Innovation versus imitation : the applicability of reproducing established categories ethically

Abstract

This conceptual paper aims to further clarify the idea of innovation paying attention to the innovation in developing countries where the results of innovation are still needed to be accelerated. Different approaches to describe the process of innovation have been employed herewith to justify that the ‘new to the world’ scientific or technological exploration led innovations is not the only source of innovation, but that there are many others. Organizations with their own interest and capacity can access different sources of innovations to be competitive globally. Further, the paper emphasizes that learning from others is also considered a successful competitive strategy towards excellence in performance. Finally, the paper emphasizes that it is not unethical learning from others and applying the knowledge created elsewhere for the purpose of development and better performance. .