The Triple Helix and The Public

[caption id="attachment_26385" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="SHUTTERSTOCK"][/caption] The triple helix of academician-business-government has become a main issue in public policy making. Obviously, more and more key persons represent the A, B, and G parties realize that loose link among these three parties has to be tightened up.  A more opened and intensified communication has to be established between academic and business communities, business and government, and between government and educational institution. While our higher education institutions or universities are struggling in their way to established themselves as being research universities, now, they are also highly expected by the stakeholders to play a new role as entrepreneurial educational cum research institutions.  In addition to their primary tasks of higher education and academic researches, the universities are also expected to provide both highly qualified and a kind of ready to use alumni and provide results of research with option for use in economic contexts,  or in other words, results of research with  commercialization potentials. However, entrepreneurial universities should not and never be equated with commercial universities. In return, business communities should be encouraged to allocate adequate budget to support research activities conducted in universities and/or establish mutual collaboration in conducting industrial oriented researches. Universities are also expected to significantly contribute in solving problems encountered by government in all aspects of development and in supplying comprehensive and accurate information as references in making public policies and regulations.  Commitment of recent government of Indonesia to increase budget allocation by minimum 20% of national budget for education sector should be treated as a great momentum for higher education institutions to achieve better academic and entrepreneurial standings. Government and business communities have to level their platform of partnership.  Regulation and public policy should stimulate growth of domestic and foreign investment, should not excessively restrict business activities, and good governance principles should be consistently implemented.  On the other hand, business communities are also expected to implement good business practices, not only focusing on making short-term profit, but also play significant role in community development and other social responsibilities. Co-evolution Of The Triple Helix Balancing roles amongst business community, government institutions, and academic society is a dynamic and continuous effort.  Each strand of this ABG triple helix should progress at similar pace and should be positioned at a level platform.  Tilting slightly left or right, back or forward, is a dynamic nature of progressing activities.  However, it should not be too steep otherwise everything on this platform will be fallen off. This triple helix cannot be simplified into three separated reciprocal interactions between each pair of A-B, B-G, and A-G. Therefore, in spite of focusing on balanced perspectives in business practices, governance, and personal life.  Lets insert academic society as one inseparable strand of the ABG triple helix then focus on how to develop a B-G mutual relationship; however, it will be more comprehensive if in discussing this bilateral relationship, we also always reserve some open doors for academic community to contribute.

Popular and common issues regarding B-G relationship are on:

1. The need for government to establish its better services in facilitating business activities,  including more favorable public policies for business, better service -means clearer procedure, faster process, and reasonable expense - in providing legal permit for business activities, establishment of better business environment - especially related to security, taxes, labor related issue, and supporting infrastructures; and in return, it is expected that:
2. Business communities increase their roles as government's partners in national economic development and in improving socioeconomic welfare of local communities, especially at location where businesses are conducted.  Roles of business community in improving education, health, employment, and transportation infrastructures are the most frequently asked by local communities.

In an ideal scenario, academic community should also contribute in strengthening this B-G relationship. For instance by:

1. Providing practical, but academically-sound, advice for re-establishing a balanced and mutual relationship between these two;
2. Actively educating public - not only thru its formal classroom and public seminars, but also by direct visit-and-meet with local communities, face-to- face communication - as it is recalled, this is one of main responsibilities of higher education institutions, clearly mentioned in the three values of universities known as Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi.
3. Providing up-to-date and accurate data and/or information on available resources - natural, human, and infrastructure - as required by business community and government as base for their development plan. Therefore, academic institutions should conduct intensive and well-directed researches. On the other side of the coin, this means government should provide adequate financial support and business institution should also contribute in these efforts]; and
4. Providing knowledgeable and skillful human resources as required by business and government - ability to supply high-standard-and-required personnel is one of criteria for an entrepreneurial university.

These three stakeholders academicians, business and government need to join hands and go thru co-evolution processes toward a more tightly-bond relationship and stand on a level platform of common interest: the sustainable benefit. Public As The Fourth Helix? Should the public be considered as the fourth strand to be added to the triple helix of academicians, business and government?  No ! It should be agreeable that public must be linked directly and closely to this helix but may not as the fourth strand of the helix. A, B and G components of the triple helix are the sub-set of public. Conceptualizing public as the fourth helix will narrow it into just another stakeholder, rather than visualizing it as civil society as base for co-evolution of the triple helix.  The public is not only participates as stakeholder in development of all sectors, but also as the main customer whom should receive benefits from development activities. It should be noted that each person, no exception, regardless of his/her position and/or profession, is part of 'the public'.  For instance, one who does business in InfoTech is a member of business community in that specific field, but she/he at the same time is also  part of the public which should be satisfied in her/his needs for food, health services, education, recreational needs, etc.  It is quite clear that the public includes the whole community, while A, B and G are parts of this huge community; however, A, B and G are parts which can significantly determine ‘shape-and-color’ of the entire community. Since each and every individual is member of the public, therefore, any effort to improve public’s welfare should have effects on quality of personal life, directly and/or indirectly.  Concept of the triple helix within public matrix is clearly in-line with an important theme : ‘Balanced Perspectives In Business Practices, Governance, and Personal Life’. What to be balanced?  First question that may arise when we are asked to balance between business practices, governance, and personal life is: what to be balanced? Since these three items are not at the same layer, therefore, they should be balanced in two different layers. Firstly, balancing between business practices (B) and governance (G). This represents two out of three components of the triple helix. Secondly, balancing between public responsibilities (of any members of business community and government institutions) and personal life. In a practical description, I guess, we are aiming to discuss on how to balance between role of government in facilitating business activities and contribution of business communities in socioeconomic development at national and local levels.  Then, we want to balance between formal or professional responsibilities and our personal responsibilities, between work and personal life. Some efforts to renew regulations to better facilitate business activities and to increase incentives for investment have been established by recent government as well as efforts to improve quality of public services related to business activities. I know that these efforts might not be up to the expectation of business community yet, however, it is clear that government has moved toward the right direction.  In this regard, let me quote what an expert from Oxford Business Group (Jakarta Post 29 November 2006) said: “Indonesia is a very complex country, young democracy, things have not fallen into place everywhere. It deals with many issues inherited from the past.  The government is actually doing a great job, slowly but steadily”. On the other hand, some companies have also conducted their corporate social responsibility (CSR) in many forms and different intensity levels.  Unfortunately, many other companies have not done CSR for many different reasons.  It is well understood that all companies have to make profit as part of their responsibility to shareholders, however, they must also care for people living in their vicinity and the environment in order to gain a sustainable profit.  In this perspective, CSR is not a burden to the company but it is part of investment for a sustainable business activity. CSR may be conducted in many different forms, magnitude, and intensity.  It may be selected from list of actual issues faced by local communities and matched with seriousness of the company in dealing with the selected issue(s) -as indicated by company’s budget and other resources allocation for handling this issue.  CSR may be in form of efforts to improve skills and/or to educate local people, providing health care facilities and services, helping local people to establish their own small-scale business, facilitating religious activities of local communities, providing public recreational facilities, etc.  However, replanting a ‘disturbed’ forest as a result of company’s activities, efforts to conserve biological diversity, and cleaning up pollutants produced by inappropriate industrial processes should not be classified as CSR.  These should be treated as an obligation that every company which causes these environmental disturbances should be responsible.  CSR is a way to improve quality of life – at least of local people. It is fair to expect that government has to continuously improve its performance in facilitating business activities, thru more reasonable regulations and better quality of services.  Similarly, it is fair for public to expect more from companies in their contribution to socioeconomic development, especially at local level and in forms of facilities and services that urgently needed by local community.  Basically, this is the essence of balancing role of business practices and governance. PS. The preliminary version of this article was prepared and presented in forum group discussion, Mercantile Club, Jakarta 2006