IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/jorsoc/v68y2017i8d10.1057_s41274-017-0245-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Complex socio-organisational phenomena and ill-defined problem spaces: a multi-method approach to the rescue

Author

Listed:
  • Irena Ali

    (Defence Science and Technology Group)

  • Mathew Zuparic

    (Defence Science and Technology Group)

  • Iain Macleod

    (Defence Science and Technology Group)

  • Phuong La

    (Defence Science and Technology Group)

  • Yi Yue

    (Defence Science and Technology Group)

Abstract

This paper reports on a multi-method (also referred to as mixed method) approach for studying complex socio-organisational phenomena where the problem space is ill-defined, and its utility in providing meaningful decision support to a branch within a military headquarters. The study comprised two phases: diagnostic (I) and intervention (II). The Phase I instruments were an organisation and team effectiveness survey and workforce modelling. Phase II involved a series of workshops situated in sensemaking and complexity theory. Combining the modelling results with qualitative and quantitative data provided by the survey resulted in: capitalisation on the strengths of individual methods while compensating for their weaknesses, a better delineation of issues and understanding of the branch processes, and provision of a solid foundation for design of the intervention workshops. This research design integrates multiple organisational measures to develop instruments suitable for application in other settings where problem definitions are nebulous.

Suggested Citation

  • Irena Ali & Mathew Zuparic & Iain Macleod & Phuong La & Yi Yue, 2017. "Complex socio-organisational phenomena and ill-defined problem spaces: a multi-method approach to the rescue," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(8), pages 919-934, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:jorsoc:v:68:y:2017:i:8:d:10.1057_s41274-017-0245-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41274-017-0245-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41274-017-0245-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41274-017-0245-0?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. X Chen & F B Zhan, 2008. "Agent-based modelling and simulation of urban evacuation: relative effectiveness of simultaneous and staged evacuation strategies," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(1), pages 25-33, January.
    2. Rajagopal, 2014. "The Human Factors," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Architecting Enterprise, chapter 9, pages 225-249, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. Kathleen M. Sutcliffe & Gerry McNamara, 2001. "Controlling Decision-Making Practice in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(4), pages 484-501, August.
    4. Graeme S. Pauley & Richard J. Ormerod, 1998. "The Evolution of a Performance Measurement Project at RTZ," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 28(4), pages 94-118, August.
    5. Sean Barnes & Bruce Golden & Stuart Price, 2013. "Applications of Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation to Healthcare Operations Management," International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, in: Brian T. Denton (ed.), Handbook of Healthcare Operations Management, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 45-74, Springer.
    6. Mingers, John & Brocklesby, John, 1997. "Multimethodology: Towards a framework for mixing methodologies," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 489-509, October.
    7. Mingers, John & Rosenhead, Jonathan, 2004. "Problem structuring methods in action," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(3), pages 530-554, February.
    8. Henry Mintzberg, 1980. "Structure in 5's: A Synthesis of the Research on Organization Design," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 322-341, March.
    9. I Munro & J Mingers, 2002. "The use of multimethodology in practice—results of a survey of practitioners," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 53(4), pages 369-378, April.
    10. Schelling, Thomas C, 1969. "Models of Segregation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(2), pages 488-493, May.
    11. Karl E. Weick & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe & David Obstfeld, 2005. "Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 409-421, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Small, Adrian & Wainwright, David, 2018. "Privacy and security of electronic patient records – Tailoring multimethodology to explore the socio-political problems associated with Role Based Access Control systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 265(1), pages 344-360.
    2. K Kotiadis & J Mingers, 2006. "Combining PSMs with hard OR methods: the philosophical and practical challenges," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 57(7), pages 856-867, July.
    3. Santos, Sérgio P. & Belton, Valerie & Howick, Susan & Pilkington, Martin, 2018. "Measuring organisational performance using a mix of OR methods," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 18-30.
    4. Espinosa, Angela & Reficco, Ezequiel & Martínez, Andrea & Guzmán, David, 2015. "A methodology for supporting strategy implementation based on the VSM: A case study in a Latin-American multi-national," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 240(1), pages 202-212.
    5. T E van der Lei & W A H Thissen, 2009. "Quantitative problem structuring methods for multi-actor problems: an analysis of reported applications," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(9), pages 1198-1206, September.
    6. Alireza Moumivand & Adel Azar & Abbas Toloie Eshlaghy, 2022. "Combined soft system methodology and agent‐based simulation for multi‐methodological modelling," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 200-217, March.
    7. Georgiou, Ion, 2012. "Messing about in transformations: Structured systemic planning for systemic solutions to systemic problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 223(2), pages 392-406.
    8. Smith, Chris M. & Shaw, Duncan, 2019. "The characteristics of problem structuring methods: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(2), pages 403-416.
    9. Trutnevyte, Evelina & Stauffacher, Michael & Scholz, Roland W., 2012. "Linking stakeholder visions with resource allocation scenarios and multi-criteria assessment," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 219(3), pages 762-772.
    10. Rajneesh Chowdhury, 2023. "Methodological Flexibility in Systems Thinking: Musings from the Standpoint of a Systems Consultant," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 59-86, February.
    11. G A Hindle & L A Franco, 2009. "Combining problem structuring methods to conduct applied research: a mixed methods approach to studying fitness-to-drive in the UK," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(12), pages 1637-1648, December.
    12. Scott, Rodney J & Cavana, Robert Y & Cameron, Donald, 2016. "Recent evidence on the effectiveness of group model building," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(3), pages 908-918.
    13. Daniel E. Ufua & Odunayo P. Salau & Joseph A. Dada & Mosunmola O. Adeyeye, 2020. "Application of Systems Approach to Achieving Cleaner and Sustainable Environment: A study of Waste Dumping Issue on Idiroko Road, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 20/007, African Governance and Development Institute..
    14. Carayannis, Elias G. & Grigoroudis, Evangelos & Wurth, Bernd, 2022. "OR for entrepreneurial ecosystems: A problem-oriented review and agenda," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 300(3), pages 791-808.
    15. Ferretti, V., 2021. "Framing territorial regeneration decisions: Purpose, perspective and scope," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Zlatanović, Dejana, 2015. "Combined Use of Systems Methodologies in Creative Managing the Problem Situations: Key Features, Benefits and Challenges," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2015), Kotor, Montengero, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Kotor, Montengero, 10-11 September 2015, pages 19-26, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    17. Mingers, John & White, Leroy, 2010. "A review of the recent contribution of systems thinking to operational research and management science," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(3), pages 1147-1161, December.
    18. Ion Georgiou & Joaquim Heck, 2021. "The emergence of problem structuring methods, 1950s–1989: An atlas of the journal literature," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(6), pages 756-796, November.
    19. Daniel E. Ufua & Odunayo P. Salau & Joseph A. Dada & Mosunmola O. Adeyeye, 2020. "Application of Systems Approach to Achieving Cleaner and Sustainable Environment: A study of Waste Dumping Issue on Idiroko Road, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/007, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    20. Müller, Matthias Otto & Groesser, Stefan N. & Ulli-Beer, Silvia, 2012. "How do we know who to include in collaborative research? Toward a method for the identification of experts," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(2), pages 495-502.

    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:pal:jorsoc:v:68:y:2017:i:8:d:10.1057_s41274-017-0245-0. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    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.