Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees manufacture and use diverse tools across populations - termite fishing sticks, ant dipping wands, nut-cracking hammers, leaf sponges for water, and hunting spears. Different communities maintain different tool traditions, creating a 'chimpanzee cultural map' where geographic neighbors often share techniques while distant populations differ dramatically.

This cultural variation demonstrates that innovation alone doesn't explain tool diversity - transmission and retention mechanisms determine which innovations persist. Techniques spread through observation and practice within communities but rarely cross community boundaries. Each population accumulates different cultural knowledge over generations.

The business parallel applies to regional variation in business practices. Different business communities - whether geographic regions, industry sectors, or professional networks - maintain distinct practice traditions. Silicon Valley startups operate differently from Boston biotechs or Wall Street banks, not because any approach is objectively superior but because cultural transmission maintains regional traditions.

Chimpanzees also demonstrate conformity pressure in cultural transmission. Immigrants to new communities often adopt local practices even when their original techniques were effective. Social belonging trumps technical efficiency. Organizations similarly see new employees adopting local practices regardless of what worked in previous roles - conformity pressure shapes behavior more than rational optimization.