The question of imitability

9 important questions on The question of imitability

What advantage does a firm gain if it is a strategic innovator?

The firm can achieve first-mover advantage by:
  1. Utilizing unique strategies that competitors cannot replicate.
  2. Leveraging imperfectly imitable resources.
  3. Capitalizing on market opportunities before rivals.

How can competitors respond when one firm gains competitive advantage?

Competitors typically have two options:
  1. Ignore the success, resulting in a competitive disadvantage.
  2. Understand and duplicate the successful firm's resources for competitive parity or advantage.

What are the two forms of imitation that competitors may employ?

Imitation can occur in two ways:
  1. Direct Duplication - Replicating resources; high costs lead to sustained advantage, low costs to temporary.
  2. Substitution - Replacing costly resources; low costs yield temporary advantage, high costs lead to sustained advantage.
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What are the four sources of costly imitation identified by researchers?

Costly imitation can arise from:
  1. Unique Historical Conditions - Low-cost resource access due to timing.
  2. Causal Ambiguity - Unclear resource-advantage relationships.
  3. Social Complexity - Resources involving relationships that are hard to replicate.
  4. Patents - Legal protections that limit competition, especially in certain industries.

How does path dependence influence resource acquisition?

Path dependence affects resource acquisition because:
  1. Past conditions might allow cheaper access to resources.
  2. Future value can be uncertain, leading to misjudgment on costs.
  3. Over time, acquiring resources becomes increasingly expensive.

What happens when competitors ignore a firm's competitive advantage?

Ignoring a competitor's success typically results in:
  1. A competitive disadvantage for the ignoring firm.
  2. Continued operation as before without adaptation.
  3. Potential loss in market share over time.

What is the implication of causal ambiguity for a firm's competitive advantage?

Causal ambiguity means:
  1. It is unclear how a firm's resources contribute to advantage.
  2. Relationships may stem from complex, interrelated capabilities.
  3. Advantage is often based on 'taken-for-granted' factors.

Why are unique historical conditions significant in imitation context?

Unique historical conditions matter because:
  1. They provide low-cost access to resources at a key time.
  2. Can lead to first-mover advantages in markets.
  3. Influence the difficulty of duplicating a firm's success.

How do patents affect competitive advantage in certain industries?

Patents influence competitive advantage by:
  1. Foreclosing other firms from market entry until expiration.
  2. Decreasing costs of imitation as information is revealed.
  3. Providing sustained competitive advantages in industries like pharmaceuticals.

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