Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/190728 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Innovation & Knowledge (JIK) [ISSN:] 2444-569X [Volume:] 3 [Issue:] 1 [Publisher:] Elsevier [Place:] Amsterdam [Year:] 2018 [Pages:] 40-43
Publisher: 
Elsevier, Amsterdam
Abstract: 
This study examined social system failures and sought to identify a plausible mechanism behind these failures. Stretched exponential distributions were observed for failure of marriages in the US, UK, and Germany. In addition, the study provides evidence of power laws in the failure of large firms in the US and worldwide. Summation of stretched exponentials leads to power laws, so an underlying principle can be established to link different types of social system failures such as failures of marriages and firms. The generation of these fat-tailed distributions in social system failures can be explained by Zipf's principle of least effort. Therefore, increasing initial efforts at the individual level through marriage counseling or stakeholder synchronization should reduce failures.
Subjects: 
Firm failure
Organizational failure
Divorce
Power laws
Stretched exponential distribution
JEL: 
L
M
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by-nc-nd Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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