IMR JAN 2013 - Indira Institutes

Seth Consultantsbut when Bizarreland achievedindependence it decided to give up itscolonial name and renamed itself asBizarreland Banausic Research Organizationwhich was later amended (shortened) to itspresent name of Bizarre Banausic ResearchOrganization. Anyway, when our MD was aDepartment Head at the BBRO, a similarproblem had arisen over there. The storygoes like this:Many years ago, BBRO was a small strugglingorganization, and they needed to improvetheir viability. Its Pharmacy Department wasrenowned but most people were unawarethat it even had other departments. Theywere very desperately looking for ways toimprove their research output. So it wasconsidered a great achievement when BBROmanaged to convince Nexteinstein thefamous physicist to join them.When the news spread, people weresurprised that Nexteinstein had agreed tojoin BBRO. While Physics was a longestablished department at BBRO it was notone of its better departments. In fact it wasnot known at all for its research; in realitymany of the physicists were more famously(or notoriously) associated with somenearby schools where they were much indemand as tutors. Indeed, only a short whileearlier there had been rumours that BBROwas planning to do away with the PhysicsDepartment entirely. Then came theshocking announcement: Nexteinstein hadbeen hired for the Pharmacy department andthe stunned employees raised all sorts ofqueries:Why? Because the pharmacy departmentwas world famous for its research andNexteinstein was the foremost physicist inthe world was the answer.What does physics have to do with pharmacy?BBRO had a specialized research area calledPhysical Pharmacy. (Besides as the highranking officer said, “Physics, pharmacy allthese , ( 5) areas isn't it obvious there is anesoteric similarity?”)Who decided? The recruitment committee ofBBRO comprising of senior officers fromvarious departments (but no one from eitherPhysics or Pharmacy).Two departments were most unhappy at thedevelopments. The first obviously was thePhysics department. When questioned by theHoD, Physics Department, about whyNexteinstein had been hired for the PharmacyDepartment, the recruitment committeemembers laughed till the tears came out oftheir eyes.“Do you expect the foremost scientist in theworld to wallow in your mud hole?” scoffedone officer. “We have hired him because HE IS.Just having his name associated with BBROgives us prominence. ”The other surprisingly (or perhaps not sosurprisingly) was the Pharmacy department.“What on earth are we supposed to do with aphysicist?” asked one junior scientist bolderthan the others. “He probably doesn't knowthe difference between liver and lung muchless patella and pituitary. And it not as thoughwe are not reputed in our own right.”The officer frowned. “He is a double Nobellaureate: the only one of his kind still alive.“You” may be “reputed” but “He” is a livinglegend. You must learn to make use of the80 Indira Management Review - Jan 2013