MULTIMETHODOLOGY - TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR MIXING METHODOLOGIES

In recent years the predilection for Systems/OR practice to be underpi nned by a single methodology has been called into question, and report s on multimethodology projects are now filtering through into the lite rature, This paper takes a closer look at multimethodology, It outline s a number of different possibilities for combining methodologies, and considers why such a development might be desirable for more effectiv e practice, in particular by focusing upon how it can deal more effect ively with the richness of the real world and better assist through th e various intervention stages, The paper outlines some of the philosop hical, cultural and cognitive feasibility issues that multimethodology raises, It then describes a framework that can attend to the relative strengths of different methodologies and provide a basis for construc ting multimethodology designs. Finally it presents a systematic way of decomposing methodologies to identify detachable elements, and the pa per concludes by outlining aspects of an agenda for further research t hat emerges out of the discussion, (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.