Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Business Administration
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Chad Navis
Committee Member
Dr. Amy Ingram
Committee Member
Dr. Matt Hersel
Committee Member
Dr. Lori Trudell
Abstract
This dissertation examines how managerial leadership enables organizations to overcome inertia during competence-destroying technological change through a historical comparative case analysis of the animation industry's transition from hand-drawn to computer-generated imagery (CGI) between 1980-2000. Drawing on archival data from Disney, Pixar, and Don Bluth Studios, I identify three distinct leadership approaches—pioneering, bridging, and preserving—that differently influenced how workforces adjusted their views of identity, process, and change. These adjustments led to three different outcomes: transformative integration, constrained adoption, and entrenched resistance. This research makes three theoretical contributions and develops a novel framework that explains how leadership can constrain or enable transformation, particularly in mature, legacy-rich industries confronting disruptive innovation. First, it extends embedded agency theory by demonstrating how central actors can successfully drive competence-destroying change. Second, it advances organizational inertia literature by identifying specific leadership mechanisms that enable successful technological transitions despite deeply embedded capabilities. Third, it contributes to technological change research by revealing how organizations can navigate process-focused transformations that maintain existing products while revolutionizing production methods. The findings have implications for organizations currently grappling with transformative technologies like artificial intelligence, suggesting how leaders can facilitate technological adoption while preserving core capabilities.
Recommended Citation
Underwood, Jennifer, "From Pencil to Pixel: How Leadership Shapes Organizational Responses To Competence-Destroying Technological Change" (2025). All Dissertations. 4005.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4005
Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0004-0739-9517