Aphids are a group of small insects, popularly called as ?plant lice?, which exclusively live by feeding the plant sap and other parts of the plant. They are prevalent all over the world and cause great economic loss to man by destroying several agricultural crops. Aphids are the most successful insects in the biome and one of the strongest reasons for their success is due to their ability to reproduce by different means.
The female aphids could lead an ?anholocyclic? life as well as ?holocyclic? life in different parts of the world. The former term refers to the existence of the insect only in the asexual form from birth to death and the later term refers to the ability of the same insect to exist both asexually and sexually at different time intervals.
When the temperature is high, especially in the tropical regions, the aphids make use of the higher temperature and lead an ?anholocyclic? life and reproduce by means of parthenogenesis (without mating with male partner). On the other hand, when the temperate is very low or in other words, in the temperate regions, the aphids exhibit holocyclic or complete life cycle where they reproduce both asexually and sexually.
The above ability of aphids is one of the reasons for their success in the biome when compared to other life forms. If we ever want to appreciate the ability of the aphids, we have to essentially consider the role of the temperature of the habitat where aphids live. Aphids shift their reproductive ability purely because of the temperature. What is the best suited to the given temperature, aphids simply follows.
This style of functioning can be seen among many people in the corporate. What they are only due to how they have to be as defined or demanded by the corporate.
Most of the corporate people are ?aphids? in real sense. They innovates different ways and means to survive. Like aphids, they become ?anholocyclic? or ?holocyclic? due to the compelling corporate realities. They become chameleon, sycophants, yours obediently type, secret agents of the bosses etc., are only due the HR culture of the corporate. If these ?aphids? have to be corrected, one has to correct the corporate culture first.
The people are nothing but the litmus paper and what they exhibit is nothing but the true culture of the corporate. Learn to learn about your corporate and learn how it can be changed. If there is any doubt, learn about aphids. The management approach what the nature has engineered in aphids is amazing and the HR function must learn about it.
Dr S Ranganathan, ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai
