Chhimi Dema 

To narrow the gap between the research findings and implementation, and nurture a vibrant research culture, Royal Institute of Management (RIM) will launch the Bhutan Journal of Management today.

Coinciding with the birth anniversary of His Majesty The King, RIM is also conducting the first Annual Research Exhibition.

The research exhibition of seven papers published in the journal aims to inculcate research culture and evidence-based decision-making.

Head of the research and consultancy department at RIM, Tshering Wangchuk, said that the exhibition aims to bring together relevant stakeholders to promote and enhance a research culture.

He said that it is a challenge to ensure the sustainability of a journal. “From a strategic point of view, the research projects that students at RIM submit would be converted into a working paper,” Tshering Wangchuk said.

Tshering Wangchuk said that it was challenging to build a knowledge base in the country because there were only a few research paper contributors. “Public participation is important.”

If people from all walks of life with different expertise publish then the journal could be a central repository that people or policymakers can access and make informed decisions, he said.

Interested individuals can send their research papers for publication and freely access the published papers from the institute’s website.

The first publication of the journal comprises papers reviewed by reviewers comprising Bhutanese and international scholars.

Some of the papers published in the journal are on staff assessment for right-sizing civil service organisations, on challenges faced by persons with disabilities in making meaningful participation in election, and on performance-based incentive in the civil service.

The journal’s chief editor, Jit Tshering, said that there was a rigorous process for selecting a research article for publication. The first process involved acceptance by the editorial team and followed by the double-blind review process.

He said: “The double-blind reviewing process was to assure the quality of the papers.”

The double-blind review process, where the reviewer and author remain anonymous to one another, ensures that there is no bias, he said.

The reviewers consist of international reviewers who are experts in the management field to get international perspectives as well.

Jit Tshering said that the review process meets the objective to impart skills and knowledge to young researchers.

The launch will be live-streamed on RIM’s Facebook page today.