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Choice and determinism: A reply
Author(s) -
Lawless Michael W.,
Tegarden Linda K. Finch
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
strategic management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 11.035
H-Index - 286
eISSN - 1097-0266
pISSN - 0143-2095
DOI - 10.1002/smj.4250110708
Subject(s) - determinism , adaptation (eye) , epistemology , process (computing) , order (exchange) , technological determinism , sociology , psychology , social psychology , computer science , economics , philosophy , finance , neuroscience , operating system
Abstract Hrebiniak and Joyce (1985) present a model of organizational adaptation in which environmental determinism and strategic choice are orthogonal. Lawless and Finch (1989) find empirical support for Hrebiniak and Joyce's four choice‐determinism combinations, and mixed support for propositions concerning strategies that perform best in each. The note, ‘Choice and determinism: A comment,’ relates social learning theory to the Hrebiniak and Joyce framework, based on the position that this theory is a useful way to describe the process of organizational adaptation. Fundamentally, the comment puts two arguments on the table. In order of importance they are: 1 The adaptation process is only broadly defined by Hrebiniak and Joyce or by Lawless and Finch. Yet it is important to understand the choice—determinism interaction. The comment recommends social learning theory (Wood and Bandura, 1989) as an elaboration. 2 The process of adaptation is interactive, and ought to be studied longitudinally. These two arguments are discussed in turn as a possible contribution to choice‐determinism research.