OM Forum—The Operations of Well-Being: An Operational Take on Happiness, Equity, and Sustainability

Abstract

Problem definition: The meaning of life must surely be more about well-being than wealth, but what does that have to do with operations? Well-being encompasses a lot: Are we happy as individuals? Are groups treated fairly? Is society sustainable? Operations management has many impacts on well-being at each of these levels, some more obvious than others. Methodology/results: This MSOM Fellow forum article offers a wide-ranging exploration of linkages between operations and well-being. It organizes “operations” into five broad areas: pace and productivity, predictability and probability, process and prevention, performance and payment, and pollution and protection. For each of those, it explores what makes individuals (un)happy, what is fair, and what is sustainable. Managerial implications: It concludes with 7 recurrent themes for research in Operations Management.