Question

question 2

a basic assumption of the population ecology model is that:

management competence is the biggest factor in the survival of organizations.
the environment determines which organizations survive or fail.
principles of evolution are not applicable to organizations because the fittest dont survive.
a community of organizations is a closed system.

Explanation:

Define the population ecology model

The population ecology model (or organizational ecology) focuses on populations of organizations rather than individual organizations. It applies evolutionary biology concepts—specifically variation, selection, and retention—to understand how organizational populations adapt to their environments over time.

Analyze the role of the environment

A central premise of this model is environmental selection. Unlike theories that emphasize strategic choice or management competence, population ecology argues that individual organizations are relatively inert and cannot easily change. Therefore, the environment selects which organizational forms survive and which fail based on their fit with environmental niches.

Evaluate the given options

• management competence is the biggest factor...: Incorrect. The model minimizes the role of individual management decisions, attributing survival to environmental selection.
• the environment determines which organizations survive or fail: Correct. This directly reflects the core assumption of environmental selection.
• principles of evolution are not applicable...: Incorrect. The model is explicitly built on applying evolutionary principles to organizations.
• a community of organizations is a closed system: Incorrect. Organizations and their communities are highly open systems deeply dependent on and interactive with their external environments.

Answer:

• (A) management competence is the biggest factor in the survival of organizations.
• (B) the environment determines which organizations survive or fail. (Correct answer)
• (C) principles of evolution are not applicable to organizations because the fittest don't survive.
• (D) a community of organizations is a closed system.