article
Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational
March, James G. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning." Organization Science 2, no. 1 (1991): 71–87.
Why this matters here
March’s 1991 Organization Science article distinguishes exploration and exploitation in organizational learning and shows how adaptive balance can favor survival without guaranteeing renewal of aims. When Accountability No Longer Expires cites that adaptive frame for institutions that learn extensively while keeping legitimacy off the table—competence mistaken for accountability. The source models learning tradeoffs inside organizations; the book asks when adaptation begins an equilibrium that preserves authority after harm.
