Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 39-51 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Philosophy of Management |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2008 |
Abstract
Economics and social sciences in general have a long tradition of using theories, models, concepts, and so forth borrowed from the natural sciences to describe and explain the properties and behaviours of economic and social entities. However, unwarranted application of theoretical elements from the natural sciences in the economic/social domain can have adverse consequences for organisations, their employees and society in general. Focusing on biology and organisation studies, we discuss the general problems that may arise when theoretical elements from natural science are applied in the economic/social domain. We examine one particular case, the organisational ecology research programme, and we argue that organisational ecology rests on the metaphorical, rather than literal, use of the notion of evolution. We conclude by showing how the use of the evolutionary metaphor in organisation theory can have adverse consequences for both managerial practice and society in general.
Keywords
- Biological Entity, Management Volume, Organisation Study, Organisation Theory, Organisational Form
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Business and International Management
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Strategy and Management
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
- Arts and Humanities(all)
- History and Philosophy of Science
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Management of Technology and Innovation
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In: Philosophy of Management, Vol. 6, No. 3, 01.09.2008, p. 39-51.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Population Ecology Programme in Organisation Studies
T2 - Problems Caused by Unwarranted Theory Transfer
AU - Scholz, Markus
AU - Reydon, Thomas A.C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2008, Springer International Publishing AG.
PY - 2008/9/1
Y1 - 2008/9/1
N2 - Economics and social sciences in general have a long tradition of using theories, models, concepts, and so forth borrowed from the natural sciences to describe and explain the properties and behaviours of economic and social entities. However, unwarranted application of theoretical elements from the natural sciences in the economic/social domain can have adverse consequences for organisations, their employees and society in general. Focusing on biology and organisation studies, we discuss the general problems that may arise when theoretical elements from natural science are applied in the economic/social domain. We examine one particular case, the organisational ecology research programme, and we argue that organisational ecology rests on the metaphorical, rather than literal, use of the notion of evolution. We conclude by showing how the use of the evolutionary metaphor in organisation theory can have adverse consequences for both managerial practice and society in general.
AB - Economics and social sciences in general have a long tradition of using theories, models, concepts, and so forth borrowed from the natural sciences to describe and explain the properties and behaviours of economic and social entities. However, unwarranted application of theoretical elements from the natural sciences in the economic/social domain can have adverse consequences for organisations, their employees and society in general. Focusing on biology and organisation studies, we discuss the general problems that may arise when theoretical elements from natural science are applied in the economic/social domain. We examine one particular case, the organisational ecology research programme, and we argue that organisational ecology rests on the metaphorical, rather than literal, use of the notion of evolution. We conclude by showing how the use of the evolutionary metaphor in organisation theory can have adverse consequences for both managerial practice and society in general.
KW - Biological Entity
KW - Management Volume
KW - Organisation Study
KW - Organisation Theory
KW - Organisational Form
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955355742&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5840/pom20086319
DO - 10.5840/pom20086319
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77955355742
VL - 6
SP - 39
EP - 51
JO - Philosophy of Management
JF - Philosophy of Management
SN - 1740-3812
IS - 3
ER -