Opportunities for system dynamics research in operations management for public policy

Abstract

Operations management (OM) in the public policy context is extremely complex with many mutually interacting factors characterized by feedback loops, delays and nonlinearities, as well as multiple stakeholders pursuing divergent objectives. Prior researchers have called for a systems approach in these contexts, arguing that standard OM methodologies such as mathematical programming, and queuing theory often cannot fully address these problems. Researchers have employed one such systems approach, system dynamics, successfully for decades for studying OM problems in public policy because it can address such complexity and can also integrate disciplines from outside OM such as political science, epidemiology, ecology, etc. In this paper, we create a roadmap for researchers—both those who are familiar with systems dynamics and those who are not—for the expanded use of system dynamics studying public policy‐related OM problems. We review and organize relevant system dynamics literature in both traditional operations management venues as well as public policy venues unfamiliar to OM audiences. We then identify a set of interesting open questions and potential system dynamics building blocks for answering them by topic. Leveraging this review, we describe under what conditions system dynamics is most appropriate. We then identify several overarching methodological and domain gaps for future research. Finally, we build on previous work to extend a process for using system dynamics with traditional operations management methodologies. It separates model building into two sequential phases: consensus‐building models and detailed operational models. It also incorporates scenario planning and feedback from implementation outcomes.

Identification and Simulation of the Influencing Factors of Private Capital Participation in Urban and Rural Infrastructure Transformation Based on System Dynamics

“…System dynamics is a discipline that has multi-feedback and multi-variable problems, and is used in studies dealing with social, economic, and environmental highly nonlinear, high-level data and integrated studies of large-scale systems at macro and micro levels [48]. Socioeconomic issues, such as the urban development problems of PC participation in urban and rural infrastructure transformation and construction problems, are in line with the object of this study, namely, system dynamics.…”

Registered reports in operations management: Lessons from an experimental trial

“…As an illustrative example, consider the age‐old question on why operational excellence initiatives (e.g., Lean/Six Sigma, Process Management) fail to sustain themselves over time. There have been many studies exploring the factors that influence the adoption and use of operational excellence in a variety of industry contexts (e.g., Anand et al, 2021; Anderson & Chandrasekaran, 2024; Shah & Ward, 2003; Sterman et al, 2002). These studies have capitalized on several research methods including case studies, surveys, analytical models, and econometric methods.…”