Geography, institutions, and resources matters for modelling reality but not always, not least when managers are systematically excluded from the modelling process or given a passive role

Purpose: It is often the case that a rigorous lengthy research and enterprise (R & E) or academic activity ends with a model of some sort. The purpose of the workshop was to debate the “central role” of managers as vital agents and discuss whether or not ‘managers’ as it were should be regarded as ‘active’ rather than ‘passive’ agencies in all modeling processes?. In addition this workshop raises the question should models be merely ‘explanatory’ or ‘prescriptive’? should models be ‘policy driven’ or ‘theory driven’ ? The workshop concluded by identifying thirteen attributes of a good model. Session 1 (Presentation) 15 minutes: In our search for reality we often make assumptions and use selective biases in choosing what we include in our models. It is a question of where does our allegiances lay?. I introduced the topic by presenting differences of (in selective biases, processes, and allegiances in model building) to set the scene for the debate. Session 2 (Group dialogue activity 15 minutes): Activities were given to the respective groups below to identify key attributes of a good model of their choice. The groups are as listed below: (Group 1 – Managerial Perspective group example university managers; administrators; Deans etc): (Group 2 – Detached Academics group – knowledge for the sake of knowledge example main stream economists, ethnographers – theory driven academics) (Group 3 – Practitioners group example – academics with vast industry experience) (Group 4 - Pragmatist group for example eclectic and applied researchers – policy driven academics) Session 3 (Discussion and Facilitation): 30 (I led and facilitated the debates arising from all the aforementioned groups). Despite the contentious nature of the debate, a concensus was achieved in the end leading to a summary of thirteen attributes of a good model