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The wisdom of the ignorant: lessons from evolution

(Thoughts on “Evolutionary Processes and Organizational Adaptation” by D.A. Levinthal)

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Abstract

Daniel A. Levinthal’s recent book “Evolutionary Processes and Organizational Adaptation” represents a landmark synthesis of several decades of his thinking about organizational adaptation, informed by an evolutionary perspective. I highlight the central idea of the challenge of offering normative advice in a world of substantial complexity—and note that the book offers promising pathways towards meeting this challenge.

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Notes

  1. The “knock-out” system for setting up tennis matches may be a useful if imprecise image. I am grateful to Thorbjorn Knudsen for eliciting more clarity from me on this point.

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Correspondence to Phanish Puranam.

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Puranam, P. The wisdom of the ignorant: lessons from evolution. J Org Design 11, 107–109 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41469-022-00123-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41469-022-00123-9

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