OM Forum—A Vision of Responsible Research in Operations Management

Abstract

Are we contributing positively to the society at large by research that we conduct in the field of Operations Management? Currently, the answer is probably closer to “no” than to “yes.” We often do not realize it, but there is very real cost of conducting our research nonresponsibly. In this invited OM Forum contribution, which is based on my Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Distinguished Fellow lecture given at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2018, I discuss what I believe it means to conduct research responsibly, I offer some specific steps to improve the relevance of what we do, and I argue that this approach gives our field a new opportunity to make broader impact by expanding the horizon of our work. History: This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Section on Responsible Research in Operations Management.