Auxin Hormone Signaling
Central authority signals (like capital allocation decisions, strategic priorities) flow from headquarters and inhibit independent action at lower levels.
Auxin from the terminal bud flows down the stem via vascular tissue (the plant's transport system for water, nutrients, and hormones). As it travels, it inhibits lateral buds from activating. The closer the lateral bud is to the terminal bud, the stronger the inhibition. This creates a distance-dependent gradient that determines which lateral buds can activate and when.
The auxin signal strength varies by species: in conifers the signal is strong (lateral buds stay dormant for years), in deciduous trees it weakens with distance and age (by year 20-30 lateral branches compete with main trunk), in shrubs there's minimal inhibition (lateral buds activate early).
Business Application of Auxin Hormone Signaling
Central authority signals (like capital allocation decisions, strategic priorities) flow from headquarters and inhibit independent action at lower levels. The strength of this 'signal' determines branch autonomy - Constellation's weak HQ signal allows maximum branch independence while GE's strong 'One GE' signal destroyed branch autonomy.