of choice, conservation of resources, and ease of adoption.