Clayton M. Christensen (1952 \u2013 2020) was a theorist, Harvard Business School professor, and co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute. He developed three influential frameworks: Disruptive Innovation, which explains how new entrants reshape industries; Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD), which interprets behaviour through the progress people seek; and Modularity theory, which shows how system architecture shapes competition and adoption. His frameworks remain central for understanding technological and institutional change in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I selected Christensen because few theorists offer a unified explanation for both technological transformation and organizational inertia. Although widely applied, his theories face critiques: some disruption cases lack empirical consistency, incumbents often adapt more successfully than predicted, and the theory fits less well in public-sector contexts where incumbents cannot be displaced and value networks restrict innovation. These critiques refine\u2014rather than diminish\u2014the conditions under which disruption occurs, especially in regulated fields like education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christensen\u2019s work has influenced health care, education, and global development by challenging legacy cost structures, one-size-fits-all schooling, and aid-centric poverty strategy. Pope<\/a> (Jan 2026) argues that AI is enabling new architectures with radically different cost structures, while the Christensen Institute<\/a> (Jan 2026) notes that automation and economic uncertainty pressuring traditional models. These trends reflect Christensen\u2019s modularity theory: AI-native platforms decouple tasks, automate components, and lower integration costs, allowing entrants to compete on speed and modular performance rather than full-stack capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Christensen advances a view of learning as differentiated, non-linear process, and driven by JTBD-style intrinsic motivation. He argues that modular and blended architectures support personalized learning, but only when the surrounding value network\u2014credentialing, funding, assessment, accountability\u2014changes. This explains why blended and competency-based models have struggled to disrupt traditional schooling and why, in 2026, AI tutoring systems are being layered onto existing structures rather than transforming them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I plan to use AI as a jumping off point for where to start looking for relevant articles about Clayton Christensen. I will check all sources that are provided to ensure credibility. I will also use it as a way to check that I didn\u2019t miss anything. My first draft was close to 600 words, not ideal. I put what I wrote into AI and asked for suggestions on how to make it more concise. I took some suggestions, others I did not. References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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