In an illuminating interview,Good Days for Disruptors, Clayton Christensen of Harvard, is suprisingly positive regarding the effects of the financial crisis on innovation. He admits his ideas are counterintuitive. But, in a tight fiscal setting, people lack the money to pursue wrong strategies for a very long time. With organizational pressure, limited funds push innovation out the door fast and raise the probability of success. In contrast, prosperity tends to insulate innovators from market realities. The effect: little financial insulation, so there's no time to screw around.
As Christensen affirms, economic crises create pressure to resolve current problems. Furthermore, there are important historical examples to support his theory. His latest work on health care proposes resolutions we'll be seeing very soon.
This thought leader works on a research basis, and his reasoning is valuable simply for the example it provides. Thoughtful research, well-reasoned arguments, and creative options provide models of clarity for all of us in business to study. The thinking models travel and are transferable to all kinds of settings. Check them out.