A STUDY ON PROBLEM SITUATIONS FACED BY A

MANAGER AND SKILLS USED TO TACKLE THEM

Project report submitted in partial requirements for the award of the course
completion of Managing People at Work

INTRODUCTION

Throughout the 1990's, organizations have gone through rounds of restructuration, shrinking
their organizational structure to eliminate as much as possible middle-level management.
Managers were seen as merely information transmitters who could easily be replaced by
information technology. However, empirical studies have shown that managers play a larger role
than simply passing information on from top management to operations and vice versa. They not
only make frequent use of unstructured information that cannot be effectively processed through
information systems, they also analyze and interpret information to add meaning to it and to
create knowledge. Managers stand at a crossroads in the information and knowledge creation
process within organizations. In charge of strategic, tactical and operational decisions, they act as
entrepreneurs, innovators and communicators within their organizations. To do so, they make use
of multiple information sources. Little empirical data exist on how they manage problems and its
components, impact that it creates and solving of problem situations. Examining this becomes
important to understand the challenges they face and the techniques they use for problem
solving.

Problems are as old as man himself. What may be a problem to one person may be merely a
small exercise to another and frustration to yet another. Each person has his own way or style of
solving problems. This does not imply that he has a set style, as his ways are constantly changing
with the results of problem solving in his day-to-day living. Management offers a wide field of
opportunity for experience in solving problems. From the time a person enters an organization,
the more he learns and goes up the ladder he encounters problems. The better able he is to cope
effectively with new problems that arise in both managerial and social contexts, the better is his
performance.

The term "problem" is defined as any situation where one solves questions or issues by means of
something more than just routine memory. Essential ingredients of problem solving are the
desire, the will, and the resolution to solve problems. Managers must be involved and committed
to the problem he is attempting to solve. The more senses used in problem solving, the more
involved the manager may be, and the more he will exercise skills to solve the problem and also
try to foresee or tackle future problems if any. He must understand the meaning of the problem
and be able to identify available methods/ techniques to solve it. He must also discern
relationships and be able to make choices. Problems may be solved in a variety of ways. Logic is
essential in problem solving, along with testing many solutions to deter mine which ones work.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Why effective problem solving is important?

Effective problem-solving skills are an invaluable asset for any employee in

todays fast-paced workplace.

Being able to analyze problems, identify the severity of a problem and assess the
impact is ideal for helping employees to work more efficiently together.

What are the main objectives of problem solving skills?

To be able to explain the different characteristics of a successful problem solver

To use critical questions to identify a problem
To describe how to use a work plan to organize, monitor, and streamline project
Explain how different types of communication are used to solve problems

PROBLEM DEFINITION

The main purpose of this study is to identify the different problem solving skills required by a
manager and the challenges faced by a manager in problem solving along with ways to tackle the
same.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A problem is considered a discrepancy between desired goals and the existing state according to
Pounds-1969 and Daft-2014 or a difficulty restraining from achieving goals according to Kinicki
& Williams, 2013.

Many studies have indicated that some problems are well-structured problems, whereas others
are ill structured problems, which are often encountered in every day. Well-structured problems
typically have a clear initial state and a goal state, and they have a single correct answer in a final
solution. These problems present all elements needed to solve the problems and require a limited
number of rules and principles. For these reasons, it is relatively easy for a problem solver to
identify both what the problem is and what conditions should be. In contrast, for ill-structured
problems, no clear initial and goal state exist; no general rules or principles to be applied are
established, and no explicit means/ steps or actions to reach the solution are known. The problem
solver is not sure which concepts, rules, and principles should be used for the solution. This
implies that an ill-structured problem may have multiple and different solutions or may not have
any solution, because no universal, convergent solution can be identified or derived. Solving
these problems requires the problem solver to express personal opinions or beliefs about the
problem, to search for information and to inquire rigorously before the problem is accurately
diagnosed and appropriately resolved to be able to make decisions and defend.

Many researchers (Hackman & Morris, 1975 and Stasser & Stewart, 1992) contend that the
problem itself affects the learners problem solving process and performance. We can argue here
that we cannot fully understand the problem-solving process and performance without
considering the nature of the problem. A clarification of the essential attributes of the problem
itself contributes to a better understanding of the important aspects of the problem-solving
process. Many studies indicate that solving ill-structured problems requires different processes
and skills compared to solving well-structured ones.

Stasser and Stewart (1992) compared two different types of problems to see if the problem type
affects the group problem-solving process and performance. They found that if group members
view the problem as a group task to be judged (ill-structured), then they strive for reaching a
consensus through discussion; if the problem is viewed as a group task to be solved (well-
structured), they strive to identify the correct answer as well as defend it by logical argument.

Problem-solving is therefore to identify the gap between reality and goals and take actions to
resolve it. Problem-solving and controlling are necessary means to assure the accomplishment of
goals and plans. Adaptation and survival of organizations depend, in part, on the ability of
managers to effectively solve problems in complex, socio-technical environments. Many aspects
of organizations directly or indirectly affect adaptation including technology, organizational
goals and strategies, organizational culture, and employees. Managing the complexity,
uncertainty, and conflict inherent in these domains often requires managers to solve difficult and
unfamiliar problems.

Problem-solving skills are often considered one of the most desirable employment skills by
employers. Many companies provide problem-solving skill training to their managers and self-
managed teams. The University of Sydney Careers Centre (2010) declared two types of skills as
necessary for building employability skills; they are technical skills and generic skills. Technical
skills comprise communication skills, teamwork skills, problem solving skills, initiative and
enterprise skills, planning and organizing skills, learning skills, and technology skills.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To design and test a questionnaire on managers at different levels.

To study the results and analyze the variations across various levels of
managers.
To understand the different challenges faced by managers in problem
solving.

To understand and form an opinion on the different methods/ techniques used by

the managers in various problem solving situations.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Disclaimer - The Originator of this research is solely responsible for its contents. Your response
to this is voluntary. If you are asked in the survey to reveal your identity or any other
information, kindly note that it would be kept confidential. Your response will be used by the
originator only for the purpose identified by the originator as the objective.

1. Name:
2. Age:
3. Designation:

Important instruction- For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you.
Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be).
 N
Ver
ot
y
at Rarely Sometimes Often
Question Often
All

1. Once I choose a
solution, I develop an
implementation plan with the
sequence of events necessary
for completion.

2. After a solution has

been implemented, I
immediately look for ways to
improve the idea and avoid
future problems.

3. To avoid asking the

wrong question, I take care to
define each problem carefully
before trying to solve it.
4.
I strive to look at
problems from different
perspectives and generate
multiple solutions.

5. I try to address the

political issues and other
consequences of the change Im
proposing so that others will
understand and support my
solution.

6. I evaluate potential
solutions carefully and
thoroughly against a
predefined standard.
7.
I systematically search
for issues that may become
problems in the future.
 Not
Very
at Rarely Sometimes Often
Question Often
All

8. When I decide on a
solution, I make it happen no
matter what opposition I may
face.

9. I find that small

problems often become much
bigger in scope, and thus very
difficult to solve.
10.
I ask myself lots of
different questions about the
nature of the problem.
11.
After my solution is
implemented, I relax and focus
again on my regular duties.

12. I focus on keeping

current operations running
smoothly and hope that
problems dont appear.

13. I evaluate potential

solutions as I think of them.

14. When I need to find a

solution to a problem, I usually
have all of the information I
need to solve it.

15. When evaluating

solutions, I take time to think
about how I should choose
between options.
Question
16. Making a decision is the end Not
Very
of my problem-solving process. at Rarely Sometimes Often
Often
All