THE CHANGING BASIS OF COMPETITION IN ORGANIZATIONAL POPULATIONS - THEMANHATTAN HOTEL INDUSTRY, 1898-1990

Density-dependence theory cannot account for the widely observed patte rn of proliferation and concentration in organizational populations. A lthough density dependence provides an explanation for initial prolife ration, it cannot explain subsequent concentration because it does not allow some organizations to become dominant competitors. To address t his basic limitation, I combine density dependence with three ecologic al models that permit size-based competitive asymmetries among a popul ation's members and let the intensity of competitive processes vary ov er time. My analysis shows that Manhattan hotels of different sizes ge nerate and experience different strengths of competition and that size -based competitive processes increase in strength over time, contribut ing to industry concentration. Separating empirically the effects of l ow-density conditions that occur early and late in a population's hist ory also clarifies tests of density dependence in populations that hav e evolved beyond their peak density.