The challenge of operations research in the developing country

The application of operations research/management science in the developing country has met with uneven success. Social, cultural, and political factors have constrained direct application of OR technology from industrialized countries to developing countries. Review of OR experience in the United States, especially pitfalls and successes of OR application, does provide significant information which can benefit the application of operations research in the developing country. Successful application of operations research is apt to be highly beneficial if operations researchers in the developing country can effectively deal with the challenges of cultural constraints, an uncertain decision environment, human resource management, and a bounded rationality unique to each developing country.