Corporate Governance: Whistle Blowing

Market research serves as the foundation for informed decision-making, allowing businesses to make more informed choices regarding product development, marketing strategies, and overall direction. Without it, companies basically operate blindfolded, making assumptions that could prove costly. Every organisation operates according to a set of ingrained beliefs, which direct its receptivity to change, risk, and opportunity; therefore, it’s crucial to step outside of its viewpoint and try to see things from another person’s perspective. Market research reveals who customers actually are, not who we think they are, uncovering their demographics, preferences, pain points, and buying behaviours.

Dr Pawan today travels the world to spread understanding of the Dabbawalas system that he describes as “thrilling”. His nine-year long research on the organisation, which included being involved in food deliveries himself, extended in both length and personal investment beyond the requirements of his doctorate. Today he runs the Mumbai Dabbawala Education Centre, a centre that provides free education to more than 8,000 children of dabbawalas.