Date of Conferral
9-6-2024
Date of Award
September 2024
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Walter McCollum
Abstract
Disruptive innovations such as artificial intelligence reshape marketplace dynamics and challenge traditional software as a service (SaaS) operations. Business leaders are concerned about business survival and struggle to develop effective strategies to maintain a competitive advantage and marketplace sustainability. Grounded in Teech and Pisano’s dynamic capabilities framework and Christensen’s theory of disruptive innovation, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore effective strategies adopted by business leaders in some SaaS industries to gain or sustain a competitive advantage when facing disruptive innovations. Seven participants in the study were SaaS industry executives in Australia, California, and New York with experience implementing effective strategies for addressing disruption. Data were collected using semi-structured interview techniques, and through a thematic analysis process, five themes emerged: (a) building flexibility into SaaS business models, (b) emphasizing the role of strategy in organizational practice, (c) fostering internal environments to support innovation, (d) obsessing over the customer experience, and (e) identifying and using appropriate measures. A key finding was that technological advancements have significantly enabled personalization capabilities, enhancing value delivery to consumers. A recommendation is for business leaders to prioritize putting customers at the center of strategy formation, advocating the voice of customer data strategies, and implementing intelligent analytics solutions to obtain insights from customer data continuously. Business leaders can drive meaningful social change through consumer protection advocacy, sustainable production practices, and employee upliftment initiatives, resulting in better outcomes for communities and society.
Recommended Citation
Allagh, Agness, "Effective Strategies Used by Business Leaders in Software as a Service Industry Faced with Disruptive Technologies." (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 16053.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/16053
