N° 157 - Septembre 2024

Kodak’s collapse a closed case?

By Albéric Tellier
Professor of Innovation Management, Paris-Dauphine University (PSL University)

Kodak’s bankruptcy is generally considered to be an exemplary case of disruption. Our objective is to revisit this assertion, which has circulated widely among researchers and the general public. A systematic analysis of company data published between September 2003 and January 2008 demonstrates that disruption theory does not fully explain Kodak’s decline. In particular, our analysis highlights the role played by shareholders in rejecting the company’s initial digital strategy. Our findings demonstrate the impact of shareholder activism on disruptive innovation strategies. They also allow us to discuss the risk of circularity bias in using case studies to illustrate theoretical approaches.

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