Path/Goal Problem: A Framework for Visualizing Innovation

DOI: 10.5176/2251-2039_IE1255

Authors: David Ross

Abstract: All companies have goals or targets as well asprojections for various metrics. The problem is that external andinternal environment factors, more often than not, push a companyoff course. We call this tendency for a company to stray from theoptimal projected path the Path/Goal problem. In the course of thispaper we will construct a framework for representing andquantifying the relationship between a company’s goals and theircurrent position and path. Furthermore we will discuss andquantify when a course change (pivot) should be considered as wellas the nature of the distribution of possible outcomes at any givenpoint in time. We will then proceed to use our framework tocontrast incremental and discontinuous innovation and how thisrelates to a company’s path toward a goal.

Keywords: Innovation; Disruptive; Stratigy; Agility;