Management Science Is Defined As the Basic Process Or Function of Rational Decision Making

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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 025 002 EA 001 747 By- Cook, Desmond An Overview of Management Science in Educational Research. Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Educational Research Management Center. Pub Date Sep 68 Note-26p.; Paper presented at Int. Meeting of The Institute of Management Sciences (15th1 Cleveland, Ohio, Sep. 11- 13, 1968). EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$1.40 Descriptors-Cost Effectiveness, *Decision Making. Educational Planning, *Educational Research, Information Systems,*Management, *Operations Research, Program Budgeting, State Departments of Education, *Systems Concept s Identifiers-Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title 3), ESEA Title 3, PPBS Management science is defined as the basic process or function of rational decision making. The concept of educational research is expanded to include use of new management techniques developed by the private sector which are adaptable to decision makinginthetotaleducationalcontext. Four trendsinthefield of educationalresearcharebrieflyreviewed:(1)Increasinguseofscientific problem-F.iolving methods, (2) increasing use of management information systems, (3) increasing emphasis on longrange planning to correlate the educational system with political,economic, and socialsubsystems for more effective human resource development, and (4) increasing use of systems concepts. (JK) Educational Program Management Center Educational Development Faculty College of Education The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210

AN OVERVIEW OF MANAGEMENTSCIENCE IN EDUCATIONALRESEARCH

Desmond L. Cook

September 1968 ED025002

A Paper presented as partof a Symposium on ManagementScience in Educational Research, 15th InternationalMeeting of The Institute of Management Sciences,Cleveland, Ohio, September11-13, 1968.

WELFARE U.S. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH, EDUCATION & OFFICE OF EDUCATION

REPRODUCED EXACTLY ASRECEIVED FROM THE THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN POINTS Of VIEW OR OPINIONS PERSON OR ORGANIZATIONORIGINATING IT. REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICEOF EDUCATION STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY POSITION OR POLICY. Research, 1968 An Overview of ManagementScience in Educational

Desmond L. Cook

Educational ProgramManagement Center The Ohio StateUniversity

Introduction the utilization The task of presenting ordiscussing an overview of discipline to that ofanother is fraught of the knowledgedeveloped in one faced with suchquestions as with many difficulties. One is immediately Should any such overviewbe in how extensive such anoverview should be? be made in depth on a few selectedtopics or shouldbroad brush strokes around the definitionof painting the picture? Another question centers Educational Research? Should terms involved. What is ManagementScience? with empirical evidenceto show such an overview becarefully documented based largely uponthe what is happening or shouldit be a presentation These presenter's knowledge of whatis happening in aparticular field? when undertaking thetask of questions plus othersconfronted the author applications of management trying to present the currentstatus of the

science to the field ofeducational research. by the fact that theauthor The task is somewhatfurther complicated colleagues as an"educational is looked upon by many ofhis professional

that due to avariety of circum- researcher,," It so happens, however, discipline o'c stances and interest, theauthor has beendrawn into the about this discipline on aboot- management science andacquired knowledge While this does havethe strap basis rather thanthrough formaltraining, =0,

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it presents a compli- advantage of permitting oneto look at both areas, area, thatof cation in the sense thatthe knowledge developed in one non-educational context. Direct management sciences,has been derived in a context is not always pos- transfer of such knowledgeto the educational

have to be made tofit our situation. sible. Adjustments and modifications Fisherian statistics inthe field It is quite similar tothe utilization of Such statistical methods werede- of the social andbehavioral sciences. Utilization of these veloped in the fields ofagriculture and biology. adjustments and methods in areas such aseducation have required some could be said about theapplica- modifications. I think the same thing educational research, tions of managementscience to the field of

Returning to the set ofquestions noted earlier,let me establish a by first framework or parameters forthis overview, I would like to start Research for use in defining the terms ManagementScience and Educational of four trends as this paper. This will be followedby a brief discussion conclude by presenting someprob- I see them developing. I would like to education must work uponin lems with which both areasof management and

the future.

Definitions focusing Looking first at thedefinitional problem,let me start by be used in this paper. It upon how the conceptManagement Science will

for me to definethe concept at an inter- a would seem somewhat presumptuous Yet, there must be a common national convention devoted tothis topic, I want to define basis for communication, For purpose of this paper, decision- Management Science as thebasic process orfunction of rational

follows the general ideaof Simon in making. This definition somewhat Decision, (9) where helargely equates his bookihektelLscience_of_manuement decision-making is management withdecision-making, The prime purpose of utilization of scarce orlimited to make moreeffective and efficient

resources in boththe private andpublic sectors of the economy. decision-making as anoperational My choice in givingemphasis to for several reasons. definition of management scienceis rather deliberate kRE7' at the presenttime many pres- It was chosen becausethere .444, in education and community sures such associetal concerns,technological advances, present, and future participation which arecreating a focus on past, educational "establishment"is educational decisions. In one sense, the paternalistic or author- not going to bepermitted to act inisolation from a is an increase inaccounta- itarian position. Coupled with such concerns, Questions are bility by the several agencieswhich supporteducation. regarding being asked as to whether ornot decisionsmade in the past fruitful and what willbe the public expenditures oneducation have been being asked more return for futureinvestments. In brief, educators are emphasis on parti- and more to expalintheir decisions. This increased recent paper by cipative decision-making isreflected very well in a

Williamson in the August issueof nRamaih6nfelqp_etg (14) establishment I see this revoltagainst theauthoritarian all the time . as powerful, new,and geoning momentum their own This means that peoplewill, more and more on that affect them initiative, seek involvement inthe deOqions 4 want and their work We have too longassumed that people others to do their to be told what todo and that they want increasing number of thinking for them, This is not true for an going to be prepared people. If we don't realizethis, we are not 7; for the future. the central Another reason for givingemphasis to decision-making as (3) in noting the gradual conver- focus has beenpointed out by Crozier (of which edu- gence offunctions carried outby public administration As he states thesituation, cation is one example)and the privatesector, public sector now seemsmuch nearer the role ofadministrators in the The centrality ofdecision- to that of managersin the privatesector. place foradministration and man- making processesprovides the meeting centrality as follows: agement to cometogether. Crozier notes this in Comparative research onthe decision-making processes crucial public sector andthe private sectoris therefore of administrative thinking value in connectionwith the reform of and the training of newmanagers forthe public sector° discussion of Management It would seem to me,tnerefore, that any 1968 should focus uponthe proced- Science as it relates toeducation , employed fordecision-making in the ures, processes,and techniques being

public education sectorof our culture developed over the past There have been a widevariety of techniques

educational decision-makingmore two decades which canbe used to make and concepts asOperations effective than everbefore, Such techniques management informationsystems, R search, OperationsAnalysis, PERT, PPBS, and mathematicalmodels, long-range planning, systemstheory, simulation, are examplesof the wide while not the exclusivedomalin of management, sector which havepotential value variety of toolsdeveloped in the private They are, however, to the educational managerin malvnghis decisionsc, and should not beconfused with the only tools to be usedby the manager

basic function ofmanagement that ofdecision-making. Let me now turn to the definition ofEducational Research. Even though being an educational researcher, I find some difficultyin trying to define the term. A few years ago, I thought I had a usefuldefinition of Educational Research but my more recent experlencesconnected with the

study of management as it relates to the field ofeducation have caused me to question this previousdefinition. To many persons, Educational

Research has meant the application of scientificmethods (notably the

experimental method) to the study of classroom methods,learning theory,

development of curriculum, pupil characterisitics andbehavior, and similar

topics by persons professionally trained to do so, This conception of

Educational Research can be seen In a statement made byBen Bloom in his

presidential address to the 066 annual meeting of theAmerican Educational

Research Association (2), In talking about the substantive contributions

during the previous 25 years, he reviews advances insuch areas as devel-

opment of the individual, effects of the environment9predictability and

modifiability of human characteristics, teaching methods,and instructional

strategies, individual differences in learners, andprinciples and se-

quence of Jeaning.

To me, such a conception is rather restrictiveand represents what

educational research has grown up to be rather than whatit perhaps ought

to be. It is my personal feeiing at the present time that thistraditional

conception of educational resewch needs to beexpanded to incorporate

)(esearch on the education process which involves many of the newutili-

zations of the wide variety of techniques ana toolsreferred to earlier 1

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which management in the privatesector uses in its work, In those cases

labeled as insti- where such techniques areused, the relevant areas are planning, but not edu- tutional research, ecicationalplanning or campus 1

cational research, I feel personallythat this is an unfortunate cate- research relating to the studyof gorization- It is my conviction that

community populations trends asthey might possibly affectthe educational the establish- enterprise, the mathematicalmodeling of school systems, or decision-making are just ment of an information systemtor institutional the behavior as muchEducational Research as the studyof how we reinforce therefore of students in the learnTrigsituation. It seems more relevant

to our purpose today totalk about research onthe total education context,

regatdless of who is doingthe research or where it isdone as the proper

concept on or definitionof Educational Research,

Trends

With these two definitions inteont ot us 1et us now turn to some

to educational trends regarding theapplicatIons of Management Science

research as based upon some empca evidence

One majof problem in coHect.ngsuch eodence isthe identification This Fs a real infcrma- and location of informationrelat]ve Lo the topic as the Review tion storage and retrievalproblem We examinad such sources

.1 Information Center (ERIC) or Educational ReseaYch,Educat;ona1 Res3urce

publications, is ues ot ManaatmentS.cienLe, Edukation Odex,and even the 1

Moor 1 provided by ERIC providesOT edulation d sefvTcesimilar to that looks very the Defense Documentation Center andits monthly publication similar to the TAB Index presentedby DDC ...

annual AERA programs tor the past two years, We did some checking on the contracts awarded under theseveral titles of the Elementaryand Secon- dary Education Act of 1965 as amended. One of tho problems encountered in consulting some Governmenteducational references was the factthat the ERIC system, for example, uses thegeneral term Administration toin- clude the concept of what most of yourefer to as Management Within this search, several documented references werenoted that when put together do reflect some current trendsrelative to the applications of

Management Science to the field ofresearch on education

It would appear that there are atleast tour trends which havesig-

nificance for a paper which purportsto be an overview, It should be

recognized that these four trends haveperhaps been somewhat arbitrarily

separated from each other for discussion purposeswhereas in reality they

probably have strong interrelationshipswith each other, The four trends

that I should like briefly to revlew are(a) an increase in researchand

development activities with regard to theapplications of techniques such

as operations reseech,operations analysis, simulation,and modeling;

(b) an increase in the development andutilization of managementinformation

systems for operational decisions inthe present and for long-rangeplan-

ning; (c) an increase inrole and function of educationalplanning in its

largest sense accompanied by increasedapplications of the Planning-Pro-

grammIng-Budgeting System and 0) an increaseIn the use of systems con-

cepts as they relate to educatIonbeing a sub-system of a totalnational

enterprse i would like to clscuss brieflyeach of the above trends which have indicating some of the significantpublications andior actions relevancy to the pafticular trend.

Educational 0221AIsigns, One major trend hasbeen in the increasing by employment of such problem-solvingapproaches as those represented operations research operations analysis,simulation, cost-effectiveness, research on educa- and mathematical modeling ofschools in the study and this area tional problems. One of the better summariesof applications in sponsored by the was theSymposium on OperationsAnalysis in Education

U,S. Office of Education inNovember, 1967 The stimulus provided by At first, it was this symposium has had asignificant response in1968, 400 to 500 anticipated that this symposiummight attract approximately largely drawn from participants if fortunate A total of 10000 persons writer the field of educat4onactually attended, It would appear to this and that such an attendance isindicative of perhapsboth the interest in

the need to be informed aboutthe application ot operationtechniques

to the field of education attne present Lime A survey of the papers

presented reveas dl cossions onoperat7ons analysis,simulation2 networ::- cost-effectiveness and based management systems,mathematical modeling, Office of Education as a means similar topics Originally Intended by the out by the pro- of "up-dating" the educationalcommunity, it was pointed appeared gram chairman in apersonal con ersation withthe author that it the conference and per- that the field was aheadof the agency sponsoring

haps the tables wereactuaIly turned let me cite two , As particular examplesof activities in this area, public on-going operations Roger Sisson, workingwith the Philadelphia models which relate an school system, has beendeveloping mathematical test scores) index of school performance(e,g,, changes in achievement It is to selected pertinentand relevent resourceinput factors (10). predict student perform- hoped that such models willeventually be able to functions. ance frommanagement policy as reflectedin resource allocation regarding a national assess A second example would bethe current efforts here a full ment of educational output orproducts Time does not permit

discussion of educator's reactionsto this proposal., It is sufficient The basic purpose to say that it has notalways been met with eagerness,, The question of such an assessment,however, is relevant to ourdiscussion..

being asked is what kind ofoutput are we securingfor the inputs and pro- It is rather surprising cesses employedin education at the presenttime? such an idea but theyhave to me that educatorsshould show resistance to Fears of a national been very vocal about theproposal in many instances, "demons" have been raised. curriculum, increased federalcontrol, and other is a very relevant one Yet from a management pointof view, the question and how can I best to effectivedecision-making. What is my product like point of view, to allocate my resources, bothfrom an input and process

improve the output, arelegitimate questions tobe asked, in the elementary and The applications citedabove have been largely

secondary schools level. I would certainlyremiss in my duty if your

attention was not called tothe excellent articleby Gustave Rath in -10

Management Science for February,1968 which summarizes some of thecurrent

work going on with regard toeducational operations at the university

level (8), Particular emphasis is given by Rath tothe role of automation

in such activities as administration,testing, cost analysis, computer

system instruction, and similartopics.

The employment of such techniques(e,g, cost-effectiveness) associated

with this trend place an emphasis uponthe economics of education. Crozier

points out that a major differencebetween administrative and management

actions lies in the ability of each area todevelop measurements of cost and

effectiveness,

.,a characteristic ofthe majority of administrativeactivities is that it is very difficult to measuretheir results, and still more difficult toevaluate these results in the light of ex- penditurewhich has been necessary to producethem, The reason why the social system formed by anadministration can develop much more freely as an autonomous "bodypolitic" is that to a great extent it escapes the constraint ofresult, Measures of costs and measurements of efficiency_have naturally no direct repercussion because they never enable ends and meansto be evaluated simultaneously in terms of tangible results,

As a consequence of this situation, Crozier goesto state that de-

cisions in administrative actfivities are madelargely on the basis of power

relationships and the proportion of rationalityis Much less than that in

management activities where the measurements are morereadily available.

A major problem, therefore, associated withusing many of the new tech-

niques for researching operations developedin the private sector for

decision-aking in the administrative activities ofeducators is the degree

measurements of cost and 4 of success the latter can achieve in securing

effectiveness, - 1 1

that there is adefinite increasein the To summarize,it appears techniques at all utilization of whatmight be calledoperations analysis increase rationaldecision- levels of education- Their purpose is to accomplished willdepend upon how making but how farthis goal can be of our efforts sothat the degree successful we aresecuring measurements

be increased, of rationalityin decision-making can A second trendrelates to theincreas- Management InformationSystems. information systemsin education,. ing developmentand use of management information systemis a systemwhich According to Yovitsand Ernst, an of decision-making (15).. The application provides data havingutility for education takes manydifferent forms, Several this particularconcept in documentation forthis trend, illustrations can becited which provide the Elementaryand Secondary Under the provisionsof Title III of by the end ofOctóber, 1967, atotal Education Act of1965, there were, of nearly 14million dollarsapproved of 112 projectswith total funds of computer-basedinfor- which have as theirprimary goalthe development guidance purposes(5), Approximately mation systems foradministrative and the other the form or planninggrants while half of these projectswere in In some cases,the projects half were devotedto operationalprojects. acquisition, anddissemination. focused primarily uponinformation storage, systems, The prin- Others were designedto developwori6ng information is being givenby these cipal point tobe made here isthat recognition relevant data forthose de- efforts to the needfor quickavailability of administratve andinstructional personnel. cisions which haveto be made by - 12 -

Another example of this trend has been theoperation during the past several years of the Midwestern States EducationalInformation Center located at the University of Iowa, Seven states are combining together to test out the feasibility of establishing a commondata base regarding students, faculty, curriculum, plant, and facilities, andfinancial information.

A third example of this trend is a recent announcementfrom the Office of Education of a project to develop a regional managementinformation center for colleges and universities (13). This project is to last five years and represents the cooperativeeffort of 14 states to develop management information systems for their colleges anduniversities, One aim of this project is to provide cost-effectiveness data onuniversity pro-

grams so that better resource allocations canbe made, Among the problems

to be investigated are the information needs forlocal, state, and federal

reports, the establishment of a computer-based system forcollecting and

reporting compatible information among the 14 states, and developing means

for exchanging data. The project will be administered by the Western

Interstate Commission for Higher Education,

In addition to the above types of managementinformation systems

utilization, there has been an increased use of such techniques as net-

working systems (e,g. PERT, CPM) for the planning and control of various

types of projects going on at all educational levels. The author has

been directly involved in helping educational institutions gain competence

in using these types of informition systems. When this work was started -13 -

not widespread ifpublished in 1964, applicationsof such techniques were 50 published reports were used asthe criterion. At the last count, over network systems in edu- references were availablein 1968 on the use of applications are not documented sothat cation. From my own knowledge, many by resorting to document the degree of applicationis probably understated

counts as evidence.

The increased use ofmanagement informationsystems will, however, discussion present some interestingproblems. Referring again to Crozier's systems is that theywill cited earlier, he notesthat one benefit of such While permit analysis of costsand gains associatedwith many activities.

cost-effectiveness is valuablein its own right,Crozier points out the

possible real value forthe employment of suchsystems. system and It is mainly in thefunctioning of the organization especially in thedecision-making processesthat its revolutionary in fact, impact will be increasinglyfelt. It makes it necessary, whole by bringing outthe to re-thinkadministrative activities as a real nature of one ofits essential components,information,the rationalization of which itmakes possible. In consequence, the production of information canbe freed from thecaprice of rules of scientific hierarchial relationshipsand subjected to the independent of the reasoning. A principle of organization appears, tradition and needs ofthe social system or ofthe administrative and thus "body politic", impossing newand exacting constraints exposing to broad daylightthe absurdity of theold-established channels.

One effect of suchinformation systems, accordingto Crozier, will closer together in terms be to bring administrationand management much

of their behavior.

On the basis of the typesof activities citedabove, it would appear

that there is a ratherdefinite trend towardincreased use of information -14 -

data for decisions notonly in the systems which canprovide necessary the long-range. immediate situation butalso for decisions over the third trend,that of edu- Educational _Elannya, Let us now turn to Planning is generallyrecognized cational planning inits larger sense, at all levels. What appears as aprincipal or majorfunction of management of education at significant to me withregard to planningin the management more ex- the present time isthe increase oftrend in making this process recognition by educational per- plicit than it has beenin the past and a be less in areaction posture to sonnel that the,educational system must "planned change" events and more in anaction posture, Concepts such as

educator's vocabularytoday. and "innovation" are commonplace words in the given to the role ofplanning such terms reflect theincreased emphasis

in the educational process, long-range and Educational planning refersprimarily to developing educational system cancorrelate short-range plansrelative to how the subsystems in order toprovide with the political,economic, and social development, not only inemerging nations for more effectivehuman resource accomplish nationalgoals. It would but in developednatiuns, in order to this trend has had asingle forceoperating be presumptiousto state that such single force,it would have to produce it, If one had to state any cannot be divorced to relate to theidea that theeducational enterprise made (albeitpolitical) from the rest ofthe nation andthat the decisions must consider alldimensions about the allocationof a nation's resources

concurrently and notseparately. -15 -

Illustrations of this increasedemphasis can be seen in many ways.

participant to a UNESCO It was the author's goodfortune to be an invited sponsored conference in Londonthis past January which wasdevoted to ways and me,ans of implementingeducational plans. The purpose of this con-

, ference was to develop aworking paper for a largerconference held in

August in Paris under the auspicesof the InternationalInstitute for conference centers Educational Planning. The importance of this latter problem of on the factthat it represents aninternational concern with the planning in education. efforts. The concern not, however, justfocused on such large-scale other activ- The importance of educationalplanning is reflected in several state depart- ities. I would also cite theincreasing development within ments of education)ofoffices concerned primarilywith educational planning.

The US, Office of Educationhas made funds availableunder its several programs for states to secureand train personnel who willhave the needed competencies for developingplans for education It was the author's priviledge to have participated insuch a program duringthis past year

involving seven states,

Recognition of this trend canalso be seen in theestablishment of itNivE.R.s17y departments, centers, and institutesof various kinds at the4mftiefts-rty--

level to improve the educationalplanning capability. As examples, I Department at the would cite the establishmentof an Educational Planning Development Faculty at my Ontario Institute forEducation, the EduLational Development Center at Florida own institution,and the Educational Systems -16 -

State University as recent moves in thisdirection. In addition, the

Office of Education has recently established twopolicy research centers, one at StanfordResearch Institute and the other at Syracuse University, which have as their primary mission the providing toeducational policy- makers at all levels the relevant information andtechniques needed for decision-making (1) The task of such centers is to describethe basic issues, conceptualize possible alternative futures,analyze means for achieving the policy goals, and the consequences ofalternative choices

In brief, the question of concern is what willthe world be like in the future and how can education begin to plan forthis future?

A discus'sion of educational planning would notbe complete without reference to the increasing role being played by PPBS andits effect on educational institutions The factor causing an increased interest in the use of this technique cannot alwaysbe determined. In some instances

it would be safe to state that its inherentadvantages were seen and adop-

tion followed. In others, the use of PPBS in some form byeducation was

ordained because of state-wide adoption of the system, It is my under-

standing that the states of Washington, California,New York, and Wisconsin

are utilizing programbudgeting within all state departments thereby neces-

sitating its use by educatofs. Certainly the use of PPBS at the Federal

level has caused to some degree the several states toemploy the technique.

In addition to such agencies as statedepartments of education, we

find an increasing use of the technlque or itsmodifications at the uni-

versity level My own institution has developed a procedureduring the - 17 -

type of PPBSprocedure (12) The past three yearsfor implementing a however utilization of PPBS isstill too young inthe field of education of UCLA has pointedout, to judge its realworth, As Marvin Hoffenberg to bring out forpublic dis- its potential valuemight be in its helping must be made at anylevel cussion the issues aroundwhich budget decisions

of education(6). that many educators arebe- To summarize thistrend, it would seem rather than react. coming more aware than everbefore of the need to act To the extent that we can engage A plan is an outlinefor future action. recognition to the in long-range educationalplanning, giving adequate

uncertainty of the future,the more likely we canhave an educational development on a system which contributeseffectively to total national

foresighted basis ratherthan with 100 percenthindsight. a§:tettsin4_1gation, The last trend that Iwould like to concepts in discuss deals with an increase inthe utilization of systems exclusive domain of the field of education, Systems theory is not the endeavor as well management since it pervadesalmost all fields of human increasing use as naturalphenomena Nevertheless, managers have made problems that face of systems concepts andprinciples in dealing with today talking about them. It is not unusual,therefore, to find educators

the utilization of systemsconcepts in their work, One majo problem

presented here centers aeoundthe meaning of such terms as"the systems

approach" and "systems analysis,"when they are used Perhaps we can

straighten out our vocabulary inthe next few years but atthe present

time there is a communicationsproblem. -18 -

To illustrate this concern withsystems in education, I would call your attention to twosymposia on this topic. One appeared in the Journal of Secondary Education for October1967 and the other in the Nation's

Schools for the same month. More recently9 the publication of asmall paperback titled New Look at Educationby John Pfeifer carries as its subtitle Systems. Analysis in Our Schoolsand Colleges:, A stimulating article by Meals, titled "Heuristic Modelsfor Systems Planning" appeared in a recent issue of finicieltalaptalspoints out that educators have not recognized the value of systems concepts indeveloping new policies and practices (7),

Not only is the systems approachbeing talked about, some efforts

are underway to provideeducators with some substantiveknowledge and

competence in actually using thetechnique, I would cite as an example

the work of Don Miller with OperationPEP, a statewide project to prepare

educational planners for the state ofCalifornia° This is a three-year

project concerned with improvingthe slolls of school administrators in

the use of systems analyss forproblem-solving,

As further example of this concernwith the systems approach to edu-

cation, I would call your attention tothe work of Reisman and Taft(U),

Their position is that the techniquesdeveloped in systems technology are

applicable to the field of education,both in administration andcurriculum,

and that it is a question of securingcooperation on a multidisciOinary

effort to put them into practice -19 -

discussions of systemsapproach In adlition to theabove, we find more

than we have 4 to instruction,administration, andeducational organization points up a trendtoward increased in previous years, .All of this evidence

interest in and.the useof systems conceptioneducation trends discussed cannot As earlier noted, it maywell be that the four have chosen to be truly isoLited fromeach other. In fact, some writers It discuss all four under a moregeneral term such asOperations Analysis, their emergence as separate is my considered opinionthat regardless of definite trend toward microtrends or one macrotrend9there is, in 1968, a

incrdased utilization of new techniquesand approaches to aid inprovld7mg

decision-making in the fieldof edu- the information neededfor effective activities with cation, The fruits of currentresearch and development varwable con- regard to the use of techniques ineducation will make a

tribution of the total educationprocess

Some Problems howeve(, The Increased utilization ofthese techniques and tools is, few minutes to pre- not without certainproblems, I wou'id like to take a with sent what I see as someof the probiemswhich will have to be dealt

in the immediate future byboth Management Scienceand Educational Reseatich individuals One of the major problems centersaround the need for

trained in the understandingand implementation ofthe new techniques and field of 'procedures, Many of the traditiona training programs in the

educational research do not nowprovide such training The Off5Ice of

Education has tunded during the pastseveral years a wide varAetyof - 20 - programs designed tofill this gap. Since the need for system analysists, planner, management information systemsspecialists, operations researchers, and related personnel willundoubtedly grow, attention must be givento devising the kinds of educationaltraining and experiences which will produce these types of individuals,, At the present time, the demand far exceeds the supply. ,

A second problem focuses upon the observationthat educators receive these techniques with less than open arms The reasons for this reception are not alwaysreadily apparent. A common reaction that comes to me isthat such tools and techniques used by managersto make decisions are derived largely from the business-military complex and areoriented primarily either to the profit-motive or to hardwaresituation, Educationists state that they are neither in the profit-makingbusiness and certainly are not developing hardware, It is maintained, therefore, thatapplication of these techniques are not appropriate to theeducational context, This problem has not been helped by the entry of manybusiness concerns in the field of education, particularly if timeis not taken to have their representatives become familiar with the education processand how educators perceive their own role and function,

A third problem involves the fact that most of theapproaches and techniques call for a great deal of quantification of variables inorder to operate successfully, Again, we find a resistance because educators take the position that many of the variables of concern tothem cannot be quantified, If they can be quantified, they are often not quitewilling really trying to achieve. to have that quantificationrepresent what they are

For those of us who haveworked in education, thisis not a new experience, with the education sub- It will appear here,however, for those unfamiliar culture to understand theresistance to this point..

A fourth problem area is ageneral reaction that theapplication of school systems, many of the newapproaches, such asmathematical modeling of To some will result in adehumanization of the total processof education.. reflects this concern of extent, the currentstudent unrest on the campus

with educators, it maybe that we educators. If we are to make progress the educational will have to demonstratethat rather than dehumanizing process it willin the long run make it morehumane by allowing for more be more inhumane to effective decisions.. As one writer put it, it may allocation of our continue as we have than toconsider new approaches to

scarce resources.. techniques has, The last problem is thatthe introduction of these new himself but has come by and large, not been bythe professional educator In a recent from persons outside of thef eld of professionaleducation. least four of the speakers program in whichthe author participated, at while the others could be considered asprofessional education persons engineering, economics, and re- came frompolitical science, industrial It is rather encouraging lated areas. This in itself generatesresistance.. educator is both interested at the same time to notethat the new breed of thing that in and learning aboutthese techniques.. To me, it is a good education, It persons fromnon-education fields areentering the field of -22 -

facing education today areof such mag- is my convictionthat the problems efforts seem the only reason- nitude and immediacythat interdisciplinary Perhaps the tools andtechniques able ways to go aboutdealing with them. the common ground upon developed for moreeffective decision-making are colleagues outside ofthe which the professionaleducator can meet with It is very encouragingto field and work to solvethe many problems foresight to see possible me thatthis professionalmeeting has had the I hope interactions by having thisparticular session on your program., permanent part of that such interdisciplinaryexchange could be made a

the programs in thefield of education aswell,

A Personal Note with you the roleand I would like to take afew minutes to discuss Management Center of theEducational concern ofthe Educational Program institution, Development Faculty withinthe College ofEducation at my is concerned withthe de- The EducationalDevelopment Faculty as a group management, velopment of education as asystem and theassociated planning,

such system development, The and evaluativeactivities associated with Center came from theauthor's initial impetus for theProgram Management field of educationstarting in study of the applicationsof PERT to the

before study of thistechnique lead to the more 1962-63, It was not long study of the varioustools general concept ofManagement Sciences and a utilization in the fieldof edu- and techniqueswhich might have possible I. might be useful cation, Our initial concern waswith how such techniques Since then, the in the managementof research anddevelopment projects. 23-

variety of focus of the Center has beenexpanded to a study of a wide educational program andtopics which are of concern tothe manager or administrator of the educationalenterprise, Included in such topics and the role of systems are long-rangeplanning, PPBS, cost-effectiveness, concepts in education It has been our good fortuneto receive funding conduct, during the past two years, from the U.SOffice of Education to research personneL a seriesof management training programsfor educational

The interest in our work asexpressed by the field ofeducation in general overall has been so encouraging that we aremoving to develop as part of an doctoral program in EducationalDevelopment, a series of coursesand experiences which would permit theeducation and training ofeducational personnel in the use of managementscience concepts to a widevariety of is yet to be granted educational activities Final approval of this program but our outlook is optimist

Conclusion

My task of providing youwith an overview of managementscience in

educational research reaches aconclusion.. I am sure that there have per-

haps been some oversightswhich both my education andmanagement colleagues oversights and can will call to my attentionfl I apologize now for such

only assure you that they werenot intentionaL

I would like to close byreferring to a term that isoften heard

today in both the fields ofeducation and management - thatof "third

generation" computers. One recent publicationused this idea to talk

about "third generation" managers, As I perceive the situation in 24 - education, perhaps we areonly at the stage of"first generation" managers. generation since we havethe If so, perhaps we can moverapidly to the later in the development of new advantage that ManagementScience has given to us decisions in techniques and approaches tomaking the vital and necessary for us to reinventthe the field of education. It will not be necessary wheel but simply modifyit for our particularcontext, concerned with people, Since the educationalenterprise is vitally the use of many ofthe new I would like to closewith a warning regarding article cited earlier% managment techniques asgiven in the Williamson

He states the warning asfollows: conflicts in theapplication I think we aregoing to see some real would predict thatthe of a quantitativemethod to people, and I future will be faced exclusively technicallyoriented manager of the be able to do little with serious frustrations,and that he will matters iittle If humans will notbuy his solutions, it about them,. studies what logic he uses.. Let's use mathematicaland computerized them in a subsidiaryplace all we can, but let'sbe careful to keep as an adjunctto our managementfunctions, - 25

References

Aims and Functions of the EducationalPolicy Research Center," Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California.

Bloom, "Twenty-five Years of EducationalResearch," American Education Research Journal, 3:211-221, May, 1966_

M Crozier, "Present Convergence of Public Administrationand Large Private Enterprises and Its Consequences,"international Social Science Journal, 20;7-16, 1968

E V, Denardo and MAV Geisler, Management ScienceFrontiers 1970-1980, The RAND Corporation, June, 1967,

5 "ESEA Title III, Projects Involving Use of Data ProcessingSystems," AEDS Monitor, December, 1967, pp. 12-20,

Hoffenberg, "Program Budgeting in Education: Some Organizational Implications," Paper presented at The Second Annual Conference on the Economics of Education, Florida State University, July 31,1968,

Don Meals, Heuristic Models for Systems Planning," Phi Delta Kappan, January 1967, pp, 199-203,

GA, Rath, "Management Science in University Operation," Marlagmeat. Science, 14:B373-B384, February, 1968

9. H A. Simon, The New ,Sc.ience of Management Decision, Harper and Row, 1960

10L R-L, Sisson and M.F. Stankard, "On the Modeling of RelatAnsnips Between Performance and Resource Management in an Urban School District " Management Science Center, University of Pennsylvania, Mimeo,

11 M.I Taft, "Design for Education: A Systems Approach," in Eng!atEtal: A Look Inward and a Reach Outward, University of Wrsconsin-Miiwaukee, 1967

Universiq prolgi_p_uggelau, The Ohio State University, Coilimbilso Ohio June 13, 1968

13 U.S. Office of Education News Release HEW U68 July 30, 1968

14 M,AWilliamson, "R and D Management Tomorrow," Research/Development, 19:69-72, August, 1968,

15 M C. Yovits and R I Ernst, "Generalized Information Systems," in A Kent et, al, (ed,) Electronic_yllidliqg_g_Information, Thompson Books, pp 279-290

16 J Pfeiffer, New Look at Education: ystems Analysis n Our Colleges and Universities, The Odyssey Press, 1968