The Theory of Constraints in Academia: Its Evolution, Influence, Controversies, and Lessons
Jaydeep Balakrishnan
University of Calgary, Canada
Chun Hung Cheng
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
Dan Trietsch
American University of Armenia, Armenia
Volume 2: 2008, pp. 97-114; ABSTRACT
The "Theory of Constraints" (TOC)- more appropriately described as Management by Constraints (MBC)- is the case of a development that has raised an interesting debate in the field of Operations Management. Points of debate include; how much of TOC is a "refocus", how effective it has been, and how it relates and compares to other developments in Operations Management and its teaching. In this paper, we focus on what lessons academics and instructors may learn from disseminating controversial developments in the debate surrounding TOC. With the tremendous information explosion, we may see more such controversial developments occurring. Examining the case of TOC may help academics - the people who are expected to play an important role in its dissemination - to deal with similar developments in the future, in a balanced and critical manner.
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