The Imprint of Business Norms on American Education By Dameon V ...

In addition to management practices, universities are also subject to the changing control of the knowledge production processes where the intellectual ownership of ideas is crucial (Delanty, 2001). Corporate funding influences the types of scientific projects that are undertaken while usurping the rewards—financial gain and public recognition—from scholars. In this way, science loses its autonomous element in the knowledge-production processes and is instead pressured to tailor-make research to satisfy corporate ends while reaping limited rewards (Whitley, 1984). Though the needs of industry have stimulated scientific progress, the problem is that the scientist is concerned with knowledge. The process of producing knowledge through research and investigation requires large amounts of autonomy on the part of the scholar (Popper, 1994). Hence, too much intervention and influence in this process hinders the possibilities to optimize scientific development.

Lastly, and problematically, business norms that penetrate education interrupt certain cognitive norms in education, turning education into tacit professional training. The work that education does entails a “cognitive perspective” encompassing knowledge and understanding of the “reason why” of things, as opposed to a limited social reforming aspect (Peters, 1966, p. 30). In this regard, education becomes a type of specialized training to meet the needs of one aspect of a person’s intellect or cognitive development rather than the needs of the whole person; students receiving this training could have a “limited conception” of what they are doing (p. 30). This problem illustrates a distinct difference between education and training: A trained mind can tackle particular problems that are put forth in a rigorous and competent manner, but an educated mind is able to recognize connections among and express an awareness of the different facets and dimensions of such problems in a wider perspective (p. 32). Education should aim to enhance both intellectual and pragmatic dispositions—not being overly biased in either way, but evenly balanced.

Ultimately, the discourse of business and that of education are different. Business is a private endeavor whose mission is to maximize profits via the production of goods or the provision of services while sustaining