50. From the Archives: Clayton Christensen and Joseph Bower on Resource Allocation

The Disruptive Voice

In the midst of this global coronavirus crisis, we at The Forum for Growth & Innovation are reflecting on how we can lend our hands and hearts to meet the needs of those in our community. Now, more than ever, we are mourning the loss of our friend and colleague, Clayton Christensen, who would have turned 68 this coming Monday, April 6th. This month also marks the release of our 50th podcast episode and, to celebrate this milestone, we’d like to share with you a conversation with Clay, Derek van Bever, and Joe Bower, Clay's doctoral thesis adviser and the Donald K. David Professor Emeritus at Harvard Business School. They discuss the origins of Resource Allocation theory, including Joe's groundbreaking book, Managing the Resource Allocation Process: A Study of Corporate Planning and Investment, as Joe's work both sparked Clay's insights into Disruptive Innovation and continues to offer key insights to firms today. The three also speak about the future of management and offer tips for managers and entrepreneurs. We hope that, with this conversation, managers struggling in the depths of this emergency will find a beacon of hope and guidance.