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How Useful Is Universal Darwinism as a Framework to Study Competition and Industrial Evolution?

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Author Info
G. Buenstorf ()

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Abstract

The adequate role of Darwinist concepts in evolutionary economics has long been a contentious issue. The controversy has recently been rekindled and modified by the position of "Universal Darwinism", most prominently favored by Geoffrey Hodgson and Thorbjørn Knudsen. They argue that the ontology of all evolutionary systems accords to the basic Darwinist scheme of variation, selection and inheritance. This paper focuses on the emerging application of the Universal Darwinist framework to the analysis of market competition and industrial evolution and gauges its usefulness for organizing an evolutionary approach to industrial economics. Drawing on both a theoretical discussion and recent empirical findings, it argues that selection and inheritance concepts narrowly construed after the biological example are of limited help in studying markets and industries. As an alternative to the 'top-down' approach of Universal Darwinism, 'bottom-up' causal theories are suggested that explain how the interplay of descent, experience and learning shapes the competitive performance of firms in the evolution of industries.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group in its series Papers on Econonmics and Evolution with number 2005-02.

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Length: 28 pages
Date of creation: Apr 2005
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:esi:evopap:2005-02

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Keywords: Universal Darwinism routines pre-entry experience spinoffs descent

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Institutional; Evolutionary
L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Thorbj, rn Knudsen, 2002. "Economic selection theory," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 443-470. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. S. Klepper & S. Sleeper, 2002. "Entry by Spinoffs," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2002-07, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
  3. Geoffrey Hodgson & Thorbjørn Knudsen, 2004. "The firm as an interactor: firms as vehicles for habits and routines," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 281-307, 07. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. G. Hodgson & T. Knudsen, 2004. "The Nature and Units of Social Selection," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2004-24, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
    Other versions:
  5. J.S Metcalfe, 2004. "Accounting for Evolution: An Assessment of the Population Method," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2004-21, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group. [Downloadable!]
  6. Geoffrey M. Hodgson, 2002. "Darwinism in economics: from analogy to ontology," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 259-281. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. G. Buenstorf & S. Klepper, 2005. "Heritage and Agglomeration: The Akron Tire Cluster Revisited," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2005-08, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group. [Downloadable!]
  8. Giovanni Dosi & Luigi Marengo & Giorgio Fagiolo, 1996. "Learning in evolutionary environment," CEEL Working Papers 9605, Computable and Experimental Economics Laboratory, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Constance E. Helfat & Marvin B. Lieberman, 2002. "The birth of capabilities: market entry and the importance of pre-history," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 725-760, August.
  10. G. Buenstorf & S. Klepper, 2004. "The Origin and Location of Entrants in the Evolution of the U.S. Tire Industry," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2004-07, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group. [Downloadable!]
  11. Rosenberg, Nathan, 1969. "The Direction of Technological Change: Inducement Mechanisms and Focusing Devices," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 1-24, Part I Oc.
  12. Metcalfe, J S, 1994. "Competition, Fisher's Principle and Increasing Returns in the Selection Process," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 4(4), pages 327-46, November.
  13. U. Witt, 2006. "Evolutionary Economics," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2006-05, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
  14. V. J. Vanberg, 2004. "Human Intentionality and Design In Cultural Evolution," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2004-02, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
  15. Hodgson, Geoffrey M. & Knudsen, Thorbjorn, 2006. "Why we need a generalized Darwinism, and why generalized Darwinism is not enough," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 1-19, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Christian Cordes, 2004. "Darwinism in Economics: From Analogy to Continuity," Papers on Econonmics and Evolution 2004-15, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Evolutionary Economics Group.
    Other versions:
  17. Steven Klepper, 2002. "The capabilities of new firms and the evolution of the US automobile industry," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 645-666, August.
  18. Markus C. Becker, 2004. "Organizational routines: a review of the literature," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 643-678, August.
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