Gino Cattani & Simone Ferriani: Tradition vs. Innovation?

Left: At ninety-six years old, Mickey Mouse is the enduring face of The Walt Disney Company.  Right: The 2019 Disney+ over the top streaming service logo.

LOS ANGELES/MILAN: how do organizations use tradition as a resource? How do managers and entrepreneurs leverage cherished traditions to achieve growth and innovation without undermining valued legacies and their own administrative heritage?

As an example, consider Walt Disney’s ongoing challenge to move iconic characters of animated cartoons into new eras while maintaining their timeless characteristics. How should a character like Mickey Mouse, who was created one century ago, act and behave in the present?

How much of that beloved legacy should be revisited to address the preferences of an ever-changing market? Walt Disney’s CEO and Chairman Bob Iger’s view on the matter is illustrative of the managerial tension that such questions pose: “You can’t allow tradition to get in the way of innovation. I firmly believe in respecting the tradition but making sure it continues to evolve. There's a need to respect the past, but it's a mistake to revere your past.”

Profs. Gino Cattani (New York University) and Simone Ferriani (City University of London) – two of the world’s foremost authorities on entrepreneurship and innovation – join us to offer an overview of their research of the managerial challenges at the crossroads of tradition and innovation in organizational settings as diverse as opera houses, musical instruments, and centuries-old craftsmanship.