codification of knowledge as an enabler of imitation

decline of brand luster

efficiency gains from codification

emerging market firms’ knowledge acquisition strategies

erosion of legal protection

globalization and (see globalization and imitation)

high cost of innovation

imitation channels

imitation’s enabling of undercapitalized new entrants

leveraging of outsourcing

shortening of time lines for new technology creation

takeaways

threatening of established players by rise in market participants

value chain modularization and

weakening of imitation defenses

absence of implementation capabilities

attempts to imitate Southwest’s success (see Southwest Airlines)

success of pioneer importers

efforts to reduce imitation of its products

IBM’s imitation of

master of assembly imitation

own use of imitation

status as an imitator and innovator

successful recombination strategies

copying from other industries

GM’s attempt to imitate Japanese companies with Saturn

Japanese carmakers’ imitation strategy

brand as a key barrier to market penetration

decline of brand luster

examples of

rate of brand imitation

attempts to copy Southwest’s success (see Southwest Airlines)

attempts to copy Wal-Mart’s success (see Wal-Mart)

business models that are good targets

challenge of imitating

imitators of Wal-Mart

incorporation of European designs

leveraging of U.S. graduate education

rise in generic pharmaceutical manufacturers

benefits of time spent watching

capabilities that support this strategy

need to back the entry with resources

requirements of the strategy

defined

development of contextualizing capabilities

failing to consider context as a reason for failure

amplification when systems compete

challenge of solving

definition

failure to resolve as a reason for failure

imperative to identify causality

obstacle for the importer

overcoming

successful imitator’s solving of

successful recombination

deciphering a complex model

failure to consider all aspects of a system

causal ambiguity

complementary assets

establishing imitation deterrents

marketing deterrence

relationship networks

signaling and switching deterrents

benefits of speed

capabilities needed to move fast

cost of

race against other would-be imitators

arrogance as an obstacle to imitation

barriers preventing imitation

caution against dismissing

obstacle of a negative connotation to imitation

problem with focusing on only high performers

stigma against imitation

strategy of rewarding all contributions

emerging market firms’ knowledge acquisition strategies

imitation’s enabling of undercapitalized new entrants

shortening of time lines for new technology creation

threatening of established players by rise in market participants

advantages to

brand and concept imitation examples

capabilities and processes of (see imitation capabilities and processes)

challenges of

complacency avoidance by imitators

cost savings realized by imitators

establishing a balance with innovation

fusion of innovation and imitation (see imovation)

“imitation” defined

mental barriers to (see getting ready to imitate)

rate of brand imitation

science and (see science and imitation)

strategies (see imitation strategies)

success of fast movers and late comers

takeaways

ties to innovation

value captured by imitators

well-known imitator companies

complementary nature of required capabilities

contextualizing (see contextualizing)

deep diving

getting ready to imitate (see getting ready to imitate)

imitation capabilities overview

implementing (see implementing imitated elements)

referencing (see referencing and imitation)

searching, spotting, and sorting (see searching, spotting, and sorting)

similarities between innovation and imitation

takeaways

imitation clusters

knowledge transfer due to employee turnover

leakages from alliances

applicability to commodities

applying the a “unique set of values”

assessing the value of complementarities

benefits of imitation

business models that are good targets

come from behind

correspondence problem and

costs calculation

deciding whom to imitate

determining the projected value

example of choosing to imitate rather than innovate

factors to consider when deciding what to imitate

factors to consider when deciding where to imitate

fast second

how to imitate

importance of determining the target in advance

industries conducive to imitation

lack of in most companies

pioneer importer

risk consideration

takeaways

Apple (see Apple)

challenge of imitating a nontransparent business model

correspondence problem and

imitating imitators

importers’ success

mistakes made

Southwest Airlines (see Southwest Airlines)

takeaways

using “copy exact” to replicate a poorly understood system

Wal-Mart (see Wal-Mart)

advantages of imitation over innovation

characteristics of imovators

defined

immediacy of businesses’ need to adopt imitation

innovate, imitate, imovate

key strategic junctions of a business and

need to accept imitation on equal terms with innovation

overcoming deterrents (see deterrents to imitation, overcoming)

requirement for a strategic thrust

requirement to solve the correspondence problem

rules of (see imovation rules)

similarities between innovation and imitation

well-known imitator/ innovator companies

adding value through imitation

answering where, what, whom, how, and when

approaching imitation in a strategic manner

avoiding reinventing the wheel

being mindful of the complexities involved

copying the competition

expanding your search

playing offense and defense

putting things in context

execution and success in imitation

interdisciplinary teams and

requirement for an implementation plan

imitators of Southwest Airlines

leveraging of U.S. graduate education

rise in generic pharmaceutical manufacturers

advantages of imitation over

Americans’ view that innovation is a competitive advantage

establishing a balance with imitation

fusion of innovation and imitation (see imovation)

high cost of

imitation and innovation viewed as fused activities

managers’ mistaken belief in

need to accept imitation on equal terms with

similarities to imitation

ties to imitation

well-known imitator/ innovator companies

violations by imitators

auto industry and

history of imitation

success at imitation

brand as a key barrier

declining status of pioneer products

false protection from premium status

fleeting nature of distribution barriers

limits of protection from superior execution

challenges of imitation

IBM’s attempt to copy clones

master imitators

imitation

rise in generic manufacturers

looking at other industries for ideas

status as an imitator and innovator

strategies to mitigate imitation

strategy of rewarding all contributions

failures as a learning opportunity

failure to systematically look at competitors

imitation tendencies

importance of referencing innovator firms

lessons from small firms

looking to other industries for ideas

tendency to conduct local rather than global searches

types of isomorphism

American’s view that innovation is a competitive advantage

copiers’ fate in economic life

“copying” behaviors among animals

correspondence problem

early views that art was merely imitation

economists’ view of imitation

forms of imitation

four value-creation ideas in business

historian’s view of imitation

history of imitation by countries

imitation and innovation

viewed as fused activities

imitation by human babies

imitation described

imitation in a biological context

imitation’s typical start as import substitution

imitators’ performance compared to innovators’

limits to animals’ ability to imitate

managers’ mistaken belief in innovation

mimicry in nature

mutual flow of imitation between West and East

prevalence of imitation throughout history

primacy of imitation in Western civilization

takeaways

transformation in scientists’ views of imitation

conducting a systematic search

constant research requirement

defined

forward engineering

auto industry and

leveraging of U.S. graduate education

Wal-Mart imitators

adoption of selected elements of the model

Asian importers

attractiveness to imitators

business limits of emulation and imprinting

business model

CALite’s failure

constraints on legacy carriers that inhibited true imitation

correspondence problem

Delta Express and Song

failure of imitation while maintaining a conflicting model

failure of relationship networks to stop imitators

imitators’ attempts to

Spirit Airlines

Spreadtrum

Spry

Staples

Steinhafel, Greg

Stiglitz, Joseph

supermarket chains

switching costs

switching deterrents

symbolic imitation

determining what the projected value is

imitation benefits

imitation costs

imitation risk

need to assess the value of complementarities

adoption of other companies’ innovations

Asian imitators

Best Buy’s imitation of the supply chain and transaction rates

borrowing of ideas

business model

Circuit City’s failure to compete

competitor’s differentiation strategy

Dollar General’s goal of outsaving and outsimplifying Wal-Mart

early success at going unnoticed

frequently imitated elements

Kmart’s failure at imitating

leveraging of borrowed technology

nonsector imitators

status as an imitator and innovator

Target’s differentiation strategy

Toys ’R Us’s response to the competition

Walton’s research before launching

the come from behind

the fast second

the pioneer importer

applicability to commodities

business models that are good targets

factors to consider

industries conducive to imitation

Organization