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Near decomposability and the speed of evolution

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  • Herbert A. Simon

Abstract

This paper proposes an explanation for a fundamental property that appears to be shared by all multicelled organisms. Such organisms consist of a hierarchy of components, such that, at any level of the hierarchy, the rates of interaction within components at that level are much higher than the rates of interaction between different components. Systems with this property are called nearly completely decomposable, or more briefly, nearly decomposable (ND). The explanation for the ubiquity of the ND property is that, under the usual conditions of mutation and-or crossover and natural selection, ND systems will increase in fitness, and therefore reproduce, at a much faster rate than systems that do not possess the ND property. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Oxford University Press in its journal Industrial and Corporate Change.

Volume (Year): 11 (2002)
Issue (Month): 3 (June)
Pages: 587-599

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Handle: RePEc:oup:indcch:v:11:y:2002:i:3:p:587-599

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Cited by:
  1. Marengo, Luigi & Dosi, Giovanni, 2005. "Division of labor, organizational coordination and market mechanisms in collective problem-solving," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 303-326, October.
  2. Marengo, Luigi & Pasquali, Corrado, 2006. "Non rivalry and complementarity in computer software," MPRA Paper 25589, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  3. P. Murmann & K. Frenken, 2002. "Toward a Systematic Framework for Research on Dominant Designs, Technological Innovations, and Industrial Change," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2002-12, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
  4. Frenken, K. & Nuvolari, A., 2003. "The Early Development of the Steam Engine: An Evolutionary Interpretation using Complexity Theory," Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS) working paper series 03.15, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS).
  5. Kerstin Press, 2007. "When does defection pay?," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 67-84, June.
  6. Guido Fioretti, 2005. "Credit Rationing and Internal Ratings in the face of Innovation and Uncertainty," Finance 0504021, EconWPA.
  7. Hölzl,Werner & Reinstaller,Andreas, 2003. "The Babbage principle after evolutionary economics," Research Memoranda 016, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology.
  8. Malte Schwoon & Floortje Alkemade & Koen Frenken & Marko P. Hekkert, 2008. "A complex systems methodology to transition management," Innovation Studies Utrecht (ISU) working paper series 08-12, Utrecht University, Department of Innovation Studies, revised Apr 2008.
  9. Paul Windrum & Andreas Reinstaller & Christopher Bull, 2009. "The outsourcing productivity paradox: total outsourcing, organisational innovation, and long run productivity growth," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 197-229, April.
  10. Stefano Fiori, 2010. "Is H.A. Simon a theoretician of decentralized planning? A comparison with F.A. Hayek on planning, market, and organizations," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 145-170, June.
  11. Andreas Reinstaller, 2007. "Koen Frenken: Innovation, evolution and complexity theory," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 107-111, February.
  12. Andreas Reinstaller, 2011. "The Modularity of Technology and Organisations. Implications for the Theory of the Firm," WIFO Working Papers 398, WIFO.
  13. Mario Benassi, 2009. "Investigating modular organizations," Journal of Management and Governance, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 163-192, August.
  14. Leonardo Bargigli, 2005. "The limits of modularity in innovation and production," KITeS Working Papers 176, KITeS, Centre for Knowledge, Internationalization and Technology Studies, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Sep 2005.
  15. Massimo Egidi & Luigi Marengo, 2002. "Cognition, institutions, near decomposability: rethinking Herbert Simon's contribution," CEEL Working Papers 0206, Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia.
  16. Buenstorf, Guido, 2005. "Sequential production, modularity and technological change," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 221-241, June.
  17. Garzarelli, Giampaolo & Limam, Yasmina Reem & Thomassen, Bjørn, 2007. "Open Source Software and Economic Growth: A Classical Division of Labor Perspective," MPRA Paper 3849, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  18. Frenken, K. & Nuvolari, A., 2002. "Entropy Statistics as a Framework to Analyse Technological Evolution," Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS) working paper series 02.15, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS).
  19. Patrucco Pierpaolo, 2008. "Complexity and organizational change in the coordination of technological knowledge: evidence from the automobile cluster in Turin," Dipartimento di Economia "S. Cognetti de Martiis" LEI & BRICK - Laboratorio di economia dell'innovazione "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio Carlo 200808, University of Turin.

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