The increasing complexity and turbulence of the markeis, has stimulated the construction of multiple theories regarding the relatioship between the organization and its environment. The purpose of this article is to integrate Hannan and Freeman' s ecological theory and Pfeffer and Salancik's resource dependence perspective. The need to combine both ecological and organizational leveIs of analysis, stands for such integration. It also intends to search for perspectives which are able to explain the organizational mechanisms of resource allocaiion, as well as its consequences to the study of populations of organizations. Although this study has an academic framework, it is expected to promote managerial though on the complex and demanding issue of organizational study and practical application.
Organizational Ecology; competition for resources; resource allocation; environment