A proposed role for models and simulations in management research

Robert K. Perrons and Ken Platts

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2006, vol. 3, issue 3, 245-253

Abstract: Overall, computer models and simulations have a rather disappointing record within the management sciences as a tool for predicting the future. Social and market environments can be influenced by an overwhelming number of variables, and it is therefore difficult to use computer models to make forecasts or to test hypotheses concerning the relationship between individual behaviours and macroscopic outcomes. At the same time, however, advocates of computer models argue that they can be used to overcome the human mind's inability to cope with several complex variables simultaneously or to understand concepts that are highly counterintuitive. This paper seeks to bridge the gap between these two perspectives by suggesting that management research can indeed benefit from computer models by using them to formulate fruitful hypotheses.

Keywords: hypotheses; management science; modelling; prediction; simulation; management research. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=9220 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijilea:v:3:y:2006:i:3:p:245-253

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Innovation and Learning from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().