The Logic of Propagation Strategies: Axiomatizing a Fragment of Organizational Ecology in First-Order Logic

As a part of a larger effort to apply formal logic to organization science, we axiomatize the theory of propagation strategies (life history strategies) of Organization Ecology. We provide an axiomatic system in first-order logic that derives the theory's predictions as theorems from a set of underlying assumptions. First-order logic is widely seen as a standard language for the formalization of scientific theories; it couples considerable expressive power with acceptable computational properties. Our axiomatization increases the understanding on the scope and the limits of Organization Ecology, and yields a consistent theory of propagation strategies with a sound explanatory structure.