Dear Pharma Pals,

Can organizations afford to neglect core competencies? Are they teaching a shark to fly? Vishal Sharma and Ivy Louis write in this issue on the importance of training and developing internal capabilities. Are there consequences when organizations do not treat training with the same strategic intent as other core competencies for businesses? The article raises important questions about core organizational priorities vis-à-vis learning practices.

In the article on building a sustainable quality culture in life sciences, quality specialist Craig Jacobs offers a deceptively simple definition: quality culture is what happens when no one is watching. The output of processes when people are not “staring at it with a microscope” is the most honest indicator of quality culture.

The article discusses what quality culture means in practice, why it resists easy measurement, and how leaders and quality professionals can foster sustainable, accountable cultures across their organizations. Drawing on the “Four Ps” framework – purpose, people, process, and performance – it offers practical guidance for embedding quality into everyday work, shifting accountability beyond the quality function, and designing metrics that reinforce rather than undermine desired behaviours.

Also read Navdeep Singh Kathuria writing on organizational culture and its dynamics. Organizational culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, behaviours, and norms that shape how employees work, interact, and make decisions. It’s how people experience your workplace every day – from leadership style to team dynamics. 

Harjit Singh Dhaul
Publisher & Editor