Abstract
Memetic theory offers a compelling framework for understanding social and organizational change in response to a dynamic environment. This paper introduces epigenetic biological entity response mechanisms as a form of organizational memetic response to environmental stressors. Darwinian evolution accounts for heredity through generational advantages from slight genetic (DNA) variation to overcome stresses within environmental conditions. In the early Twentieth Century, the concept of epigenetics arose to address the complex relationship between genotype and phenotype. In dynamic environments, epigenetics can explain intra-generational phenotypic switching resulting from how existing DNA is read and expressed, rather than changes to the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetic responses have a number of advantages for species survival over Darwinian evolution alone. Here we expand on the existing Darwinian perspective of memetic theory by introducing epigenetic mechanisms as a form of organizational memetic response to environmental stressors. Organizations have robust learning mechanisms that inform responses to environmental conditions through organizational culture and associated memories and knowledge structures. When tapping memory, organizations rely upon individuals, directories, and subcultures. If organizations follow a Darwinian evolution process, this memory would rely on fixed institutional (genetic) responses. Which, with a miss-match to the environment, can result in extinction (institutional failure). An epigenetic response model allows for a more robust and rapid response to environmental stressors by purposefully tapping into existing organizational memory structures to provide entity responses. As with biological entities, organizations can also revert to previous processes by “sunsetting” epigenetic responses when the environmental stressors diminish.
Presenters
Brad KleindlProfessor of Marketing, College of Management, Park University, Missouri, United States William Kleindl
Montana State University
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2022 Special Focus—Organizational Memetics: Nature-Centered Perspectives on Organizations
KEYWORDS
EPIGENETICS, EPIGENETIC MEMETICS, ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING, ORGANIZATIONAL MEMORY, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, ORGANIZATIONAL EPIGENETICS
