The Emergence of PSMs – A History
Mike Yearworth · 2024
This chapter identifies two overlapping phases of emergence of problem structuring methods (PSMs), followed by a phase of initial consolidation characterised by some significant reflection on progress. The first phase, covering roughly around 1967 to 1981, charts the emergence of a few, but highly influential, critical perspectives on Operational Research (OR) practice up to the open declarations of the new paradigm of problem structuring. The second phase, roughly from the mid-1970s to 1989, marks the methodological period where the new approaches to problem structuring are developed and become known to the wider OR community. The emergence of Soft OR/PSMs as a new paradigm in OR can be charted chronologically, starting with Churchman's guest editorial in Management Science on dealing with wicked problems as a moral challenge to the profession. Churchman explores how this challenge should be addressed by practitioners in a special article addressing educational issues in OR.