Problem Formulation

Problem Formulation
 OBSERVATION

Broad area of research

interest identified

PROBLEM THEORETICAL GENERATION OF SCIENTIFIC

DEFINITION FRAMEWORK HYPOTHESIS RESEARCH DESIGN

Research problem
Variable clearly Important aspects for
delineated (research Testing the hypothesis
identified and labeled data gathering
questions)

PRELIMINARY DATA DEDUCTION

GATHERING DATA COLLECTION,
Hypothesis
substantiated? ANALYSIS, AND
Interviewing INTERPRETATION
Research question
Literature Study
answered?

Managerial Decision
Report Writing Report Presentation
Making

Research Process for Basic and Applied Research (Sekaran, 2010, p.68)
Problem Formulation
 Course Material

• Grouping and Taxonomy of Problem

• Problem Solving & Integrated Approach
• Analysis of Integrated System
• Problem Formulation

Problem Formulation
 Grouping Problem Contexts
System Participant
• Simple • Unitary
• Complex • Plurarist
• Coercive

Problem Formulation
 Simple System
• A Small Number of Elements
• Few Interactions Between the Elements But Highly
Organized
• Attributes of The Elements Are Predetermined
• Well-defined Laws Govern Behavior
• The System Does Not Evolve Over Time, Unaffected
By Behavioral Influences And Largely Closed to the
Environment
• Sub System Do Not Pursue Their Own Goals

Problem Formulation
 Complex System
• A Large Number of Elements
• Many Interactions Between Elements And Loosely
Organized
• Attributes of Elements Are Not Predetermined
• Probabilistic in Behavior
• System Evolve Over Time, Subject to Behavioral
Influences And Largely Open to The Environment
• Sub System are Purposeful and Generate Their Own
Goals

Problem Formulation
 Unitary Participant
• They Share Common Interests
• Their Value And Beliefs are Highly Compatible
• They Largely Agree Upon Ends and Means
• They Are All Participate in Decision Making
• They Act in Accordance with Objectives

Problem Formulation
 Pluralist Participant
• They Have A Basic Compatibility Of Interest
• Their Values And Beliefs Diverge To Some Extent
• They Do Not Necessarily Agree Upon End And
Means, But Compromise Is Possible
• They All Participate In Decision Making
• They Act In Accordance With Agreed Objectives

Problem Formulation
 Coercive Participant
• They Do Not Share Common Interest
• Their Values And Beliefs Are Likely To Conflict
• They Do Not Agree Upon Ends And Means And
Genuine Compromise Is Not Possible
• Some Coercive Other To Accept Decisions
• No Agreement Over Objectives Is Possible Given
Present Systemic Arrangement

Problem Formulation
 Simple-Unitary
• Problem Solver Can Easily Establish
Objectives In Term of A System
• System of Concern Can Often Be Represented
In Qualitative Or Highly Structured Model

Problem Formulation
 Simple-Coercive
• Real Differences Of Interest As Well As Of A
values And Beliefs May Exist
• Different Groups Seek To Use Whatever
Power They Have To Impose Their Favored
Strategy Upon Others
• Source Of Power Of Different Participants
Will Be Relatively Easy To Identify

Problem Formulation
 Complex - Unitary
• Determine The Purpose To Be Pursued And The
Relevant System For Achieving This Purpose
• Specify Sub System And Wider Systems
• Detail The Environment, Operations And
Management Of Each Sub-system
• Study The Coordination Of The System In Focus
• Study The Control Of The System In Focus
• Study The Policy-making Function Of The System In
Focus
• Check That All Information Channels, Transducers
And Control Loops Are Properly Designed

Problem Formulation
 Complex- Pluralist
• Start With Problem Situation Unstructured
• Work Toward A Problem Situation Expressed And
Name Some Relevant Human Activity Systems
• Formulate Root Definitions Relevant Human Activity
Systems
• Develop Conceptual Models Of System Named In The
Root Definitions
• Undertake Comparison Of Conceptual Models With
The Expression Of The Problem Situation
• Discuss Cultural Feasible And Systematically Desirable
Changes
• Take Action To Improve The Problem
Problem Formulation
 Complex-Coercive
• Hoed The True Of Power Of The Various
Participants
• Not Yet Possess The Tools To Tackle The
Problem

Problem Formulation
 Taxonomy of Problems

Phenomena Managerial Quantification

• Deterministic • Strategic • Quantitative
• Probabilistic • Tactical • Qualitative
• Uncertainty • Operational

Problem Formulation
Managerial Grid and Problems

• Strategic Uncertainty

Top

• Tactical Probabilistic

Middle
• Operational Deterministic
Operational

Problem Formulation
 Characteristics of Problems

Managerial

Operational Tactical Strategic

• Structured Semi structured Unstructured
• Deterministic Probabilistic Uncertainty
• Model Standard Model Standard Simulation
• IS DSS ES

Problem Formulation
 Characteristic of Problems

Integrated System

Work Station Manufacturing Enterprise Industrial System

• Structured Unstructured
• Deterministic Uncertainty
• Model Standard Simulation
• IS DSS/ ES

Problem Formulation
IE and Its Integrated System

Decision
Decision Solution

Action
Action Criteria
Inte-
Inte-
grated
grated
System
System
Model
Model
Problem
Problem IE
IE

Data /Information

Problem Formulation
 Problem
Any unsatisfactory situation
Symptom
• Claims
• Difference: Expectation vs Reality

Root Causes

Problem

Problem Formulation
 Problem Solving Approach
• Define Problem
• Generate Alternatives
• Choose Standard Model
• Get The Best Solution
• Make Decision
• Implementation/Action

Problem Formulation
 How To Get The Solution?
Problem
Yes
Common Sense? Use&Choose

No
Yes
Model Standard? Formulate

New Alternatives Build New Model Simulation

Solution

Decision
Problem Formulation
 Characteristic of Integrated
Approach
• Problem : Real
• Model : Valid
• Solution : Feasible
• Decision : Effective
• Action : Implemented

Problem Formulation
 What IE Has To Do?
1. Problem Identification
2. Generate Alternatives
3. Know the Standard Models
4. Decide Performance Criteria
5. Choose the Best Solution
6. Make Decision
7. Anticipate Managerial Implication
8. Action

Problem Formulation
 Analysis of Integrated System
• What is the components ?
• What is the special characteristics ?
• What is special form ?
• What is Out-put ?
• What is the performance criteria ?

Problem Formulation
 Systemic Aspect
• Structural Aspect
– Man, Machine, Material
• Functional Aspect
– Man-man, Man-Material, Man-Machine, Feed-back
• Boundary
• Environment
– Stakeholder and Societal
• Objective
– Unitary, pluralist, coercive

Problem Formulation
Component of Integrated System

Man

+
Natural System and/or Artificial System
Equipment+Material Machine + Material

Problem Formulation
 Schematic Representation
Environment
Boundary

Man Machine

Input Out-put
Mat

Feed-back : Interaction

Problem Formulation
 Type of Integrated System(1)
Type Component Objective

Work Station Man, Machine Productivity

Material Efficiency
Manufacturing Man, Machine QCD
Material
Corporate People, Facility ROI, ROE, IRR
Material
Industrial People, Infrastructure Productivity
System Material Competitiveness

Problem Formulation
Type of Integrated System(2)
• Work Station
• Manufacturing System
• Corporate System
• Industrial System

Human Activity Management Control

System System

Problem Formulation
 Human Activity System
• Manufacturing Process
• Material and All Other Resources
• Machines and Equipment
• Methods by Which Workers Perform Task
• Layout of Facilities and Specification of Material Flow
• Material Handling Equipment and Procedures
• Workplace Design
• Storage Space Size and Location
• Data Recording Procedures for Management Reporting
• Procedures for Maintenance and House Keeping
• Safety Procedures

Problem Formulation
 Management Control System(1)
• Management Planning System
• Forecasting Procedures
• Budgeting and Economic Analysis
• Wage and Salary Plans
• Inventive Plans and Other Employee Relation System
• Recruiting, Training, and Placement of Employee
• Material Requirement Planning
• Inventory Control
• Production Schedulling
• Dispatching

Problem Formulation
 Management Control System(2)
• Progress and status reporting
• Corrective action procedures
• Information system
• Quality control system
• Cost control and reduction
• Resources allocation
• Organization design
• Decision support system
• Etc

Problem Formulation
Problem Formulation
• Preliminary Study
• List of Symptoms
• Identify Roots Causes
• Analysis
• Define Problem

Problem Formulation
 Preliminary Study
• Once the broad problem area is identified, it is
needed to define a specific problem statement
• Preliminary information could be gathered
through interviews, observations and literature
research/review

Problem Formulation
 Nature of Data to be Collected

• Background Information of the organization

• Managerial Philosophy, company policies, and other
structural and functional aspect
• Perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral response
• Prevailing knowledge on the topic

Source Of Data
• Primary Data
Data Gathered From The Actual Situation When Evens
Occur
• Secondary Data
Data Gathered from Readily Available Source

Problem Formulation
 Preliminary Study: Interview
• Informal or formal interview
• To gain the information of the real problem.

Problem Formulation
 Preliminary Study: Observation

• Observe the phenomenon and changes.

• Observe the events, people or the objects.
• Detect and collect the symptoms that are the indications
of problem occurrences.

Problem Formulation
 Observation
Objective
Broad Area of Research Interest Identified
But
The Specific Issues That Need to be Researched May Not Be
Identified

Issues
• Problems Currently Existing
• Area That Need To Be Improved
• A Conceptual Or Theoretical Issue That Needs To Be
Tightened Up
• Some Research Questions That A Researcher Want To Answer
Empirically

Problem Formulation
 Literature Review
• is a step-by-step process that involves the identification of
published and unpublished work from secondary data sources
• Sources:
– Text books
– Journals
– Theses
– Conference proceedings
– Unpublished manuscripts
– Reports
– Newspapers
– The internet
Problem Formulation
Identify Symptoms
• Types
• Magnitude
• Impact-consequences

Do Not Confuse Among !!!

Symptom
Root Causes
Alternative of Solution

Problem Formulation
 Symptom(1)

Difference

Expectation Reality
Objective Achievement
Problem Formulation
 Symptom(2)
• Indicator of the Problem
• Problem Could Exist Although Without Any
Symptom
• Form: Claims, Differences Expectation and
Reality

Problem Formulation
 Root Causes
• Causes of the symptom
• Use systemic approach to identify

Fish Bone Diagram

Six Word (6 W – 12 Questions)

Problem Formulation
 Fish Bone Diagram
Material Machine Man

Indicator

Environment Boundary Method

Problem Formulation
 Man MAchine Environment
Imbalan
kurang
sesuai Too hot
Old machine

Laziness
Limited working
Mesin sulit diperbaiki
area
Availability of spare parts
Low skills

Ketergantungan pada
lisensor
Pelatihan
Numbers of kurang
operators

Long
Duration
fixing th
Bad reporting system
machin
No preventive
maintenance
program
Equipments spreads Expensive
Unclearly delegation out in different units

No standardized Availability of
procedures for machine equipment
fixing

Method Equipment
Problem Formulation
 Causal Analysis
• Quantitative
• Qualitative

Problem Formulation
 Define The Real Problem

• Main Problem
• Secondary Problem

Problem Formulation
 Problem Statement
• The problem statement introduces the key problem
that is addressed in the research project.
• Should be clear, precise and succinct

Problem Formulation
• Problem Statement consists of

A problem that currently exists in an

organizational setting.
 A requiring of improvement.
 An conceptual explanation of certain topics to
develop a better theory.
 Answering empirically the research questions

Problem Formulation
Research Process Problems to Avoid

• Ill-defined management
problem
• Unresearchable questions
• Politically-motivated
research