(R)Evolution

Rob Dekker’s (R)Evolution: Organizations and the Dynamics of the Environment investigates the possible changes needed for industrial organizations to adapt to and remain competitive in their ever evolving environment. (R)Evolution’s main area of contribution to these very complex issues is embedded in the work’s ambitious attempt to borrow from evolutionary biology and genetics not only metaphors but also concepts and models to be adapted to the management of business organizations. The work provides us with a comprehensive vision of adaptation and variation in the business community, integrating various intellectual inputs which are based on an evolutionary vision of economic behavior. Using an extensive study of the literature in management science, and applying new models and methodologies in numerous case studies, Dekkers draws many insightful conclusions including the claim that companies often evolve slower than generally expected. Furthermore the research calls into question the effectiveness of the common practice of corporate reorganization. Embracing and merging most major contemporary developments in the theories of change into a comprehensive integrated approach, (R)Evolution is an invaluable resource for researchers specializing in the management of technological change.