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Verba Volant, Scripta Manent

The Discontinuity Effect of Explicit Media

University of Milan–Bicocca, Italy

It is commonly recognized that different social configurations tend to be associated with different innovation styles. Linear innovations are more likely to be produced by communities of strong and homogeneous ties, whereas radical innovations tend to originate from networks of weak and diverse connections. Yet there is a second and subtler linkage between social patterns and innovation types: a junction that depends on the nature of the media available to different groups. The key role is played by explicitness. Communities, being relatively homogeneous, can rely on implicit forms of communication, whereas networks require explicit channels and languages to relate highly diverse components. This difference in explicitness tends to produce different innovation styles: The more explicit are the media available to a group, the more discontinuous and radical will be the innovation generated. Empirical ground for this hypothesis is provided through analysis of a much-discussed case of biopiracy.

Key Words: communities • networks • media • explicit • innovation

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