Bio Inspired Managerial Insights for a Flexible and Efficient Organization: A SAP–LAP Analysis

Abstract

This paper aims at bringing out an analogy between human body and corporate organizations for classical managerial functions, viz. Planning, Organizing, Directing, and Controlling. In human body, every action and response to each stimulus are well planned. It has eleven subsystems, organized into a well structured design and a central directing brain that influences and guides these subsystems to perform in accordance with the plan. A control mechanism in human body minimizes deviations and maintains dynamic equilibrium. This way present analogy visualizes human body as a perfectly planned, organized, directed and controlled system created and sustained by Nature. A SAP–LAP framework of human body organization is also developed to understand the principles and processes behind its perfections. Based on this SAP–LAP model, a number of actions are proposed in this paper that can provide valuable insights for organizations. These insights perhaps can help them in significantly improving their structure and operating procedures, which will enhance the performance of individuals and organizations as a whole. Perhaps the human body is also a perfect example of optimal degree of flexibility in its sub-systems contingent upon their roles and functions.