8.7 Parallel with four primary life references
Every human life is shaped – whether by the presence or the absence – of four key influences: 1) womanhood, 2) childhood, 3) manhood, and 4) ancestry.
If womanhood represents “caring” and “supporting,” then the Expert Orientation closely reflects these qualities. Experts typically fulfill supportive roles (e.g., advertising agencies, accounting firms, subcontractors) and/or caring roles (e.g., doctors, advisors).
If manhood represents “enforcing” and “conquering,” then the Self-Service Orientation often embodies these traits. For instance, distribution and infrastructure networks exert influence through their scale and economic force.
If childhood represents “playing” and “inventing,” then the Product Orientation frequently functions in this manner. To please playful customers, product makers devise attractive “toys” of varying degrees of utility.
Finally, if ancestry represents “tradition” and “continuity,” then the Commodity Orientation is undoubtedly the most traditional. Families often continue across generations in farming, mining, land ownership, and shareholding, passing these practices down through the lineage.
From the standpoint of interrelation, it is preferable to present these four basic references as follows:
