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The OR/MS Ecosystem: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

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  • ManMohan S. Sodhi

    (Cass Business School, City University London, London EC1Y 8TZ, United Kingdom)

  • Christopher S. Tang

    (Anderson School, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095)

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to Arthur Geoffrion, who serves as role model of a great researcher, educator, and practitioner. We believe that research, teaching, and practice are becoming increasingly disengaged from one another in the OR/MS ecosystem. This ecosystem comprises researchers, educators, and practitioners in its core along with end users, universities, and funding agencies. Continuing disengagement will result in OR/MS occupying only niche areas and disappearing as a distinct field even though its tools would live on. To understand the reasons for this disengagement better and to engender discussion among academics and practitioners on how to counter it, we present the ecosystem's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Incorporated in this paper are insights from a cluster of sessions at the 2006 INFORMS meeting in Pittsburgh (“Where Do We Want to Go in OR/MS?”) and from the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • ManMohan S. Sodhi & Christopher S. Tang, 2008. "The OR/MS Ecosystem: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 56(2), pages 267-277, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:56:y:2008:i:2:p:267-277
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.1080.0519
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Ulrike Reisach, 2016. "The creation of meaning and critical ethical reflection in operational research," EURO Journal on Decision Processes, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 4(1), pages 5-32, June.
    3. Romero-Silva, Rodrigo & de Leeuw, Sander, 2021. "Learning from the past to shape the future: A comprehensive text mining analysis of OR/MS reviews," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Agnetis, Alessandro & Bianciardi, Caterina & Iasparra, Nicola, 2019. "Integrating lean thinking and mathematical optimization: A case study in appointment scheduling of hematological treatments," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 6(C).
    5. Sanjay L. Ahire & John B. Jensen, 2017. "Snider Tire Optimizes Its Customers-Stores-Plants Transportation Network," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 47(2), pages 150-162, April.
    6. Michael F. Gorman, 2018. "A Survey of Research in Field-Based Education: A Summary of Process, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned," INFORMS Transactions on Education, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 145-161, May.
    7. David C. Lane, 2012. "What Is a ‘Policy Insight’?," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 590-595, November.
    8. Maria Besiou & Luk N. Van Wassenhove, 2020. "Humanitarian Operations: A World of Opportunity for Relevant and Impactful Research," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 135-145, January.
    9. David C. Lane, 2010. "OR FORUM---High Leverage Interventions: Three Cases of Defensive Action and Their Lessons for OR/MS Today," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1535-1547, December.
    10. David C. Lane, 2022. "Fons et origo: reflections on the 60th anniversary of Industrial Dynamics," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 38(3), pages 292-324, July.
    11. Jérémie Gallien & Stephen C. Graves & Alan Scheller-Wolf, 2016. "OM Forum—Practice-Based Research in Operations Management: What It Is, Why Do It, Related Challenges, and How to Overcome Them," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 5-14, February.
    12. J Rosenhead, 2009. "Reflections on fifty years of operational research," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(1), pages 5-15, May.
    13. Arho Suominen & Ozgur Dedehayir, 2017. "Pathways To A Drug: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Emergence," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(08), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Christopher S. Tang, 2016. "OM Forum—Making OM Research More Relevant: “Why?” and “How?”," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 18(2), pages 178-183, May.
    15. Jing Chen & Tsan-Ming Choi & Yu Amy Xia & Xiaohang Yue, 2020. "Preface: advances of real-case based operations research," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 291(1), pages 1-4, August.
    16. Peter W. Robertson & Martin K. Starr, 2022. "Genuine and sustained POM mastery from linear POM to POM system symphonies," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(12), pages 4628-4642, December.
    17. Sillanpää, Ville & Liesiö, Juuso & Käki, Anssi, 2021. "Procurement decisions over multiple periods under piecewise-linear shortage costs and fixed capacity commitments," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).

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