Disruptive innovation and the higher education ‘eco-system’ post-2012

Abstract

Disruptive innovations in business sectors are arguably triggered by the arrival of new competitors who disturb, or punctuate, an existing equilibrium. They can be aided by changes to a wider context. The eco-system of professional services has seen major disruptions over the last 10 or 15 years. We extend our review of managerial lessons from a previous essay to present speculative scenarios of pending disruptions in higher education. We present a strategic map of the sector which hints at disruption and differentiation as an ongoing process, albeit with a large, undifferentiated middle. We write not to predict but to, hopefully, provoke thought. The challenges posed by the potential disruptors will, we argue, require many institutions to respond in new and innovative ways. Innovation in higher education which spread well beyond traditional research, knowledge transfer and the curriculum interpretations will be required to a much greater extent than in the past.