TY - JOUR
T1 - Why do firms imitate each other?
AU - Lieberman, Marvin B.
AU - Asaba, Shigeru
PY - 2006/4
Y1 - 2006/4
N2 - Scholars from diverse disciplines have proposed numerous theories of business imitation. We organize these theories into two broad categories: (1) information-based theories, where firms follow others that are perceived as having superior information, and (2) rivalry-based theories, where firms imitate others to maintain competitive parity or limit rivalry. We describe conditions under which each type of imitation is most likely and offer guidance on identifying imitation in practice. Amplification effects and other performance implications of imitation are also addressed.
AB - Scholars from diverse disciplines have proposed numerous theories of business imitation. We organize these theories into two broad categories: (1) information-based theories, where firms follow others that are perceived as having superior information, and (2) rivalry-based theories, where firms imitate others to maintain competitive parity or limit rivalry. We describe conditions under which each type of imitation is most likely and offer guidance on identifying imitation in practice. Amplification effects and other performance implications of imitation are also addressed.
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U2 - 10.5465/AMR.2006.20208686
DO - 10.5465/AMR.2006.20208686
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33645806153
VL - 31
SP - 366
EP - 385
JO - Academy of Management Review
JF - Academy of Management Review
SN - 0363-7425
IS - 2
ER -