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ONE and coevolution

  • 1.  ONE and coevolution

    Posted 01-18-2007 17:25
    ONE colleagues,

    I am writing to you today to let you know of a newly published framework for ONE research using the concept of ecological/biological coevolution. The paper is available in the current issue of Organization and Environment http://www.coba.usf.edu/jermier/TOC19four.html.
    As an ONE scholar, your feedback and input is particularly welcome. The abstract is copied below.

    Thank you.

    Best regards,
    Terry
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    Terry B. Porter, Ph.D
    Assistant Professor of Management
    Maine Business School, University of Maine
    5723 Donald P. Corbett Hall, Room 310
    Orono, ME 04469
    phone: 207-581-1990
    fax:207-581-1956

    Coevolution is an established research framework in the biological and evolutionary sciences, and though a new entrant to organization studies it holds potential to transform the field (Lewin et al., 2003). Its fundamental premise is that entities or organizations evolve in relation to their environments while at the same time these environments evolve in relation to them. This paper argues that a coevolutionary approach is particularly well suited for research on organizations and the natural environment (ONE), and that ONE scholars may make significant contributions to organization theory from this perspective. However, this potential depends upon developing and maintaining a clear distinction between coevolution as a verb, or broad logic (a.k.a. macro coevolution), and coevolution as a noun, or specific mechanism (a.k.a. micro coevolution). In building these arguments the paper develops a definition and research framework for coevolutionary research, and discusses theoretical and practical implications for ONE.

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