Aggressive Mimicry in Innovation Management. The Example of Pseudoinnovations

Abstract

The study’s theoretical aim is to present the essential similitude and differences between innovations and pseudoinnovations regarding their novelty, efficacy, and efficiency. This investigation aims to present pseudoinnovation markers that may help identify and distinguish it from innovations. It is the applied goal of this investigation. The literature analysis accomplishes the former goal. Reductive (abductive) reasoning leads towards the applied goal. The study presents how the distinction between innovations and pseudoinnovations reflects definition assumptions concerning key concepts specifying novelty, efficacy, and efficiency of actions. The study identifies these premises, shows how they operationalise the conceptual distinction between innovations and pseudoinnovations and makes their differentiation possible in managerial practice. In this way, this investigation also explains some of these surprising practices (named innovation paradox) that foster pseudoinnovations at the expense of innovations. The study opens theoretical and applied metaethical research perspectives for identifying pseudoinnovations in various domains of technology and economy.