Shifting balance theory Shifting balance theory The shifting balance theory is a theory of evolution proposed in 1932 by Sewall Wright, suggesting that adaptive evolution may proceed most quickly when a population divides into subpopulations with restricted gene flow. The name of the theory is borrowed from Wright's metaphor of fitness landscapes (evolutionary landscapes), attempting to explain how a population may move across an adaptive valley to a higher adaptive peak. According to the theory, this movement occurs in three steps: Although shifting balance theory has been influential in evolutionary biology, inspiring the theories of quantum evolution and punctuated equilibrium, little empirical evidence
Evolutionary leadership theory Evolutionary leadership theory Evolutionary leadership theory analyses leadership from an evolutionary perspective. Evolutionary psychology assumes that our thinking, feeling and doing are the product of innate psychological mechanisms. These mechanisms have evolved because they enable people to effectively deal with situations that (directly or indirectly) are important for survival and reproduction (reproductive success). Evolutionary theory suggests that both leadership and followership were important for the reproductive success of our ancestors. Evolutionary leadership theory was introduced by Professor Mark van Vugt, Professor of social and organizational psychology (VU University Amsterdam and University of Oxford) in the book Selected: Why Some People