Good governance and thinking beyond “me” to “us”
Editor’s note: Finn Raben is the founder of Amplifi Consulting.
War teaches us that unchecked ambition (or greed) has disastrous consequences – primarily for non-combatants and for national economics. Recovery and rebuilding are slow, expensive processes, and the human scars require more than one generation to be forgotten. If there is a positive after effect, it is a heightened awareness that we must learn to live together and be more accepting of each other, if war is not to be repeated.
In a world that has not seen a global conflict for almost 100 years, COVID-19 (should have?) provided a similar wake-up call as societal lockdowns, constrictions of movement and trade and huge behavioral shifts again demonstrated the need for greater global consideration and collaborative approaches to combat the disease. We needed to think beyond the “me” to the “us.”
And yet – perhaps as a consequence of too much isolation, too much forced “us” or too much time without this generation understanding the horrors of war – we are now witnessing a strong resurrection of “me” thinking, heightened nationalist and populist sentiment, an ever increasing adoption of “Not In My Back Yard” attitudes and a growing belief among governmental and business leaders that they (individually) know best and that they have no need for consultative debate or informed discussion.
Looking specifically at politics (as it provides the most public references), the decline in democratic principles was covered in an article by Brookings, naming identity, inequality, information and interference as the greatest challenge to democracy – all of which can be seen as hallmarks of populism, have grown faster in the past few years, have impacted negatively on democracy can be addressed by good governance.
Governance is often seen by many as boring, “not my thing” or something that someone else should look after. But governance is all our responsibility, as we each have a contribution to make if we wish for a fair and just outcome. Simply put, governance is a series of checks and balances designed to promote a well-managed and accountable decision-making process. Governance helps to cultivate a culture of integrity, can enhance legitimacy and ensure that the entity always acts in the best interests of those whom it serves. In short, good governance can improve performance, reduce risks, enable growth and most importantly, improve reputation and foster trust.
So, what’s the connection to research?
Independent research has always provided objective evidence to help guide decision-making. If Facebook had truly appreciated its users’ views on privacy, would it have allowed Cambridge Analytica to do what it did? If Boeing had truly understood all the implications of its flight leveling algorithm in the 737-Max, would it have been launched? Thinking about the debate on partisan manipulation of the electoral system in the U.S. – has any corroborated evidence been found of election fraud? If the Conservative party in the U.K. had better appreciated the financial reaction to the recent mini budget, would it have been announced?
According to a survey conducted by HERE Technologies in 2019, tech firms that conducted data collection activities without being transparent lost significant consumer trust, and thus reputation, and provided stark evidence of the truism: trust takes years to build and only seconds to destroy.
Research is a fundamental element of a holistic system of checks and balances. A system of governance requiring independently sourced evidence, coupled with an open and informed debate, would have allowed the above examples to be avoided. Oversight, transparency and honesty – core tenets of governance and good research – have had far greater success in bringing longer-term benefits and value than an “I know best” approach. As we move forward into a period fraught with anxiety about a recession, do not let research and its vital role in facilitating sound evidence-based decisions be a victim of any short-term, misguided financial efficiency program.
Good governance is: Good for peace. Good for business. Good for research. Good for integrity. Good for society. Why aren’t we leading the charge for good governance?