Antibodies are proteins that our immune system produces to defend our bodies from bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. They accomplish this by identifying these foreign entities as “non-self” and marking them for destruction.
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In autoimmune diseases, the body’s immune system loses its ability to differentiate between the body’s own cells and foreign invaders.
In a corporate context, antibodies serve to protect the business from external threats such as competition or regulation. Within any large company, certain attitudes and perspectives are so focused on preserving the status quo that some individuals lose their ability to distinguish between constructive innovation and potentially harmful internal practices.
The problem arises when these individuals, acting as corporate antibodies, become so disoriented that they attack almost anything that appears different. However, let’s not misunderstand; those of us who advocate for innovative products, technologies or processes often take considerable risks. As advocates for innovation, we may have a bias that underestimates the potential harm certain initiatives could inflict on the business.
In this context, Corporate antibodies can indeed play a beneficial role in protecting the business. Therefore, it is crucial not to perceive this concept negatively all the time.
To better differentiate between healthy corporate antibody behavior and harmful actions akin to an autoimmune disease within a company’s culture, I propose introducing a new term: ‘Corporate Autoimmune Disease’. This term could more accurately represent those Change Resistance attitudes that don’t bother to analyze whether proposed changes could have a positive or negative impact before reacting negatively.