Category: Problem Solving

Introduction

The level of competition in different industries in which organizations operate today is high and calls for increased competitiveness. In order to improve the competitiveness, firms could engage in different firm activities that may include process improvement.

This may call for analysis of the problem and seeking different ways of solving the issues. In order to improve business processes, an organization needs to have the necessary knowledge and expertise. The business process could be attained through establishment of change such as business process reengineering.

In spite of the good intentions of the changes, there is always resistance to change that could lead to project failure as examined in this paper. In addition, this paper examines reengineering as an example of process improvement in organizations.

History of Process Improvement

Change is a constant element in organizations given the dynamic business environment that firms operate in. Organizations operate in many business environments that are characterised by free entry and exit, increasing competition and technological advancement.

In order for organizations to maintain their competitiveness, they need to embrace change and improve their manufacturing processes, service delivery and operations. Process improvement has occurred in firms over many years.

Over many years, quality improvement in firms was done using regular inspection and changed over time to total quality management and the modern six sigma approach. Process improvement concept was first used by Harrington James in 1991 when he published in his book on process improvement.

The method involves redesigning and reengineering business process in order to improve quality of an organization’s output while gaining a competitive edge at the same time.

Since its introduction, process improvement has been able to be applied in many firms. The application of information technology in the process is a vital ingredient that will revolutionalize the future of process improvement in firms.

Process Improvement in Firms

The improvement of business processes in an organization has not been smooth for most firms. As the management of an organization introduces change in the company, there is always resistance to change with most employees opting to remain with the current processes of the firm.

Reengineering

According to Hammer & Champy (2000, p. 2), process improvement in organization requires reengineering, which is defined as the ability of an organization to disregards all its assumptions and traditional way of doing business and instead developing and adopting a new process centred business organization.

The adopted new process should help an organization improve its performance. In order to achieve the required process reengineering for an organization, an organization needs to adopt a fresh perspective and approach.

In order to acquire change through process reengineering, it is necessary that an organization rethink and establish radical redesigning of its processes in order to generate the required dramatic improvements. The process could be well illustrated in the figure below.

As indicated in the above diagram, Hammer & Champy (2000, p. 3) notes that reengineering requires starting over for an organization. In order for an organization to succeed in the modern environment, there is need for its processes to be fast, of high quality, flexible and of low cost.

The initial phases of organizational change began long time ago with Adam Smith who proposed labour specialization, followed by establishment of infrastructure, the assembly line and hierarchical structure of the firm.

In spite of the importance of these principles, their application in the modern business environment could result in delays, rigidity and high overhead costs in the production process.

The first step of reengineering begins with the focus on the fundamentals of the company. The fundamentals of an organization relate to the main activities of the firm, why they are done the way they are and the tacit rules and assumptions of present activities.

According to Hammer & Champy (2000, p. 4), reengineering concentrates on what ought to be or should be done and ignores what is done.

The radical redesign phase is concerned with the reinvention of the organization. This does not involve making of superficial changes or marginal enhancements to the firm but changes and designs that enhance new features of the organization.

The potential dramatic result is the phase that the firm realizes the outcome of reengineering. According to Piderit (2000), reengineering leads to quantum leaps in the performance of an organization rather than incremental improvements.

Business process orientation involves evolving of the firm around its business processes. The processes undertake inputs in order to generate valuable outputs to the customer. In order for a business process to work, it must produce added value rather than internal activity.

Various organizations could undertake the reengineering process. According to Revilak et al. (2007, p. 56), companies that operate in a competitive industry could undertake reengineering to increase their competitive advantage.

Other sets of companies are those whose management could realize approaching issues along their paths of operation. The third sets of organizations are those that have ambitious management teams that perceive reengineering as a means of achieving market dominance and leadership.

Process improvement of an organization through reengineering is characterised by various features. To begin with, the processes that an organization uses to perform its operations are simplified with the description of jobs being expanded to become multidimensional.

Introduction of change in an organization increases employee autonomy and empowerment with power distance in the organization being reduced. Employees work as teams with group work and cooperation being enhanced.

As the management of the organization adopts a flatter arrangement from a hierarchical structure, professionals within the firm become the key personnel to steer change. Employees are motivated to work for the firm and the measurement for performance of employees moves from activities to outcome of each employee.

The managers no longer act as supervisors but coaches that help employees attain their maximum potential. Lastly, the organization and employees do not focus on pleasing the management but the end user of products and services, the customer (Hammer & Champy 2000, p. 8).

Change in organizations can be in different forms. Incremental or first order changes are minor changes that alter small aspects of the firm while leaving the general business environment the same. Transformational or strategic changes in organizations aim at changing the entire business framework of a firm.

Change Management Process

In order to apply the required change, an organization needs to identify the problem it is facing in order to find and develop the best solution to the problems. According to Brown & Kusiak (2007), lack of proper diagnosis of the problem could lead to implementation of the wrong process in the organization.

The outcome could worsen performance rather than improve the performance of the organization. The problem identification process involves various steps as outlined below.

Problem Identification

Organizations face many issues some of which are complex while others are simple. The identification of problems of the firm needs to be followed by prioritizing the issues so that the company can make decision on which issues to be solved first.

Symptoms: the establishing of the issues affecting the organization needs to be followed by diagnosing the features or symptoms of the problem. The symptoms of the problems of the firm should be distinguished from the causes of the problem.

According to Brown & Kusiak (2007), business analysts usually hear many issues affecting the firm and they give many solutions. It is important that the firm does not ignore any solution given. However, the solution provided should be argued out with the management of an organization in order to establish its effectiveness (Boeker 1997, p. 155).

Alternatives: after serious analysis of a given situation in an organization and hearing possible solutions from a business analyst, it is important that the organization develops alternatives for its problems.

The approaches that could solve the problem of an organization could come with different consequences and costs that make it necessary for the management to discuss each alternative exclusively.

After discussion of each alternative, it is important that the management makes a decision regarding the best solution to fix its issues. The decision should be based on the best approach that solves the problem affecting the firm while leaving it with the least negative effects.

The decision made should be followed by implementation and follow up of the effectiveness of the approach. According to Brown & Kusiak (2007), follow up is important for organization to ensure that the approach follows the set guidelines and that it has no side effects.

In the process of solving an issue affecting an organization and effecting change in the firm, firms do use various methods. Some approaches include cause effect approach and business process reengineering.

Unsuccessful Process Improvement

Not all initiatives of change in firms end up being successful. Some processes end up failing. According to Pardo del Val & Martínez (n.d. p, 3), the failure of change management process for firms is due to the resistance to change within the organization.

He further notes that resistance to change in the firm introduces unanticipated delays and many costs in the process of change that the management must now consider in the entire process. In spite of the resistance to change as a cause of failure to change, it has been hailed as a source of important information that could help an organization transform its business framework.

The sources of resistance to change are many and while some show up during early stages of planning, others show up in the later stages of implementing the planned changes. As noted by Boeker (1997, p. 153), early sources of resistance could be due to distorted perception of change and misinterpretation of the change to be introduced.

The organization could also fail to look ahead in future. Other causes could be denial to introduced changes, perpetuation of ideas and making of implicit assumptions. Ford, Ford & D’amelo (2008, p. 5) note that communication barriers in addition to organizational silence could also casus misunderstanding within an organization thereby leading to resistance to change.

There is another source of resistance to change. This is noted by some researchers as lack of motivation for change within the firm especially for employees of the organization.

The low motivation could be due to low costs, cannibalization costs, cross subsidy comforts and past failures that hinder progress. Lorenzo (2000) argues that resistance to change could also be caused by different interests between employees and the management of an organization. For instance, employees could be for proposed changes while the management could be against change.

Pardo del Val & Martínez (n.d. p, 367) posits that the third set of resistance to change causes inadequate creative responses. Lack of creativity in an organization could be caused by complexity of the business environment and fast changes that do not allow for environmental scan, reactive mindset that could result to resignation and inadequate strategic vision for the firm.

The implementation phase of change is a vital stage that requires total concentration in an organization. However, there is resistance to change during implementation.

The resistance could also be caused by various sources such as a poor implementation climate in the organization that is brought about by different organizational values and culture. Others are departmental politics and incommensurable beliefs or disagreements.

The last set of causes to resistance to change includes inaction of leadership in firm, routines that are embedded in the firm and collective action problems in the organization.

Successful Reengineering Process: Ford Motor Corporation

Ford Motor Corporation applied the process analysis and problem solving in the 1980s by examining its employee accounts of about 500 employees.

After a careful examination of the accounts payables, it was revealed that the company took much of the time in the department to track down discrepancies between orders that were purchased, shipping receipts and invoices. The realization of the problem led to a rethink of possible solutions and reengineering was the only viable solution. The company took various steps as explained below.

• The management began by establishing an online database mainly for the purchase orders whereby all orders issued by buyers were recorded in the database.
• Goods were received at the dock while there was an individual to check in the database. The match of the shipment and what is in the database led to the reception of the goods and vice versa. This eliminated possibilities of any discrepancies between orders that were made and what is received.
• Once the shipment is received, the database is updated immediately to reflect the change. In addition, a check was generated automatically and issued to the vendor in time.

The process improvement applied by Ford Motor Corporation was a success. This is because the head count people in the purchasing department reduced drastically from 500 to 125 employees with efficiency in time management being improved dramatically.

According to Piderit (2000, p. 785), the reengineering process as applied at Ford Motor Corporation is a lesson to be emulated by many firms wishing to reengineer their processes. The changes that the company implemented could not have been achieved without the aid of the modern information technology.

The process reengineering reflects old processes that have undergone new wrinkles. Another lesson learnt is that reengineering depends on a large scale on information technology. Planning the reengineering process in advance cannot work since what is experienced in the course of the process changes the reengineering plan.

Innovation for Organizational Growth

Knowledge is an important aspect in every organization. An organization is made of human resources that end up being of great importance since they are involved in the productivity of the products of the organization.

The human resources could either be skilled, semi skilled or non-skilled. Skilled employees comprise of employees that and endowed with specific knowledge in a given field or sector in the firm such as management, information technology and manufacturing among many others.

Semi skilled employees do posses little knowledge in specific fields. However, they extent of know how is limited. Lastly, non skilled employees do not posses any form of knowledge or expertise in any field in the organization. Most of non skilled employees are usually employed by firms as casuals or non-permanent staff of the firm.

Skilled employees are important in an organization. It is important that an organization derives the best ways to manage its knowledgeable employees in order to motivate them and improve their performance and the performance of the organization.

Knowledge is important for an organization because it helps an organization undertake research and development that is highly needed for innovation to take place. According to Hansen & Birkinshaw (2007, p. 122), knowledge management should be customized for a given set of tasks within an organization.

Innovation and value added in the output of a firm is as a result of application of knowledge in order to improve, change or develop a specific task and activities (McDermott, 1999). Therefore, innovation could be termed as the primary purpose of knowledge in an organization.

In spite of its importance, innovation could be a complex idea that involves uncertainty and political activities. It might involve people with different experiences and teamwork or group work that is extended over long periods of time.

In addition, it requires combination of different knowledge endowments within an organization in order to produce expected results in the form of new products or services produced by a firm. As noted by Hansen & Birkinshaw (2007, p. 125), innovation does not only occur through research and development, but also through mainstream work activities within an organization.

Innovation is characterised by invention, diffusion and implementation. Therefore, it more than just coming up with a good idea, but is more of putting the ideas into practical use within the organization. The creation of new knowledge and ideas is an important aspect of innovation.

However, they must be accompanied by bringing the ideas and knowledge into widespread use and applying them to solve issues affecting the organization. There is also product and process innovation that is vital for the success of an organization.

Product innovation involves the application of new knowledge to the development of tangible products of an organization. On the contrary, process innovation involves the application of new knowledge and ideas to the establishment of new processes within the firm. All these are innovations that utilize knowledge at different levels (Nemeth 1997, p. 63).

Based on the above description of innovation, knowledge and knowledge management should be linked to innovation. The innovation process involves different steps that range from formation of an agenda through establishment of a routine to the manufacture of a new product or process.

In every step of innovation, there is an emphasis of different aspects of knowledge and management of knowledge.

Therefore, it can be concluded that knowledge cannot be separated from innovation as it necessitates the innovative ability of the firm. The firm should always struggle to motivate and maintain its knowledgeable employees in order to maintain its innovative ability and competitiveness in the market.

Conclusion

Problems analysis and problems solving in an organization is an important aspect of every organization. The modern business environment is dynamic and full of many challenges that organizations needs to develop different mechanisms of solving their issues.

The process of solving a problem involves first identifying the issue affecting the corporation and determining possible ways of solving the issues. Out of the many alternatives, the management could choose one. Process improvement and reengineering is one of the many methods of solving issues affecting the firm.

The reengineering process is vital since it helps an organization develop new processes and frameworks of the firm.

One of the successful reengineering was conducted by Ford Motors in the 1980s in which it introduced new process of recording purchases thereby ending up cutting down its costs dramatically. Reengineering process could be accompanied by knowledge and innovation.

List of References

Boeker, W 1997, ‘Strategic change: The influence of managerial characteristics and organizational growth’, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 152-170.

Brown D & Kusiak, J 2007, ‘Problem Analysis Techniques’, IRM Training white paper, IRM Training Pty Ltd.

Ford, J, Ford, L & D’amelo, A 2008, ‘Resistance to Change: The rest of the Story’, Academy of Management, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 362-377.

Hammer, M & Champy J 2000, ‘Reengineering the Corporation: A manifesto for business revolution’, https://summaries.com/.

Hansen, A & Birkinshaw, J 2007, ‘The innovation value chain’, Harvard Business Review, June 2007, pp. 121-130.

Lorenzo, J 2000, ‘Barreras en los procesos de cambio en las organizaciones: studio de un caso’, Paper presented at the X Congreso Nacional de ACEDE, Oviedo (Spain).

McDermott, R 1999, ‘Why information technology inspired but cannot deliver knowledge management’, California Management Review, vol. 41, pp. 103-117.

Nemeth, C 1997, ‘Managing innovation: When less is more’, California Management Review, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 59-74.

Pardo del Val, M & Martínez, C n.d., ‘Resistance to change: a literature review and empirical Study’, Universitat de València, Spain.

Piderit, S 2000, ‘Rethinking resistance and recognizing ambivalence: a multidimensional view of attitudes toward an organizational change’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 25 no. 4, pp. 783-794.

Revilak, A et al. 2007, Knowledge management and innovation: an analysis of knowledge factors controlled by governments and their impact on patent creation, George Washington University, Washington.

Abstract

Considering the “Customer Service” situation, it is common for a consumer to engage employees who are never mindful of the customer satisfaction or the loyalty. The food industries suffer strongly from such situations where employees especially the service men/women treat clients negligently as if they were a burden to their work.

Sometimes the employees become rude or obnoxious. It is often easy to find or hear advertisements state that ‘the customer can have the services their way,’ but this is a rare occurrence. The customer services seem to be on a downhill trend today. This paper considers a situation of rude treatment of the customers by the food industries employees. What solutions can be applicable in such situations? The paper applies both the persuasive and scientific thinking as the solution to the situation.

Solutions by Persuasive Thinking

Customers’ satisfaction and customer loyalty are two quite different but logically utilized business concepts in food service industries, as very important marketing strategies. According to the industrial experts, when the customer is satisfied, the business gains a huge leap on their faith and thus the continual loyalty.

Marketing and customer relationship is achievable when the service experts such as the waiters/waitress use strategic approaches to ensure customer satisfaction. In line with Crowder et al (2007), this is a logical counter measure to retaining customers as well as maximizing business profits.

Today, logical marketing entails rationality as opposed to the common transitional approach of advertising. According to the American Marketing Association (2008), marketing is a function of an organization, which involves the process of creating and respecting customers’ values in persuasion of their requests for services.

It also entails friendly correspondence and deliveries as a measure of managing or ensuring good relationships for maximum benefits. In accordance with Harker and Egan, (2006), the persuasive style/approach of offering services is more acceptable as a modern style of enhancing business growth. In close link to Kotler and Keller (2009), the logical Customer Relationship Management (CRM), is more preferable and chosen as a top priority approach among most companies worldwide.

It incorporates the use of independent reasoning, to solve small and simple occasional scenarios involving consumer’s demands. In connection to Kotler and Keller (2009), the strategy of CRM has a foundation of the additional personnel knowledge penetrating the involved sectors with the aim of strengthened relationship.

Today the use of logical value added services such as smiling expressions during service, use of polite and friendly words, showing concern and assurance communication is important for enhancing consumer satisfaction. According to Kotler and Keller’s writing (2009), to harness the success of CRM, the stakeholders ought to be educated; the idea behind the approach should ensure value of persuasive thinking as a strategic innovation to retain the customer.

Solutions by Scientific Thinking

On the other hand, the scientific thinking of the case scenario entails a way of enhancing or ensuring the firm-to-customer relationship. Scientific theories of marketing indicate that customer satisfaction relates to results, while loyalty links to relationships, and this is achievable thought improved customer relationship management system.

From the scientific point-of-view, if the customers are repeatedly satisfied with goods or services, they are likely to become truly loyal and easily overcome the negative occasional impacts or business challenges. Satisfied customers may not necessarily be or remain loyal, but existence of a management system to strengthened relationship with them especially for the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises enhances the loyalty (Baas and Schrooten, 2006).

The scientific thinking indicates that the business can gain economically by establishing the value for customer satisfaction, ensuring that the business revolves around the customer’s interests and considering the key elements that accelerate their loyalty. Today it is eminent for businesses to identify the segments that the customers tend to have greater value upon by finding the satisfaction elements that may control decisions regarding their needs. (Kotler and Keller, 2009, 3)

Scientifically the business is also able to manage its relationship with the customer by ensuring good focus on customer’s needs as a business strategy or objective. Reinventing the interactions with the customers ensures proper support especially to the highly valued clients. The business also have the role of ensuring existence of a well trained, motivated and organized personnel, with the ability to support all the customer’s needs.

Summary

Scientifically a food industry can integrate customer information to have a comprehensive view of their needs and thus ensure satisfaction. The company can capitalize on self-service concepts through accurate and rapid response to needs. The technological advancement can be of help in understanding customers’ needs and measuring relationship progress.

The technology ought to provide the customer’s data source through various channels for analysis. The provision for satisfaction across the wide range of customer’s interactions is another key determinant of a firm’s success. The customer relationship management has to focus on supporting specific business financial objectives for it to have a positive impact on business profitability or customer satisfaction.

The concepts behind this management mainly regard client satisfaction, especially during the current robust technological platforms, customer retention necessities, accelerated growth over the competitors and higher returns. Logical persuasive strategies in the food industry involve consideration of the factor that requires immediate personal thought and address in connection to specific scenarios, in order to maintain a strong customer relationship.

References

AMA (American Marketing Association). (2008). Customer Relationship Management. Web. Web.

Baas, T., & Schrooten, M. (2006). Relationship Banking and SMEs: A theoretical Analysis of Small Business Economics. Journal of Economics, 27, 127-137. Missouri, MO: MIT Press.

Crowder, M.J., Hand, D, & Krzanowski, W. (2007). On optimal intervention for Customer lifetime value. European Journal of Operational Research. Amsterdam, London: Elsevier Press.

Harker, M, J., & Egan, J. (2006). The past, present and future of relationship Marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 22, 215-242 Scotland, UK: Westburn Publishers Ltd.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2009). A framework for Marketing Management (fourth Ed). Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research (JITCAR), 11, 3 Georgia, GA: Ivy League Publishing.

Abstract

Considering the “Customer Service” situation, it is common for a consumer to engage employees who are never mindful of the customer satisfaction or the loyalty. The food industries suffer strongly from such situations where employees especially the service men/women treat clients negligently as if they were a burden to their work.

Sometimes the employees become rude or obnoxious. It is often easy to find or hear advertisements state that ‘the customer can have the services their way,’ but this is a rare occurrence. The customer services seem to be on a downhill trend today. This paper considers a situation of rude treatment of the customers by the food industries employees. What solutions can be applicable in such situations? The paper applies both the persuasive and scientific thinking as the solution to the situation.

Solutions by Persuasive Thinking

Customers’ satisfaction and customer loyalty are two quite different but logically utilized business concepts in food service industries, as very important marketing strategies. According to the industrial experts, when the customer is satisfied, the business gains a huge leap on their faith and thus the continual loyalty.

Marketing and customer relationship is achievable when the service experts such as the waiters/waitress use strategic approaches to ensure customer satisfaction. In line with Crowder et al (2007), this is a logical counter measure to retaining customers as well as maximizing business profits.

Today, logical marketing entails rationality as opposed to the common transitional approach of advertising. According to the American Marketing Association (2008), marketing is a function of an organization, which involves the process of creating and respecting customers’ values in persuasion of their requests for services.

It also entails friendly correspondence and deliveries as a measure of managing or ensuring good relationships for maximum benefits. In accordance with Harker and Egan, (2006), the persuasive style/approach of offering services is more acceptable as a modern style of enhancing business growth. In close link to Kotler and Keller (2009), the logical Customer Relationship Management (CRM), is more preferable and chosen as a top priority approach among most companies worldwide.

It incorporates the use of independent reasoning, to solve small and simple occasional scenarios involving consumer’s demands. In connection to Kotler and Keller (2009), the strategy of CRM has a foundation of the additional personnel knowledge penetrating the involved sectors with the aim of strengthened relationship.

Today the use of logical value added services such as smiling expressions during service, use of polite and friendly words, showing concern and assurance communication is important for enhancing consumer satisfaction. According to Kotler and Keller’s writing (2009), to harness the success of CRM, the stakeholders ought to be educated; the idea behind the approach should ensure value of persuasive thinking as a strategic innovation to retain the customer.

Solutions by Scientific Thinking

On the other hand, the scientific thinking of the case scenario entails a way of enhancing or ensuring the firm-to-customer relationship. Scientific theories of marketing indicate that customer satisfaction relates to results, while loyalty links to relationships, and this is achievable thought improved customer relationship management system.

From the scientific point-of-view, if the customers are repeatedly satisfied with goods or services, they are likely to become truly loyal and easily overcome the negative occasional impacts or business challenges. Satisfied customers may not necessarily be or remain loyal, but existence of a management system to strengthened relationship with them especially for the Small and Medium Sized Enterprises enhances the loyalty (Baas and Schrooten, 2006).

The scientific thinking indicates that the business can gain economically by establishing the value for customer satisfaction, ensuring that the business revolves around the customer’s interests and considering the key elements that accelerate their loyalty. Today it is eminent for businesses to identify the segments that the customers tend to have greater value upon by finding the satisfaction elements that may control decisions regarding their needs. (Kotler and Keller, 2009, 3)

Scientifically the business is also able to manage its relationship with the customer by ensuring good focus on customer’s needs as a business strategy or objective. Reinventing the interactions with the customers ensures proper support especially to the highly valued clients. The business also have the role of ensuring existence of a well trained, motivated and organized personnel, with the ability to support all the customer’s needs.

Summary

Scientifically a food industry can integrate customer information to have a comprehensive view of their needs and thus ensure satisfaction. The company can capitalize on self-service concepts through accurate and rapid response to needs. The technological advancement can be of help in understanding customers’ needs and measuring relationship progress.

The technology ought to provide the customer’s data source through various channels for analysis. The provision for satisfaction across the wide range of customer’s interactions is another key determinant of a firm’s success. The customer relationship management has to focus on supporting specific business financial objectives for it to have a positive impact on business profitability or customer satisfaction.

The concepts behind this management mainly regard client satisfaction, especially during the current robust technological platforms, customer retention necessities, accelerated growth over the competitors and higher returns. Logical persuasive strategies in the food industry involve consideration of the factor that requires immediate personal thought and address in connection to specific scenarios, in order to maintain a strong customer relationship.

References

AMA (American Marketing Association). (2008). Customer Relationship Management. Web. Web.

Baas, T., & Schrooten, M. (2006). Relationship Banking and SMEs: A theoretical Analysis of Small Business Economics. Journal of Economics, 27, 127-137. Missouri, MO: MIT Press.

Crowder, M.J., Hand, D, & Krzanowski, W. (2007). On optimal intervention for Customer lifetime value. European Journal of Operational Research. Amsterdam, London: Elsevier Press.

Harker, M, J., & Egan, J. (2006). The past, present and future of relationship Marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 22, 215-242 Scotland, UK: Westburn Publishers Ltd.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. (2009). A framework for Marketing Management (fourth Ed). Journal of Information Technology Case and Application Research (JITCAR), 11, 3 Georgia, GA: Ivy League Publishing.

Introduction

The difficulties that individuals and organizations encounter can be resolved if people define these problems identify the impact of external circumstances, and evaluate the strengths or weaknesses of possible strategies (Lussier, 2011, p. 93; Mundy, 2010). In many cases, a six-step approach to problem-solving can be a useful tool for finding the most optimal decision. This method is beneficial because it enables a person to single out the key components of a certain issue that appears to be very complex. Overall, this scenario shows that very often, there are unknown factors that can affect the outcomes of the choices that an individual takes. By considering the influence of these forces, one can better assess the positive and negative sides of various strategies. It is the central question that should be discussed in greater detail.

The definition of the problem

In this case, I need to place myself in the position of a person who should decide if it is necessary to accept the job offer from a company that gives a higher salary. In particular, the annual increase will equal $ 15 000. Furthermore, this enterprise promises to cover relocation expenses. Thus, this offer looks very lucrative. Nevertheless, I will need to start my work in this organization when my final examinations begin. Therefore, it may be necessary for me to postpone or even abandon my studies. My current employer encourages me to obtain a Bachelor’s degree that is one of the prerequisites for promotion. This enterprise agrees to finance my studies while the other company does not offer this opportunity to me. Thus, I need to decide whether I should stay or take a position in a different organization. However, there are other aspects of this problem, and they should not be overlooked. In particular, I should keep in mind that I do not know how the management of the new company will respond if I say that I would like to start my work after my final examinations. Additionally, I do not know how my current employers can react if I ask them to increase the amount of my compensation. Thus, in this case, the relevant information is not available, and this issue makes this problem more complicated because a person cannot accurately anticipate the consequences of possible steps (Cleden, 2012, p. 41; Butterfield, 2012).

Analysis

While analyzing this problem, I should first single out the main criteria according to which different options should be assessed. In particular, much attention should be paid to such issues as compensation, promotional opportunities, and the ability to attain professional growth. These factors shape the level of people’s satisfaction with their jobs (Nejati, 2013, p. 122; Hicks, 2004). The main difficulty is that I cannot evaluate every aspect of the new job. In particular, I do not know if the management of this organization will enable me to complete my studies. This issue is one of the top priorities for me because I have nearly received the degree. Additionally, I have no information about the working conditions of this company. Much attention should be paid to such issues as scheduling, opportunities for promotion, or the nature of the tasks that I will need to perform. Overall, in this case, it is not permissible to evaluate a job only in terms of compensation. This approach can prompt a person to make a wrong decision while evaluating different companies. Apart from that, I do not know how my current employers can respond if they learn about my intentions to leave. Furthermore, each of the possible choices has some limitations. If I reject the offer made by the other company, I may lose the opportunity to find a high-paying job. Nevertheless, if I choose to quit, I may not be able to get the degree, even though my studies have almost been completed.

It should be mentioned that I have worked with my current company for 11 years, and I can fully understand the requirements set by this employer. Furthermore, this organization helps me pursue my studies. Nevertheless, my annual salary is lower in comparison with the competing company. In turn, the new employer gives a higher wage, but it does not provide reimbursement to those workers who want to continue their education.

The Description of possible solutions

It is possible to consider three approaches to this scenario. In particular, I may decide to accept the position in a competing company. Furthermore, I may choose to complete my studies and remain in the firm in which I have worked before. However, there is a more complex solution to this scenario that does not give ready-made answers. In particular, I may ask the management of the new company if I can start my work after obtaining my degree. Additionally, I should learn as much as possible about my new position and the benefits that I can receive. Apart from that, I will need to discuss this issue with my current employers. In particular, I should discuss my compensation with the senior executives of this firm. This information will be essential for making a proper decision.

Assessment

The first two options have their strengths and weaknesses. These advantages and disadvantages can be related to such aspects as professional growth, compensation, or promotion. However, the first two approaches do not enable a person to consider various unknown factors that may profoundly influence future outcomes. As it has been said before, much attention should be paid to the differences in working conditions and the development of professional skills. In contrast, the third approach enables me to assess the positive and negative sides of the two employers.

The most optimal solution

Therefore, it is possible to argue that the third option is the best strategy that will be useful for minimizing potential losses. Therefore, I should first communicate with the management of the two enterprises. This interaction will help me acquire the relevant information that is necessary for making the right choice.

Implementation of the decision

I will need to take several steps to address this problem efficiently. At first, I will need to learn about the new company that intends to hire me. I need to get a comprehensive idea about the HR policies of this organization. Furthermore, I should discuss the terms of my employment more closely. During this conversation, I will need to mention my intention to receive a Bachelor’s degree. It is critical to stress the idea that these studies are of vital significance to me. Moreover, if I do not pass my final examinations, I will need to incur greater expenses in the future. At the same time, I should also discuss this job offer with my current employers. These people may improve the terms of my employment if they learn that other businesses want to recruit me. This strategy can lead to several possible outcomes. In particular, the competing company may let me start my employment after my final examinations. Therefore, I may choose to accept this job offer. If they insist that I should start working by the specific date, regardless of my final examinations, I will need to examine the HR practices of this organization. In this way, I will be able to determine if this organization will be a good employer.

At the same time, it is possible that the management of my current company offers me a higher salary. Additionally, they can recommend me for promotion. If they do it, I would prefer to stay in this organization. Nevertheless, the key task is to compare the work conditions in both enterprises. Admittedly, this strategy does not give a quick and definitive answer to this problem. Nevertheless, this approach will enable me to avoid potential losses.

Conclusion

Overall, this discussion shows that prior to making choices, people should determine if they have access to relevant information. One can argue that none of the options can be dismissed. In particular, a person can either accept the job offer or stay in the same company. In this case, much depends on the way in which the managers of the two companies can respond to the actions and intentions of a person. These responses are critical for evaluating each of these organizations. Moreover, one should not evaluate these businesses only in terms of the salaries that they offer. This assessment cannot give in-depth insights into the work of these companies. An employee should also examine the way in which these companies promote the professional development of workers.

Reference List

Butterfield, J. (2012). Problem-Solving and Decision Making: Illustrated Course Guides. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

Cleden, D. (2012). Managing Project Uncertainty. New York, NY: Gower Publishing.

Hicks, M. (2004).Problem Solving and Decision Making: Hard, Soft and Creative Approaches. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

Lussier, R. (2011). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

Mundy, A. (2010). Journey to Quality Leadership. New York, NY: ASQ Quality Press.

Nejati, M. (2013). Frontiers of Business, Management and Economics: An Interdisciplinary Collection of Managerial Research Findings and Breakthroughs. New York, NY:Universal-Publishers.

Introduction

Different approaches and techniques that increase the productivity of public and business organizations are highly valued today. Traditional and outdated management principles may not always be effective in a competitive environment or other challenging conditions. For this purpose, creative ways are promoted, and new approaches are developed based on current needs. To analyze the existing methodological and practical principles of creative problem solving, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council can be used as a target organization.

This board provides services to support the development of sport among the population and, in particular, the youth. Its members promote the interests of activities aimed at maintaining the health of the nation and coordinating various competitions. To achieve the effective and competent leadership of all the processes taking place within the council, the search for new methods of organizing work may be required.

The purpose of this work is to analyze various approaches to increasing the effectiveness of leadership and creative problem solving based on the existing academic literature. Much of the information in the sources used proves that the non-standard ways of control and management help to improve performance and increase the interest of employees in the sphere in which they are involved. The comparative analysis of studies aimed at researching creative problem solving and different methods of management makes it possible to assess the importance of this approach and helps to cope with many organizational challenges.

Theoretical, Methodological, and Practical Contribution

When evaluating the significance of some academic studies devoted to the search and assessment of creative leadership methods, it is possible to receive several valuable conclusions. For instance, Čančer and Mulej (2013) argue that innovative approaches are not limited solely to finding problems. According to the authors, analytical steps are no less important procedure helping to not only identify complexities but also the factors that allow them to be corrected (Čančer & Mulej, 2013).

Myszkowski, Storme, Davila, and Lubart (2015) note that “creative ability is field-specific” (p. 675). For the practical use of essential knowledge regarding the innovative methods of control over the activity of employees and subordinates, the authors offer managers to be open to interaction and realize the problems of a particular industry clearly (Myszkowski et al., 2015). In this case, it will be possible to achieve significant improvements for the better due to the competent performance of the assigned tasks.

Guesalaga, Pierce, and Scaraboto (2016) focus their research on evaluating those strategies that influence consumer interest in specific products and services. In the context of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council analyzed, this work may be useful since the activities of this organization also imply the involvement of the population. Nevertheless, the study by Guesalaga et al. (2016) has a significant limitation, in particular, one target market, which does not allow assessing the methodology for other areas. Giannopoulou, Gryszkiewicz, and Barlatier (2014) suggest combining different forms of creativity in the work environment. Their methodology provides for the application of different approaches – “attracting, stimulating, combining, providing, breeding, opening up, and accepting” (Giannopoulou et al., 2014, p. 23). Such a method can be effective for finding an optimal strategy and introducing it into everyday practice.

For the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the organization that actively develops one of the country’s most popular industries, it is essential to use modern resource management tools. The approach by Capel (2014) implies an inextricable link between creativity and innovation, which, in the author’s opinion, contributes to increasing the interest of employees in the activities performed. The methodology provides for the evaluation of entrepreneurial literature to find evidence in support of the proposed theory and its possible implementation in practice. Similar ideas by Williams (2013) provide an analysis of existing sources on the topic of promoting activities through important skills.

As he remarks, leadership competencies in problem-solving should be based on coordination and cooperation, which, in turn, is easy to implement in practice (Williams, 2013). Such ideas allow noting that analytical approaches in management are interconnected with active measures aimed at encouraging the success of employees and their involvement in the work process.

The contribution of Waddock, Meszoely, Waddell, and Dentoni (2015) to the issue of creative problem solving is in the authors’ setting the current trends that exist in the management field and their benefits. According to them, leaders’ flexibility is one of the key aspects that allow achieving high-performance results. Therefore, if the leadership of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council adheres to a maneuverability approach about subordinates, productivity can increase.

Johansson, Witell, and Rönnbäck (2013) note that individual leadership skills are a valuable criterion for assessing the performance of any organization and implementing appropriate changes aimed at solving certain problems. The methodology of global analysis of various sources (interviews, literature reviews, case studies) helps to consider the topic comprehensively and find justifications for the proposed theory.

In the context of attracting young people as active representatives of the population, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council can benefit from the work of Calma (2013), which considers strategies for engaging and developing valuable skills that are necessary for effective goals achievement. As a justification, the factors have listed that influence the work process positively – critical thinking, oral and written communication, and other skills. According to the author, the practical significance of this study lies in the fact that the benefits of promoting the aforementioned attainments are given, and value orientations are presented (Calma, 2013).

The theme of problem-solving with the help of topical and promising methods is the subject of Vora’s (2013) study, who has observed this field throughout the whole research practice. The outcomes given by the author is the result of many years of practice, which is summarized in the need for changes within the organizational structure through sustainable management if no development occurs (Vora, 2013).

The creative ways of encouraging employees’ activity are considered as a result of leaders’ initiatives, and corresponding theoretical concepts are offered, for instance, “without proper talent management, change initiatives will falter” (Vora, 2013, p. 625). All the aforementioned academic studies may be useful for the Abu Dhabi Sports Council since the representatives of the organization’s leadership can implement the presented methodologies and practices as a rationale for targeted interventions.

Compare and Contrast Analysis

Analyzing all the listed studies from similarity, it can be noted that they all encourage active leaders’ positions and, on the contrary, condemn passivity and commitment to outdated work principles. For instance, Čančer and Mulej (2013), Capel (2014), and Giannopoulou et al. (2014) agree on the importance of applying innovations in the modern management environment. By the same principle, it is possible to compare the studies of Williams (2013), Vora (2013), and Calma (2013) who argue that personal skills solely play a key role in achieving success and high-performance outcomes.

Waddock et al. (2015) present fundamentally different conclusions and state that flexibility is an essential aspect of work, which leaders should adhere to establish a favorable atmosphere among colleagues. Despite the differences between these approaches, they still have common features, in particular, assertions in favor of supporting the stable position of managers as key coordinators of the problem-solving process.

Although many studies are similar to one another, distinctive features can also be found. The Abu Dhabi Sports Council is the board that represents the interests of the population at the city and country level and is the organization with serious goals and perspectives. However, not all of the above articles may be used as direct guidelines for the introduction of certain innovations. For instance, the work of Guesalaga et al. (2016) is relevant because the authors use a multi-method approach and consider the issue of problem-solving in the context of different scales. They use a variety of ways to obtain the necessary information (interviews, online surveys, and other methods) to receive a comprehensive picture of the situation and different participants’ views. A similar position belongs to Johansson et al. (2013) who resort to various ways of obtaining information on the effectiveness of certain creative methodologies that may be beneficial from different perspectives.

Nonetheless, not all of the mentioned authors focus on the scope of the issue. Myszkowski et al. (2015) use a different approach, analyzing the behavior of a rather narrow circle of people. Despite the similarity of their opinion on the importance of individual qualities, in the context of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, this article will not be useful enough because of its limited conclusions. The organization under consideration is not only large but also significant in terms of its functions. The council’s management is competent to implement exclusively those strategies that are verified and consistent with the objectives of the chosen course.

However, if the results of previous approaches are too limited by the scope (the number of participants, and enterprise size, and other conventions), interventions based on such information will be unreasonable. When using the results of such research in a large state agency, the outcomes may differ from those presented in this or that article. Theoretical concepts should have practical justification for becoming the basis for changes within the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. Therefore, the approach that encourages leaders’ flexible work and stimulates employees’ initiative seems the most preferable.

Conclusion

The comparison of the existing academic literature on creative problem solving is a useful method that allows obtaining valuable knowledge concerning the possibility of using different approaches and techniques in the practice of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. This organization can introduce different ways of analyzing the productivity of employees, but the concept of leaders’ flexible work and encouraging subordinates’ activity is one of the most successful ones. Other methodologies may be limited to different frameworks – the number of participants, the size of enterprises, and other factors. Therefore, the use of the described approaches in practice should be based on the specifics of the described council and the direction of its activities.

References

Calma, A. (2013). Fixing holes where the rain gets in: Problem areas in the development of generic skills in business. Journal of International Education in Business, 6(1), 35–50. Web.

Čančer, V., & Mulej, M. (2013). Multi-criteria decision making in creative problem solving. Kybernetes, 42(1), 67-81. Web.

Capel, C. (2014). Mindfulness, indigenous knowledge, indigenous innovations and entrepreneurship. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 16(1), 63-83. Web.

Giannopoulou, E., Gryszkiewicz, L., & Barlatier, P. (2014). Creativity for service innovation: A practice-based perspective. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 24(1), 23-44. Web.

Guesalaga, R., Pierce, M., & Scaraboto, D. (2016). Cultural influences on expectations and evaluations of service quality in emerging markets. International Marketing Review, 33(1), 88-111. Web.

Johansson, E., Witell, L., & Rönnbäck, A. (2013). Using interventions to change the quality profile of an organization. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 5(1), 32-45. Web.

Myszkowski, N., Storme, M., Davila, A., & Lubart, T. (2015). Managerial creative problem solving and the Big Five personality traits: Distinguishing divergent and convergent abilities. Journal of Management Development, 34(6), 674-684. Web.

Vora, M. (2013). Business excellence through sustainable change management. The TQM Journal, 25(6), 625-640. Web.

Waddock, S., Meszoely, G., Waddell, S., & Dentoni, D. (2015). The complexity of wicked problems in large scale change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(6), 993-1012. Web.

Williams, P. (2013). We are all boundary spanners now? International Journal of Public Sector Management, 26(1), 17-32. Web.

In economics, a science-based on rational decisions, there is an underlying concept of opportunity cost. It suggests that by making any choice, a person is giving up potential benefits or outcomes of other alternatives. Therefore, in any rational decision-making mechanism, it is critical to consider every possible path of action before choosing to take it. The theory can be applied to the process of problem-solving. Using a structured method, a problem is defined and analyzed, allowing one to form viable solutions.

A person can then compare and select the most rational and beneficial resolution which is implemented to resolve an issue (“The problem-solving process,” n.d.). There may be occurrences that the chosen solution fails or a person becomes emotionally compromised. However, it is a logical sequence of thought that can be used in all areas of life when one is faced with a problem or difficult decision.

Problem Definition

The main problem in the selected scenario is the concatenation of circumstances that place the subject in a position of having to make some difficult choices, all of which have significant consequences if avoided. A lack of physical time prevents one from establishing a balanced approach and dedicating time to every activity or responsibility. Also, each side is essential in its own way, creating an internal conflict of interest. The issue lies in identifying and selecting the most critical priority on which to focus and which has the most significant long-term impacts.

Problem Analysis

When analyzing the problem, it seems that the difficult position which puts the subject at the crossroads of making these decisions is partial personal responsibility, just as much as it is a matter of circumstance. The person involved in such a predicament failed to account for future events accurately and to plan accordingly. There is an apparent lack of time management, preparation, and communication within the context of the person’s responsibilities and activities.

Every individual struggle with achieving a delicate work-life balance, but problems begin to arise if there is a continuous occurrence of mismanagement and procrastination that lead to the situation, such as described in the scenario. This induces a re-examination of the main problem that is being resolved. While solutions may focus on fixing the current crisis, they should attempt to influence the underlying behavior which precipitated the dilemma in the first place. Therefore, in the process of generating solutions, the criteria for evaluation should include addressing the problem of adequate time management, planning, and proper communication to prevent similar situations in the future.

Generating Solutions

There are some solutions that can be suggested in the given scenario. The person can make a choice based on an accountability factor. Therefore, since the job schedule requires one to work 55 hours without calling in, it would be the first priority as there is actual accountability to an employer with concretely defined consequences. Any remaining time is put towards writing the exam since missing the party holds no weight. Another solution would be to make the decision based on long-term consequences. Therefore, focusing entirely on the exam, as doing poorly will result in the termination of education, is a critical factor in the person’s life. Missing shifts at work only leads to a two-week suspension, while skipping the party has a minor consequence of being unable to relax for the time being.

There can be a more concrete rationale for the decision-making process, such as basing priorities on their financial costs. For example, if the person depends on their job to pay rent and various bills, it would be impractical to miss out on the work hours, mostly since the consequence is set at two weeks of a non-paid suspension. There may be more personal reasons, namely high-stress levels or a relationship with a friend, which would make going to the party a priority.

All of the solutions offered so far focus on prioritizing the offered choices built on a specific parameter. However, it is possible to fulfill most, if not all, activities if the subject attempts to communicate. For example, the student can communicate with a professor to relay the stressful situation and pressures at work, hoping that the deadline could be extended due to personal circumstances. The person can also attempt to communicate with the employer, explaining the critical importance of the specific exam and hopefully negotiate a reduction of work hours for the week.

Analyzing Solutions

In a tricky situation, it is rare that there is a perfect solution that can resolve the issue without any potential consequences. Therefore, it is critical to analyze each decision from an opportunity cost perspective to determine the situational intricacy of various outcomes that may arise. There were a number of factors pointing to prioritizing each one of the activities over others. Attending the party has very few benefits other than satisfaction, entertainment, and relaxation, all of which are short-term aspects. Skipping the party may result in disappointment or a possible tension with the friend, conclusions which are inconclusive.

There are no long-term consequences, accountability, or financial risks in connection to the party other than some time spent away from other more critical activities. Meanwhile, the job holds a higher priority since it is a real responsibility that the person has as an employee. It presents concrete consequences that may impact finances, job status, and future recommendations for employment. These details can vary significantly based on a person’s life situation and type of job, which are unknown in the scenario. Nevertheless, work is a serious matter to a rationally thinking adult and should not be lightly disregarded.

Looking at the scenario, the first instinct is to prioritize the exam, which has a tremendous impact on the continuation of the person’s education. Although indirect, there is a massive accountability factor to various figures, including the instructor, the institutions, family, and most importantly, the student. Since a low grade on the exam will result in failure, it is a significant responsibility for one’s future, with long-lasting consequences that are dependent on a single decision to input time and effort.

It even has implications towards financial and personal aspects. Although the effects are not felt immediately, failing out of school is more likely to compromise one’s potential career and financial future while causing many mental health challenges due to severe stress caused by the problems—all of these aspects on a large-scale contrast with the minor consequences of disregarding other activities. However, the solution to communicate is very beneficial in this situation. It has a potentially high return without any substantial drawbacks. Since in a real physical world, a person would not be able to perform all these activities and function typically, it is critical to ask for more time.

Making the Decision

When making the final decision, the most logical approach is to consider a method to resolve the situation or focus on salvaging the best alternative. Communication with the involved parties can potentially create a window of opportunity to succeed in fulfilling the most important responsibilities. Since people usually have a sense of understanding and desire to help in times of crisis, this can help manage the situation.

Even if the communication does not provide any results, due to the gravity of the consequences, it is critical to focus on completing the exam at the highest quality to fulfill educational requirements. This definitely includes skipping the party and may require being absent from work without a satisfactory excuse. This decision is the most rational provided the opportunity costs of foregoing; other activities are much smaller than maintaining one’s education.

Implementation and Reflection

At this point in the process, it is essential to be confident in the chosen decision and proceed with a plan. In consideration of the scenario, timely communication can be more beneficial to create a plan of action. One should contact the employer first and explain the situation since there is a more significant chance of flexibility than moving the exam date. One can discuss the possibility of working more in the following weeks to make up for the missed time.

It can be helpful to contact the course instructor in any situation to discuss the critical academic importance of the exam and hope that help can be offered. Obviously, the friend will be notified that one will not be attending the party. A detailed schedule should be created for the week in order to stay focused and fulfill all necessary responsibilities that there is time for. This is not only beneficial for stress and time management but will help to form habits that can prevent such problems from occurring in the future.

Conclusion

In this paper, a scenario was used to define, analyze, and find a viable solution to a problem. It represented a series of relatively small choices that had significant long-term consequences in the person’s life. The problem-solving process allowed one to logically identify priorities and understand how each decision impacted the outcomes helping to select the solution which best resolved the situation.

Reference

The problem-solving process. (n.d.). Web.

Problem-solving is a routine practice for any manager, doctor, teacher, student, or even a stay-at-home dad. However, effective approaches to decision making in troublesome situations is a rare occurrence, as often people facing problems tend to feel afraid, uncomfortable, and wish to run away (Hicks, n.d.). The present paper describes and compares two problem-solving strategies found on business management websites and provides a critical analysis of their essences.

Hicks’s Seven Steps

One of the most referenced and acknowledged problem-solving guidelines is the strategy described by Hicks (n.d.) that includes seven steps. First, Hicks (n.d.) recommends identifying the problem from different perspectives. Second, the author offers to outline the interests of all the stakeholders. The third step is to create a list of all the available options and, consequently, the fourth step is to evaluate possibilities. The fifth stage includes sorting through the described variants and choosing the most balanced alternative. After that, Hicks (n.d.) insists on making a documented agreement on the decision to revise the option and to avoid forgetting any detail. Lastly, the author recommends agreeing on contingencies, monitoring, and evaluation of the decision. In short, the seven-step method seems to be a comprehensive and concise strategy presented by a qualified specialist that does not have any signs of bias.

Tracy’s Ten Steps

Another strategy is Tracy’s creative problem-solving process that includes ten steps. The steps are presented in the following list:

• Look at the situation from a positive perspective;
• Give a precise definition of the case and include every possible detail;
• Approach the problem from all directions and use critical thinking to evaluate options;
• Describe the ideal outcome of the situation;
• Choose the most balanced solution to the problem;
• Develop a plan to overcome the worst possible result of the issue;
• Set measures for evaluating the progress;
• Specify deadlines;
• Take action.

While the guideline seems similar to Hicks’s problem-solving strategy, it adds crucial points that make it more effective.

Comparing the Two Strategies

The strategies are both viable and effective; however, Tracy’s approach is more appealing due to the inclusion of several crucial points. First, Tracy (n.d.) offers to look at the situation positively but prepare for the worst possible outcomes. Although the suggestion may seem controversial, it is very realistic and practical in my opinion. Second, Tracy (n.d.) mentions that interventions should be time specific. As deadlines are the central criteria for efficiency evaluation, Hicks’s omission of the matter is crucial. In short, I believe that the ten-step problem-solving model is more beneficial for everyday practice.

The Research Process

The research was conducted through a Google search on decision-making techniques. Articles were tested for credibility by identifying the authors and their credentials, the publisher, the purpose, and the evidence provided. While there were no problems in formatting the document, the research was hard to conduct due to the scarcity of credible sources. Most of the business articles present the signs of bias and aim at selling courses, books, or workshops.

Moreover, many publishers fail to acknowledge the writer of the materials making it impossible to evaluate the competency of the author. Additionally, websites rarely specify the publication date, which is central for medicine and business studies. In essence, the research was hard to conduct due to complications in identifying credible Internet sources.

Conclusion

Problem-solving skills are crucial for all the people in the world full of stress and anxiety. The key to success is in a systematic approach towards the issue, as it helps to overcome the fear and discomfort of a problematic situation. The two most effective strategies in the matter are described and evaluated in the present paper. In conclusion, Tracy’s guidelines seem to be more effective for managing difficult situations than the method offered by Hicks.

References

Hicks, T (n.d.). Seven steps for effective problem solving in the workplace. Web.

Module 1 – case. (n.d.).

Tracy, B. (n.d.). The 10-step process to solve any problem. Web.

Introduction

The goal of this paper is to dissect the nature of the problem-solving approach at the Yahoo! Company and locate the strategies that could have been used to save the company from its ultimate demise. Although Yahoo has not been erased from the IT market radars yet, the organization has definitely experienced a significant downfall after its failure to introduce the principles of an innovation-driven problem-solving strategy. The fact that the company’s leadership has made several ethically questionable and economically dubious statements has not helped Yahoo’s position in the market, either (Aagaard, 2017). Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to analyze what went askew at Yahoo and determine possible risk management approaches that could have salvaged the company.

The paper is geared primarily toward the exploration of the impact that innovative thinking and innovation-based problem solving, in general, have on a company’s performance and position in the global market. Specifically, the situation that Yahoo! is currently facing is considered in the paper. Therefore, the intended audience includes people interested in business management and effective leadership, particularly, employee empowerment through the promotion of innovative thinking,

Analysis of the Problem

The situation currently observed at Yahoo did not appear out of the blue; instead, numerous erroneous decisions have been accumulating for years before reaching the critical point at which the company has entered the phase of decay. In retrospect, the lack of focus on continuous innovation combined with misplaced organizational values resulting in poor motivation levels in employees has caused the downshift of the organization (Bos-Nehles, Renkema, & Janssen, 2017).

The lack of consistency in organizational ethics and the unwillingness of its leaders to forecast and apply changes to the organizational context to improve its performative aspects can be deemed as the foundational cause of Yahoo’s downfall (Goel, 2016). According to recent reports, the choices that Yahoo’s leader has been making in regard to the management of ethical concerns were described as dubious, at best (Goel, 2016). The described model of organizational behavior must have had its toll on employees and their attitudes toward organizational issues, causing a drop in quality.

The second-largest issue that Yahoo has failed to address concerns the introduction of innovative solutions into its environment and workplace. While the line of decision-making that the company chose at the time of its conception was novel and allowed redefining the industry, it has worn out it’s welcome long since the firm entered the global market (Trautman & Ormerod, 2016). However, instead of incorporating innovative solutions into its decision-making and production process, as rivals such as Microsoft and Google have been doing, Yahoo

Creative Ideas for Problem Solving

Employee Empowerment

At this point, the concept of architectural innovation has to be interwoven into the analytical narrative to locate the approaches toward managing the current issues at Yahoo. From a theoretical perspective, architectural innovation can be seen as the middle ground between the two extremes of incremental and disruptive innovation as the methods of integrating novel ideas into the organizational setting.

The current definition of architectural innovation presents the subject matter as the corporate change that allows “redefining the overall design of the product or process” (Hofman, Halman, & Van Looy, 2016). In turn, Yahoo is in desperate need of a change in its approach toward key organizational processes. Therefore, the incorporation of architectural innovation as the platform on which the company’s further framework for operating in the global IT market will be built is indispensable for improving Yahoo’s current market position.

However, the described alterations in the organizational framework and the way in which the key processes within the firm are structured are bound to be faced with suspicion, at best, and resistance, at worst, from staff members. Thus, tools for problem-solving at Yahoo must include strategies for addressing resistance to change as one of the main roadblocks on the way to organizational and performative success. The described issue should be managed by increasing employee and employer engagement levels.

While the former has been integrated into the functioning of numerous companies in the global IT market, the latter is often forgotten or neglected (Goel, 2016). However, employer engagement is a critical aspect of the HRM process geared toward the increase in employees’ motivation (Obeidat, Tawalbeh, Masa’deh, & Akour, 2019). Allowing staff members to feel that they are valued, their input is appreciated, and they are deemed as an inseparable part of the organization, the described notion has to be incorporated into the Yahoo setting.

The proposed strategy aligns with the foundational tenets of critical motivation theories. Specifically, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs supports the suggested technique, with the emphasis being placed on not only the physical well-being of employees guaranteed by the benefit package but also their emotional and professional aspirations, including the chance to self-actualize through continuous learning.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Moreover, changes in the approach toward collaboration have to be changed at Yahoo. The company is currently based on the principles of a rigid organizational hierarchy, which hampers the process of information management and obscures corporate goals (Goel, 2016). The integration of a more flexible corporate hierarchy will allow staff members to transfer data more effectively. Moreover, the process of assigning tasks and roles to employees will be simplified to a significant extent.

Thus, dismantling the current corporate hierarchy to encourage better management of data is needed. Furthermore, the described alteration to Yahoo’s framework of managing relationships between staff members and managers will allow for interdisciplinary cooperation, which, in turn, will spur the efficiency of its performance, in general. As soon as the idea of collaborative critical thinking and creative analysis is introduced into Yahoo’s settings, the company will transfer to the notion of innovative problem-solving.

Organizational Philosophy

In order to address the change, one will have to challenge the existing corporate values, ethics, and standards for performance. As recent evidence has shown, the issue of ethical behavior has become a particularly notorious concern for Yahoo (Qureshi & Kashif 2017). Therefore, dismantling the current code of ethics and introducing a new one that will embrace the notions of multiculturalism, tolerance, and acceptance will be required. It would be wrong to believe that the specified step will automatically invalidate every ethical mistake that the company and its leaders have made so far. However, it will reassure the target audience, including potential buyers and investors, that Yahoo is ready to make a drastic change that will affect its choices, organizational performance, and product quality.

To introduce a set of new organizational values and standards into the corporate setting, the company’s leaders will have to redesign the existing set of ethical standards, amplifying the significance of using the principles of Utilitarianism as the principal ethical framework that implies maximizing the utility of the output (Bamber, Bartram, & Stanton, 2017). In other words, the satisfaction of the stakeholders that depend on the performance of the company, including employees, customers, suppliers, and other participants, have to be placed at the top of the company’s priorities list. Changes in the attitudes toward participants are likely to entail alterations in the latter’s perception of their work and the development of a responsible and ethical attitude toward it.

The process of altering the corporate values and encouraging the company to shift to a different set of standards, which, in this case, can be described as the transition to the philosophy based on innovation, can be performed with the help of Kotter’s eight-step model of change. The identified approach suggests that the change management procedure should be split into eight steps that lead to the institutionalization of change.

In Yahoo’s case, the process will simply introduce a strong leadership system based on the idea of innovativeness and the focus on talent management as the main method of increasing the company’s competitive advantage. Subjecting the organization to scrutiny, one will realize that even with the recent change in its CEO, the firm has been lacking strong leadership and a general sense of purpose that follows it (Goel, 2016). Therefore, the redesign of the existing organizational philosophy should start with the creation of a set of goals and milestones that will serve as the criteria for accomplishing the goals in question. The described step can be represented as the first stage of change according to Kotter’s model.

The second step, which Kotter defines as the creation of a guiding team, will imply focusing on the staff members that will be more perceptive to change than others. Thus, a group of agents that will encourage change in the corporate context will be created. The people in question will reinforce the principles of innovation and ethical decision-making in the organizational context, creating an atmosphere of support and focus on workplace tasks (Alos-Simo, Verdu-Jover, & Gomez-Gras, 2017).

Combined with incentives for increased performance and improved output, which, in Yahoo’s case, will involve the creation of projects geared by the concept of change, such as the creation of applications allowing for direct contact with customers, and the implementation of these projects.

The third step, which suggests building vision, will have to encourage employees to participate actively in creating a shared corporate philosophy. Thus, the sense of unity will foster the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility and innovative thinking in staff members, prompting an increase in employee engagement rates. The described step should be followed immediately by the fourth one, which suggests communicating for buy-in (Appelbaum, Profka, Depta, & Petrynski, 2018).

Thus, employees will receive feedback consistently, which will establish reciprocity in employee-manager relations and prompt an increased quality of staff’s performance. The described step should include setting clear criteria for performance and introduce staff members to the strategies that will allow them to build an innovative perspective and a respective decision-making strategy.

The fifth step, which suggests empowering action, will imply the use of incentives as the method of building motivation and enthusiasm. The creation of short-term wins as the following step may suggest setting minor milestones in the performance of a team, yet it may also incorporate the elements of employees’ personal progress. For instance, the acquisition of specific competencies after completing a corresponding training course can be seen as a short-term win once acknowledged and recognized by the organization (Aagaard, 2017). Thus, staff members at Yahoo will feel empowered to take the initiative and introduce innovative ideas into the organizational context.

The seventh stage of change implementation, which requires managers not to let up employees, should be implemented by enhancing the feedback system within Yahoo and using the communication channel for managers and company leaders to deliver essential information to employees and receive feedback to further respond to it. Thus, the continuity of the organizational dialogue will be maintained, which will make staff members feel valued and appreciated as a part of the organization.

Finally, the institutionalization of change should be considered as the essential step to take for Yahoo to gain the necessary competitive advantage and improve its performance aspects. The described task can be accomplished by introducing a rigid reporting system and conducting assessments of the efficacy of staff’s work and general progress. As a result, Yahoo can improve its current status significantly.

When considering the effects of the proposed change, one will need to realize that the specified steps will not take Yahoo to the top of the market; instead, they will help the organization to improve its current performance and reduce the extent of losses that it has been taking, with the possibility for increasing its profit margins following in the future. The introduction of an innovation-driven philosophy will only serve as the tool for constructing a competitive advantage that will let the firm attract the attention of its customers. In addition to building the levels of employee and employer engagement, yahoo will also have to invest in the search for innovative solutions to IT-related issues, thus redirecting its financial assets to the R&D department.

Moreover, the enhancement of the current supply chain management system and improving project management techniques will be needed. However, to accomplish the described goals and accommodate its audience with a rebranded identity, Yahoo will require a change in its problem-solving framework, which, in turn, suggests a shift in the current HRM perspective and the promotion of employee engagement coupled with initiative-driven philosophy and talent management. Thus, the firm will be able to regain some amount of influence in the IT market.

Conclusion

Due to the lack of focus on innovation as the leading principle in advancing an organization in the global market, yahoo has suffered significant negative changes and has experienced a rapid downfall, losing a substantial amount of its influence. As a result, the firm is currently suffering from the inability to meet the standards set by its competitors, which could be addressed by introducing the concept of innovation into its organizational and production-related framework. By basing the corporate problem-solving processes on the concept of innovation, Yahoo would be able to increase the extent of employee engagement that it can currently boast.

However, the integration of innovativeness as the basis for problem-solving should not be restricted to employee relations and communication. While the specified domains have to be addressed first for the organization to regain its competitive advantage and develop the resources and assets to thrive in the global IT market, the firm will also have to incorporate innovativeness into its corporate philosophy. The described goal can be implemented by considering the principles of Kotler’s Model of Change and including the concepts of Total Quality Management and the ideas of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into its framework for HRM.

However, by far the most important step in the outlined direction concerns redefining the organization’s approach toward establishing its leadership standards. Due to the bad publicity that the organization used to receive under the guidance of its former leader, Yahoo is still struggling to establish the value system that its staff members could uphold as an ethically efficient one. However, with the integration of a people-oriented approach and the promotion of values associated with excellence in performance, the organization could recover some of its former glory.

References

Aagaard, A. (2017). Facilitating radical front‐end innovation through targeted HRM practices: A case study of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 34(4), 427-449.

Alos-Simo, L., Verdu-Jover, A. J., & Gomez-Gras, J. M. (2017). How transformational leadership facilitates e-business adoption. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 117(2), 382-397.

Appelbaum, S. H., Profka, E., Depta, A. M., & Petrynski, B. (2018). Impact of business model change on organizational success. Industrial and Commercial Training, 50(2), 41-54.

Bamber, G. J., Bartram, T., & Stanton, P. (2017). HRM and workplace innovations: Formulating research questions. Personnel Review, 46(7), 1216-1227.

Bos-Nehles, A., Renkema, M., & Janssen, M. (2017). HRM and innovative work behaviour: A systematic literature review. Personnel Review, 46(7), 1228-1253.

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Obeidat, B., Tawalbeh, H. F., Masa’deh, R. E., & Akour, M. A. (2019). Reviewing the literature among Human Resource Management (HRM) practices, Total Quality Management (TQM) practices and competitive advantages. Journal of Social Sciences (COES&RJ-JSS), 8(2), 327-358.

Qureshi, M. R. J., & Kashif, M. (2017). Adaptive framework to manage multiple teams using agile methodologies. International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science, 9(1), 52.

Trautman, L. J., & Ormerod, P. C. (2016). Corporate directors’ and officers’ cybersecurity standard of care: The Yahoo data breach. American University of Law Review, 66, 1231.

Introduction

Aircel Ltd. is a company in the sphere of security that was established by three research engineers, and it is currently based in the United Kingdom. The founders developed the technology that improved the approach to protecting properties and gained an international reputation because of using high-definition cameras that can work during the day and night (AirSec Ltd: overview 2016). The company produces unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be used for patrolling the space around properties or monitoring the traffic, for instance.

Set out what you think are the main aims and objectives of the company (using the SMART approach). Also, provide a draft of a suitable Mission Statement for the company.

It is important to provide the aims and objectives for AirSec Ltd. These objectives need to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and dependent on a certain time frame: (1) By the end of 2017, AirSec Ltd. will expand the business in India and other Asian countries, gaining 30% of profits from those nations; (2) By the end of 2018, AirSec Ltd. will take the leading position in the security industry of the United Kingdom; (3) By the end of 2010, AirSec Ltd. will launch three advanced security technology projects and increase the annual profits by at least 25%.

The Mission Statement for AirSec Ltd. can be formulated in the following way: The company works to serve the customers’ needs in the field of security in the United Kingdom and globally with the focus on protecting properties and guaranteeing supportive relationships with customers. The mission statement should also include a discussion of the company’s vision and values.

Thus, the company’s vision is to produce quality security equipment and devices while being the leading UAVs brand in the United Kingdom and international markets. The company’s values are the following ones:

(1) Customer focus: The company wants to create a close bond with the customers, as well as a synergetic relationship, that benefits both sides. (2) Expertise: Everything that has been developed is done for the creation of the best products in the market. The team is well-skilled to address all aspects of product development. (3) Performance: The company’s target is to focus on current trends in the technological market to guarantee that the performance corresponds with the standards of the industry.

Assess the merits and drawbacks of a range of pricing strategies and decide which would be appropriate for this business in its established market in the UK and its new venture in India. Explain why you think your choice would be appropriate for the business, its product, and markets.

AirSec Ltd. needs to setup pricing strategies for the markets in the United Kingdom and India that will help to succeed in the market. The typical pricing strategies include penetration pricing, predatory pricing, market pricing, skimming pricing, discrimination pricing, and the price war among others. The low price strategy or penetration pricing is a strategy that helps the company to enter the existing market and receive a foothold. AirSec Ltd. entered the UK market five years ago, and setting a low price for products can lead to financial losses. However, this strategy can be discussed for India in order to draw the customers’ attention to a new product. Another strategy is predatory pricing when products are sold at such a price that makes competitors leave the market. The company can sell products at super low prices causing customers to choose this product instead of others (Abrate, Fraquelli & Viglia 2012). When competitors are overcome, companies start increasing the price of the product in order to gain profits. However, this strategy can be associated with significant losses for AirSec Ltd. because of propositions made by other competitors.

Market pricing means that the company chooses to sell products at almost the same price as other competitors in the market. The only aspect that allows distinguishing the product is the quality. The competitiveness of a product depends on the brand name. This approach is typical of the electronics industry because it is highly competitive due to the spread of advanced technologies. Functions of products need to be improved, but the same price level should be followed. Skimming is a pricing strategy selected for well-known brands, and companies can set a high price for their products (Funk 2016). Such market leaders as Apple choose this strategy to gain high profits. However, this approach depends on such factors as the value associated with a brand and a product. If a business can provide high-quality services to customers, it creates value, and expected returns can be high.

Discrimination pricing is based on selling the product at different prices depending on the status of the customer. The price at which the product will be sold to middle-class customers may differ from that one associated with branding for high-income customers. The price of the product can escalate or depreciate depending on the customer significantly (Richards 2016). Before applying this strategy by AirSec Ltd., it is important to evaluate different classes of consumers, as well as competing brands, to determine whether the company can be successful while using this approach. Another strategy that can be used by AirSec Ltd. is the price war. This strategy is based on the constant reduction of prices to make competitors leave the market (Richards 2016). The commodity is first retailed at a standard price, and then, the price is reduced so that the firm can guarantee increased sales. However, the rival can choose to make the price even lower to attract more customers.

Having analyzed the pricing strategies, it is possible to state that the best strategy for adopting in the United Kingdom is market pricing. For attracting customers in India, the best strategy that AirSec Ltd. can choose is the price war. It is important to focus on the reasons for the choice. The company needs to create a balance between the costs of developing products and the sales price (Abrate, Fraquelli & Viglia 2012). In the United Kingdom, AirSec Ltd. has a good reputation because of the high-quality products with unique features. Therefore, the firm will be able to attract more customers without lowering the price. Furthermore, it will be possible to use the development of advanced technologies as an approach to increase sales (Ryan & Jones 2009). In the case of India, it is important to pay attention to the fact that this country is a large market for many drone and security companies. Therefore, the strategy should be based on setting quality standards and propose the attractive price and benefits. The comparably high price associated with entering the market provides the message about the quality of a product, and further reductions attract more customers.

Choose one of the categories of employees shown above and show how you would use benchmarking to measure their contribution to the work of the company and how it can be a useful tool in staff management.

For AirSec Ltd., engineers play a key role because they are responsible for developing advanced technologies that determine the company’s competitiveness. They also make sure that the products are of high quality. In this context, the work of software engineers is critical for the company because the development of the product and its qualities depend on the integration of the software into the system. The well-developed software determines the functions and attributes of UAVs (Vetterli et al. 2013). The quality of the software influences the consumers’ perceptions of drones as security and control devices. In AirSec Ltd., the group of software engineers consists of six developers who are skilled in software design. They are able to create software that can control the device without any problems (Vetterli et al. 2013).

Benchmarking can be used to set the quality performance standards for software types that are developed for AirSec Ltd. devices (Camp 2013). This approach stimulates the engineers to create software that performs better than the others do in the industry. This approach is also important to measure the group’s performance (Sim, Easterbrook & Holt 2003). The better the created software operates, the higher the rank of the group performance is. Therefore, benchmarking makes the software engineers demonstrate the best performance. Another reason for benchmarking is that it helps to set the group’s productivity targets (Rolstadas 2013). Productivity and performance standards for software engineers guarantee the constant improvement of technology that is integrated into the drones. Having standards, the members of the engineering group have to control the technology development better (Cooke, Parrilli & Curbelo 2012; Zhu 2014). In addition, while creating the software, the engineers have to make sure that the software cannot be hacked, and performance standards contribute to improving the quality and security control.

Benchmarking at AirSec Ltd. is also important for the improvement of the staff management. Thus, benchmarking and the assessment of the performance can help to collect the data, interpret the results, and to contribute to the staff motivation (Zhu 2014). Benchmarking is important in the identification of the problems that the group might face while developing the software (Cooke, Parrilli & Curbelo 2012). The conclusions regarding the performance assessment can influence decisions regarding the training for employees (Sim, Easterbrook & Holt 2003). If benchmarking targets are not met, the company will be able to adopt the right disciplinary action and use the appraisals to support the decisions.

Identify the main difficulties and barriers the company would face in its efforts to trade in the export market to India.

India is an advanced market for most of the companies that are based in the United Kingdom. This tendency is a result of creating the free trade agreement that is still under development between the United Kingdom and the European Union nations. Even though India has a large potential market, especially in the security sector of the country, there are a number of problems and limitations that might affect the investment of AirSec Ltd. in the country’s market. Thus, in spite of the fact that the youth represents a large part of India’s population, young people are not skilled enough for working at AirSec Ltd., and the possibilities for outsourcing are limited (Doing business in India: India trade and export guide 2016). This aspect can influence the operational cost associated with entering the new market.

Another barrier that can make the expansion and export problematic for the company is the involvement of the Indian Government in the export-import relations (Sarkar & Patrick 2015). Thus, regulatory constraints are significant, and products proposed by AirSec Ltd. can require additional certification. In the context of India, it is a problem of the risk of corruption (Friedmann 2013). Furthermore, even if the regulatory constraints are addressed, customers can face the problem of delays because of the non-developed infrastructure and transportation in the country (Doing business in India: India trade and export guide 2016). There are risks that products can be stolen or sold at higher prices. The problem of pricing is also one of the barriers because customers are not ready to pay high prices for technological devices in India.

Imagine that a number of the company’s important commercial customers have reported a problem with the product. It appears that in some instances the UAV’s operating at customers’ premises close to busy highways have developed a technical fault to do with the software. This causes the UAV to confuse fast-moving vehicles as potential ‘targets’ and they will try to monitor movement over the highways. Drivers have been distracted and although there have been no major road accidents up to now there have been complaints to some of the businesses using the UAV’s and, in some cases; the local police authorities have been involved.

Identify the risks involved in this situation, the potential impact on the company, and the actions that will be taken by the appropriate functional areas within AirSec.

If AirSec Ltd. receives a report that their products have some operational problems and can affect the highway traffic, it is possible to identify a number of risks that can be associated with this situation. The first one is that a drone can fall on a vehicle while causing an accident or it can prevent the movement of the transport (Vance, Zeidan & Murphy 2010). In cases when drivers are distracted by the drones, they can make a mistake and lose control of their vehicles. The results can be dramatic as the risks of interrupting the traffic and causing accidents are high.

The main effect of this situation is the impact on the reputation of AirSec Ltd. among the customers and the public. Reports will explain the accidents with references to the poor operations in the company, and this aspect will make consumers and clients change their opinions regarding purchasing the company’s products (Aken, Berends & Bij 2012). This situation will also lead to large financial losses because the sales usually decrease when people associate the products with certain tragedies. Furthermore, the legal liability connected with accidents can also cause financial losses for the company.

There are many actions that the company can take in order to resolve this problem and prevent it in the future. One way is firing the employees who are responsible for the integration of the system with faults. The next step is the examination of the software to find any other mistakes. The investigation is important in this case. The company can also withdraw all the drones that were manufactured during the period when the software with faults was used (Aken, Berends & Bij 2012). In this case, departments or functional areas that will be responsible for taking action are the research and software engineers, the finance department, and the law department or corporate lawyers.

Reference List

Abrate, G, Fraquelli, G & Viglia, G 2012, ‘Dynamic pricing strategies: evidence from European hotels’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 160-168.

AirSec Ltd: overview2016, Web.

Aken, J, Berends, H & Bij, H 2012, Problem solving in organizations: a methodological handbook for business and management students, Cambridge University Press, London.

Camp, R 2013, Benchmarking: the search for industry best practices that lead to superior performance, Quality Press, Milwaukee.

Cooke, P, Parrilli, M & Curbelo, J 2012, Innovation, global change and territorial resilience, Edward Elgar Publishing, London.

Doing business in India: India trade and export guide 2016, Web.

Friedmann, C 2013, Business in India: market entry strategies, human resource management and corporate ethics, Friedrich-Alexander University, Nürnberg.

Funk, D 2016, Sport consumer behavior: marketing strategies, Routledge, London.

Richards, L 2016, Different types of pricing strategy, Web.

Rolstad, A 2013, Benchmarking: theory and practice, Springer, London.

Ryan, D & Jones, C 2009, Understanding digital marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation, Kogan Page, London.

Sarkar, P & Patrick, D 2015, India’s trade barriers: an analysis with reference to tariffs and customs procedures, Web.

Sim, S, Easterbrook, S & Holt, R 2003, ‘Using benchmarking to advance research: a challenge to software engineering’, International Conference on Software Engineering, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 74-83.

Vance, J, Zeidan, F & Murphy, B 2010, Machinery vibration and rotordynamics, John Wiley & Sons, London.

Vetterli, C, Brenner, W, Uebernickel, F & Petrie, C 2013, ‘From palaces to yurts: why requirements engineering needs design thinking’, Internet Computing, IEEE, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 91-94.

Zhu, J 2014, Quantitative models for performance evaluation and benchmarking: data envelopment analysis with spreadsheets, Springer, London.

Introduction

Problem solving is a way of thinking in order to come up with a solution. A problem is any situation that presents an opportunity, challenge or is of concern to the community. There are different ways to solve problems which just involve thinking. Models however have been developed to help people solve problems. One such model is the Creative Problem Solving model. This is the model that will be used to solve the following given problem. That “Manager must devise a plan on how to meet critical customer desired Due dates(CDDD)on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders, without increasing the number of Engineers or overtime hours worked”.

This model has five steps which are: Analyzing problems, Redefining problems, generating ideas, evaluating and selecting ideas and implementing solutions (Course Guide, 13). All these stages will be used in solving the above problem as described in the course guide.

Analyzing the Problem- Divergence

Definition of the Problem

The problem presented in this case is “Manager must devise a plan on how to meet critical customer desired Due dates(CDDD)on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders, without increasing number of Engineers or overtime hours worked”. What could possibly be the problem that would require a manager to devise a plan on how to meet critical customer desired due dates. According to the CPS model, in order to define a problem, it is important to collect information based on the following questions as Proctor (2005) indicates in the “Creative Problem Solving for Managers”.

a) Does the problem involve changing perspective in terms of conceptual, operational or strategic? Changing perspective in strategic, operational or conceptual levels would mean the use of the laddering or the why method or the progressive abstractions to define the problem. No change of perspectives requires moving to the next step.

b) Is the problem clear about obstacles, goals, and constraints?

If the constraints, obstacles and goals are clearly defined in the problem statement, then the next step in defining a problem follows. If however there are no clear goals, constraints or obstacles, problem definition should be by use of goal orientation.

c) Is the analyst happy with the assumptions he/she has made? Being satisfied (happy) with the assumptions needs moving to the next step while lack of satisfaction needs a boundary examination.

d) Are there clear facts of the problem? If there are, the analyst should move to the next step, while if there are no clear facts the analyst should use the 5 W’s and H to define the problem.

e) Does the problem subject seem to be a hierarchical phenomenon according to the analyst? If the problem seems so, the analyst should use decomposable matrices to help define the problem, but if it does not seem to be a hierarchical phenomenon, move to the next step.

f) Is the analyst clear about the cause and effect relationship in the problem? Being sure in this stage would mean the problem is defined while lack of clear facts about the problem cause and effect relationship would need another analysis using the cause effect relationship diagram (Proctor, 2005; Ptak and Schragenheim, 2003). The above described questions which define the analysis framework will assist in the analysis /defining the real problem

a) Does this problem involve changing perspectives in terms of strategic, operational or conceptual levels? NO, based on the presented statement, there is a problem with the critical customer due dates which seems not to be met by the company currently. The problem lies with the human resource department/management and does not involve any change in the operational level, the strategy or the conceptual levels.

b). Are there clear goals, obstacles and constraints according to what the problem statement describes? According to the problem statement, a clear goal is set which is “a critical customer desired Due dates(CDDD)on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders should be met without increasing the number of Engineers or overtime hours worked”. The obstacle to success in this case is also quite clear which is; Poor management of the human factor which leads to the requirement of a plan on how they will work on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders to ensure customer satisfaction (Proctor, 2005).

c) Is the analyst satisfied with the assumptions he/she has made? The assumptions made about this problem is that the human resources mismanagement is the cause of failure to meet customer desired due dates and a plan would be an important step to solving such a problem. Yes the assumptions are satisfying but the facts are not clear. The next appropriate step therefore is to find out these facts.

According to the above steps the 5W’s and H help find out the facts about the problem (Proctor, 2005). The five W’s are; why, what, who, where and when and the H stands for How.

Why must the manager devise a plan? Why has it to be the plan and not any other management issue? A plan would guide the human resource manager in ensuring smooth running of the company’s business with respect to this problem. Plans are always meant to avoid risks and inconveniences. No plans or poor planning are associated with poor outcomes under any business practice or management (Nemeth, 2004).

It could be that the human resource manager had employees working on customer desired due dates but never had an appropriate plan so development of a plan would improve the company’s efficiency in service provision. Planning puts everything in order and encourages efficiency (Nemeth, 2004). The problem in this case could be that the human resource manager lacked a plan to ensure efficiency in service provision.

According to the problem statement, no more employees should be hired, nor extension of working hours. This is a clear indication that every skill required and time to ensure customer desired due dates are met are available. The problem lies with how the process is handled or managed to ensure the customers are satisfied. The most likely problem is lack of a good plan on how to manage the available human resources.

What is in the plan or what is the aim of the plan? What benefits are expected from the plan? What plans should be devised? Planning is a very important step in business management and in management of companies, risks and so many others. They help avoid risk and ensure smooth running of any business. Planning also helps in time management which is a very important factor in ensuring critical customer due dates are met (Nemeth, 2004). Additionally, the mission statement indicates no addition of time in ensuring that customer requirements are met.

According to the problem statement, the plan is meant to help achieve the target which is to ensure customer satisfaction through employees. Planning can also be on employee selection for the right kind of skills to be in the right positions for maximum utilization. Setting of customer due dates, delivery methods and other requirements also need planning to ensure services are provided to the customers in the long run.

Who is involved in the plan? Who are the employees that can work as specified by the mission statement? The right people in this case are employees with the right skills for the right job. The right people with the right skills for different positions in supply chain management will ensure the right things are done according to specified plans hence efficiency in service provision.

When should the plan be devised to ensure customer desired due dates are met in time? Every plan is developed with a purpose and this comes before the actual process is carried out. In this case for example, the plan should be on how to meet customer needs that already exist in the company. Plans should be invented as early as possible or when changes occur and new strategies and methods of operation required.

Where should the human resource manager consider when devising the plan? Where can the necessary improvements are made?

How should the plan be devised? How will the plan ensure customer desired due dates are met? Human resource plans should be linked to business strategic planning to ensure the organization meets its goals and responds well to the changing needs. Customer demands is one of the changing needs of the organization and meeting such needs effectively is one way to attract and retain customers hence build the organization’s reputation and image (Boyd, 2008). According to the problem statement, meeting critical customer desired due dates is crucial and the human resources have to be well managed. This gives an impression that without good care of the customers’ values, the business will not stand a chance in the Hi-Ca Telecommunication orders. Customers are part of the business and without them; there is no business (Boyd, 2008).

Analyzing the Problem-Convergence

According to the Creative Problem Solving model, the most important data that helps in understanding the problem should be converged. In relation to the problem statement, the most important information include; the reason why the plan has to be devised which is to improve efficiency, the plan has to be linked to the strategic plans of the organization, critical customer due dates have to be met, no extension of working hours or addition of telecommunication workers which needs effective planning and what is required for the plan and how to develop this plan to meet the goals. The goal as previously noted is clearly indicated in the problem statement which is to meet customer critical desired due dates. It is clear that the what, why and how questions above are important in defining the problem.

Redefining the Problem-Divergence

In this case, the why method will be used to restate the problem hence help in identifying what the problem is within the company (Course Guide, 13-8). The initial statement reads; “Manager must devise a plan on how to meet critical customer desired Due dates(CDDD)on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders, without increasing the number of Engineers or overtime hours worked”.

Why should there be such a plan in such a case? The reason why a plan is important in an organization is for effective management. The problem restated would be, there is need for effective management in the delivery of critical customer desired Due dates on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders.

Why would the plan be on how to meet critical customer desired due dates?

Customer satisfaction is the key to more customers and improved performance and growth of an organization. If their needs are not met it means the organization will be affected in very many ways from reputation, loss of market share, reduced profits, reduced investors, reduced growth to so many that have not been mentioned (Nemeth, 2004). If the plan aims at meeting the consumer demands, it means that the consumer demands are not met by the current plan and the current people responsible for ensuring that there is effective delivery of services and products to customers. The problem restated would be; the customers’ critical desired due dates are not currently met by the people in charge and a different plan should be developed to ensure effective delivery of customer requirements at the right time.

Why would the plan be on management of the human resource and insist on not increasing the number of Engineers or overtime hours worked on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders?

It means that it is in the section of human resource management that the problem arises. The human resources available and their manner of operation according to the current problem statement does not ensure effective delivery of what the customers want at the right time which is a clear indication that there is a problem with the employees’ productivity.

Employee productivity is often influenced by skills the employee poses, the kind of work assigned and how the skills are managed (Nemeth, 2004). According to the problem statement, the skills employed in the section are appropriate as its goal requires no hiring of new skills. The time available for the employees to produce results is also not a problem as the problem statement indicated; no overtime hours should be allocated for effective performance to be achieved. The problem therefore lies in the management of this resource. The problem restated would be; the human resources selected for ensuring effective customer delivery services have all the time and skills to ensure effective service delivery but still fails.

Redefining the Problem-Convergence

From the above description of the problem, the plan is for effective management which gives one clear problem, lack of effective management. What is not managed well is also clear, the human resources and the section where they are not well managed is also clear which is the delivery of customers’ needs.

The problem is lack of workforce planning which generally is a practice of poor human resource management. The capacity of an organization to achieve its strategic goals depends on the organizations plans especially human resource management plans. The human resource affects strategic goals through three primary ways. It affects the company’s capacity to operate, the cost economics and the capacity to undertake new change and enterprise operations (Boyd, 2008). It is therefore important to ensure effective human resource management for good performance of the organization which also depends on the strategic goals. Failing to meet organization goals means the organization is failing (Proctor, 2005).

A redefined problem statement would therefore consider the following:

Satisfaction of customers plays a very important role in the performance of any organization. Businesses also need customers to be termed businesses and good customer care contributes to good performance of the organization when all the resources of the organization are well managed. An organization’s business consists of so many areas of concern/departments for example the finance department, sales and marketing, human resource department, stakeholder management department and so many others. All these also contribute to the success of the organization.

When one area fails, it contributes to the organization failure. Effective management of such areas is important to ensure effective performance which also includes caring for customers. Employees have a role to play in ensuring customer satisfaction. This role is guided and managed by the human resource manager, without effective management of this resource, the customer relations from this area is destroyed. This initial problem statement “a critical customer desired Due dates(CDDD)on Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders should be met without increasing the number of Engineers or overtime hours worked” means that there is ineffective management of the human resource in ensuring delivery of services to the customers of Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders.

Generating Ideas-Divergence

In this stage, brainstorming techniques are used to generate ideas. Brainstorming is a group process that generates ideas from a group of employees or people (King and Schlicksupp, 1998). The following brainstorming techniques have been used to generate ideas in this case. The pin card, semantic intuition, and picture stimulation (King and Schlicksupp, 1998). The main problem is how to deal with the ineffective management of the human resource in ensuring delivery of services to customers without increasing the number of employees and extending working hours.

Ideas from Pin Card Technique

An idea of matching the skills with demand was brought up followed by the ones described below by other participants of the brainstorming session.

For skills to be matched with the demands of the customers, planning has to be done. The human resource manager has therefore to plan on what type of skills will be required to ensure delivery of services and products to customers.

Selecting the appropriate skills depends on a lot which include; the level of training experience and productivity.

The human resource manager has therefore to consider employee skills, the experience an employee has or employees have, the productivity of employees selected for specific tasks and seniority (that is, staff mix) (Nemeth, 2004).

Appropriate number of staff is important since very few can produce poor quality work yet enough could compress margins.

Another idea was how to ensure continuous success: In order to ensure the company does not have problems in delivery of services and products to consumers, continued training of relevant staff and market research on consumer was proposed. Other ideas include: that market research needs more investment and skills. Continued training however requires the human resource manager to identify the skills that may be required in areas left by those transferring and those retiring and replacing with the trained ones. The human resource manager has to develop a plan on how this will be accomplished.

Another suggestion was on how to improve the delivery system with the available skills. Good management of the delivery process was proposed as well as time management. Development of delivery schedules was also an idea that came up. An employee suggested that supervisory roles should be assigned to one of the employed members in this section to ensure effective delivery and identification of deliveries that can be late. This led to another proposal which was to develop a system of emergency delivery systems or fast delivery systems to cater for late products and services. Working according to the customer relationship strategy of the company was also highlighted.

Ideas from Semantic Intuition

Two lists of words related to the problem were created and given to a group of employees for idea generation. The employees were expected to respond the two lists one which required ideas about the customer and the other the supplier in ensuring effective service and product delivery (delivery of Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders in time) (King and Schlicksupp, 1998).

The following results were obtained.

Customer

• Need satisfaction
• Driven away easily by a small mistake
• Responds to trustworthiness of a company
• Is influenced by company reputation
• Need to be retained

Supplier

• The company needs a delivery strategy
• Ensure the mistakes are identified and reduced
• Effective communication should be developed between customers and the delivery team
• Other teams involved in the strategic delivery process should be evaluated
• There should be incentives to promote collaboration
• The strategy must describe the skills important in the delivery process
• The skills must be available and must be assigned correctly especially customer service skills
• Ideas from Picture Stimulation

Ideas are about how effective management can be achieved to ensure customers are satisfied with deliveries of Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders just like in the previous cases.

A diagram illustrating good customer relationship management was given to the brainstorming group and the following ideas were obtained.

Employees among other resources are important in ensuring good customer relations.

It is important to recognize employee effort in maintaining this relationship.

Poor management of employees can lead to poor performance of an organization.

The employees need to be motivated.

The right employees for the right jobs should be observed.

Employee experience contributes to his/her productivity therefore should be considered in assigning roles (Morçöl, 2007; King and Schlicksupp, 1998).

A diagram illustrating a network of supply chain management was shown to employees in a brainstorming session about how to ensure effective delivery of services and products to customers and the following ideas were received:

• The company requires a well managed network with good coordination
• The manager needs to review how the process leads to delivery of services.
• The manager needs to recognize the efforts the employees put in ensuring duties assigned to them are performed.
• The supply chain network should have a tool that helps in bargaining for time to deliver from the company and time to be delivered the product or service on the customers’ side (Morçöl, 2007; King and Schlicksupp, 1998).

Generating Ideas-Convergent

Based on the above ideas it is appropriate to develop a plan on how to deliver the services and the products. A delivery strategy is also important which considers the following delivery points: effective communication between the customers and the team responsible for service and product delivery, offering of incentives to the team that ensures delivery of services and other cross functional teams and building of necessary skills for the delivery process (Lombardi, 2005).

Important Ideas selected are:

1. Select the important skills for delivery and ensure that are trained and have the right skills. Continue training for continued effective delivery and assign the right skill in the right place.
2. A delivering strategy to cater for how to deliver at the appropriate time that also includes how to identify those deliveries that could be late and how to solve the problem. There should be a plan or plans on how to achieve the goals of the strategic delivery points.
3. The human resource manager should consider revising his/ leadership and management strategies and the employees should be motivated to improve productivity.

Evaluating and Selecting Ideas-Divergence

Ideas described above act as the solutions that can resolve the problem of ineffective delivery system and a troubled human resource management. This stage will describe how to reach the solutions by use of a weighted matrix. Selection of an appropriate idea will be based on the weight of importance the idea has.

Solution 1: Select the important skills for delivery and ensure that are trained and have the right skills. Continue training for continued effective delivery and assign the right skill in the right place.

Criteria: Matching the employees with the jobs (that is a human-competency based strategy). Developing a selection criterion which includes the skills required for specific positions in the delivery system to ensure delivery strategy goals are met. The goal according to the redefined problem statement is to ensure delivery of Hi-Cap Telecommunication engineering orders before deadline. The core competencies required to meet the customer critical desired due dates act as the strategic delivery point.

Another way of matching the employees with the job is through training. The human resource manager should therefore identify the core competencies required to achieve delivery strategy goals, train the employees to have the skills that will enable delivery of services efficiently and assign roles. The job characteristics could also be changed to match the skills available in the delivery section which ensures efficiency (Simpson and Lorraine McKay, 2008).

Importance: The selection of the right skills, for the right work at the right time leads to improved performance and success of the company. Considering the described problem, it will enable efficiency in delivery of the orders since the right person has the right skills to enable delivery. Human resource planning enables effective management or the resource.

Solution 2: A delivering strategy to cater for how to deliver at the appropriate time that also includes how to identify those deliveries that could be late and how to solve the problem. There should be a plan or plans on how to achieve the goals of the strategic delivery point.

Criteria/principle: Developing a new strategy that focuses on translating consumer demand into workforce demand. This strategy will include demand driven supply chain network programs and human resource manager’s plans on how to ensure employees will help accomplish the mission. Human resource planning ensures taking of order management systems and manufacturing execution services to produce workforce schedules and plans that guide workers on attendance and time schedules for effective delivery of services (Cecere et al, 2005).

Importance: A strategy covers all the areas that are required for effective delivery. The consumer demand is translated into workforce demand hence producing the right results. The employees work towards specific demands.

Solution 3: The human resource manager should consider revising his/ leadership and management strategies and the employees should be motivated to improve productivity.

Criteria: By developing a new plan on how to manage the human resources.

Importance: This will lead to establishment of areas of mistakes and enhanced employee activity.

Evaluating and Selecting Ideas- Convergence

There can be a good strategy but with no good manager, the business can never be successful. The problem identified in this case was with the human resource manager that required a change on how the employees were scheduled to perform their duties. The right skills are available, the time is also available, but the employees are not producing results as expected. It means therefore that the employees’ skills are not maximally utilized. Utilization of skills requires planning and employee motivation. Appropriate steps to take are solution 1 and solution 3 both focusing on change of human resource management. Again based on the goal of the problem statement and the importance of the solutions given above, solution 1 would be most appropriate. Solution 3 is specific on employee motivation which is not the only way to improve employee productivity. Solution one covers all.

Implementing Solutions –Divergence

Before implementation, it is appropriate to carry out a potential problem analysis (PPA). This will be carried out using probability occurrence of the potential problems (P), the seriousness of the potential problems (S), the result of both the probability of the potential problems occurring and their seriousness (PS), the expected probabilities of potential problems if preventive actions are taken (PR))and the products of PS and RP (Course Guide, 13-11)

The analysis is as follows

Implementation action steps: This is another divergent action necessary in creative problem solving. The steps will be outlined in order with respective time required for implementation.

The actions needed for implementation of a human resource management skill-job matching strategy are:

• Identification of the skills necessary for effective delivery of services through analysis of the delivery process with consideration to the goal of the strategy: 2 weeks
• Analysis of the availability of such skills within the current staff: 2 weeks
• Developing ways of filling in unavailable skills, that is through training: 3 months
• Matching employee skills with the jobs and assigning duties: 1 weeks
• Ensuring effective performance through improved performance strategies and supervision
• Evaluation of the strategy to determine its effectiveness
• Development of another strategy in case of failure

Implementing Solutions-Convergence

There are two potential risks according to the above analysis which are; the risk of losing customers in the process of implementing a new strategy and the risk of poor collaboration from cross-functional teams. These risks however have reduced probability of occurring if appropriate action is taken. Risk analysis however is important before any implementation is done.

The important implementation steps of the selected solution however are; analysis of the current delivery system, identification of the important delivery points, and determination of the appropriate skills needed for the delivery points, analysis of the available skills within the current staff and matching of employee skills with the jobs.

After implementation of the strategy, evaluation of its effectiveness will be done after some time to ensure the solution implemented has really solved the problem. An alternative solution will be used to solve the problem in case this first solution does not work. Analysis of the problem will be necessary to find out the exact problem with the delivery system and the solution provided and necessary adjustments made. The alternative solution will consider problems encountered during implementation of the first solution (Course Guide, 13-11).

References

1. Boyd, H. M. (2008). Human Resources Planning: The Long and the Short of it. Boyd Associates.
2. Cecere, L., Hofman, D., Martin, R. and Preslan, L. (2005). “The Handbook for Becoming Demand Driven,” AMR Research. Course Guide. Unit 13: Synthesis—Putting it all Together. 13-1 to 13-11.
3. King, B. and Schlicksupp, H. (1998). The Idea Edge: Transforming Creative Thought Into Organizational Excellence. New York, US: GOAL/QPC.
4. Lombardi, V. (2005). Where the Rubber Hits the Road: Leveraging Strategic Delivery. Management Innovation Group LLC. New York, San Franciscoю
5. Morçöl, G. (2007). Handbook of Decision Making. Bolton, US: CRC Press.
6. Nemeth, C. P. (2004). Human Factors Methods for Design: Making Systems Human Centered. New York, US: CRC Press.
7. Proctor, T. (2005). Creative Problem Solving for Managers: Developing Skills for Decision Making and Innovation. Ed. 2, London, UK: Routledge.
8. Ptak, C. A. and Schragenheim, E. (2003). ERP: Tools, Techniques, and Applications for Integrating the Supply Chain. Ed. 2, California, US: CRC Press.
9. Simpson, S. and Lorraine McKay, M.A. (2008). Competency–based Human Resource Management: Planning for Success. Customer Centered HR Solutions.