Reference: Sammut-Bonnici T., Managing for Eternity The CEO Refresher, USA, Volume 8, Issue 1.1, 2000.

Introduction:

"The average human life span has risen from 40 years at the beginning of the century to 75 years at the turn of the millennium - Company life expectancy may undergo a similar transformation."

Beating aging gracefully is an obsession of the human race. From the ephemeral fountain of youth, slowing the clock has turned into big business through health foods, cosmetics and miracle drugs. As the secrets of human longevity show some signs of being untangled, companies are starting to wonder what makes an organization survive and outlive its competitors. The debate has its roots in evolutionary economics which looks, in part, at Darwinism for answers. Interest in corporate longevity has been renewed by studies from Shell and Stanford University which aim to unfold the mysterious ingredients of survival.

The average human life span has risen dramatically, from a life expectancy of 40 years at  the beginning of the century to 75 years at the turn of the millennium. The human race learned what factors need to be monitored to increase longevity: a balanced diet, a higher level of hygiene, and a shift from the war-like survival of the fittest concept, to peace-keeping through relationship building. Identifying the right measures has doubled the human life span in one century.