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Organizational risk taking: adaptation versus variable risk preferences

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  • Jerker Denrell

Abstract

The observed association between performance and organizational risk taking has usually been attributed to the influence of performance on risk preferences. Here I show how a simple model of adaptation, which only assumes that organizations avoid activities with poor past performance, can explain the empirically observed U-shaped association between risk and return. The model also makes novel predictions, which are shown to be consistent with the data. The findings suggest that risk taking may be a by-product of adaptation rather than a deliberate choice motivated by variable risk preferences. Copyright 2008 , Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Jerker Denrell, 2008. "Organizational risk taking: adaptation versus variable risk preferences," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(3), pages 427-466, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:indcch:v:17:y:2008:i:3:p:427-466
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/icc/dtn007
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    Cited by:

    1. Inseong Song & Jonghoon Bae, 2016. "Politics, strong institution and competitive advantage: an examination of organizational aspiration for competition," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 412-443, December.
    2. Johannes G. Jaspersen & Richard Peter, 2017. "Experiential Learning, Competitive Selection, and Downside Risk: A New Perspective on Managerial Risk Taking," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(5), pages 915-930, October.
    3. Jaspersen, Johannes G. & Montibeller, Gilberto, 2020. "On the learning patterns and adaptive behavior of terrorist organizations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 282(1), pages 221-234.
    4. Jerker Denrell & Christina Fang & Chengwei Liu, 2015. "Perspective—Chance Explanations in the Management Sciences," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 923-940, June.
    5. Yan Li & Neal M. Ashkanasy, 2019. "Risk adaptation and emotion differentiation: An experimental study of dynamic decision-making," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 219-243, March.
    6. Situmeang, Frederik B.I. & Gemser, Gerda & Wijnberg, Nachoem M. & Leenders, Mark A.A.M, 2016. "Risk-taking behavior of technology firms: The role of performance feedback in the video game industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 22-34.
    7. Farrukh Mahmood & Robert M. Kunst, 2023. "Modeling nonlinear in Bowman’s paradox: the case of Pakistan," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(5), pages 2357-2372, May.
    8. David Maslach, 2016. "Change and persistence with failed technological innovation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 714-723, April.

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