The Fifth Column—The Measure of M.S./O.R. Applications or Let's Hear it for the Bean Counters

An essay about various meanings of the phrase “M.S./O.R. applications” in different contexts and according to different people. Basically, the same term is used for both applications of a theory of the highest level of abstraction to another theory of slightly lower level of abstraction, as well as to applications of a method to resolve particular managerial problems in a manufacturing plant.