Management Education and Management Science

The paper traces the development of thought on management education leading up to the present day and what is described as the “systems concept” of management. The development of this concept in courses at the University of Strathclyde, Churchill College, Cambridge, and the undergraduate course at University of Khartoum is discussed. The relationship of training for operational research and the use of operational research in management training is also discussed.     

Introductory Management Science

Journal of the Operational Research Society -     

The Decentralization of Management Science and the Birth of Self-Starters

In this paper, the authors provide a commentary on current trends in management science. This commentary is based largely on US experience gleaned from published material. This material indicates that the environment of management science is rapidly changing. Personal computers, end-user computing, the information centre, other information system elements and the general competitive state of many US organizations provide significant changes. Opportunities for interdisciplinary activity, through decision support systems, expert systems, strategic planning and material requirements planning, exist even more than in the past. This opportunity for growth may occur through ‘self-starters’. Self-starters are line managers who develop their own management science projects without direction from above or the direct assistance of management science staff. The current environment, the decentralization of management science and the birth of self-starters are discussed, as well as implications of this trend.     

Impact of Management Science in Mobil

The orientation of management science in Mobil is that of joint problem solving. Teams of management scientists and line management solve and implement solutions to problems with terms of reference given by senior management. This has resulted in an effective programme which is illustrated here by the work in one aspect of the petroleum industry, the distribution of products from Refinery to customer.     

Recent Developments in Critical Management Science

For much of its history management science had a quantitative and technical emphasis. More recently, there has been a move towards more subjective approaches such as ‘soft OR’ and ‘soft systems’. Currently, there is interest in ‘critical management science’ drawing on critical theory, particularly the work of Habermas. This paper reviews developments in critical management science, in particular critiques of traditional and ‘soft’ management science; Jackson and Keys' system of systems methodology; critical management science methodologies and the problem of power in bringing about change; and the postmodernist critique.     

The Role of Teacher Stance When Infusing Inquiry Questioning Into Middle School Science Classrooms

The purpose of this study was to describe how a teacher's stance of wonder, curiosity, and exploration during the use of hypothetical inquiry situations served as a way for the teacher to address her goals for students to be more vocal members of the learning community; to encourage critical and creative thinking in the students; to provide them with meaningful, context-rich opportunities for synthesizing personal past experience with ongoing classroom instruction; to enhance socialization skills in the middle school environment; and to provide an improvisational atmosphere for both learning and teaching.