Economics and Business Review

This paper reviews the disruptive technologies literature and the potential
impact disruptive technologies will have in the boardroom. Changes in industries and
the growth of technology are creating a new paradigm shift in industries and strategic
planning within the corporate world. Disruptive technologies are changing the very
fabric of our decision making and how we deliver products and services.
The last ten years have seen exponential growth in research on disruptive technologies
and their impact on industries, supply chains, resources, training, education and
employment markets. Current research predicts changes in how we will conduct our
daily lives and, ultimately, in the workforce of the future. Predictions are seldom totally
correct as the technologies often move in directions we failed to anticipate. The debate
is still open on who will be the winners and losers of future industries, but what is certain
is that change has picked up pace and we are now in a new technology revolution
whose impact is potentially greater than the industrial revolution. This paper gathers
past research on disruptive technologies in order to better understand the pace and
direction of change and how it will influence the role of boards in helping directors to
adapt to manage the changing business world.