Perspectives on MS Applications—All Around the Model

Conferences of professional societies generally involve considerable intellectual exchange. When such intellectual exchange is encouraged, unfettered and free-flowing, it can be both stimulating and contributive to the general good of the profession. Sometimes those presenting ideas, concepts or techniques, in their zeal to put their ideas forward in a favorable light, become counter-productive. Examples are: (1) monopolizing the time, when a series of papers are scheduled, (2) presenting a thinly disguised sales pitch for one's book or technique, or simply: (1) holding oneself out as the purveyor of the only wisdom on the subject. The above, in the generally productive atmosphere of management science, tends to turn people off.

In order to emphasize the above examples which I have seen on many occasions, I shall describe a typical situation. The one described is fictional but incorporates situations I have seen.