理查德·R·纳尔逊（Richard.R.Nelson）美国哥伦比亚大学教授。

Richard R. Nelson is an economist by training. Over his career he has taught at Oberlin College, Carnegie Mellon University, Yale University, and Columbia University, where he now is George Blumenthal Professor of International and Public Affairs. He also has served as research economist and analyst at the Rand Corporation, and at the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.

His central interests have been in long-run economic change. Much of his research has been directed toward understanding technological change, how economic institutions and public policies influence the evolution of technology, and how technological change in turn induces institutional and economic change more broadly. His work has been both empirical and theoretical. His central interests have been in long-run economic change. Much of his research has been directed toward understanding technological change, how economic institutions and public policies influence the evolution of technology, and how technological change in turn induces institutional and economic change more broadly. His work has been both empirical and theoretical.

Along with Sidney Winter, he has pioneered in developing a formal evolutional theory of economic change. Their joint book An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change is widely recognized as a landmark in this field. Along with Sidney Winter, he has pioneered in developing a formal evolutional theory of economic change. Their joint book An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change is widely recognized as a landmark in this field.

Over the course of his career, he has been particularly attracted to working with and coordinating relatively large research teams. His National Innovation Systems project involved a team of approximately twenty scholars, and his recent study on The Sources of Industrial Leadership involved the coordination of a similar-size group. Over the course of his career, he has been particularly attracted to working with and coordinating relatively large research teams. His National Innovation Systems project involved a team of approximately twenty scholars, and his recent study on The Sources of Industrial Leadership involved the coordination of a similar-size group.

He was director of the Institute for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University, and has directed Columbia’s Public Policy Doctoral Consortium. He was director of the Institute for Social and Policy Studies at Yale University, and has directed Columbia’s Public Policy Doctoral Consortium.

1982年，理查德·R·纳尔逊（Richard.R.Nelson）和悉尼·G·温特（Sideny.G.Winter）的《经济变迁的深化理论》问世，标志着企业进化论的基本理论框架已开始逐步完整。纳尔逊和温特认为，企业的成长是通过类似生物进化的三种核心机制，即多样性、遗传性和自然选择性来完成的。组织、创新和路径依赖（Path Dependency）等进化对企业成长的影响至深，市场环境提供企业成长的界限，这一界限与企业存活能力和增长率有密切关系。纳尔逊和温特在企业生物相似性的基础上，构建了一个模拟生物的企业研究模型，该模型特别强调“惯例”（知识遗传和继承）、 “搜寻”（企业适应和惯例变异）和“市场选择”在企业演化过程中的作用。在企业进化论中，惯例是企业持久不变的行为特点，其深深植根于企业的一切思维和行为中，是可以遗传和继承的。惯例既对短期行为（如企业的某次营销活动）的思维方式和行为特征产生影响，又对企业长期行为（如基本竞争战略的选择或投资风格的确立）产生根本影响。但惯例并非一成不变，企业进化论也考虑到它受环境和随机因素的影响，否则进化也就无从谈起。