Strategic Failures and Organisational Learning: The Case of BlackBerry and Implications for Emerging Technology Firm

This article critically examines the failure of BlackBerry Ltd., once a dominant player in the global smartphone market, through the lens of strategic management and innovation theories. Employing frameworks such as Porter's Five Forces, the Product Life Cycle Model, and the Disruptive Innovation Theory, it analyses key failures in leadership, market positioning, and product development. BlackBerry’s overreliance on enterprise clients, its resistance to consumer-centric innovation, and its delayed reaction to touchscreen technology are discussed as key factors behind its decline. Additionally, this article draws implications for emerging firms in the technology sector, stressing the importance of agility, consumer insight, and adaptive innovation. Through a critical synthesis of literature and strategic analysis, it presents an evidence-based narrative on why BlackBerry failed and what its downfall signifies for start-ups navigating volatile, innovation-driven industries.