Science has been the basis of many of the most significant technological advances around the globe. From new treatments for cancer and energy production, to computer chip technology. While innovation is the driving factor behind science however, business is all about making money and keeping shareholders satisfied. Traditionally, the business and science worlds have been viewed as separate entities. Both are interconnected, and it’s impossible to separate their impact on business from that of research.
While the business world is principally focused on earning money, its longer-term effects can be significant for the environment, social and economic implications. Science is also concerned about the impact of its decisions and decisions, specifically those pertaining to the exploitation of resources and sustainability. A smart business, for instance, will exploit a resource to the level that scientists consider sustainable. But greedy businesses have led to the over-exploitation of natural resources and ecological catastrophe.
We have classified the various ways that corporations attempt to influence science at the macro as well as meso-levels, and mapped the intended outcomes and consequences of these strategies (TL conducted the initial codification, AG second-coded 20 per percent of papers). We found that corporations employ five macro-level strategies to decrease the perceived credibility of unfavourable scientific findings and maximize favourable scientific findings. These strategies are operationalised through meso-strategies that, over time influence evidence in favor of the industry. This has three distal effects to discredit the potential harms caused by industry products and practices; to encourage policy responses that are in favour of industry; and to maximise the sales, consumption and use of products from industry.