The HR and corporate must know the fact that the sandal tree is indeed a parasitic plant but is very costly too. the message to be decoded is....
Parasites are good or bad for a corporate. The simple answer would be bad. But are they really bad? What is the true biological meaning of a parasite? Parasites are defined as living organisms that take partly or fully all its requirements such as water and nutrients from other living organism. In turn, the parasites offer no benefit to the host but would cause only ‘malnutrition’ to the host.
No one ever say that they are not aware off or familiar with parasites. Be it in the plant kingdom or animal kingdom, one can see many parasites, largely from the insect world. Various parasites like ticks, mites, mosquitoes, different intestinal worms etc., are some of the common examples of parasites that everyone knows.
The question under debate is about ‘parasites’ in the corporate and whether they are good or bad to the organization.
Evolutionary scientists may have many postulates to offer for the evolution of ‘parasites’ in nature. If corporate observe closely about various parasites that exist in nature, would certainly understand the fact that some parasites are ‘inevitable good’. Hence the corporate should ‘inculcate’ a special culture and support system to ‘encourage and grow such parasites in the organization.
Sandal wood, botanically called Santalum album is indeed a root parasite in nature. The sandal plant can grow only at the expense of other plants. The roots of sandal plant pierces the roots of its host plant and collect all its required nutrients from the host plant. Horticulturist and agriculturalist create a facility for root parasitism for the sandal plant to cultivate them in large scale. The economic value and advantage of ‘sandal’ overweigh its parasitic nature hence people facilitate its growth/cultivation through ‘root parasitism’.
The lesson for corporate is to look at the parasitic employees not just from the definition per se but from the utility, value and advantage per se. Some employees can be super performers, but they do not have the ability to do exist as individuals. They can exist only as parasites. Do not look at them as parasites but what best they can contribute to the organization if they were to remain as parasite.
Nature takes care of both parasites and the host equally. The most common host plants of sandal are tall trees with great root system. Being host to such parasites (sandal) seldom cause any great loss to them. This essential equation the corporate and its HR must learn from nature.
Corporate must support ‘some’ parasites as they can remain only as parasites. Great value and economic advantage, only such parasites, can offer to the corporate. Corporate and its HR should not simply get lost in ‘definitions’ but should understand different ‘hidden’ definitions within the main definition.
Corporate need both parasite and host. But know, what type of parasite and host you need and also learn how to make it possible for total advantage.
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