12 Aug The Interdependence of Science and Business

Science has been the underlying principle of many of the important technological advancements in the world. From new treatments for cancer and energy production, to computer chip technology. But while innovation is what drives science, business is about making money and ensuring shareholders are satisfied. Science and business were traditionally thought of as two distinct worlds. However, the two are interconnected and it is impossible to discern the impact of scientific research from its business implications.

While businesses are focused on profits, the long-term effects of their decisions could have significant environmental, social, and economic impacts. Science is likewise concerned with the impacts of its actions and its decisions, particularly those regarding the exploitation of resources and sustainability. A shrewd business, for example will exploit a natural resource at a level that science determines as sustainable – but the greed of some businesses has resulted in over-exploitation and ecological catastrophe.

We have categorised the various ways corporations try to influence science at macro and meso levels and coded the intended outcomes and effects of these strategies (TL did the initial code-coding, AG second-coded 20 per percent of papers). We discovered that companies employ five macro-level strategies that work together to minimise perceived credibility of unfavourable science and maximise favourable science. These strategies are operationalised through meso-strategies that over time tend to bias evidence in favor of the industry. This has three distal http://scorbe.de/how-to-become-a-physics-major effects: to cast doubt on the harms that could be caused by industrial products and practices; promote policy solutions that favor industry; and to increase consumption, sales, and use of industrial products.