IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jomega/v35y2007i2p221-236.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of training on the formulation of ill-structured problems

Author

Listed:
  • Ellspermann, Susan J.
  • Evans, Gerald W.
  • Basadur, Min

Abstract

Problem structuring heuristics and creative thinking techniques have been advanced as useful approaches for solving ill-structured problems. Unfortunately, little controlled experimentation has been done to test the effectiveness of these techniques. This paper describes an experiment in which the effects of training in the use of a problem-structuring heuristic and creative thinking on the quality and quantity of problem statements are investigated. The experiment illustrates that such training does have a positive impact on problem formulation quality and quantity.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellspermann, Susan J. & Evans, Gerald W. & Basadur, Min, 2007. "The impact of training on the formulation of ill-structured problems," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 221-236, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:35:y:2007:i:2:p:221-236
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305-0483(05)00085-X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abualsamh, Rashad A. & Carlin, Barbara & McDaniel, Reuben R., 1990. "Problem structuring heuristics in strategic decision making," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 159-174, April.
    2. Norese, Maria Franca, 1995. "MACRAME: A problem formulation and model structuring assistant in multiactorial contexts," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 25-34, July.
    3. D Shaw & M Westcombe & J Hodgkin & G Montibeller, 2004. "Problem structuring methods for large group interventions," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 55(5), pages 453-463, May.
    4. J Davies & V J Mabin, 2001. "Knowledge management and the framing of information: a contribution to OR/MS practice and pedagogy," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 52(8), pages 856-872, August.
    5. Roger J. Volkema, 1986. "Problem formulation as a purposive activity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(3), pages 267-279, May.
    6. Dennis M. Buede, 1986. "Structuring Value Attributes," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 16(2), pages 52-62, April.
    7. BüyükdamgacI, Güldal, 2003. "Process of organizational problem definition: how to evaluate and how to improve," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 327-338, August.
    8. Nutt, Paul C, 1998. "Evaluating Alternatives to Make Strategic Choices," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 333-354, June.
    9. Gerald F. Smith, 1988. "Towards a Heuristic Theory of Problem Structuring," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(12), pages 1489-1506, December.
    10. M. Pidd & R. N. Woolley, 1980. "Four Views on Problem Structuring," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 10(1), pages 51-54, February.
    11. Watson, Charles E., 1976. "The problems of problem solving," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 88-94, August.
    12. L White, 2002. "Size matters: large group methods and the process of operational research," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 53(2), pages 149-160, February.
    13. Basadur, M & Ellspermann, SJ & Evans, GW, 1994. "A new methodology for formulating ill-structured problems," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 627-645, November.
    14. Schwenk, Charles & Thomas, Howard, 1983. "Formulating the mess: The role of decision aids in problem formulation," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 239-252.
    15. Roger J. Volkema, 1983. "Problem Formulation in Planning and Design," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(6), pages 639-652, June.
    16. Bowen, Ken, 2001. "The process of problem-formulation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(2), pages 258-265, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. R Volkema, 2009. "Natural language and the art and science of problem/opportunity formulation: a transportation planning case analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(10), pages 1360-1372, October.
    2. Sébastien Damart, 2010. "A Cognitive Mapping Approach to Organizing the Participation of Multiple Actors in a Problem Structuring Process," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 505-526, September.
    3. Jackson Nickerson & Nicholas Argyres, 2018. "Strategizing Before Strategic Decision Making," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 592-605, December.
    4. Joldersma, Cisca & Roelofs, Ellie, 2004. "The impact of soft OR-methods on problem structuring," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(3), pages 696-708, February.
    5. F O'Brien & M Meadows, 2007. "Developing a visioning methodology: Visioning Choices for the future of operational research," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 557-575, May.
    6. J Bryant & J Darwin & C Booth, 2011. "Strategy making with the whole organisation: OR and the art of the possible," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(5), pages 840-854, May.
    7. S. R. Singhvi & Rajat Gera, 2005. "Problem Formulation and Categorization: An Empirical Study of Marketing Problems in an Organization," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 30(2), pages 121-138, May.
    8. H V Vo & B Chae & D L Olson, 2007. "Developing unbounded systems thinking: using causal mapping with multiple stakeholders within a Vietnamese company," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 655-668, May.
    9. A Morton & F Ackermann & V Belton, 2007. "Problem structuring without workshops? Experiences with distributed interaction within a PSM process," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 58(5), pages 547-556, May.
    10. Montibeller, Gilberto & Franco, Alberto & Lord, Ewan & Iglesias, Aline, 2008. "Structuring multi-criteria portfolio analysis models," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 22693, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. Nickerson, Jack A. & Yen, C. James & Mahoney, Joseph T., 2011. "Exploring the Problem-Finding and Problem-Solving Approach for Designing Organizations," Working Papers 11-0107, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    12. Eric von Hippel & Georg von Krogh, 2016. "CROSSROADS—Identifying Viable “Need–Solution Pairs”: Problem Solving Without Problem Formulation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(1), pages 207-221, February.
    13. BüyükdamgacI, Güldal, 2003. "Process of organizational problem definition: how to evaluate and how to improve," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 327-338, August.
    14. Trutnevyte, Evelina & Stauffacher, Michael & Scholz, Roland W., 2012. "Linking stakeholder visions with resource allocation scenarios and multi-criteria assessment," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 219(3), pages 762-772.
    15. Rodney J. Scott & Robert Y. Cavana & Donald Cameron, 2016. "Client Perceptions of Reported Outcomes of Group Model Building in the New Zealand Public Sector," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 77-101, January.
    16. Mario Coccia, 2017. "General purpose technologies in dynamic systems: visual representation and analyses of complex drivers," IRCrES Working Paper 201705, CNR-IRCrES Research Institute on Sustainable Economic Growth - Moncalieri (TO) ITALY - former Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth - Torino (TO) ITALY.
    17. Alexis Tsoukiàs, 2007. "On the concept of decision aiding process: an operational perspective," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 3-27, October.
    18. Dane, Erik & Rockmann, Kevin W. & Pratt, Michael G., 2012. "When should I trust my gut? Linking domain expertise to intuitive decision-making effectiveness," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 187-194.
    19. Tianjun Feng & L. Robin Keller, 2006. "A Multiple-Objective Decision Analysis for Terrorism Protection: Potassium Iodide Distribution in Nuclear Incidents," Decision Analysis, INFORMS, vol. 3(2), pages 76-93, June.
    20. Phillips-Wren, G. & Mora, M. & Forgionne, G.A. & Gupta, J.N.D., 2009. "An integrative evaluation framework for intelligent decision support systems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 195(3), pages 642-652, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:35:y:2007:i:2:p:221-236. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/375/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.