Dissemination of Content Reutilization Practices in the German and U.S. Book Publishing Industry

Abstract

According to researchers and managers in the media industry, content reutilization represents a promising management concept to reduce production costs and to generate additional revenue streams. The article compares content reutilization practices of German and U.S. book publishers and exploring potential sources of differences in the reutilization behaviour. Presently, almost two out of three publishing companies apply content reutilization as management instrument on a global level. In the near future, a trend to even higher diffusion rates (up to 75%) can be observed. Nevertheless, from a country-specific perspective, significant variances exist regarding the actual and future adoption level. The most significant explanatory factor for the difference in the level of dissemination between Germany and the U.S. represents top management involvement.

Key Words:

• content reutilization
• adoption/diffusion of practices
• book publishing