The evolution of social norms: With managerial implications

Evolutionary game theory provides the tools to analyze which strategies, or patterns of behaviour, emerge over time through a process of adaptation. Social norms can be defined as patterns of behaviour with certain characteristics. Evolutionary game theory thus provides one perspective on how social norms are formed and maintained. In particular, evolutionary models demonstrate how the emergence and stability of certain norms, such as cooperative norms or fairness norms, depend on the structure of interaction. From these models, one can draw implications for the management of organizations, both in terms of internal characteristics, and of external relationships.