Transposable Elements
Internal knowledge and capability transfer between divisions - like transposable elements moving genetic information - can generate organizational variation.
'Jumping genes' (transposons, retrotransposons) copy themselves and insert into new genomic locations, disrupting genes or regulatory sequences. Transposon activity is tightly regulated (chromatin modifications, small RNAs silence them), but transposons account for substantial genetic variation, especially in plants and mammals (45% of human genome is transposon-derived). Transposon activation during environmental stress (heat shock, starvation) in plants generates genetic variation when needed.
Business Application of Transposable Elements
Internal knowledge and capability transfer between divisions - like transposable elements moving genetic information - can generate organizational variation. Companies can activate these 'jumping capabilities' during stress periods to accelerate adaptation.