The structure of problem-solving knowledge and the structure of organisations

Luigi Marengo (), Giovanni Dosi, Paolo Legrenzi and Corrado Pasquali ()

LEM Papers Series from Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy

Abstract: This work presents a model of organisational problem solving able to account for the relationships between problem complexity, tasks decentralilzation and problem solving efficiency. Whenever problem solving requires the coordination of a multiplicity of interdependent elements, the varying degrees of decentralization of cognitive and operational tasks shape the solution which can be generated, tested and selected. Suboptimality and path-dependence are shown to be ubiquitous features of organisational problem solving. At the same time, the model allows a precise exploration of the possible trade-offs between decompostion patterns and search efficiency involved in different organisational architectures.

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Date: 1999-11-19
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (49)

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Journal Article: The Structure of Problem-Solving Knowledge and the Structure of Organizations (2000)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ssa:lemwps:1999/09

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