Lecture-8, 9

Solving Problems Analytically and

Creatively
HRM 370

Md Kamrul Hasan
Lecturer, Department of Management
School of Business and Economics
The managerial issue!
• The Manager’s Job, in particular, is inherently
a problem-solving job.
• Then we turn to Creative problem solving, a
kind of problem solving that occurs less
frequently.
• Their natural tendency is to select the first
reasonable solution that comes to mind.
(Koopman, Broekhuijsen, & Weirdsma, 1998; March, 1994; March & Simon, 1958)
Analytical vs. Creative Problem Solving

Analytical problem solving is focused on

Getting Rid of Problems.
………………......................................................................
Creative problem solving is focused on
Generating Something New!

(DeGraff & Lawrence, 2002).

4 Steps of Analytical Problem Solving
- Differentiate fact from opinion.
1
Defining the - Specify underlying causes.
PROBLEM - State the problem explicitly.
- Determine whose problem it is.
- Be sure all involved individuals generate
alternatives.
- Specify alternatives that are consistent with
2
Generate Alternative goals.
SOLUTION - Specify both short-term and long-term
alternatives.
- Build on others’ ideas.
- Specify alternatives that solve the problem.
4 Steps of Analytical Problem Solving

- Evaluate relative to an optimal standard.

- Evaluate systematically.
EVALUATE and SELECT
3
an alternative - Evaluate relative to goals.
- Evaluate main effects and side effects.
- State the selected alternative explicitly.
- Implement at the proper time and in the
right sequence.
IMPLEMENT and - Provide opportunities for feedback.
4 follow up on the - Engender acceptance of those who are
solution affected.
- Establish an ongoing monitoring system.
- Evaluate based on problem solution.
Limitations of the Analytical Problem-Solving
Model
• Managers do not always practice these steps. The demands of
their jobs often pressure managers into circumventing some steps,
and problem solving suffers as a result.
• These problem-solving steps are most effective mainly when
– The problems faced are straightforward,
– Alternatives are readily definable,
– Relevant information is available, and
– A clear standard exists against which to judge the correctness of
a solution.
• Definitions, information, alternatives, and standards are rarely
clear-cut or readily available.
Multiple Approaches to Creativity
• This approach is based on the Competing Values
Framework (Cameron, Quinn, DeGraff, & Thakor, 2006),
• It identifies competing or Conflicting

dimensions that describe people’s

attitudes, values, and behaviors.
• It describes the four different types of
creativity and the relationships.
(Developed by Jeff DeGraff (DeGraff & Lawrence, 2002)
Multiple Approaches to Creativity
1. Improvement (Be better) (Internal - Control)
• Developing incrementally better alternatives, improving on what already
exists, or clarifying the ambiguity that is associated with the problem.
• They are systematic, careful, and thorough. Creativity comes by finding
ways to improve processes or functions.

Example:
– Ray Kroc, the magician behind McDonald’s remarkable success. As a
salesman in the 1950s, Kroc bought out a restaurant in San
Bernardino, California, from the McDonald brothers and, by creatively
changing the way hamburgers were made and served, he created the
largest food service company in the world. He didn’t invent fast food
But changed the process.
– Requirement for quality, safety, and reliability;
– High technical specialization;
– Effective standardized processes
2. Incubation (Be sustainable) (Internal - Flexible)
• Creative activity through teamwork, involvement, and coordination among
individuals.
• Creativity occurs by unlocking the potential that exists in interactions among
networks of people.
• Individuals who approach creativity through incubation encourage people to
work together, foster trust and cohesion, and empower others.
• It arises from a collective mind-set and shared values.

Example:
– Mahatma Gandhi was probably the only person in modern history
who has single-handedly stopped a war. Lone individuals have started
wars, but Gandhi was creative enough to stop one. He did so by
mobilizing networks of people to pursue a clear vision and set of values.
– Existence of a diverse community with strong values;
– Need for collective effort and consensus;
– Empowered workforce
3. Imagination (Be new) (External - Flexible)
• Creation of new ideas, breakthroughs, and radical approaches to problem
solving.
• People tend to be experimenters, speculators, and entrepreneurs, and
they define creativity as exploration, new product innovation, or
developing unique visions of possibilities.
• This approach is focused on coming up with revolutionary possibilities and
unique solutions.
Examples:
– Steve Jobs at Apple, the developer of the iPod and the Macintosh
computer.
– Walt Disney, the creator of animated movies and theme parks.
– Need for brand-new, breakthrough products or services;
– Emerging markets;
– Resources needed for experimentation
4. Investment (Be First) (External - Control)
• The pursuit of rapid goal achievement and competitiveness.
• People who approach creativity in this way meet challenges head on, adopt a
competitive posture, and focus on achieving results faster than others.
• People achieve creativity by working harder than the competition, exploiting
others’ weaknesses, and being first to offer a product, service, or idea. The
advantages of being a “first mover” company are well-known.
Example:
– Honda President Kawashima in the “Honda-Yamaha Motorcycle War.” Honda
became the industry leader in motorcycles in Japan in the 1960s but decided
to enter the automobile market in the 1970s. Yamaha saw this as an
opportunity to overtake Honda in motorcycle market share in Japan. Honda’s
president replied: “As long as I am president of this company, we will
surrender our number one spot to no one.”
– Fast results are a necessity;
– Highly competitive environments;
– Emphasis on bottom-line outcomes
 Lecture-9
Solving Problems Analytically and
Creatively
HRM 370

Md Kamrul Hasan
Lecturer, Department of Management
School of Business and Economics
 Conceptual Blocks
Conceptual blocks are mental obstacles that constrain the way
problems are defined, and they can inhibit us from being
effective in any of the four types of creativity.

Conceptual blocks limit the number of alternative solutions that

people think about (Adams, 2001).
 Examples of creative problem solving

PERCY SPENCER’S MAGNETRON

• During World War II, the British developed one of the best-kept military
secrets of the war, a special radar detector based on a device called the
magnetron.
• Magnetron was tested, in those early days, by holding a neon tube next to
it. If the neon tube got bright enough, the magnetron tube passed the test.
In the process of conducting the test, the hands of the scientist holding the
neon tube got warm.
• At the end of the war, the market for radar essentially dried up, and most
firms stopped producing magnetrons.
• Percy Spencer was convinced that magnetrons could be used to cook food
by using the heat produced in the neon tube.
• As it turned out, Percy Spencer’s solution to Raytheon’s problem produced
the microwave oven and a revolution in cooking methods throughout the
world.
 Examples of creative problem solving

SPENCE SILVER’S GLUE

• Spence Silver’s assignment to work on a temporary project team within
the 3M company. The team was searching for new adhesives (A substance
used to sticking objects)
• The result was a substance that failed all the conventional 3M tests for
adhesives. It didn’t stick.
• It was a “now-it-works, now-it-doesn’t” kind of glue.
• For five years, Silver went from department to department within the
company trying to find someone interested in using his newly found
substance in a product.
• Silver had found a solution; he just couldn’t find a problem to solve with it.
• After 4 years, Silver was still convinced that his substance was good for
something. He just didn’t know what.
• Silver’s solution has become the prototype for innovation in American
firms, and it has spawned a multibillion-dollar business for 3M—in a
unique product called Post-it Notes.
 Creative problem solving
• These two examples are positive illustrations
of how solving a problem in a unique way can
lead to phenomenal business success.
• Creative problem solving can have remarkable
effects on individuals’ careers and on business
success.
 TYPES OF CONCEPTUAL BLOCKS
1. Constancy: When individuals examine a problem one way or uses
one approach to define, describe of solve it.
– Eg. Making judgement by listening the views of only one party and ignoring
the others one.
2. Commitment: Once individuals become committed to a particular
point of view/definition/solution, it is likely they will follow through
on that commitment. Stereotyping Based on Past Experiences.
– Was asked by the supervisor to follow one solution and following that
throughout the career.
3. Compression (of ideas): Looking too narrowly at a problem,
screening out too much relevant data, and making assumption that
inhibits problem solution.
– Marketing department having a problem with customers, so considering only
sales rep behaviours but not quality of work!
4. Complacency: A lack of questioning and bias against thinking out of
fear, ignorance, insecurity, or just plain mental laziness.
– Solution is to use both the left (logical reasoning) and right (intuition) brain.
THE FOUR TYPES OF CONCEPTUAL BLOCKS
Overcoming Conceptual Blocks by enhancing
creative problem solving
Researchers generally agree that creative problem
solving involves four stages:
1. Preparation: Gathering data, defining problem,
generating alternatives, examining all available
information
2. Incubation: Unconscious mental activity in which mind
combines unrelated thoughts in pursuit of a solution
3. Illumination: When insight is recognized and creative
solution is articulated
4. Verification: Evaluating the creative solution relative to
some standard of acceptability.
 Creative Problem-Solving Tools
1. To improve problem definition:
a) Make the familiar-strange and the strange-
familiar
b) Elaborate definitions,
c) Reverse the definition
2. To improve the generation of alternatives:
d) Defer judgment
e) Expand current alternatives
f) Combine unrelated attributes
 Six practical Hints that will help improve
Creative problem solving
1. Give yourself some relaxation time
2. Find a place where you can think
3. Talk to other people about ideas
4. Ask other people for their suggestions about
your problem
5. Read a LOT
6. Protect yourself from idea killers
END