The economics of research

I was insulted last week by an economist.

Actually, he wasn't a real economist; he was an Honours student from Economics and Finance. And he didn't just insult me, he insulted the whole Marketing discipline. Not just the School of Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations, but the whole discipline. Now, I have great respect for people in the areas of economics and finance. Ever since I had the pleasure of hearing a speech by their Head of School, I've had a great respect for him too. In fact, I have a great respect for all researchers from all disciplines because I appreciate how valuable and important research is.

Dominique and I were walking back to our office after a spot of coffee with the Research Learning Network. It just happened that the RLN for that week happened to comprise of just us two. But that's beside the point. We were walking back when someone we knew from Accountancy called out to Dom to say hello. She was late, on her way to the RLN but saw that we had already left. Lucky for her (and not us) she managed to catch us on our way back to Z Block (the Business building).

She was with a male friend and introduced him to us as an Honours student from the School of Economics and finance. She introduced him to Dom and myself and said that we were PhD students from Marketing (even that desciption was glazing over the truth because she couldn't remember my name and didn't know if I was a PhD student or not).

In the research world, whenever we meet people, we ALWAYS ask them what their research is all about. So Mr Economics asked Dominique what her research area was.

Him: So what's your area of research?
Dominique: I'm researching customer misbehaviour
Him: ...(pause)...(slighltly confused look)... what's that?
Dominique: Well, it's like when these coffee shop people (points to the coffee shop people at the coffee stand behind us) get abused by their customers
Him: oh.. okay.

Then, he turns to me, smiles and asks in an attempt to be polite.

Him: and what's your area of research?
Nadia: I'm looking at value creation for stakeholders in a social marketing organisation
Him: (smug, bemused look) why would organisations want to create value?

I swear, I could hear the thud in both my heart and my head. I even heard the thud in Dominique's heart and head. There was a big, loud, thud surrounding us. I quickly composed myself.

Nadia: because if an organisation doesn't give value to their customers, their customers are not going to want to come back. And if the organisation doesn't also give value to their employees, their employees aren't going to want to work there anymore.

The little man looked confused. Dominique jumped in to diffuse the situation.

Dominique: what are you looking at for your Honours research?
Him: growth

pause

Dominique: what kind of growth? Organisational growth? Market growth?
Him: just growth... (thinks for a while) like market growth. I look at how economics grow and how they shrink... how they fall into depression.. how...

I stopped listening.

Dominique: are you looking at analysing historical data for your thesis?
Him: (looks confused)... (starts shaking his head/shrugging his shoulders).. oh.. just in theory
Nadia: so you're doing a conceptual thesis?
Him: yeah (looks unsure)

I doubt he know what a conceptual thesis means.

Dominique and I had enough. We retreated to our office.

"CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT GUY?!"

Dom: How dare he question YOU?! You're a PhD student, you know what you're doing. He's an Honours student, he doesn't know what he's doing!

Me: He's an Honours student. It's May. No Honours student in May knows what they are doing. We all know that. When we were Honours students in May, we didn't know what we were doing!

But you never, ever, ever question another researcher's research! It's researcher etiquette! I would never question someone from IT or engineering or anything like that. You trust that they know what they're talking about because it's their area and not yours!

Dom: But he didn't even know what he was doing either! "Growth" oh wow...

Me: when he was going on and on about "I look at how economies of countries grow and how they shrink..." I thought, oh... you think you're making SUCH a contribution... WITH YOUR CONCEPTUAL THESIS! You have no data!

Dom: oh, yeah. BIG contribution with the conceptual thesis...

Me: I felt insulted. I didn't just feel insulted. I felt like he insulted our whole marketing discipline. "Why would an organisation want to create value?" ???? Oh, because organisations don't need people. People aren't important. Organisations can survive without people. Organisations don't need people to keep it running. Yup, an organisation can run itself.

Dumb arse.

It is bad manners as it is to question someone from an area outside of yours. It is plain arrogance and stupidity to do so when you have no clue what you're doing yourself.

I had a bitch about this to Bernard and Joel over dinner. Two friends, clearly outside the marketing discipline. One has an IT degree and the other has a Creative Industries degree. They understand when I say the words "value creation for stakeholders in a social marketing organisations." That's the layman explanation. They understood. My friends aren't stupid.

I think they had a good chuckle at my story though...

"Why would organisations want to create value?"

Dumb arse.

I better meet an economist who will show me that you're not all dumb arses.