HON 300 On Campus
Radically Disruptive Innovation
Honors Colloquium
Overview
This course will analyze and discuss the ideology and practicality of radically disruptive innovation. Emphasis will be on delineating and debating both positive and negative consequences of such disruptions and determining under what conditions positive changes of radically disruption innovations outweigh negative, but often necessary, consequences.
We will attempt to resolve four questions. The first two are frame breaking intended to challenge traditional ways of thinking. The second two are intended to challenge colloquium students to personally apply course concepts.
Frame Breaking
1. How do traditional ways of thinking about innovation limit possibilities?
2. Can we change the way we view innovation to expand the limits of possibility?
Application
3. What events might radically disrupt in a positive way the arena in which colloquium students plan to spend their careers?
4. How might students become personally involved in bringing about such a disruption?
Text
No text is required.
Course Format
You will investigate at least three areas of radically disruptive innovation to prepare for discussion leadership. It is likely that you'll further investigate one of these areas to write your final paper (explained below). In addition, you'll gain exposure to a wide variety of innovation topics by participating in class discussions led by other students. Together, discussion leadership and participation will give you a broad base in radically disruptive innovation and expertise in a least one area as a result of your final paper.
The format will be primarily based on student leadership and discussion while engaging others in responsible and respectful debate.
Discussion leadership
You'll lead three short discussions on areas of innovation in which you have a particular interest. Extensive preparation will be necessary to adequately lead discussions.
Participation
While not leading discussion, you're responsible for actively engaging in discussion by challenging traditional ways of thinking and extending the discussion into areas into which the topic might be generalized. I strongly encourage respectful but vigorous debate so don't hesitate to speak up with alternative opinions. In this colloquium, we'll never assume that the dominant point of view is necessarily the correct point of view.
Paper
Students are required to write a 5-7 page paper regarding a radically disruptive innovation in which they have a personal interest. The paper should discuss both the practical and ideological ramifications, both positive and negative, of their selected innovation topic.
Grading
Discussion leadership = 33%
Participation = 33%
Paper = 34%
Annotated Bibliography - Possible Course Topics
I realize that the you may be familiar with the generalities of radically disruptive innovation, but in case you're not be as familiar with some of the specific topics areas, the following annotated bibliography points you in the direction of possible topics. Feel free to use any of those in the list, but please don't feel that these are the only topics you may select. This is a highly self-directed course and your chosen topics should be those in which you have a personal interest. You have considerable discretion in the topics you choose. This list is simply a beginning point to help you get off to a good start and stimulate further exploration of possible radically disruptive innovation topics.
Innovation in Social Class
Florida, R. 2003. The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. Basic Books.
Richard Florida’s primary interest is in U.S. economic regional development, but in this book he goes beyond this to consider what he calls the “creative social class.” The point of the book is to examine how and why this group has such an impact on the everyday lives of societal members who do not necessarily belong to this social class.
Brown-Johnson, N., P. Jarley and S.B. Droege. 2007. The impact of trade union youth programs on young workers’ political engagement and participation. Working paper targeted for British Journal of Industrial Relations.
This is a research project in progress exploring how a return to the historical class solidarity approach of labor unions may be more highly correlated with union, political, and community participation compared to the currently predominant transactional model of labor unions. The social class innovation aspect is that a return to the past can, under certain conditions, be more innovative than inventing a new way of doing things. Although currently a working paper, it is sufficiently complete so that students could use it for in-class discussion.
Innovation in Urban Development
Martens, B. and A.G. Keul. 2005. Designing Social Innovation: Planning, Building, Evaluating. Hogrefe & Huber Publishing.
This topic of this edited volume is urban planning but it takes an unusual approach to the topic. Rather than relying on those with traditional academic training in urban planning and design, the authors draw on a large interdisciplinary field of experts who are not traditionally associated with urban planning. This provides some interesting insights on how we might innovate by looking beyond traditional areas of expertise.
Royle, S.A. 2000. Cities in civilization: Culture, innovation and urban order. The Geographical Journal, Volume 166, Issue 2.
This journal article discusses the cultural aspects of urbanization. Author Stephen Royle suggests that cities are the centers of civilization, a point students from rural Kentucky or elsewhere might wish to argue.
Innovation in Global Warming
Kok, M., W. Vermeulen, A. Faaij, and D. Jager. 2002. Global Warming and Social Innovation: The Challenge of a Climate Neutral Society. Earthscan.
This is an edited volume containing a collection of articles outlining how various social innovations can negate the impact of global warming. The primary message is that we can rethink our response to global warming: rather than controlling emissions that contribute to global warming, we can create social innovations that balance out added global warming emissions. The result, the authors argue, is a global society that is “climate neutral.”
Alic, J.A., D.C. Mowery and E.S. Rubin. 2003. U.S. technology and innovation policies: Lessons for climate change. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
This white paper by the Pew Center addresses the imperative for governmental innovation in public policy and discusses how government must facilitate market forces through nonrestrictive policies in order to halt global warming. Colloquium students might debate exactly which policies would work and which would have unintended and counterproductive consequences.
Innovation in Communication
Marti, G. 2005. A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church. Indiana University Press.
This is a case study of Mosaic, a rapidly growing religious community in Los Angeles that uses innovative communication techniques to build community and exemplify core values. For example, wind, water, fire, wood, and earth are frequent metaphors the community utilizes to illustrate various tenets of Mosaic’s core doctrinal positions.
Ling, R. and P.E. Pederson. 2005. Mobile Communications: Re-Negotiation of the Social Sphere. Springer.
This book presents an interesting take on how mobile communication such as email, text messaging, cell phones, and other innovations in mobile communication have shaped society for better and worse.
Innovation in Institutions
Droege, S.B. 2007. Praxis as process: Linking praxis to institutional change. Presented at the Asia-Pacific Academy of Management and Business Conference, Singapore, March 5-8.
This is a paper that addresses a paradox of institutional change: how do individuals conditioned by institutions change the very institutions by which they are conditioned? This research suggests two responses—diminished utility of administrative controls and negotiated boundaries of institutional space—that provide a partial solution to this paradox. The results are generic enough that colloquium students might apply them to a variety of arenas they happen to be interested in.
Dacin, M.T. 1997. Isomorphism in context: The power and prescription of institutional norms. Administrative Science Quarterly, Issue 41, Volume 1.
Although a bit older than the others in this annotated bibliography, this is a classic in “deinstitutionalization,” the innovative processes by which established institutions are destroyed. Colloquium students might use the concepts in this research as a basis for initiating institutional change.