Title: The practice of operations research in Jordanian industry: a field study

Authors: A.A.S. Al-Zawahreh, M.A.A. Cox

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13115, Jordan. ' School of Psychology, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK

Abstract: This study is concerned with the evaluation of the status of operations research (OR) practice, training and its diffusion into Jordanian industrial shareholding companies. The purpose of such an evaluation is to explore the level of OR awareness. To discover the extent of acceptance and implementation of OR and the adequacy of computing and training facilities in OR. It also attempts to identify the obstacles to the wider adoption of OR. The methodology for the study is essentially based upon a questionnaire that was directed to the practitioners of OR in all Jordanian industrial shareholding companies (86 companies) during summer 2003. The study concludes that the level of OR awareness, and usage in the companies is low. Also, there is a lack of specialised personnel, computer usage and OR departments. Moreover, the study concludes that many barriers are hindering the wider adoption of OR in the companies investigated.

Keywords: developing countries; Jordan; operations research; training; OR awareness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2009.031039

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2009 Vol.3 No.2, pp.178 - 197

Received: 09 Jun 2009
Accepted: 19 Aug 2009

Published online: 18 Jan 2010 *

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