Title: Putting some science in management science: investigating Little's Law

Authors: Todd Schultz, James Grayson

Addresses: Hull College of Business, Augusta State University, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta GA 30904, USA. ' Hull College of Business, Augusta State University, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta GA 30904, USA

Abstract: We walk through a step-by-step hands-on pedagogical treatment for introducing Little|s Law to operations management undergraduates and provide some statistical evidence of its usefulness. Our approach emphasises the scientific method of observation, hypothesis development, and development of theory, contrasting with the more typical textbook approach of presenting formulas and conclusions first and, perhaps, establishing their validity as a follow-up.

Keywords: Little|s Law; manual simulation; product flow; scientific method; management science; operations management; OM education; undergraduate education; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2008.019652

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2008 Vol.2 No.3, pp.302 - 314

Published online: 18 Jul 2008 *

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