Rigidity of Social Systems
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10174496 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jr Joseph E Harrington, Joseph E Harrington (0000-0002-2686-4021, Johns Hopkins University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1999 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 40-64 |
| Publication date | 1999-02-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Political Economy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3808 • E-ISSN: 1537-534X |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/250050 |
| OpenAlex | W1977455660 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 5 |
The tendency for the members of a corporation or government to be resistant to change is explored in a model that encompasses two endemic features of such systems. First, the social system is modeled as a hierarchy, and implicit within it is a selection process that determines who advances to higher levels. Second, an agent's behavior is partially determined by imitating those who have risen in the ranks. A behavioral norm of being rigid is found to be more prevalent and robust than one of being flexible. A more volatile environment may also induce agents to be more resistant to change. admirandi sed imitandi (to be admired but not imitated) [St. Augustine]
Corporation · Economics · Hierarchy · Market economy · Mathematical economics · Microeconomics · Norm (philosophy · Political science · Rigidity (electromagnetism · Social system · Structural engineering · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Engineering · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Game Theory and Applications · Law · Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.13 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2003 - 2014 (12) |
| Highly cited | No |