This study investigates the use of using complexity theory--the study of nonlinear dynamical systems of which chaos and catastrophe theory are subsets--in the analysis of a non temporal data set to derive valuable insights into the functioning of university schools of business. The approach is unusual in that studies of nonlinearity in complex…

A review of the current status of data processing (DP) in management information systems, including the functions assigned to DP in organizations, what it was designed to do, and levels of training of personnel, provides the basis for an examination of new demands on DP. An approach which is advocated as a means of overcoming many of the…

Addressed to both librarians and systems analysts, this book attempts to apply the analytic methods of operations research and systems analysis to the operating problems of the library. The first part of the book discusses theoretical models with emphasis on the pattern of book use, on its change with time and on the problem of estimating and…

The greater organizational complexity of libraries and information centers in recent years has given rise to more complex problems for managers. To facilitate solutions, operations research (OR) techniques have been developed that consider the quantitative dimensions of problems along with their political and organizational aspects. Eight standard…

The objectives of this study are to ensure that the resources at the disposal of the librarian are deployed in a manner which will effectively contribute to the purposes of the university. User behavior is explored in an attempt to solve the difficulties that arise in library planning and management, such as: (1) the relationship between length of…

The objectives of this study are to ensure that the resources at the disposal of the librarian are deployed in a manner which will effectively contribute to the purposes of the university. User behavior is explored in an attempt to solve the difficulties that arise in library planning and management, such as: (1) the relationship between length of…

This paper explores the fault-tree analysis approach to isolating failure modes within a system. Fault tree investigates potentially undesirable events and then looks for failures in sequence that would lead to their occurring. Relationships among these events are symbolized by AND or OR logic gates, AND used when single events must coexist to…

The demand for administrators and specialists trained in quantitative concepts and skills has increased across the last decade mainly as a result of the accountability movement. Quantitative methods can greatly assist the school administrator in certain decisionmaking processes, although it is essential that he be able to distinguish between those…

THIS ARTICLE OUTLINED THE CURRENT STATUS OF QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH (OR), SKETCHED THE STRENGTHS OF TRAINING EFFORTS AND ISOLATED WEAKNESSES, AND FORMULATED WORKABLE CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SUCCESS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAMS. A SURVEY OF 105 COMPANIES REVEALED THAT PERT, INVENTORY CONTROL THEORY AND LINEAR…

The methods of operations research (OR) can make many contributions to the solution of the complex problems which beset urban education. OR techniques such as PERT are useful aids to planning school construction, budgets, and research projects. System planning models can be used to represent urban educational systems and to predict the effects of…