Collaboration: "scientists come from Mars, science users come from Venus"

Abstract

Collaboration partners will have inherent differences due to their different backgrounds and interests. Possible differences that were investigated in this thesis included, personality types, temperaments, context preferences, and culture. However many of the occupational groups (eg scientists, science managers, and science users) were shown to have similar value orientations and context preferences. The most fundamental difference between scientists and most other occupations are their basic assumptions. Scientists have a culture based on science. Within the scientific culture there are a number of assumptions deep-rooted in the history and traditions of science. Practically every assumption the scientist makes about the condition necessary for effective scientific investigation, such as: freedom to work on projects of own choosing; freedom to communicate, freedom to account for time and resources, and so on are directly contrary to the assumptions about accountability and governance held by most business people. The science culture in the New Zealand public research organisations has been slow to change over recent decades. The structure of New Zealand public research organisations has changed (transformed into CRIs), the strategies and priorities have changed with an emphasis on socio-economic criteria, and there is an increased accountability requirement for research. These changes also need a corresponding appropriate change in the scientific culture. The change in culture is necessary for science to survive in the new environment it finds itself now. The responsibility for cultural change must be shared between the scientists in the science community and the managers within the science community to motivate, guide and cement the necessary change in culture.