Churchman and measurement

Abstract

Churchman's main contribution to the theory of measurement flows from bringing together the work of a number of scholars. This action brought a multidisciplinarity to the theory of measurement that was new, and led to many later scholars viewing measurement more holistically than was previously the case. In both the UK and USA, scientists from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds came together during the second World War to support the planning of military operations. They mainly applied mathematical modelling techniques to find optimal solutions to complex problems. Churchman (1987) provides a typical example: he describes how he applied mathematics to the problem of determining an optimal quality control procedure in the manufacture of ammunitions. After the war some OR [operations researchers] continued to work in defence, but most went into civilian positions in the public and private sectorsâ First OR came to be seen as largely synonymous with 'management science'. (Midgley, 2004:4). But this is no longer the case as critical questioning has become central to both better risk management and greater accountability. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.