Gene Flow
The transfer of genetic material between populations through migration, dispersal, or hybridization. Gene flow spreads alleles across populations and reduces genetic differences between them.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 7 chapters:
"Silicon Valley optimized for software scale and venture returns. Different environments select for different traits. 2. Gene flow was limited: Initial isolation (language, regulation, distance) prevented Western manufacturing knowledge from overwhelming local experimentation."
"This is portfolio adjustment, not business model innovation. Glencore's adaptations resemble genetic drift or gene flow (adjusting allele frequencies through migration, selection on existing variants) rather than mutation (generating new variants). Outcome: Glenco..."
"... how much was being in the right place when the environment shifted? Sometimes the randomness is the strategy. --- In the next chapter, we explore gene flow: what happens when populations don't evolve in isolation but exchange variants with each other, and how organizations can use external variation to e..."
"Book 6, Chapter 3: Gene Flow - The Migration of Innovation Introduction In 1978, biologists studying house mice on Madeira, a Portuguese island in the Atlantic, made a pecul..."
"...solation: Preventing Homogenization Adaptive radiation requires diverging populations to remain reproductively isolated - if they interbreed freely, gene flow homogenizes them (Chapter 3), preventing specialization. Isolation mechanisms fall into two categories: geographic isolation (populations occupy ..."
And 2 more chapters...
Biological Context
When individuals migrate and breed in new populations, they introduce new alleles. Gene flow counteracts genetic drift and local adaptation, homogenizing populations. Without gene flow, isolated populations diverge and may eventually become separate species.
Business Application
Business gene flow: talent movement between companies spreads practices, ideas, and culture. High gene flow homogenizes industry practices; low gene flow creates distinct organizational cultures.