Community-Based Operations Research: Decision Modeling for Local Impact and Diverse Populations

Book Overview

This edited volume is an introduction to diverse methods and applications in operations research focused on local populations and community-based organizations that have the potential to improve the lives of individuals and communities in tangible ways. The book's themes include: space, place and community; disadvantaged, underrepresented or underserved populations; international and transnational applications; multimethod, cross-disciplinary and comparative approaches and appropriate technology; and analytics. The book is comprised of eleven original submissions, a re-print of a 2007 article by Johnson and Smilowitz that introduces CBOR, and an introductory chapter that provides policy motivation, antecedents to CBOR in OR/MS, a theory of CBOR and a comprehensive review of the chapters. It is hoped that this book will provide a resource to academics and practitioners who seek to develop methods and applications that bridge the divide between traditional OR/MS rooted in mathematical models and newer streams in 'soft OR' that emphasize problem structuring methods, critical approaches to OR/MS and community engagement and capacity-building.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1461429544
• ISBN13: 9781461429548
• Release Date: October 2013
• Publisher: Springer
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"