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The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution that problem structuring methods – a branch of the decision support discipline of operational research – have made in helping managers deal with situations of high complexity. The paper reviews the limitations of traditional operational research and argues that problem structuring methods have expanded the entire discipline and significantly contributed to its holistic nature and problem-solving orientation.

The paper provides a critical discussion of the limitations of the traditional operational research approach and examines how the development and successful application of problem structuring methods have opened up a new paradigm of analysis in management science.

In theoretical terms, problem structuring methods have moved the discipline of operational research away from its positivistic epistemology and towards interpretivism and the acceptance of a subjective social reality. In practical terms, they offer managers a broad range of appropriate analytical tools which provide transparency and offer the opportunity to those affected by the problem situation to be actively involved in the entire modelling process within a facilitated environment.

The paper offers a critical discussion of the contribution that problem structuring methods have made while also identifying the challenges they face as they try to achieve higher levels of recognition and acceptance in management science.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how holistic thinking and the use of systems methodologies can help organisations handle increased problem complexity. The paper provides a critical discussion of the development of applied systems thinking and examines how its main strands can deal with problem complexity, multiple perceptions of reality and the unequal access to power resources in organisations.

The paper uses social theory and a systems meta-theoretical framework to examine the different ontological and epistemological assumptions that each strand of applied systems thinking makes about the nature of problems and the way in which an intervention will be made.

Complex problems require joined-up thinking and the use of systems ideas. Viewing the problem situation from a holistic perspective and applying appropriate systems methodologies and tools can help managers handle the complexities that their organisations face.

The paper makes a clear link between systems approaches and social theory and emphasises the need to understand the different assumptions that theories, methodologies or people make when they intervene in complex problem situations.

Simulation is one of the most widely used tools within management science. The teaching of simulation has traditionally involved theory and practical model development. With the advent of modern software, practical model development can be undertaken with very little knowledge of simulation theory. This enables students who are more able in model building to develop their capabilities in this area and use their strengths to help develop the theoretical knowledge as they progress. This paper demonstrates how a little knowledge of the principles of simulation has been used to help students to develop working models by prototyping.

This paper aims to provide a strategic review of the marketing function for a Cypriot company operating in the liquid food packaging industry (for reasons of confidentiality the name of the company is withheld). The paper focuses on the dairy market, where the company does not have a very strong market position, and illustrates how through an analysis of the environment (internal and external audit) the company's strategic direction and marketing plan can be designed more effectively.

The paper adopts a case study approach with primary research through in‐depth interviews with managers of the company under investigation.

The paper concludes that, by undertaking to rectify its weak marketing function, the company can develop capabilities that will lead to a fully integrated relationship with all its customers and significantly improve its market share.

The value of the paper lies in providing a new case study that highlights the importance of making the marketing function a more market/consumer oriented process that bridges the gap between strategic change and industrial complexity and instability.

The purpose of this article is to examine how Keo and Carlsberg (Cyprus), the two main companies operating in the Cypriot brewing industry, have recently introduced enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in their effort to obtain competitive advantage and to increase their market share.

The paper was based on primary data collected through personal interviews with senior managers of the two companies.

Both companies have been among the first organisations in Cyprus to implement ERP systems, which have provided the two companies with a single interface for managing all their operations – from entering sales orders to coordinating shipping and after‐sales customer service. The new system has offered considerable benefits to the two companies, both in their production and in other operational functions.

A number of suggestions are made for other Cypriot companies considering the implementation of ERP systems, so that they can achieve maximum benefit from the adoption of such systems.

This paper has examined, for the first time, how the two main Cypriot breweries have implemented ERP systems, the similarities and differences between the two implementations, and the benefits that such systems have brought to the two companies.

Suggests that hospitals are faced with variable demand patterns, and simulation provides managers with a powerful means to access the demands on resources created by different case scenarios. Outlines the iterative development of a case study of patient flows at one clinic in an out‐patients department, describing the software used ‐ a Windows‐based simulation environment called SIMUL8.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical discussion of the development of systems thinking and systems methodologies and explain how such approaches can deal with issues of problem complexity and the variety of views, agendas and political positions that the people involved and affected by the problem situation may have.

The paper examines the different ontological and epistemological assumptions that the various social paradigms are based on and uses social theory in order to explain the development of systems thinking and systems methodologies.

As there is a plethora of relevant systems methodologies, managers will need to understand the philosophical assumptions of different systems approaches, their strengths and weaknesses and how to use them creatively in combination. Viewing the problem situation from a holistic perspective and treating alternative systems approaches as complementary rather than in competition will help managers deal creatively with the complex problems that organisations face.

This paper will shed some light on the philosophical assumptions that the various strands of systems thinking are based on and will help managers appreciate the importance of creative holism and the benefits that holistic thinking can bring to their organisation.

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

It is no secret that if a company is looking to grow its market share and improve its overall position, the marketing function plays a key role. In this article, a liquid food packing company in Cyprus is analyzed and, through a strategic review, the authors identify ways in which its marketing function can develop the capabilities to have a fully integrated relationship with its customers and improve considerably on its current 23 percent market share.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.