Difference between internal and external researchers

Internal consultants/researcher

Depending upon the expansion of an organization, well or poor performance, managers sometime confront between the choice of internal or external research team to conduct the research in their organization. They also must consider the cost, internal stakeholders and research team knowledge and results of already conducted research. 

Some organizations owned research departments which serve as internal organization subunits which seeks helps for certain problems. These departments might be called R&D (research and development department), management service department, organization, and methods department, or whatever the name organization pick. This type of unit within the organization useful in various ways and its help might be advantageous under some conditions, but not in other setting. Therefore, to reach a decision manager must know the strength and weakness of both, advantages and disadvantages depending upon what a situation demands. Following some advantages and disadvantages of both internal and external research teams are discussed.

Following are some four advantages of an internal team for  research project:

1. The internal crew would stand a well opportunity of being easily accepted by the employees in the subunit of the organization where research requires.

2. The team would need considerably less time to understand the composition, the philosophy and climate, and the functioning and work systems of the organization.

3. They would be available for applying their suggestions after the research findings are accepted. This is very important because any problems in the execution of the proposals could be eliminated with their help. They would also be available for evaluating the effectiveness of the changes and considering further changes when necessary.

4. The internal team might cost significantly less than an external team for the department joining help in problem solving because they will need less time to understand the system due to their continuous involvement with various units of the organization. For problems that are of low complication, the internal team would be idyllic.

Disadvantages of Internal Consultants/Researchers

Other than advantages there are also disadvantages of internal research team or consultants. Following are few disadvantages if a manager goes for the use of internal research team.

• Internal research team could fell into stereotyped means of looking at organization and its problems. This might cause a barrier for any out of box thinking and other perspectives that could be helpful to mitigate the problems.
• Other than this, powerful alliances within the organization could influence internal team to hide or misrepresent certain facts. In other words, to acquire a sizable portion of available resources personal stake could dominate the internal research team.
• Sometime internal research teams not owned as highly qualified experts by the staff and management, therefore, their recommendations don not achieve much attention or consideration they actually deserve.
• Some internal research teams also shows biasness in certain organizations which make the findings less objective and less scientific.

Manager's decision on internal and external researchers

Now keeping in mind, the advantages and disadvantages of both internal and external research team what would you do if you are manager, and a situation comes in front of you to make decision for conducting research in your organization? What type of research service you would like to acquire while analysing the pros and cons of research types? 

If you see the problem is complex one and noticed any personal stake along with serious problems that risks the existence of organization, then you should go for the external research consultants whatever the cost you bear for it. On the other hand, if problem seems like simple to you and you think after little analysis that there is need of establishment of procedures and policies of a routine nature, then you should avail the services of internal research consultants.

Therefore, you should equip yourself as manager with research knowledge along with the comparative analysis of internal and external research consultants or teams to took a correct decision to tackle the problem and determine that which research source would be beneficial, internal or external, because your appropriate choice to investigate and solve the problem impacts on the future goals of the organization.