Whatever the state-stable equilibrium, periodic or chaotic-the organization is in, it can be disrupted. For instance, organizational actors have the power to change the relative importance of the dynamic forces at work. The change can also take place through learn- ing (Lant and Mezias 1992, March 1991) and experi- ence (Tushman and Romanelli 1985). Indeed, learning and experience modify the strength and the nature of the relationships between organizational variables. The change, for instance, can lead the organization from a stable to a chaotic state or from a chaotic to a stable state via periodic behaviors. Meanwhile, the organiza- tion is likely to remain in one of its dynamic equilibria. This leads to the second proposition:
PROPOSITION 2. Organizations move from one dy- namic state to the other through a discrete bifurcation process.
PROPOSITION 2a. An organization will always be in one of the following states: stable equilibrium, periodic equilibrium, or chaos.
PROPOSITION 2b. A progressive and continuous change of the relationships between two or more organi- zational variables leads an organization, in a discrete manner, from a stable to a chaotic state via an interme- diary periodic behavior