We present an exercise for teaching the transportation problem using a mix of spatial and randomly generated data. It illustrates the potential of using qualitative and quantitative data and is suitable for undergraduate or introductory business school courses on operations research (OR), logistics, and supply chain management. It poses two…

Design-thinking is an inductive and participatory process in which designers are required to manage constraints, generate solutions, and follow project timelines in order to complete project goals. The researchers used this exploration study to look at how designers in various disciplinary fields approach design projects. Designers were asked to…

Operational gaming is a kind of decision simulation where the players make decisions within the framework of a simulated operating system. For the game to have value in developing vocational awareness, the decision-making exercise should be structured around a model of real life vocational decisions. The gaming experience aims toward helping the…

The use of mathematical models originally developed by economists and operations researchers is described for legal process research. Situations involving plea bargaining, arraignment, and civil liberties illustrate the applicability of decision theory, inventory modeling, and linear programming in operations research. (LBH)

Noting that mathematical modeling is a relatively new phenomenon in higher education and that much can be learned from the misdirections and mistakes that characterize modeling in general, the author describes major criticisms of modeling and suggests improvements, particularly in communication between modelers and potential model users. (JT)

Suggests a program of research in Management Information Systems (MIS) by means of identifying five general considerations for any MIS design -- psychological type, class of problem, method of evidence, organizational context, and mode of presentation. Argues that a full program of MIS research should test the interaction effects of all possible…

Describes a group project that involves geometry and falls into an area of mathematics known as operations research, which is crucial to making decisions in business and industry. Includes problem statements and project assessment guidelines and illustrates solutions. (KHR)

This extension of Harris' classification system permits classification of the interval-scale properties of any 2 x 2 (two person, two choice) game. The system is compared to taxonomies developed by various previous researchers. It is shown to permit compact description of any 2 x 2 game as an octet of numbers. It also permits rapid classification…

Operations research (OR) is the use of measurable interrelationships to explain the predictable links between measured phenomena and variable outcomes. Provides examples of OR techniques in school business management. (MLF)

Describes the current state of knowledge about human decision-making and problem-solving processes, explaining recent developments and their implications for management and management training. Rational goal-setting is the key to effective decision making and accomplishment. Bounded rationality is a realistic orientation, because the world is too…

This paper explores the fault-tree analysis approach to isolating failure modes within a system. Fault tree investigates potentially undesirable events and then looks for failures in sequence that would lead to their occurring. Relationships among these events are symbolized by AND or OR logic gates, AND used when single events must coexist to…

The demand for administrators and specialists trained in quantitative concepts and skills has increased across the last decade mainly as a result of the accountability movement. Quantitative methods can greatly assist the school administrator in certain decisionmaking processes, although it is essential that he be able to distinguish between those…

The report begins with a brief examination of the role of computer modeling in management decision-making. Then, some of the difficulties of implementing computer modeling are examined, and finally, the educational implications of these issues are raised, and a comparison is made between what is currently being done and what might be done to…

This text provides educational administrators with a working knowledge of the problem-solving techniques of PERT (planning, evaluation, and review technique), Linear Programming, Queueing Theory, and Simulation. The text includes an introduction to decision-making and operations research, four chapters consisting of indepth explanations of each…