Epigenetic Echoes: History and Genetics Influence Organisations

“Epigenetics can allow environmental effects to be lifelong, or even multigenerational.” — Robert Sapolsky

“The individual nature of a single cell can be compared to that of a manuscript. Each cell inherits the same first draft. Over time, words are scratched out and others are added; genes are silenced or activated. Different qualities or phrases are emphasized, and a unique novel is born from an otherwise standard script. Humans derive their individuality from epigenomes, which are triggered by chance events, like injuries, smells, infections, or falling in love.” — Siddhartha Mukherjee

Epigenetics is a fascinating field of biology that examines how certain behaviours, environmental exposures, and lifestyle choices can modify how our genes work without altering the DNA sequence itself. This includes how hormonal organisational effects can permanently turn specific genes on or off in certain cells.

Historical Background and Pioneering Studies

In the early nineteenth century, the naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed offspring can inherit the improvements acquired by their parents during their lifetime. A classic Lamarckian example is that giraffes when eating leaves from trees whose lower-lying leaves had been eaten, stretched their necks to reach the higher leaves. This action continuously lengthened their necks and as a result, their offspring inherited slightly longer necks than the previous generation. Over time, long-necked giraffes evolved from their ancestors who had much shorter necks. Lamarck’s ideas were once considered heretical, but today epigenetically mediated mechanisms of inheritance — now often called “neo-Lamarckian inheritance” — prove Lamarck right in this narrow domain.

More recently, a landmark study by Meaney and colleagues in 2004, fundamentally changed our understanding of how environmental factors like parenting style can influence the genetic regulation of stress responses in offspring. Their research showed that rat pups cared for by attentive mothers — who frequently nursed, groomed, and licked them — grew up to be less anxious, better learners, and showed signs of delayed brain ageing due to epigenetic modifications.

Linking Epigenetics to Inherited Fears

In fascinating research, Brian Dias and Kerry Ressler determined that fear can be passed down through generations. They used a fear conditioning experiment to make mice afraid of the scent of cherry blossoms by shocking them whenever the smell was in the air. They could see how the rodent’s fear centres would light up once they smelled cherry blossom in the air. While that is interesting, Dias and Ressler went one step further. They measured the reaction of the rodents’ offspring when they released the scent of cherry blossom in the air and determined the following generation was also afraid of the scent of cherry blossom.

What about Humans?

“Rachel Yehuda studied rates of PTSD in adult New Yorkers who had been assaulted or raped. Those whose mothers were Holocaust survivors with PTSD had a significantly higher rate of developing serious psychological problems after these traumatic experiences. The most reasonable explanation is that their upbringing had left them with a vulnerable physiology, making it difficult for them to regain their equilibrium after being violated. Yehuda found a similar vulnerability in the children of pregnant women who were in the World Trade Centre on that fatal day in 2001. Similarly, the reactions of children to painful events are largely determined by how calm or stressed their parents are.” — Bessel van der Kolk

Our previous guest on the Innovation show, Robert Sapolsky shared that people in areas with historically high pathogen loads and infectious diseases will be more likely to avoid outsiders and favour in-groups. Other studies found that cultures in high pathogen areas, “were more likely to socialise children toward collectivist values (obedience rather than self-reliance)”. There was also evidence that pathogens influenced reduced adult dispersal.

Another friend of the Innovation Show, Tina Payne Bryson recently told us: “The experiences we provide activate brain activity. And so the experiences we provide and where we orient someone’s attention repeatedly make neurons fire and wire. So we’re sculpting people’s brains in the kinds of experiences we have.”

The Epigenetics of Organisational Culture

Armed with a basic understanding of epigenetics, I contemplated if certain behaviours, environmental turmoil, and other significant events can shape organisational mindsets. Akin to genetic inheritance modified by environmental stimuli, organisational culture is originally crafted by a fusion of the founders’ cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs, and is continually reshaped by employees’ diverse experiences and the organisation’s responses to environmental events or economic challenges.

For instance, an organisation that narrowly escapes collapse due to a poor strategic decision, or one that just avoids bankruptcy, will inevitably see a profound future impact on its leadership and culture. This kind of near-death experience creates a cultural memory that influences future organisational decisions and behaviours.

Similarly, repeated failed attempts at cultural transformation breed cynicism among employees, who may adopt an attitude of “We have seen it all before!” This scepticism makes each subsequent effort more daunting, as past failures taint employees’ perceptions of new initiatives.

Moreover, the dynamics of leadership succession can also perpetuate a cycle of scepticism and disadvantage. For example, if a previous Head of Innovation/ Transformation/ ESG was merely engaging in “Innovation / Transformation / ESG theatre,” their lack of genuine impact sets a challenging precedent for their successor. The new leader must overcome the “sins of the father or mother” and manage the scepticism left behind, starting at a considerable disadvantage.

Most leaders embark on change initiatives with enthusiasm and motivation, seeing the change as fresh and exciting. However, for many employees, this is just another in a long line of reorganisations and development schemes. Their experiential history makes them understandably cynical: they have seen numerous initiatives that promised much but delivered little, often translating to more work without more pay. These employees have learned to navigate changes by developing efficient shortcuts and gaining a degree of autonomy, which they see threatened by new changes. As a result, they often play along superficially, waiting out the latest management fad until it is replaced by another, thus avoiding any real disruption to their established ways of working.

Workforce Epigenetics and the Evolution of Job Loyalty

The Great Recession unleashed financial havoc, abruptly displacing over 8.8 million Boomers and Gen Xers from their jobs — a seismic shift that sent enduring ripples through families and marked an entire generation. Children who witnessed their parents’ employment struggles during this time absorbed a critical lesson on the precarious nature of job security and the limits of employer loyalty. This profound impact is especially notable among Millennials born between 1988 and 1996, whose early adult years were marred by this economic instability. Consequently, this group is often labelled as ‘job hoppers.’ However, this behaviour stems more from a rational adaptation to their observed reality — that organisational loyalty is not always reciprocal than from any inherent disloyalty.

This scepticism towards corporate loyalty was only deepened by the extensive layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic, further influencing their attitudes towards career stability. In today’s workforce, where the traditional norms of lifelong employment and corporate guardianship have largely dissolved, it is essential to understand these underlying drivers of employee behaviour. Organisations must adjust to this new dynamic, acknowledging that loyalty has shifted from being solely company-focused to a more self-directed approach that balances personal needs with professional commitments. This understanding is crucial for fostering a work environment that respects and harnesses these evolved expectations.

Conclusion: Implications for Future Generations and Organisational Development

“COVID was a time of unprecedented stress up to that moment. Again, virus, financial and so on. I think that even now, four years later, we’re not out of it in terms of the emotional turmoil of that stress and loneliness and all the things that came with it. And I think that now we are at an even higher amount of stress than we were in COVID.” — Dan Ariely, The Innovation Show Episode 521

Organisational culture is dynamic and subject to change due to various factors including leadership changes, mergers, external crises, and internal policy shifts. Understanding how epigenetic-like processes can influence these cultural shifts provides a powerful lens for leaders to manage and adapt organisational culture effectively.

As we navigate challenges like the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, high inflation, ESG and climate challenges, it’s vital to understand what legacies we are creating through our responses and behaviours today.

By exploring how our past shapes our genetic and cultural inheritance, we can better prepare to foster environments that promote positive traits and beneficial behaviours for future generations. This understanding also empowers organisational leaders to sculpt cultures that are resilient, adaptive, and aligned with their strategic visions, ensuring sustainable success in an ever-changing world. The decisions we make today influence the mindsets of tomorrow or as the Greek proverb goes: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.”

Thanks for Reading

We have a stellar 2 episodes of the show this week.

Part 2 of “The Mindful Body” with Ellen Langer and Dan Ariely joins us to explore his latest book, “Misbelief, what makes rational people believe irrational things’, focusing on the psychology behind misinformation and belief in conspiracy theories. It goes much deeper and wider than that in a wide-ranging chat.