Extending OR - Theoretical grounding

Rosenhead's (1986) initiative with COR: Community Operations Research seeks to enrich OR methodology by bringing it into contact with the different sorts of problem faced by community organizations.

Jackson (1988) proposed

broader conception of OR embracing, for example, systems analysis, cybernetics and soft systems thinking as well as the classical methodology and techniques. I have elsewhere2 called this 'enhanced OR', and made the case that such a conception of the discipline is necessary if it is to be relevant to ill-structured problems of the kind found in helping community groups, at the strategic level in organizations and in tackling social issues.

References

• Jackson, M. C. (1988) Some methodologies for community operational research. J. Opl Res. Soc. 39, 715-724.
• Rosenhead, J. (1986) Custom and practice. J. Opl Res. Soc. 37, 335-343.