The theory of the population ecology considered by the adaptation theories

Abstract

The idea of radical change in organizations has been discussed mainly from two theoretical positions. One, driven by adaptationist theories, argues that change is possible because the environment is not something immutable and managers can be active agents of it. The other, supported by the population ecology theory argues that change is impossible because of structural inertia that faces all organizations. In this paper we review each of these approaches and discuss the implications of the theory of population ecology in the light of adaptationist theories.