Darwin’s Law of Maladaptive Corporate Behavior (or, why bailouts are nearly always a terrible idea) - By Barry Ritholtz
What is more important than survival?
On planet Earth, nothing. The most basic rule of life is SURVIVE. The Biological imperative of living things is to perpetuate their existence — survive, procreate, further the species. It is hardwired in the DNA of every living organism.
Those that do not succeed in satisfying these imperatives are described as maladaptive — not fit to survive or compete in the natural world. It is the most rudimentary law in biology, applicable from single cell protozoa to human beings.
And, it exists in the world of organizations. Entities that are maladaptive — corporations, nonprofits, governments — eventually succumb to their own mortality and collapse. This is as it should be, as there are no reasons dysfunctional corporations unable to perform their most basic function — survival — should be preserved.
This is especially true when it comes to financial firms — banks, insurers, investment houses — whose prime responsibility is identifying potential reward and managing risk. The failure of survival raises a compelling question: Why should firms that fail their most basic charge — survival — be bailed out?
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