A Midlife Crisis for Operations Research? New Fundamental Challenges for the Profession? Another View

John Rowse
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John Rowse: Department of Economics, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada

Interfaces, 1981, vol. 11, issue 1, 27-30

Abstract: In a recent article published in this journal, Fiksel [Fiksel, Joseph. 1980. Winning is not everything: The midlife crisis of operations research. Interfaces 10 (2) 106--107.] detects a midlife crisis in OR/MS. He perceives there to be two “fundamental challenges” facing the profession; the formulation of models embracing the “wholistic nature” of systems and the need to redirect problem-solving approaches toward “the evolving needs of society.” In addressing the second challenge the objective of “winning” is to be de-emphasized and other objectives stressed to a greater extent. I believe that arguments at odds with these sentiments are easily as persuasive or as plausible as those of Fiksel, and I would like to record several of these arguments.

Keywords: professional:; OR/MS; philosophy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1981
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orinte:v:11:y:1981:i:1:p:27-30

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