Today's “managerial” capitalism has grown hopelessly out of touch with the people it should be serving. The Support Economy explores the chasm between people and corporations and reveals a new society of individuals who seek relationships of advocacy and trust that provide support for their complex lives. Unlocking the wealth of these new markets can unleash the next great wave of wealth creation, but it requires a radically new approach—“distributed” capitalism. The Support Economy is a call to action for every citizen who cares about the future.

This book provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in Operations Research (OR) and Management Science (MS) as applied to sustainability. Its goal is to identify and describe ways in which OR and MS have been applied to and influenced the development of sustainability. Many of the issues we face today stem from the interconnectivity of the economy, society, and the environment, and from how both the economy and society are affecting the environment. In response, there have been a range of local and global efforts to advance society without harming the natural environment. The book showcases how OR/MS can help to address these issues, specifically with regard to renewable energy, smart industry, smart cities, transportation, smart homes and devices, etc. This book is intended for professionals in the fields of energy, engineering, information science, mathematics and economics, and for researchers who wish to develop new skills in connection with sustainability, or whose work involves sustainability.