Final answer:
The claim that operations management is solely a result of the industrial revolution is false. While the industrial revolution laid the foundations, operations management has evolved with ongoing advancements in technology, economics, and business practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that operations management is a result of a single event, the industrial revolution, is false. The industrial revolution was indeed a pivotal event that transformed economies and social structures. It began in Great Britain in the late 1700s and brought about innovations such as the steam engine, the power loom, and the steam locomotive. These machines performed tasks that would have taken many workers to accomplish, thus revolutionizing the way work was done and laying the foundations for modern operations management.
However, operations management as a discipline has continued to evolve since the industrial revolution, incorporating principles from scientific management, statistical quality control, and modern management techniques. Its development has been influenced by improvements in technology, shifts in consumer demand, and globalization, making it an ongoing process rather than the result of a single event. The industrial revolution catalyzed the initial changes that led to the birth of operations management, but it is not solely the product of that era.