Teaching modeling in management science

The heart of Management Science is not the science of optimization or simulation, but the art of reasoning logically with models. This essay discusses how we can most effectively teach Management Science to students in MBA or similar programs who will be, at best, part-time practitioners of these arts. I take as a working hypothesis the radical proposition that the heart of Management Science itself is not the impressive array of tools that have been built up over the years (optimization, simulation, decision analysis, queuing, and so on) but rather the art of reasoning logically with formal models. I believe it is necessary with this group of students to teach basic modeling skills, and in fact it is only when such students have these basic skills as a foundation that they are prepared to acquire the more sophisticated skills needed to employ Management Science. In this paper I present a hierarchy of modeling skills, from numeracy skills through sophisticated Management Science skills, as a framework within which to plan courses for the occasional practitioner.