Mary Benner - Faculty Research in Knowledge@Wharton

Why an Economic Crisis Could Be the Right Time for Companies to Engage in 'Disruptive Innovation'

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:45:28 EST

While globalization has witnessed the decline of U.S. dominance in manufacturing, energy and even finance, one thing had long been presumed unassailable: a willingness to engage in transformative, or "disruptive," innovation. But with the economy in a tailspin, will business, government and academia shy away from the risk-taking and short-term costs that come with the territory of innovating? Wharton faculty and practitioners offer their views on why companies these days should be more interested than ever in trying out radical new ideas.

Verizon's High-Speed Network: If They Build It, Will You Come?

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:21:30 EST

Verizon is betting billions of dollars on a new fiber-optic network that could transform it from a telephone company to a cutting-edge technology player. If the strategy works, the company could leapfrog over rivals, such as AT&T and Comcast, by offering faster Internet service and potentially richer video on demand. But if Verizon's fast network fails to entice consumers, the company will have created a multi-billion-dollar boondoggle. Wharton faculty and others examine the two different scenarios.

TQM, ISO 9000, Six Sigma: Do Process Management Programs Discourage Innovation?

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 15:55:06 EST

The decision by a rock group in Northern Kentucky to call itself 6 Sigma suggests that process management programs may definitely be part of mainstream consciousness. But does the continuing popularity of such programs hide the fact that they can end up suppressing innovation? "The risk is that you misapply these programs, in particular in areas where people are supposed to be innovative," notes Wharton management professor Mary Benner. "Brand new technologies to produce products that don't exist are difficult to measure. This kind of innovation may be crowded out when you focus too much on" the statistical measurement of outcomes. Benner and Harvard Business School professor Michael Tushman look at the evolution, and potential misuse, of process management programs.