2.3.2 Why Build Models?
It is a truism that all models are wrong, but some models are just wrong enough to be useful. However, there are some very good reasons for building models. We build models to:
- represent factors most influential in a selected problem situation so that interactions can be identified and critically examined;
- experiment with a problem situation;
- develop robust double-loop learning;
- test, in a benign environment, remedial strategies for a selected problem situation before foisting them on the real world where consequences of implementation may be both risky and irreversible; and
- provide valuable and timely support to real decision making.