In Chapter 2, I discuss the moral foundation for capitalism provided by Adam Smith. The great philosopher of the Scottish Enlightenment is frequently invoked by economists as the father of their discipline, yet Smith’s life and writings have been widely distorted. In contrast to his popular caricature today, Smith was a moral philosopher of the highest caliber who incorporated important moral perspectives throughout his writings. Smith presented his moral theory based on social norms and culture in The Theory of Moral Sentiments and maintained it as the moral foundation for his economic theory in The Wealth of Nations. Smith’s moral theory is based on the principle of sympathy and the behavioral norms that arise due to past social experiences that reveal standards of right and wrong behavior. Similar to the other philosophers of the Scottish Enlightenment, he attributes moral judgment and the moral conscience to the impartial spectator, but he also reserves important roles for religion and moral codes such as the Stoic virtues. When nineteenth-century classical economists adopted narrow self-interest as the first principle of their discipline, therefore, they adopted a principle that Smith and the other Scottish Enlightenment philosophers had adamantly rejected.

Decisions taken by stakeholders at all levels of health systems can benefit from the use of different types of evidence drawn from heterogeneous research fields – including epidemiology, clinical and basic biomedical research, and health policy and systems research (HPSR). However, out of these diverse forms of evidence, HPSR is relatively underused and under-funded. Challenges associated with the use of HPSR in health systems in low- and middle-income countries (L&MIC) include the lack of opportunity and resources, the need for greater capacity for the generation and use of evidence, and fundamental problems around how the research agenda is framed. Evidence informed decision-making in L&MICs can be improved by better alignment of HPSR with health system needs, institutionalizing the use of HPSR evidence, and strengthening individual capacities to generate and use HPSR evidence. Several global, national and local-level initiatives have helped take strides in these areas, but more work and investments are needed to strengthen the use of appropriate evidence, especially HPSR evidence, in health systems.

While there has been much discussion around the role of academics and practitioners, there has been a surprising absence of how undergraduate students play an important role in the nexus of research, teaching, and impact. The chapter describes six vignettes from Australia, Malaysia, the UK, and the US to show how programs and activities can provide research training, transferable skills, and status for undergraduate students, as well as valuable insights for people, organizations, society, and the environment. The chapter explains how students can use research for academic and practical impact. The examples also demonstrate how high-quality undergraduate research within business schools can productively inform thinking, behavior, and decision making outside of universities.