ABSTRACT

Charles Darwin’s theory of biological evolution is one of the most revolutionary ideas in Western thought. The basic facts: Charles Robert Darwin was the son of a well-off English physician. Darwin’s main ideas in The Origin of Species are simple, straightforward, and easy to grasp. A century and a half after The Origin of Species, the core of Darwin’s theory remains intact but only after many controversies and additions stemming from further advances in science. Darwin, who studied for the ministry as a young man, was famously hesitant to publish his theory, fearing backlash from the religious community. Darwin-driven impulses may constitute the core of workplace behavior, but other behavioral layers are present and are powerful players. From all outward signs, business firms do indeed appear to act in Darwinian ways. Darwin’s evolutionary “tardiness” is due entirely to his concentration on the evolution of organic life, a big enough challenge for anyone.