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Messing About in Problems

Messing About in Problems Messing About in Problems. Colin Eden, Sue Jones, and David Simms. (Frontiers of Operational Research and Applied Systems Analysis; Vol. 1). Pergamon International Library. €12.25H, €6F. Russ Ackoff, a leading figure in the Operational Research field, has observed that the job of most managers is not to solve problems but to sort out ‘messes’. The authors are academics based in the Centre for Organisational Change and Development at Bath University. Through direct consultancy work and by association with professional operational researchers they have much experience in tackling the organisational ‘messes’spoken of by Ackoff, and it is to this that their title refers. Although the authors are to be seen at gatherings of operational researchers, they are really skilled at what is known as ‘soft OR. The essence of soft OR is to recognise that many of the more difficult organisational problems are multi-faceted, very difficult to put numbers to, and basically peoplecentred anyway. In addition, circumstances are probably changing so that no fixed solution is likely to last very long. Such problems are better handled by participation, negotiation and consensus rather than ‘objective’ analytical methods. Soft OR is so named to distinguish it from ‘hard OR. Hard OR deals in ‘hard facts and problems with precisely specifiable solutions, whereas soft OR deals with ‘messes’. Compared with soft OR, hard OR is easy. In addition, because hard OR uses testable techniques it is scientifically respectable. Soft OR often draws on the less scientific disciplines such as psychology and sociology in its search for control of the messes it seeks to do something about, and is therefore considered less academically respectable. The book aims first to assist those who need to tackle messy problems. It describes a method developed over the years which can assist people to organise and facilitate their working on the murky problems of organisational life. The approach is called ‘cognitive mapping’ and the book illustrates its use in the context of a real case study. Cognitive mapping has a strong (to me) family resemblance to the R&D Management 15,3, 1985 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png R & D Management Wiley

Messing About in Problems

Eden, Colin; Jones, Sue; Simms, David
R & D Management , Volume 15 (3) – Jul 1, 1985
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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0033-6807
eISSN
1467-9310
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-9310.1985.tb00550.x
Publisher site
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Abstract

Messing About in Problems. Colin Eden, Sue Jones, and David Simms. (Frontiers of Operational Research and Applied Systems Analysis; Vol. 1). Pergamon International Library. €12.25H, €6F. Russ Ackoff, a leading figure in the Operational Research field, has observed that the job of most managers is not to solve problems but to sort out ‘messes’. The authors are academics based in the Centre for Organisational Change and Development at Bath University. Through direct consultancy work and by association with professional operational researchers they have much experience in tackling the organisational ‘messes’spoken of by Ackoff, and it is to this that their title refers. Although the authors are to be seen at gatherings of operational researchers, they are really skilled at what is known as ‘soft OR. The essence of soft OR is to recognise that many of the more difficult organisational problems are multi-faceted, very difficult to put numbers to, and basically peoplecentred anyway. In addition, circumstances are probably changing so that no fixed solution is likely to last very long. Such problems are better handled by participation, negotiation and consensus rather than ‘objective’ analytical methods. Soft OR is so named to distinguish it from ‘hard OR. Hard OR deals in ‘hard facts and problems with precisely specifiable solutions, whereas soft OR deals with ‘messes’. Compared with soft OR, hard OR is easy. In addition, because hard OR uses testable techniques it is scientifically respectable. Soft OR often draws on the less scientific disciplines such as psychology and sociology in its search for control of the messes it seeks to do something about, and is therefore considered less academically respectable. The book aims first to assist those who need to tackle messy problems. It describes a method developed over the years which can assist people to organise and facilitate their working on the murky problems of organisational life. The approach is called ‘cognitive mapping’ and the book illustrates its use in the context of a real case study. Cognitive mapping has a strong (to me) family resemblance to the R&D Management 15,3, 1985

Journal

R & D Management – Wiley

Published: Jul 1, 1985

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