About SWDSI

Our History

This organization is a subdivision of the Decision Sciences Institute, Inc., a non-profit professional organization. The goal of Southwest Division is to support the goals and objectives of the Decision Sciences Institute.

Decision Sciences is the union of the quantitative and behavioral approaches to managerial decision making  encompassing all of the functional areas of business. The Decision Sciences Institute is an interdisciplinary association of professionals committed to the understanding and improvement of decision making in organizations, and to the development of scholar-teachers in the decision sciences. The Institute provides an international forum for the exchange of research in the decision sciences across disciplines, seeks to promote and integrate theoretical and applied research, and is an outlet for the publication and dissemination of current thinking in the decision sciences.

The purposes of the Institute are to enrich the study of decision processes in both traditional and emerging areas of study as well as through the integration of these disciplines; to develop theoretical bases for the planning, design and implementation of decision sciences. This is accomplished through a commitment to quality in:

Research

  • A focus on the integration of research in the art and science of managerial decision making across traditional functional academic disciplines
  • An international forum for presentation and discussion of research
  • A forum for research of a theoretical and applied nature

Teaching

  • A forum for presentation and discussion of innovative teaching
  • A forum for examining the most recent application of computers to instruction
  • Recognition of teaching excellence and curriculum innovation

Professional Practice

  • An exchange of ideas between leading professional practitioners and educators
  • A focus on decision making and decision systems