The Interdependence of Science and Business

From new drug therapies and energy production to the development of computer chips science has been the basis for many of the world’s most significant technological innovations. While innovation is the main driving power behind science, business is all about making money and keeping shareholders satisfied. Traditionally, the business and science worlds were thought of as distinct entities. The two are interconnected and it’s impossible to separate their impact on business from the impact of research.

While the business world is mostly focused on making money, its effects over the long term could have significant social, environmental and economic implications. Science is also concerned about the impact of its decisions, especially its decisions regarding the exploitation of resources and sustainable development. A wise business would, for instance exploit a resource at the level that science deems sustainable. But greedy businesses have led to over-exploitation of natural resources and ecological catastrophe.

We have coded the intended results and the outcomes of these strategies. (TL was the first to do the coding, and AG coded 20% of papers). We discovered that corporations employ five macro-level strategies that work collectively to reduce the perceived credibility of unfavourable science and maximize favourable science. These strategies are implemented via meso-strategies that, over time tend to bias evidence in favor of the industry. This can result what is physics in three distal results: to cast doubt about the potential harms of industry products and practices, to support policies that favor industry and to increase the use, consumption and sales of industry products and services, thereby maximising profits for companies.