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A Classification of the Philosophical Assumptions of Management Science Methods.

Mingers, John (2003) A Classification of the Philosophical Assumptions of Management Science Methods. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 54 (6). pp. 559-570. ISSN 0160-5682. (doi:10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601436) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:3909)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601436

Abstract

Abstract: This paper presents a framework within which to examine and compare the main philosophical assumptions underpinning management science methods. It takes the position that they all have in common the basic mechanism of modelling, but that they differ in terms of what they model (ontology), how they model (epistemology), and why they model (axiology). A wide range of both hard and soft methods and methodologies ace categorised within the paper. One of the purposes of the framework is to assist in the process of multimethodology-that is, combining together several methods in an intervention. In particular, it will assist users in understanding both the implicit or explicit assumptions underlying methods, and their principle aims and purposes, in order to be able to make more informed and critically aware choices when designing particular combinations in practice.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601436
Uncontrolled keywords: critical OR/systems; hard OR/systems; methodology; multimethodology; paradigm; pluralism; soft OR/systems
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HA Statistics > HA33 Management Science
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Analytics, Operations and Systems
Depositing User: John Mingers
Date Deposited: 01 Sep 2008 07:09 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:42 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/3909 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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