Problem solving in operations research and management science is both a science and an art. While much has been written about the science of OR/MS, relatively little has been written about the art. Art, by its very nature, is a creative discipline. This implies that creative thinking should be an important component of OR/MS methodology. A rich literature on creative thinking exists, mostly in the domains of psychology and design. Creativity has been indirectly discussed in OR/MS research and practice, but seldom as a central theme. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on creative thinking and problem solving that has special relevance to traditional OR/MS methodology. In this part the author focuses on problem solving, the need for creative thinking, and fundamental concepts of creativity. In Part 2 he synthesizes the OR/MS literature that relates to creative thinking, and provides a framework for integrating structured creative thinking processes with OR/MS methodology. Finally, the author discusses implications for education, research, and practice.
