Logical Divisions of a Researc:ti Organization FRANCI~ C. F I L ~ ~A Y lrmuirm , Coinpity id America, New Kensington, Pa. Other engineering functions rnay also T IS ilnpussible t,o lay down any he assigned to this group, unless therc hard and fast scheme of dividing are so many that it seems desirable to or grouping the persomiei of a reseparate the engineering from the testseareti organization which would be ing work. g e n e r a l l y applicahle. The types of I n some cases, separat,e sections for pmblems to be solved? the size of tlie botany or @ology, or for either physics organization, its scopc, and rclation or physical chemistry, may be desirto other technical units in the same able. There will, of wurse, he one or company, and csgecially tlie t,rainiiig more chemical research divisions, dearid ability of tlic meu svailiilile, dcpending on tlie type and variety of tcrmine tlie divisions wliich it is logithe chemical prohiems studied. The cal to niake. The whole pmbleni is m e of best utilizing the avail'JIi I c niiiii old grouping of organic and inorganic may suffice in some cases; in others, power for the purpose in lianil. special groups will have to be constiIn general, if the orgariisatiori is tuted to handle certain types of problarge enough, certain service divishiiis, lems, sue11a8 electric furnace research, as distinguished from researi:!~( h i rubber, paint, textiles, paper products, sions, arise naturally. Thus, the acdyes, pharmacology, etc. A separate countinn division and the library, . . including%Iing and abstract senw' e , nri: i'hoto bpi Rnchrnrh division for serniplaat-scale developFRANCIS - e n t o r sand rein its field, those of s e a r c h moil h a v e the analytical rather vague group. T h e y inn o t i o n 8 OS patent clude research on m a t t e r s , arid COLItesting methods and siderable study and o n t h e physical p a i n s are required p r o p e r t i e s of the to i n s u r e that the company's products company is properly and raw materials.
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EFOltE tahng up a discustiioii rnoiitlis and sonietiniea years, or1 prubof this subject as expressed iri lems confronting them. This is the distlie title, t h e r e a r e c e r t a i n tinction between a commercial laborafundamental principles with reference tory and a research lahoratory. The to industrial research o r g a n i z a t i o n s pressure of commercial demands upon wliich first should be discussed, and the former do not permit much time to there arc certain assumptions to he bo given to research study. Quick restated. To justify the formulation of sults niust be obtained from them. In any principles of management in a rea research laboratory, alrile there must search laboratory, we must assunic tliiit be a certain willingness to be driven the laboratory is an established affair arid to report promptly knowledge alor, a t least, is accepted as becoming an ready acquired, there must also hr a n established affair. There is no need to unwillingness to he driven unduly on discuss principles of nranagenient in a problems requiring study and careful researcli latioratory that is organized investigation. for oiie or a few specific objectives; An industrial research laboratory is nor is it worth while to discuss principresumed to exist to satisfy coniinerples of management unless they can be cia1 needs. It must contribute someapplied on a long-time basis. Furtherthing to industry, and especially to the more, there can he no principles of particular industry supportiirg it, to ~nanagenicntreally worth stating- unless .iustifv-its existence. Tliere is this disthe laboratory is a fairly large one and employs sucli a nuiiiber tinotion, therefore, between an industrial research laboratory of meii that some subdivision of work and real organization are and those laboratories engaged in pure research. The latter required. There is one other very broad essential~~knamely, niay contribute to industrial needs, but that is not their that a research laboratory be recognized as an important main purpose. An industrial research laboratory must conpart of the business organization by which it is supported. tribute to tlie commercial needs of tlie industry. UndoubtA research laboratory search- Sor knowledge, particularly edly, in many industrial research laboratories true pure in its own field. Two things are important in this connec- scientific research is carried on. It is, howevor, usually tion: one is an insatiable thirst fur knowledge; the other limited to the field of the industry. Otherwise i t is questionis ample library and record facilities wliere this knowledge able whether it can be justified. This close relation existcan be sought, orderly assernbled, and stored away. Tbere ing between the connnercial needs OS ari industry and its zre continuous demands made npon tlie researcli lahoratory research laboratory may at times present dificulties. Wliat for information in regard to tlie product.^ inanufactured the selling or producing parts of an industry may demand and their uses. I’urely commcr~:ialmen can hardly bc cx- of a research laboratory are possibly unreasonable both as to pected to have this knowledge in accurate form, arid t h y substance and form. Tlic question may be r a i d as to must rcly upon the research laboratory to give it to them whether expenditures for research arc justified unless rein tliat forin arid to correct from time to time tlie crroneous sults are obtained u,!iicli are of immediate commercial adopinions mhicli are apt to be developed wlierc lack of ac- vantage. Sonietiines, although fortunately less now than curate knowledge exists. A thorough search and orderly in days gone by, demands have been iriade on the research assembly of available knowledge is also a neccssary require- laboratory by those in charge OS commercial problems for ment in all research projects. reports iii fornis that result in obscuring the truth. SatuI t cannot be expected, of course, that every inenilm of a re- rally, tho rescareti laboratory cannot conforui to such desearcii laboratory will liave, to the same high degree, a thirst mands, for it is essential in research work that there be a for knowledge, but this sliould he the mainspring back of devotion to truth as i t is seen. Tlic old question as to what the workers in a good rosearcli laboratory. A thirst for constitutes truth is unsolved as much liere as elsewhere. knowledge is essential, as otherwise there will not be h i l t In view of these difliculties n e must presume that tlic reu p that power of anticipating answers to inquiries which search laboratory has corifiriried itself, in the niinds of those ufteri conre, as it were, froni a clear sky. A thirst fur hiowl- in control OS cornniercial operations, as being an important edge, resulting in its acquisition and assembly, will always part of the organization, and that i t is depended upon for tend towards keeping a research laboratory ahead of the help, truthful information, and an earnest endeavor to supply game. It nil1 be secii froit! this that it slrould be niadc up the organiaatioii’s needs, patiently, arduously, and devotedly. largely of men who are students, who like study, and who With this picture (not by any means ideal) of the kind of are not afraid to put many weary honrs, extending thmngh mseareh laboratory of which the principles of management I
