Open Access

There are many challenges in identifying and managing a disruptive innovation stemming from the limited knowledge on how it unfolds over time. Researchers have identified early signals and ex ante conditions that indicate its occurrence. However, an analysis from a process view acknowledging the underlying dynamics is yet to be done. By taking a process view within a systematic literature review, we analyse the scattered findings on the process of disruptive innovation to identify events and actions leading to a disruptive effect over time. We challenge the understanding of disruptive innovation as an outcome and the linearity of the process by proposing that disruptive innovation can be understood as occurring through emergent dynamics. These dynamics are constituted by: (a) the timing of entry and underlying processes that influences (b) the synchronization of events and actions and is shaped by (c) the adaptability of strategic actions. Thus, we complexify the concept of disruptive innovation to support the understanding of its unfolding and advance its manageability.