Synthesising constructivism and critical realism

towards critical pluralism

John Mingers

pp. 187-204

in: Diederik Aerts, Hubert Van Belle, Jan Van Der Veken (eds), World views and the problem of synthesis, Berlin, Springer, 1999

Abstract

The discipline within which I work is generally known as management science. It aims to assist the management of organisations using a broadly-defined scientific approach. Within management science, I have worked particularly in operational research (OR) and information systems (IS). My work is generally informed by a systems approach. Historically, management science developed with a very positivistic view of science [1]. OR, for example, was concerned largely to develop mathematical and computer-based models of the quantifiable aspects of problem situations in order that these might be "optimised", while systems methodologies were based on "hard", engineering principles.