Toujours la même chanson. Les logiques mimétiques des radios musicales françaises

The literature on imitation is often grounded in a “diffusion” perspective that focuses on effects and modes of imitation and gives little empirical attention to the reasons why managers imitate other firms. In this study of the French radio broadcasting industry, a typology of music programmers’ mimetic rationales is proposed. Drawing on conventions, herding behavior, social identity and neoinstitutional theories, three distinct rationales associated with imitation are identified: utilitarian, conventional and referential. Results shows that they are at work simultaneously.