Warning Signs
How to Recognize Deteriorating Partnerships?
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Purpose
Researchers may experience a relationship with a company that becomes unfavourable. It is valuable to know how to spot when a company is employing corporate tactics and how mitigation strategies for solving issues are right if they come up. Early detection of these tactics might help a researcher protect their work before it becomes impossible.
Be sure to have conversations during the contracting phase, and throughout the project, to set and reset expectations about who is responsible for managing the process and research tasks.
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Warning Signs
A company might demand more input into the process, additional research, or alternative work that was not previously agreed on.
A significant sign that a partnership is deteriorating is unresponsive and unavailable corporate partners, leaders, and staff.
Use caution if the company invites new people to research meetings, particularly corporate lawyers and people in power who can influence research partners.
Significant Red Flags
The company stops or delays payments, particularly if you are on a payment schedule.
There is a significant shift in attitude, particularly for public relations reasons and/or if the company begins to discredits you publicly.
The company has big disagreements over how to interpret outputs or data.
The company doesn't provide support promised (e.g. admin, editing support, co-authorship, etc.).
The company has no process in place to respond to concerns.
The most important mitigation strategy is a strong research contract with clearly stipulated roles and responsibilities and clearly defined payment schedules that minimize impacts to the project of payments are late or stops.
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Safeguarding in the Contract
A good research contract will never allow corporate partners to veto or delay publication of results, or unduly influence the research integrity of the project.
Be sure to specify processes for responding to the above clearly in the research agreement. This can help to set expectations and act as a touchpoint for conversations if warning signs emerge.
Where to Find Help within the University
The library for expertise on copyright and intellectual property rights.
Technology Transfer Offices know a lot about commercialization and intellectual property.
Unions can be very helpful in situations of conflict.
Faculty Relations Offices can offer support for faculty.
Communications Offices might offer media training sessions, which can be particularly helpful when researching controversial topics.
If you are employed in a university, your Research Management Office can be a valuable source of information.
Research Management Offices
Navigating Difficult Meetings
Prior to meeting, ensure it is clear who will be in the meeting and why.
Inform other (non-corporate) research partners in advance of the meeting of the new invitees and stipulate their roles and expectations to minimize the new invitees’ ability to derail conversations.
In the meeting, be prepared to step in and shift the conversation if need be.
Gathering Support
Design the research in a way that avoids having corporate partners in critical research positions.
If possible, budget for external support to remove corporate partners from the critical research and publication path.
Build community! Leverage that research community to collectively push back against efforts to defame.
Bring journalists into that community to strengthen its voice!
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