Intellectual structure of disruptive innovation: a bibliometric analysis and systematic review

Purpose Disruptive innovation (DI) is regarded as an important engine of the new technological revolution, which can change the traditional market structure and business model completely. Articles on DI remain fragmented and heterogeneous in terms of theoretical paradigms and empirical studies. For the purpose of furthering understanding about DI and to recognizing its evolutionary trajectory and research trends, this paper provides a systematic literature review. Design/methodology/approach Based on data from Web of Science (WoS), a total of 1,415 articles were collected to identify productive countries, prominent journals, influential authors and main sub-fields on DI. Additionally, important articles are analyzed for content. Findings There is an overall increasing trend in the number of articles, a uniformity of highly productive authors and countries, and a primary concentration in business and management journals. Moreover, six research clusters are identified, and an antecedent-decision-outcome framework is constructed to categorize significant studies. Practical implications This paper outlines the key focuses of the field: application and adoption of disruptive technology (DT), identifying and responding to DI, commercialization of DT, DI strategies and disruptive business models. Originality/value This paper combines bibliometrics and content analysis to systematically overview DI research.