Perspective—Chance Explanations in the Management Sciences
提出随机变异应被视为管理科学中重要的解释机制，论证了偶然事件如何通过结构化系统在宏观层面产生系统模式，并讨论了其对理论整合、实证检验和管理实践的启示。
We propose that random variation should be considered one of the most important explanatory mechanisms in the management sciences. There are good theoretical reasons to expect that chance events strongly impact organizational behavior and outcomes. We argue that models built on random variation can provide parsimonious explanations of several important empirical regularities in strategic management and organizational behavior. The reason is that random variation in a structured system can give rise to systematic patterns at the macro level. Here, we define the concept of a chance explanation; describe the theoretical mechanisms by which random variation generates patterns at the macro level; outline how key empirical regularities in management can be explained by chance models; and discuss the implications of chance models for theoretical integration, empirical testing, and management practice.