Disruptive Discourse: The Evolution of Entrepreneurial Concepts

This paper asks how the use of the word “disruption” in the business press changed over the second half of the twentieth century to examine broader transformations in the discourse of American capitalism. To gain insight into these changes, the study conducts an in-depth analysis of editorials published in The Wall Street Journal that feature the word “disruption” between 1950 and 2019. The change observed in the conservative Wall Street Journal Editorial Board's treatment of disruption—from a predominantly negative stance to one that acknowledges its potential benefits—illustrates a broader societal shift. This suggests an evolving narrative around entrepreneurialism and its implications for societal values and norms.