Collaboration
Survival of the Fittest … Labs
18/03/11 00:35 Filed in: GenomeWeb Daily Scan
Blogger Odyssey at Pondering Blather argued that Darwin's theory of evolution applies to research labs, and they are under selective pressure to become efficient, flexible and collaborative or go obsolete. S. Pelech comments that while there has been a tendency to apply Darwin's theory of evolution to a wider range of phenomena including the survival of businesses in the competitive market place, this is simplistic and does not sufficiently account for the importance of social intelligence and collaboration. He agrees with Odyssey that key factors for the success of a research laboratory are a broad range of knowledge and capabilities, careful monitoring of the environment, and effective working relationships. Read More...
Why Compete? Collaborate!
22/07/11 17:38 Filed in: GenomeWeb Daily Scan
Jeffrey Sheehan from the University of Pennsylvania in Business Insider described two talks related to collaboration and research productivity given by Jeremy Siegel and Craig Venter at the Wharton Global Alumni Forum held in San Francisco in June. Sheehan says these talks led him to realize that communication and cooperation are key "to enhance productivity and ... spread prosperity." S. Pelech comments that it seems like a no-brainer that collaboration is likely to be far more effective than competition, especially when there is a common goal where all participants benefit. He notes that the more funding that a research lab receives, the less likely that it will collaborate with other research groups, and that as a research team expands with higher funding, there is even more competition within the same group. Read More...