Modeling organizational adaptation: A replication of Levinthal’s model of emergent order

Levinthal´s application of Kauffman´s NK model to economic firms continues to be one of the most accepted computational models in organization science. Levinthal investigates the impact to organizational fitness from both adaptive search and the interactions of strategic components within an organization. Despite concerns regarding the applicability of Kauffman´s NK model to organization science, Levintha´s initial study has received limited critical analysis and has not been independently replicated. Building on previous replication research of Tivnan, this paper describes the formulation, successful replication and critical analysis of Levintha´s model of emergent order in contribution towards a model-centered organization science. The paper concludes with a discussion of a credibility assessment of the replication results; namely, model verification and validation.