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New Technology Imitation: Who Is Copied More Quickly?

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Competitive Dynamics in the Mobile Phone Industry

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Abstract

This chapter presents an analysis of product-level and firm-level factors that affect the time it takes for firms to imitate new product technologies introduced by competitors. In particular, the analysis links product diffusion and product imitation dynamics, a perspective that has been surprisingly missing to date. With the aim of shedding more light on new product technology imitation dynamics over a product diffusion life cycle, this chapter shows that the time for new technology imitation may change over time depending on the characteristics of the firm introducing the technology. The mobile phone industry is an ideal setting for such analysis, given the numerous product innovations introduced by mobile phone manufacturers over the evolution of the industry.

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  1. Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy

    Claudio Giachetti

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  1. Claudio Giachetti
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© 2013 Claudio Giachetti

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Giachetti, C. (2013). New Technology Imitation: Who Is Copied More Quickly?. In: Competitive Dynamics in the Mobile Phone Industry. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137374127_5

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