Understanding the Role of or/MS in the Strategic Decisions of Colombian Organisations - An Exploratory Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Operational Research & Management Science has been defined as the field that provides analytical methodologies to make better decisions. It offers an ample set of tools to facilitate the analysis of complex organisational issues and enlighten decision-making. Nonetheless, it has also been argued that the role it actually plays for corporate strategic decisions is not as key as one would expect it. This article aims at exploring the role that OR/MS plays at the corporate level of a sample of Colombian organisations. To this end, primary information was collected through an online survey that sought to identify the various types of problems they commonly face, the tools mostly employed, and the processes they normally follow. The results suggest limited use of tools at the corporate level of the organisations surveyed. We conclude the paper with some reflections and recommendations for reversing this situation that are worthy of further research.