IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/sysdyn/v34y2018i1-2p327-353.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

SD meets OR: a new synergy to address policy problems

Author

Listed:
  • Navid Ghaffarzadegan
  • Richard C. Larson

Abstract

We reflect on our past 7 years of collaboration to develop systems models of U.S. higher education and scientific workforce development. Based on three recent modeling examples, we offer a methodological proposition that many traditional operations research (OR) models can be improved by including feedback processes, as is commonly done in system dynamics (SD) modeling. Such models, even if simple and approximate, can be powerful, insightful, easy to communicate, and effective. While these modeling examples may not follow conventional SD or OR modeling, they benefit from and contribute to both schools of modeling. We argue that to build such synergy modeling teams should be willing to create models building on the strengths of each school of modeling. Copyright © 2018 System Dynamics Society

Suggested Citation

  • Navid Ghaffarzadegan & Richard C. Larson, 2018. "SD meets OR: a new synergy to address policy problems," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 34(1-2), pages 327-353, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:sysdyn:v:34:y:2018:i:1-2:p:327-353
    DOI: 10.1002/sdr.1598
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sdr.1598
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sdr.1598?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. C. J. Ancker & A. V. Gafarian, 1963. "Some Queuing Problems with Balking and Reneging. I," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 88-100, February.
    2. Joglekar, Nitin R. & Ford, David N., 2005. "Product development resource allocation with foresight," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(1), pages 72-87, January.
    3. C. J. Ancker & A. V. Gafarian, 1963. "Some Queuing Problems with Balking and Reneging---II," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 11(6), pages 928-937, December.
    4. Larson, Richard C., 2017. "Cross-sectional surveys: Inferring total eventual time in current state using only elapsed time-to-date," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-13.
    5. Tarek Abdel-Hamid & Felix Ankel & Michele Battle-Fisher & Bryan Gibson & Gilberto Gonzalez-Parra & Mohammad Jalali & Kirsikka Kaipainen & Nishan Kalupahana & Ozge Karanfil & Achla Marathe & Brian Mart, 2014. "Public and health professionals’ misconceptions about the dynamics of body weight gain/loss," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 30(1-2), pages 58-74, January.
    6. Niyousha Hosseinichimeh & Hazhir Rahmandad & Mohammad S. Jalali & Andrea K. Wittenborn, 2016. "Estimating the parameters of system dynamics models using indirect inference," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 32(2), pages 154-178, April.
    7. P.J. Lamberson, 2016. "Winner-take-all or long tail? A behavioral model of markets with increasing returns," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 32(3-4), pages 233-260, July.
    8. Cronin, Matthew A. & Gonzalez, Cleotilde & Sterman, John D., 2009. "Why don't well-educated adults understand accumulation? A challenge to researchers, educators, and citizens," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 116-130, January.
    9. Saleh, Mohamed & Oliva, Rogelio & Kampmann, Christian Erik & Davidsen, Pål I., 2010. "A comprehensive analytical approach for policy analysis of system dynamics models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(3), pages 673-683, June.
    10. Navid Ghaffarzadegan & Joshua Hawley & Richard Larson & Yi Xue, 2015. "A Note on PhD Population Growth in Biomedical Sciences," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 402-405, May.
    11. Oliva, Rogelio, 2003. "Model calibration as a testing strategy for system dynamics models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(3), pages 552-568, December.
    12. Mark Paich & John D. Sterman, 1993. "Boom, Bust, and Failures to Learn in Experimental Markets," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(12), pages 1439-1458, December.
    13. Frank M. Bass, 1969. "A New Product Growth for Model Consumer Durables," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 15(5), pages 215-227, January.
    14. Frank Haight, 1959. "Queueing with reneging," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 186-197, December.
    15. Andrew Ford, 1990. "Estimating the Impact of Efficiency Standards on the Uncertainty of the Northwest Electric System," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 38(4), pages 580-597, August.
    16. Richard C. Larson & Navid Ghaffarzadegan & Yi Xue, 2014. "Too Many PhD Graduates or Too Few Academic Job Openings: The Basic Reproductive Number R0 in Academia," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 745-750, November.
    17. Özge Karanfil & Yaman Barlas, 2008. "A Dynamic Simulator for the Management of Disorders of the Body Water Homeostasis," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 56(6), pages 1474-1492, December.
    18. Hazhir Rahmandad & John Sterman, 2008. "Heterogeneity and Network Structure in the Dynamics of Diffusion: Comparing Agent-Based and Differential Equation Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(5), pages 998-1014, May.
    19. D F Andersen & J A M Vennix & G P Richardson & E A J A Rouwette, 2007. "Group model building: problem structuring, policy simulation and decision support," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 691-694, May.
    20. John D. Sterman, 1989. "Modeling Managerial Behavior: Misperceptions of Feedback in a Dynamic Decision Making Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(3), pages 321-339, March.
    21. Sterman, John D., 1989. "Misperceptions of feedback in dynamic decision making," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 301-335, June.
    22. Radboud J. Duintjer Tebbens & Kimberly M. Thompson, 2009. "Priority Shifting and the Dynamics of Managing Eradicable Infectious Diseases," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(4), pages 650-663, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Navid Ghaffarzadegan & Sarah Mostafavi & Hyunjung Kim, 2023. "Sociotechnical interdependencies and tipping‐point dynamics in data‐intensive services," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 39(1), pages 5-31, January.
    2. Rosa Hendijani, 2021. "Analytical thinking, Little's Law understanding, and stock‐flow performance: two empirical studies," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 37(2-3), pages 99-125, April.
    3. Edward G. Anderson & David R. Keith & Jose Lopez, 2023. "Opportunities for system dynamics research in operations management for public policy," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(6), pages 1895-1920, June.
    4. James Paine, 2023. "Dynamic supply chains with endogenous dispositions," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 39(1), pages 32-63, January.
    5. Paulo Gonçalves, 2022. "Back to basics: fundamental principles of system dynamics and queueing theory," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 38(1), pages 81-92, January.
    6. Navid Ghaffarzadegan & Hazhir Rahmandad, 2020. "Simulation‐based estimation of the early spread of COVID‐19 in Iran: actual versus confirmed cases," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 36(1), pages 101-129, January.
    7. Hendijani, Rosa, 2021. "The effect of thinking style on dynamic systems performance: The mediating role of stock-flow understanding," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    8. Navid Ghaffarzadegan & Ran Xu, 2018. "Late retirement, early careers, and the aging of U.S. science and engineering professors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Negar Darabi & Niyousha Hosseinichimeh, 2020. "System dynamics modeling in health and medicine: a systematic literature review," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 36(1), pages 29-73, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. John Sterman, 2018. "System dynamics at sixty: the path forward," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 34(1-2), pages 5-47, January.
    2. Ghaffarzadegan, Navid & Xue, Yi & Larson, Richard C., 2017. "Work-education mismatch: An endogenous theory of professionalization," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 261(3), pages 1085-1097.
    3. Lane, David C. & Rouwette, Etiënne A.J.A., 2023. "Towards a behavioural system dynamics: Exploring its scope and delineating its promise," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(2), pages 777-794.
    4. Federico Cosenz & Guido Noto, 2016. "Applying System Dynamics Modelling to Strategic Management: A Literature Review," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(6), pages 703-741, November.
    5. Strohhecker, Jürgen & Leyer, Michael, 2019. "How stock-flow failure and general cognitive ability impact performance in operational dynamic control tasks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 276(3), pages 1044-1055.
    6. David C. Lane & Birgit Kopainsky & David C. Lane, 2017. "‘Behavioural System Dynamics’: A Very Tentative and Slightly Sceptical Map of the Territory," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 414-423, July.
    7. James Rogers & Edward J. Gallaher & David Dingli, 2018. "Personalized ESA doses for anemia management in hemodialysis patients with end‐stage renal disease," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 34(1-2), pages 121-153, January.
    8. Martin F. G. Schaffernicht & Stefan N. Groesser, 2016. "A competence development framework for learning and teaching system dynamics," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 32(1), pages 52-81, January.
    9. Edward G. Anderson & David R. Keith & Jose Lopez, 2023. "Opportunities for system dynamics research in operations management for public policy," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(6), pages 1895-1920, June.
    10. Hendijani, Rosa, 2021. "The effect of thinking style on dynamic systems performance: The mediating role of stock-flow understanding," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    11. Stephen A. Spiller & Nicholas Reinholtz & Sam J. Maglio, 2020. "Judgments Based on Stocks and Flows: Different Presentations of the Same Data Can Lead to Opposing Inferences," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(5), pages 2213-2231, May.
    12. Erling Moxnes & Pål I. Davidsen, 2016. "Intuitive understanding of steady-state and transient behaviors," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 32(2), pages 128-153, April.
    13. John Sterman, 2011. "Communicating climate change risks in a skeptical world," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 108(4), pages 811-826, October.
    14. Liang Qi & Cleotilde Gonzalez, 2015. "Mathematical knowledge is related to understanding stocks and flows: results from two nations," System Dynamics Review, System Dynamics Society, vol. 31(3), pages 97-114, July.
    15. Arango, Santiago & Moxnes, Erling, 2012. "Commodity cycles, a function of market complexity? Extending the cobweb experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 321-334.
    16. Hazhir Rahmandad & Nelson Repenning, 2016. "Capability erosion dynamics," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 649-672, April.
    17. Gibson, Faison P., 2000. "Feedback Delays: How Can Decision Makers Learn Not to Buy a New Car Every Time the Garage Is Empty?," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 83(1), pages 141-166, September.
    18. Sarah Gerritsen & Sophia Harré & David Rees & Ana Renker-Darby & Ann E. Bartos & Wilma E. Waterlander & Boyd Swinburn, 2020. "Community Group Model Building as a Method for Engaging Participants and Mobilising Action in Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-12, May.
    19. Casey, Thomas R. & Töyli, Juuso, 2012. "Mobile voice diffusion and service competition: A system dynamic analysis of regulatory policy," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 162-174.
    20. Dutta, Amitava & Puvvala, Abhinay & Roy, Rahul & Seetharaman, Priya, 2017. "Technology diffusion: Shift happens — The case of iOS and Android handsets," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 28-43.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:sysdyn:v:34:y:2018:i:1-2:p:327-353. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/0883-7066 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.