Translating management ideas: Imitation modes and translation outcomes

Abstract

This paper examines the translation of Leadership Pipeline in a Danish fire department. On the basis of a distinction between faithful and unfaithful imitation, we contribute to a better understanding of imitation as a driving force in translation processes. Rather than equating imitation with unfaithfulness, we show that translation can be guided by different and successive imitation modes over time and involve different degrees and combinations of ideational and organizational change. We connect different imitation modes with two translation outcomes; disalignment and reproduction, that have received little attention in previous research.