Coevolution of economic behaviour and institutions: towards a theory of institutional change

Traditionally, economics has regarded institutions, notably norms and regulations, as fixed or exogenous. Surprisingly few insights on institutional evolution from natural and social sciences have made their way into economics. This article gives an overview of evolutionary theories of institutions in biology, sociology, anthropology and economics. These theories are subsequently compared with non-evolutionary theories of institutions. Next, the insights and approaches are integrated into a framework for analysis of institutions based on the notion of coevolution.JEL Classification: B52, D10, D70, D64, Z13J.C.J.M. van den Bergh     

Expatriate Adjustment:

The aims of this paper are to underscore the relevance of expatriates' racial background, sex, age, nationality and religion to their adjustment and to propose strategies for dealing with hosts' negative perceptions of expatriates' sociobiological backgrounds. The paper argues that the growing diversity of expatriates and the current nationalistic and ethnic conflicts in many parts of the world calls for the need to discuss,expatriates' sociobiological background explicitly. The strategies for dealing with hosts' negative perceptions are based on initiating contact, reducing uncertainty and being diplomatic and assertive rather than aggressive during intercultural interaction.