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The increasing number of successful latecomer enterprises has led to a growing research interest in the area, but there is a lack of consensus in academic circles on the relationship between imitation strategy and firm growth. While some enterprises achieved sustainable growth based on an imitation strategy, others withdrew from the market soon after their initial market entry. In this context, this meta-analysis synthesizes empirical findings including 23 independent samples (N = 66,110) to obtain evidence and explore the extent to which an imitation strategy affects firm growth. Moreover, by further examining the moderating effects of industry conditions, country-specific factors, and performance time horizons, this research also aims to address a complementary research question: in which context is imitation strategy more beneficial for the firm growth? We found that an imitation strategy is more effective in promoting firm growth in low-tech industries than in high-tech industries and in non-OECD countries than in OECD countries. It fosters the short-term performance rather than the long-term performance of a firm. Our research findings are meaningful for enterprises to choose an appropriate imitation strategy according to their unique attributes, enabling sustainable growth in a dynamic environment.

By means of a quasi-experimental study, the effects of a tailor-made job crafting intervention for employees of a Dutch unemployment agency were evaluated. The intervention was designed to prevent a decrease in employee empowerment, work engagement and employee performance (i.e., the provision of services) due to organizational changes. Seventy-four employees received a 1-day training in which they set four job crafting goals for the subsequent weeks. After 6 weeks a reflection session was organized. Repeated measures ANOVA’s showed that the intervention prevented a decrease in employees’ feelings of empowerment. Furthermore, pre-post comparison tests showed that the control group (N = 89) experienced a significant decrease in work engagement, whereas the intervention group did not. Results showed no effect on customer-rated employee service quality. However, 1 year after the intervention, customer ratings of employee service quality were significantly higher for the intervention group compared to the control group. Although further research is needed, our results demonstrate that a job crafting intervention may be a promising tool to combat a decline in employee empowerment and work engagement during times of organizational change.