Article
RFID as a Disruptive Innovation
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research
(2008)
Abstract
The first part of the paper discusses Wal-Mart’s adoption of RFID through the theoretical lens of the
Resources, Processes, and Values (RPV) innovation theory. This part makes a theoretical argument that Wal-
Mart adopted RFID as a sustaining innovation – an incremental improvement in supply chain identification
technology. The second part reviews a representative sample of IS literature in order to investigate whether IS
researchers have been influenced by Wal-Mart’s perspective on RFID. The literature review suggests that many
IS researchers have also adopted Wal-Mart’s perspective on RFID. The third part argues that RFID technology
has a potential to become a disruptive technology with a profound impact on business and society. Given this
possibility, both researchers and practitioners are provided with two frameworks (“object oriented approach” and
“visionary approach”) which can help them to adopt a more forward-looking perspective in relation to RFID. The
object oriented approach starts from the basic capabilities offered by RFID technology and attempts to
determine how these capabilities can be used to create a new RFID application. The visionary approach starts
by assuming that RFID technology has reached its peak in terms of breadth of adoption and then tries to
determine opportunities offered in this situation.
Keywords
- RFID,
- Future,
- Innovation,
- Resources,
- Processes,
- Values,
- Sustaining,
- Disruptive
Disciplines
Publication Date
August, 2008
Citation Information
Vlad Krotov. "RFID as a Disruptive Innovation" Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research Vol. 3 Iss. 2 (2008) p. 44 - 59 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/vlad-krotov/3/
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