Orchid plants conveys an important management message to the corporate world that is......
Is it not quite strange, unusual and uncommon for a plant to have photosynthetic roots? The fundamental functions of the roots are ‘anchorage’, ‘absorption’ and ‘accumulation/storage’ of food. Green leaves are the parts in the plant does photosynthesis with the help of the pigment ‘chlorophyll’, water and sunlight. Why some plants have roots to do the above job besides the leaves?
The plants with photosynthetic roots have evolved with a highest level of management principle that every corporate and its employees must learn and follow.
Many species of orchids such as Dendrophylax, Microcoelia, Polyradicon does not have leaves and only their roots does photosynthesis. Similarly Phalaenopsis is another species of orchid that also have roots with photosynthetic ability.
All these plants are epiphytes or plants with weak stem. They usually grow on the branches of larger trees as epiphytes. When they grows on the branches of other trees as ‘epiphytes’ do not get adequate water as water quickly flows down from the trees during rain. Further, the sunlight will never be surplus and sufficient for these plants due to the crown cover of the host tree.
Interestingly, none of these plants have ever evolved to become tree parasites. Instead of switching to become a parasite, they have developed additional capability through their roots to do photosynthesis. To maximize the root lead photosynthesis and to minimize the energy burden of the plants, the leaves have become rudimentary or absent.
The management message orchids sends out to the corporate is extremely important and message being
Perhaps, the orchids would have learned that, when roots takes up the responsibility of photosynthesis, roots needs to be supported the best as roots also help the plant to hold onto other trees and also store the reserve food. While encouraging the roots, the plants also learned to cut the unnecessary burden of having large and abundant leaves as it may cause over expense of water and nutrients. Hence many orchids have evolved either with small leaves or no leaves.
Even under duress, the plants have not switched to parasitic mode of life that shows how strong the values and beliefs of the plants.
Corporate and its employees needs to learn from orchids how to develop additional capabilities to meet the challenges and how they should not compromise values and beliefs despite whatever the compulsion be.
But many corporate display a huge list of its ‘values and beliefs’ its ethics etc., but never follow even symbolically or ritualistically.
Nature offers the corporate man the best examples from its creation to learn and follow. But the question is whether the corporate man learns anything from nature and if all he learns something, does he follows, remain unclear.
While keeping the orchid flowers to decorate the gallery of the corporate, try to learn the best and the most defining management insights from orchid plants.
Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd.
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