ACADEMIC MISSION

The Smithers Institute, using its “alcohol” lens as a referent for understanding a variety of academic concepts, pursues both a practical and an academic research mission.

Commenting on the academic mission of the Smithers Institute, Professor Bacharach stated:

  "Its goals are to use the principles of organizational theory to enhance our understanding of substance abuse in work settings and to use our understanding of substance abuse in the work setting to enhance our understanding of the principles of organizational behavior. At first blush, it would seem that the topic of substance abuse has a small role to play in the field of industrial and labor relations. But, if you examine what really is happening in the private lives of American workers, and if you realize that the School's research responsibility is not only to aggregate numbers but to individuals, then you realize that the topic of substance abuse may be one of the more important agenda items for a School of Industrial and Labor Relations concerned with the quality of life in this country."