Problem Solving in Organizations A Methodological Handbook for Business and Management Students

Introduction

Sets of comparable field problem-solving (FPS) projects can provide a solid basis for developing generic solutions for types of field problems. A generic solution can be an intervention, process or system to be used to deal with a given type of field problem (or opportunity). As will be discussed, the development of generic solutions can be called design science research.

Using problem-solving projects for the development of generic solutions is not yet widespread in mainstream business and management research, in part because scholars may feel that developing solutions falls outside the scope of academic research. In this introduction we explain why this type of research is important for the discipline of business and management. In the rest of this chapter we will show how to derive in a rigorous way generic solutions from sets of comparable FPS projects.

If a business school regards itself as a professional school, its mission is to educate professionals, not researchers. The mission of researchers is to investigate ‘that which is’ in order to increase understanding. The mission of professionals is to use understanding of that which is to realize what can or should be. Their core process is knowledge-intensive FPS (the addition ‘knowledgeintensive’ distinguishes the professional from the artisan). As will be discussed in Section 13.5, another term for knowledge-intensive problem solving is evidence-based practice.

An academic business school also has a research mission. If it regards itself as a professional school, its primary research mission is to add to the body of knowledge of its profession. This body of knowledge is to be used in FPS.

It comprises generic descriptive and explanatory knowledge, enabling professionals to understand the types of problems their clients face and their causes. But its core component is solution-oriented knowledge, offering types of interventions professionals can take to effectively address field problems. The body of knowledge of medicine, for instance, comprises knowledge on types of medical dysfunctions and on their symptoms, supporting doctors in their diagnoses. But the core component of this body of knowledge consists of alternative types of medication and therapies doctors can use in treating their patients, together with their indications and contraindications and when and how to apply them.