New Perspectives :: A Biologist Joins ANTIGENcy Thinking

How do each of the dimensions of business fit with a biological paradigm? Jotting down some thoughts here…

1. Strategic

Organisms evolve. Organizations evolve. How can you understand your organization within the context of the business ecosystem? By understanding the competitive landscape, adaptive peaks, the role of mutability and how to exploit niches.

2. Leadership

In animal behavior, hierarchical properties within a population determine the nature of leadership. What aspects of leadership determine success or failure? The ability to work within the tribe, dominance behavior, the propensity to take risks.

3. Culture

Culture is an emergent property of complex biological processes, not restricted to humans. How is culture defined within a species or society, and what is its role and importance? Culture is comprise of information that passes on through generations. A unit of cultural inheritance is a meme (from Dawkins’ original definition). Defining and understanding memes can provide insight into prevailing cultural trends and their potential impact on an organization.

4. Extemal

Homeostasis is the physiological feedback loop that enables organisms to maintain constant internal environments despite external variations. What processes enable organisms to buffer physiological processes against external changes? Feedback loops within dynamic systems enable information to be transferred to allow adjustment of systemic processes to adapt (locally) and so return to a desired state.