8/7/13
Engaging people in
making history: Paternalistic, top-down approaches to impact may limit
innovation and two-way exchange
“we need to
celebrate those projects that focus on genuine collaboration and innovation in
terms of dialogue and exchange in terms of knowledge, skills and ideas.”
Comments made to the above:
I read your article with great interest, as I am just about to
finish the last part of a master degree, it made me reflect on my recent
academic research and studies while conducting my own dissertation project,
exploring empirical facts and situations from a number of business practical
perspectives, reflecting on those with analysis, comparisons and findings.
These in turn are to be extracted and refined, on the way to being transformed
into reliable academic hypotheses and theories for the benefit of academia in
defining better solutions for principles in practices.
Of course, this is all interesting and illuminating, however, as I
am about to hand in my final paper, it made me wonder how much in fact
organisations and the world of everyday business is actually making the most
out of the learned research and knowledge of the academic world? Are the
essence of results and findings truly taken advantage of on a much wider scale
in public and private institutional business?
How close are hypotheses and ground breaking theories being implemented
on the ground in corporate management practices and included in business
strategies?
In a highly digitalized world where a hybrid virtual life is taking
hold in every facet of our existence, realities are still being faced on the
streets. This leaves us wondering how much is actually taken on board in
achieving better decision-making, impacting positively on the quality of life
lived, and as such, the value given to each person as employee or employer; as
teacher, student or worker; a benefactor, consumer and end user. After all, as
contributing citizens we are all stakeholders here! After elaborate seminars and extensive work
done during organised conferences in open dialogues and concrete follow up
between the two social and intellectual giants (i.e. corporate and academia),
it really all depends on how far would the problematic urgencies explored, and
the solutions proposed, be taken further and beyond the hype of the moment,
once the chairs forming the panel turned empty and cold.
These days a paternalistic approach would be very hard to maintain.
In fact, it is no longer viable as knowledge and know-how is far from being the
privilege of the few in our fast connective highly informed digital world. And
the more we know, the more we start to question these days! The idea is that
the questioning on any side should be kept open to constructive debate and
further engaging exchange. Efforts from both sides, business and academia, are
certainly needed in keeping tight links, extended connections and ongoing
collaborations in open dialogues. These are indeed vital, should the world
along its citizens truly benefit from each and every profitable creation,
unique discipline and skilful specialisations. These would be fuelling further
academic research and business growth, minimising errors made in damaging
business entanglements and bad practices; thus better supporting and
encouraging proactive, inclusive and joint work done at every level in building
true progress for the 21st century.
With much better equipped, learned, efficient, and engaged future
generations on the road to economic sustainability, leading collectively
towards national prosperity should definitely be a joy to celebrate with the
many rather than the few.
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