Basic Social Math - Beyond Statistics

Basic Social MathBasic Social MathBeyond Statistics — Testing Paradigms Against Empirical EvidenceBeyond Statistics — Testing Paradigms Against Empirical Evidence

© 2012 By Jared Lee HansonPresented on 26 June 2012 at the Beijing INFORMS International Meeting

Losing the Power of

Abstraction

Losing the Power of

Abstraction

Why don’t our calculations generalize across social contexts of operation?

Assumptive vs Theoretic Generalization (Meredith, 1998)

Why don’t our calculations generalize across social contexts of operation?

Assumptive vs Theoretic Generalization (Meredith, 1998)

• OR/MS Identity Crisis: Bipolar Disorder?• OR/MS Identity Crisis: Bipolar Disorder?

Quantitative vs QualitativeQuantitative vs Qualitative

• The role of the observer in calculating meaning

• Subjectivity from social constructions & cultural bias

• The role of the observer in calculating meaning

• Subjectivity from social constructions & cultural bias

Problem of LanguageProblem of Language

How do we re-establish objectivity in our computations?

How do we re-establish objectivity in our computations?

Problem of ParadigmsProblem of Paradigms

What questions do we ask to do epicycle

calculations?

What questions do we ask to do statistical

calculations?

What questions do we ask to do epicycle

calculations?

What questions do we ask to do statistical

calculations?

• Adding Epicycles & Model Complexity• Adding Epicycles & Model Complexity

Are We Asking Questions

That Lead to Innovation?

Are We Asking Questions

That Lead to Innovation?

• Do Planets Actually Move Through Space in This Way?

• Do Planets Actually Move Through Space in This Way?

• Ending the Rigor vs Relevance Debate

(Gulati, 2007)

• Ending the Rigor vs Relevance Debate

(Gulati, 2007)

Establishing Direct

Correspondence to

Empirical Evidence

Establishing Direct

Correspondence to

Empirical Evidence

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/06/12090848-your-views-and-videos-of-venus?lite

“Decision making is a fundamental particle of management” (Noonan, 2007)

“Lack of empirics in the modeling culture is an unaddressed issue”

(Hubbard & Samuelson, 2009)

Anchoring on Empirics

Anchoring on Empirics

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120609.html

Achieving New Perspectives of Observation

Achieving New Perspectives of Observation

• Testing Paradigms Against Empirical Evidence

• Anchoring to Empirical Processes in order to Frame and Navigate Complex Problems

• Testing Paradigms Against Empirical Evidence

• Anchoring to Empirical Processes in order to Frame and Navigate Complex Problems

Basic Social MathBasic Social Math

ReferencesReferences• Gulati, Ranjay. “Tent Poles, Tribalism, and Boundary Spanning:

The Rigor-Relevance Debate in Management Research.” Academy of Management Journal, v50 (4) 2007: 775-782.

• Hubbard, Douglas, and Douglas A. Samuelson. “Modeling Without Measurements.” ORMS Today, v36 (5) 2009: 26.

• Meredith, Jack. “Building Operations Management Theory Through Case and Field Research.” Journal of Operations Management, v16, 1998: 441-454.

• Noonan, Patrick S. "Designing, Selling a Hybrid Course." ORMS Today, v34 (4) 2007: 10.

• Gulati, Ranjay. “Tent Poles, Tribalism, and Boundary Spanning: The Rigor-Relevance Debate in Management Research.” Academy of Management Journal, v50 (4) 2007: 775-782.

• Hubbard, Douglas, and Douglas A. Samuelson. “Modeling Without Measurements.” ORMS Today, v36 (5) 2009: 26.

• Meredith, Jack. “Building Operations Management Theory Through Case and Field Research.” Journal of Operations Management, v16, 1998: 441-454.

• Noonan, Patrick S. "Designing, Selling a Hybrid Course." ORMS Today, v34 (4) 2007: 10.