“In the first stage of insight-building, all that researchers can do is observe phenomena. Second, they classify the phenomena in a way that helps them simplify the apparent complexities of the world so they can ignore the meaningless differences and draw connections between the things that really seem to matter. Third, based on the classification system, they propose a theory. The theory is a statement of what causes what and why, and under what circumstances.” WorldWayFirstsMatterHelpingSeemsCausesCan DoDifferencesStageBuildingTheoryCircumstancesDrawsConnectionsThirdsInsightStatementsComplexityMeaninglessProposeSimplifyResearchersClassification Author:Clayton Christensen
“If the theory accurately predicts what they [scientists] see, it confirms that it's a good theory. If they see something that the theory didn't lead them to believe, that's what Thomas Kuhn calls an anomaly. The anomaly requires a revised theory - and you just keep going through the cycle, making a better theory.” IfsBelieveTheoryScientistCyclesKeep GoingAnomalies Author:Clayton Christensen
“Ultimately, when you come up with a classification scheme that is collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive, then the theory can become what Kuhn called a paradigm.” TheoryCome UpSchemesExclusiveParadigmClassification Author:Clayton Christensen
“In the study of management, unfortunately, many writers have been so anxious to articulate a theory in the form of, "If you do this, this will result," that they never go through this careful effort.” IfsHas BeensFormResultsEffortStudyTheoryManagementCarefulAnxious Author:Clayton Christensen
“Often they [writers on the study of management] have a point of view based upon intuition and experience. They then offer a cadence of two-paragraph examples carefully selected to "prove" their theory, and then they write "one size fits all" books. The message is, "If you'd do what these companies did, you'd be successful too."” IfsWritingTwoBookViewsCompanyStudySuccessfulExampleTheoryFitOffersProveMessagesManagementSizeIntuitionPoint Of ViewBeing SuccessfulParagraphSelectedCadenceOne Size Fits All Author:Clayton Christensen
“I've concluded that getting the categories right is an absolutely crucial step to building useful management theory, and unfortunately too few writers do this. You've got to engage in serious scholarship, and then figure out how to write it in a way that lots of people can understand.” PeopleWayWritingStepsFiguresBuildingSeriousTheoryManagementCategoriesCrucialScholarship Author:Clayton Christensen
“I was lucky enough to build on the work of a number of people who had already run laps around this theory-building track. The original classification scheme, years ago, distinguished radical from incremental change. The theory said that established firms managed incremental change well, but would be expected to founder when their industry encountered a radical change.” PeopleYearsWellsSaidEnoughWould BeRunningNumbersBuildingTheoryIndustryLuckyYears AgoOriginalsTrackExpectedRadicalFirmSchemesFoundersLapDistinguishedClassificationRadical ChangeIncremental Change Author:Clayton Christensen
“If you want to make better theory, you've got to use the best that's available and look through the lens of another discipline to see if you can uncover more anomalies. By looking at the phenomena of failure from the perspective of sales, marketing, finance, general management, and the equity markets, I was able to see things that Rebecca [Henderson] hadn't.” IfsWantLooksUseAbleTheoryPerspectiveDisciplineManagementMarketingAvailableFinanceLensesEquityAnomaliesRebecca Author:Clayton Christensen
“But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff you will fall; you don't have to collect data on that.” IfsFallStepsExampleTheoryPracticalsDataGravityCliffs Author:Clayton Christensen
“Disruptive technology is a theory. It says this will happen and this is why; it's a statement of cause and effect. In our teaching we have so exalted the virtues of data-driven decision making that in many ways we condemn managers only to be able to take action after the data is clear and the game is over. In many ways a good theory is more accurate than data. It allows you to see into the future more clearly.” WayHappensAbleActionGamesCausesDecisionTechnologyVirtueClearTeachingEffectsTheoryDrivenStatementsManagersDataDecision MakingAccurateCause And EffectExaltedDisruptive Author:Clayton Christensen
“The outsourcing gurus have been driving the theory, and they are saying everybody ought always to do this. But it is really contingent on where you are on the spectrum from "not good enough" to "more than good enough," relative to each tier of the market.” Has BeensEnoughTheoryOughtDrivingGood EnoughWhere You AreRelativeSpectrumGuruNot Good EnoughOutsourcing Author:Clayton Christensen
