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The laws of imitation and invention: Gabriel Tarde and the evolutionary economics of innovation

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  • Faridah Djellal

    (CLERSÉ - Centre Lillois d’Études et de Recherches Sociologiques et Économiques - UMR 8019 - Université de Lille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Faïz Gallouj

    (CLERSÉ - Centre Lillois d’Études et de Recherches Sociologiques et Économiques - UMR 8019 - Université de Lille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Gabriel Tarde was a French sociologist and criminologist whose work is rediscovered from time to time. Economists of innovation have paid insufficient attention to an author who devoted a large part of his work to the laws of imitation and invention. The purpose of this paper is threefold. The first is to give a succinct account of these laws of imitation and invention. The second is to re-examine and extend the debates on the similarities between Schumpeter and Tarde. The third and main purpose is to examine the similarities, hitherto unexplored to the best of our knowledge, between Tarde's work and contemporary neo-Schumpteterian and evolutionary theories.

Suggested Citation

  • Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2014. "The laws of imitation and invention: Gabriel Tarde and the evolutionary economics of innovation," Working Papers halshs-00960607, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00960607
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00960607
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Telli Yamamoto, Gonca & Selim Karakose, Ahmet, 2020. "Changes In Innovativeness After Covid-19 Pandemic," UTMS Journal of Economics, University of Tourism and Management, Skopje, Macedonia, vol. 11(2), pages 161-170.
    2. Klarin, Anton, 2019. "Mapping product and service innovation: A bibliometric analysis and a typology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).

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    Keywords

    imitation; Tarde; Schumpeter; evolutionary theory; innovation; imitation.;
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