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Lens Model

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Abstract

Firms consist of people who make decisions to achieve goals. How do these people develop the expectations which underpin the choices they make? The lens model provides one answer to this question. It was developed by cognitive psychologist (Brunswik, Egon. The conceptual framework of psychology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1952) to illustrate his theory of probabilistic functionalism, and concerns the environment and the mind, and adaptation by the latter to the former. This entry is about the lens model, and probabilistic functionalism more broadly. Focus will mostly be on firms and their employees, but, to fully appreciate the scope, we have to keep in mind the fact that probabilistic functionalism extends to all purposive organisms. Probabilistic functionalism is currently experiencing growing interest among strategy scholars, and some very recent papers are highlighted in conclusion.

This entry was originally published on Palgrave Connect under ISBN 978-1-137-49190-9. The content has not been changed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Ulrik William Nash

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  1. Ulrik William Nash
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Correspondence to Ulrik William Nash .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University , Stanford, California, USA

    Mie Augier

  2. Tusher Ctr Intellectual Capital, University of California Tusher Ctr Intellectual Capital, Berkeley, California, USA

    David J. Teece

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Nash, U.W. (2016). Lens Model. In: Augier, M., Teece, D. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Strategic Management. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-94848-2_319-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-94848-2_319-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-94848-2

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