Interdisciplinary views of sub-optimal outcomes: Path dependence in the social and management sciences

Economics has a rich literature on the sub-optimality theory of path dependence. In recent years, other social science and management disciplines have also adopted this theory and expanded upon it. However, economists seem mostly unaware of these other disciplines’ extension and expansion of the theory which they first popularized. This paper examines the literature and calls for economist to cross-fertilize their work with much of these interdisciplanatory theories and models.