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Multilevel Selection Processes in Economics: Theory and Methods

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Abstract

The paper reviews the main directions of research in evolutionary economics related to the analysis of multilevel selection processes, where multilevel selection refers to the operation of the natural selection at individual and group level. The study reviews the history and the applications of multilevel selection approach and summarizes the main findings with respect to the role of the group in evolutionary dynamics. It also describes how the aggregate evolutionary dynamics could be decomposed into innovation and selection effects using famous George Price’ s decomposition developed for the analysis of biological evolution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundación de Estudios de Economía Aplicada, FEDEA, Calle Jorge Juan 46, Madrid, 28001, Spain

    Natalia Zinovyeva

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  1. Natalia Zinovyeva
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Correspondence to Natalia Zinovyeva.

Additional information

The paper extends the earlier version of the paper that has appeared in DRUID working paper series in April 2004. I am grateful to Esben S. Andersen, Mikhail Anufriev, Andre Lorentz, Toke Reichstein, Sandro Sapio, and participants of VI Trento Summer School in Evolutionary Economic Dynamics, the DRUID Academy Winter Ph.D. Conference and seminar at the University of Pisa for their valuable comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this paper. The comments of the anonymous referee helped to substantially improve the paper.

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Zinovyeva, N. Multilevel Selection Processes in Economics: Theory and Methods. Evolut Inst Econ Rev 6, 277–298 (2010). https://doi.org/10.14441/eier.6.277

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