Organizational conditions of OR processes in German business firms—Results of an empirical investigation

Abstract Findings are reported of an empirical research project that is concerned with organizational conditions under which OR is done in a number of German business firms (full survey of a certain area of Germany). To a great extent the findings contradict the well-known and widely spread perceptions of OR: 1. (1) As a management tool OR does not at all play a significant part in business 2. (2) On the average successful OR-work is done on an extremely low professional level. 3. (3) Firms doing OR in the majority of cases prefer to have single fighters rather than OR groups. 4. (4) The organizational location of many OR units is a functional department providing only a narrow view of the firm's problems. 5. (5) Only very few of the successful heads of the OR units considered had a professional OR-education. Although the above list of issues contradicting common perceptions of OR is not complete, we feel that the situation calls for a fundamental re-thinking of concept and process of OR.