MS/OR Education

In the August 30, 1982 issue of Business Week, an article headed “Hard times push B-schools into basics” states that: “In response to pressures created by the recession and by fierce competition from abroad, U.S. companies are beginning to demand that business schools supply them with graduates who have specialized in operations and people — not just numbers.” The article mentions the growth of operations management courses at some of the better-known business schools and it describes how some major corporations are working with the schools to develop these courses.

I would like to ask for the reactions of the MS/OR community to this trend. In particular, I would like to hear from those outside the academic world, those in business, industry, and the public sector. Do MS/OR practitioners agree with the demands cited above?