Defining Managerial Problems: A Framework for Prescriptive Theorizing

Gerald F. Smith
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Gerald F. Smith: Information and Decision Sciences Department, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

Management Science, 1989, vol. 35, issue 8, 963-981

Abstract: Reflective problem solving activity presumes the existence of a problem definition or representation, often the precursor of a formal model. Although problem definition has been addressed by theorists from several disciplines, it has not been adequately conceptualized, limiting the potential value of descriptive and prescriptive research. This article places problem definition in the overall problem solving process and delineates the various ways in which problems are commonly defined. It identifies the central dilemma of problem definition and proposes a prescriptive framework responding to that dilemma.

Keywords: problem solving; problem formulation; problem definition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1989
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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