In an era of ostentatious presentations, one should not forget the need for in-depth and applied research in strengthening business

Business effectiveness usually emphasises operations and evaluation by results. This approach cannot be grudged too much.

If people want to see results on the ground, that raises its own questions. However, the approach has its own logic. For example, in an academic institution evaluation is increasingly requiring citations for research done. In other words, the question being asked is if research is being done, what is the impact it is making. The impact fortunately or unfortunately has to tangible. It is possible to squirm at this approach, because research, when it is fundamental in character does not necessarily has any immediate and noticeable impact.

In a corporate entity or a consulting firm, people want rising sales figures or increasing revenues. Often the expectation is of a double figure rise every year. This is difficult. The result is a totally undesirable pressure on everyone concerned which destroys not only health and mental peace but at times also relationships. One cannot be a performer 365 days a year. Indeed, with the coming in of the electronic media, social media included, the pressures have grown manyfold. The public exposure and scrutiny has taken on many more forms. Facebook, Twitter, linkedIn have widened the scope of vulnerability.

Blogs, SlideShare, YouTube have brought in unusual methods of sharing content. There was a time when no research was taken as serious research unless it was duly footnoted and the evidence was actually verifiable. We are now living in an era where contents ride on blogs. Ideas are presented in form of slides and power point presentations. They are supposed to be brief — not more than, perhaps, 30 words per slide, if even that. They are supposed to be colorful with graphics and flowcharts. Of course, this is useful. What has not been explored is how far this is useful and to what extent are the contents verifiable.

It is amazing that there is little serious study available exploring the value of such medium and its proven utilisation.

Nobody doubts the utility of social media in opinion formation. However, opinion formation is a limited dimension of serious research.

The proposition is simple. These are times of huge journey. One is not quite sure in which direction this churning is headed and where it will turn. In such a situation, not only do jams take place in flows but also documentation suffers. Random searches through Google, Wikipedia, and more; all these sites get business prone.

A cursory look at the contents of Wikipedia will show the possibilities of uneven frameworks of content in areas that are alike. Entries in the name of X and similar entries in the name of Y may have been found; through uneven understanding of inadequately framed policy documents. These policy document many not even be culture sensitive.

Be that as it may, theses are privately sponsored efforts and should be seen as such. Typically, Wikipedia runs on voluntary contributions of time. To expect from it the rigour of standards and universality of applications like a standard encyclopedia may be expecting a bit much.

One can put up with that in an informed manner.

The dangerous bit is that a whole generation or more is confusing Google search, Wikipedia search and electronic reference as the only thing they need to know of. They are willing to swear by it. Visiting the stacks of the library, especially the reference section, is considered old-fashioned and has few takers. In environments like South Asia, library purchase grants have been severely cut.

One is entitled to ask what kind of informed generation is being created. The problem does not stop there but spills into impacting the road to creating proper operational channels for business and indeed skipping steps in policy implementation. Say, typically, if one needs to ask how much liquidity under the Goods and Services Tax will be available for use when taxes have to be remitted every month but the trade credit remains for 90 daysIJ A Google search will not answer this question. It needs a trained mind that is on top of thoroughly put processes.

Business, like any other profession, also, rolls on the strength of strong wheels of applied research.

(The writer is a well-known management consultant)