THE VALUE OF RESEARCH IN GLOBAL PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Each year the Think Global People and Relocate Awards recognise the Best Research contribution for excellence within the leadership and management of global people. Dr Sue Shortland explains why and how research provides the impetus for learning and continual improvement.
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ASA astronaut, Tony Antonelli, speaker
at
keynote the
Innovation Festival for
Global Working commented as to whether we might know 95% of all there is to know and have just 5% to learn or whether we only know 5% and still have 95% left to learn. His view was that we still have 95% of learning to do and it is upon this premise that the role of research comes to the fore. The aim of research is to find
new understandings and solutions and to advance our knowledge for the future for the benefit of all generations globally. The value of
research to those working in global leadership and mobility is therefore paramount to future actions that will make the management of people globally a sure success.
MEDICAL VS SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH The recent Covid pandemic has demonstrated the value of medical research in producing vaccines that have reduced the death toll and helped to prevent serious illness as a result of this new human threat. However, the production of the new types of vaccines used did not come from overnight work in direct response to the pandemic itself. The new types of vaccines began their development long before the pandemic and it was this previous research effort that formed the
foundation for concentrated
research activity in this field once the pandemic began to ensure that a new generation of vaccines were fit for purpose to tackle Covid. It was only through prior research effort ahead of a crisis that scientists were able to produce the new types of vaccines that were so effective so speedily. Parallels can be drawn in social
science research. Efforts made to understand the
application of
theoretical frameworks and concepts and to develop and extend these within the context of differing human resource activities and problems can lay the foundations for decision- making for effective leadership and management in future, potentially unanticipated, scenarios. In essence, by investing in social science research now, we are setting the groundwork in place to understand new concepts and activities in the deployment of people in the future. All research – even if it is not carried out in response to a direct threat or immediate requirement – has potential value for ensuring efficient and effective global people management strategies going forward.
TYPES OF RESEARCH Research can take many forms – it can be based on wider scale quantitative survey work or much smaller scale qualitative approaches or indeed a mix of the two. Survey data provide us with a snapshot of practice and comparisons over time can give us information to determine trends. Quantitative
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