Problem Solving And Decision Making In A Professional Career
Problem Scenario
Problem solving is defined as the process of working through details of a problem to reach to a solution. As stated by Sexe (2015) problem solving can include systematic and mathematical operations and can also be considered as a gauge of an individual’s critical thinking skills. In context of psychology, it can be stated that problem solving refers to the process of finding solutions to problems which are encountered in life. Problem solving is very important as it is part of every individual’s daily life in context of both their personal and professional lives. Problem solving is considered as very important as it is considered as the core of human evolution. As opined by Shamsi (2017) problem solving also consists of the methods which are used to understand what is happening in our environment and to identify things that we want to change and then figure out the things that needs to be done in order to create the desired outcome. Problem solving is also very important as it is the source of all new inventions, social and cultural evolution and it is also the basis for market based economies. Problem solving is also the basis for continuous improvement, communication and learning.
The above case states that I am a single parent of three kids and my spouse has passed away recently due to motor road accident and I have heard gossips that the company in which I work is being downsized and many of the employees of the company would have to resign very soon. The gossips which I have heard have been even supported by some of my colleagues and they also stated that the news is bound to be true as the company is currently in lot of debts. But at the same time few other colleagues of my office have also stated that the rumors regarding the downsizing of the company is not true and it is simply a fake rumor and therefore they have suggested me that there is nothing to get worried off and I should ignore them.
The main issue or problem which is associated with the current case is that I am currently in a state of dilemma whether to search for a new job to support myself and my kids in case I am forced to resign from my existing company or whether to just ignore the news regarding the downsizing of the company believing it to be just a fake rumor which have arisen out of nowhere.
Judging the Claim of Downsizing
My main goal in context of the case scenario is to secure my job in the company where I work or to find a secured alternate job in some other company so that I could support the needs and requirements of my children and also secure their future. The main purpose of this report is to identify an appropriate problem solving strategy which will help in addressing the problems which have been observed in context of the case situation so that identified issue is solved using creative problem solving skills.
The elaboration of judging whether to accept or reject the reasons and claims given by my colleagues are as follows:
How certain is the claim?- The claim is not sufficiently certain in nature as some of my colleagues have been claiming that the company is in state of downsizing and also in a state of debt which has resulted into loss of job of many employees working currently for the company. Whereas another group of employees have been claiming that the rumors regarding the downsizing of the company and the company being in debt are fake in nature. But the claim can be considered as moderately sufficient in nature as I, myself have heard such rumors regarding the company before being informed by my colleagues.
Does the context of the claim influence its acceptability?- As opined by Shokri & Nabhani (2015) the context of the claim definitely influence its acceptability as the context of the claim is related to the professional career of each individuals working in the company and therefore it increases the acceptability of the claim.
Does the claim require expertise/research to decide?- As opined by Sohmen (2015) the claim definitely requires expertise/ research to decide as without research or expertise the context of the claim cannot be determined and moreover as the claim is a highly important and sensitive issue related to the professional career of an individual, therefore it requires expertise.
Is it widely known or believed?- As stated by Siu (2017) the claim is highly known or believed throughout the company as it is related to the future of the company and also related to the job security of the employees working in the company. But, though the claim is widely spread across the company, it is not believed by all employees of the company equally due to lack of evidences and also because there are many individuals who do not support such claims.
Step-Wise Problem Solving Approach
How well does the claim fits with other’s beliefs?- As opined by Worley & Doolen (2015) the claim fits moderately with the belief of others as there are few people in the company who believe that the claim is true while there are few other people in the company who believe that the claim is false and non-acceptable in nature.
The step wise conceptions of problem solving by Hayes, is as follows:
Finding the problem- According to Burns (2016) the first step in problem solving involves finding the problem and its intensity in context to a particular situation that has been identified so that it could be solved by implementation of effective strategies. In context of the current case scenario it can be stated that the problem which is being identified in the current situation is regarding the decision and action that I should take in context to my job and my career within the environment of rumors of downsizing of company so that I have a secured earning for my children so that they do not have to face any sort of problem. As stated by Vogel et al. (2015) another problem which has been identified in context of the current case situation is the dilemma that I have been facing with in context to what approach and decision should I take in the current span of time because my office colleagues got divided into two groups regarding their views on the future of the company in which we all work.
Representing the problem- According to de Jager, Muller & Roodt (2013) the second step in problem solving involves representing the problem which involves finding out the root cause behind the solution and also analyzing the reason behind the problem that raised. In context of the current case scenario it can be stated that the main cause of the problem has been the result of difference of views and opinions of office colleagues. I heard some rumors regarding the company in which I work that it is being downsized which would result in the loss of job of many employees working currently for the company. This news was also confirmed by some of my office colleagues who also stated that the rumor which I had heard was true as the company was in debts currently, while at the same time some of my other colleagues had informed me that that the information regarding the downsizing of the company and quitting of the employees was not at all true and that it was simply a fake rumor. Therefore the contradictory opinion and views regarding my company amongst my colleagues had resulted in the creation of the problem as it surrounded me with many open questions and dilemmas.
Finding the Problem
Planning the solution- According to Farhad, Ali & Bibi (2018) the next step in problem solving is planning the solution which involves designing and planning the various pros and cons of the different options of solution which would help in addressing the problem that has been identified in context of the above case. As opined by Schwagler (2014) the solution which can be considered as most appropriate in order to solve the current problem is to gather adequate information regarding the financial health of the company, the performance of the company in the market and collecting and documenting the views and perceptions of the stakeholders of the company, mainly the shareholders of the company, regarding the current status and health of the company in the market, rate of returns on their investment that is returned back by company as these insights would provide me a complete idea regarding the current situation of the company and accordingly would help me take a decision regarding my job and my career.
Carrying out the plan- According to Hämäläinen, De Wever, Nissinen & Cincinnato (2017) the next step in problem solving is carrying out the plan which has been developed and which involves implementing the solution in order to solve the problem. In context of the current case it can be stated that I need to gather maximum and detailed information regarding the financial health and status of the company from the financial reports of the company, by analyzing the financial data and by comparing and contrasting the financial health of the company since the last 5 years. As stated by Nair (2017) I would also collect information regarding the market performance of the company from the annual reports of the company and by analyzing their sales data which will provide me a complete picture of the performance of the company. Moreover, I would also collect information from the major stakeholders of the company, mainly the shareholders of the company regarding the return on investment and dividend shared by the enterprise so that I could be more sure regarding the current state and financial status of the company which would help in driving my decision.
Evaluating the solution- According to He (2015) the next step in problem solving is evaluating the solutions which can be implemented in order to solve a problem or a problematic scenario after proper evaluation and identification of pros and cons. In context of the current situation it can be stated that the solution regarding analyzing the financial performance of the company, the market performance of the company and collecting the views and opinions of the stakeholders of the company are highly effective in nature as the above mentioned solutions tactics would help in best judging the current situation and status of the company in the market which means that if the financial performance of the company is up to the mark and stable in nature, therefore it can be estimated that the company is not downsizing in nature and is in not any sort of debts and therefore it can be safe to work and join the company whereas in contrary if the financial records of the company reflected losses in past few years and also reflected its unstable market position within the industry and their existing markets then in that case it could be estimated that the company could be in a state of downsizing or could be in debt and therefore it would be safe to search for alternative job options in order to secure one’s professional career.
Representing the Problem
Consolidating gains- According to Jarvis & Williams (2017) the last step in problem solving is consolidating gains which involves bringing together the gains which are evident due to the application of the above mentioned solutions. In context of the above scenario it can be stated that the ultimate gain which has been achieved by implementing the above mentioned solution is that I have found an appropriate way to solve the problem without getting biased towards the opinions provided by various groups and in the end was able to take the most suitable solution. As opined by Nazem, Mozaiini & Seifi (2014) upon analysis of the financial and market performance of the company if it is found that that the company is in a state of profit and is stable in nature, then I should take the decision to stick to my current company and in case after financial and market performance analysis if I find out that my company has been facing losses in the market for a considerable period of time and has been unstable in the market, then in that case I should not hesitate to find a better job option in other company through which I can support the needs and requirements of my children and rather than waiting for the company for asking me to resign, I would rather resign according to my own wish and move to a different company.
As stated by Jarvis (2016) the problem solving strategy which can be applied in the present scenario is means-end analysis as it will help in effectively solving the problem in a simple manner without creating any problem. As opined by Karagozlu (2018) in means end analysis strategy, the problem solver begins by envisioning the end or ultimate goal and then determining the best strategy for attaining the goal in their current situation.
In context of the current situation it can be said that my ultimate goal is to secure my job in any company so that I can support the needs and demands of my children to ensure that they do not face any problem in their future. The best way through which I can reach my ultimate goal is to not take any decision based on the views of my colleagues as there is no evidence which supports their claim. The next way to clear the confusion regarding my job is to conduct research on my own regarding the future of the company. As opined by Lau (2016) another best way to be sure regarding the future of the company is to verify the financial position of the company in the market so that I could analyze in advance what the company is likely to do in the future. Upon research if it is found out that if the financial performance of my company is stable in the market and the company provides a good return on investment to the shareholders of the company then it can be understood that the news regarding the downsizing of the company and quitting of the employees is rumor and are fake in nature and therefore there is no need of being panicked regarding the future of the job in the company and I can continue to work in the company as usual. As opined by Kent (2016) whereas, upon research and analysis if it is found out that the financial performance of the company is deteriorating in the market and the company is facing losses in the market and the shareholders of the company are not receiving adequate return on their investment and there is a state of chaos in the internal environment of the company, it can be estimated and understood that the rumors regarding the company around the market and among the employees of the company can be considered as somewhat true in nature and therefore it would be safe for me to search for alternative job options so that even if the company asks me to resign from my current job, I can swiftly switch to another job so that the future of my children remains secured.
Planning the Solution
Conclusion
From the analysis of the above report it can be understood that there are different problem solving strategies which can be applied in different problem scenarios in order to solve problems in those scenarios. Further it can be also be inferred from this discussion that there are various steps of problem solving which can be applied in any sort of problem situation to solve any kind of issues. The various steps which are involved in the problem solving are finding the problem, representing the problem, planning the solution, carrying out the plan, evaluating the solution and consolidating gains. Based on the current context it can be stated that the best problem solving strategy for the above mentioned problem is means end analysis which helps in effectively solving a problem without creating any complexities. The means end analysis is the best strategy to solve the problem in the above mentioned scenario as in the means end analysis, the problem solver begins by envisioning the end or ultimate goal and then determines the best strategy for attaining the goal in their current situation.
References
Burns, J. (2016). Critical skills for supervisors of information technology project managers in government: An interpretative phenomenological analysis case study . Business Premium Collection. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1793940500?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
de Jager, C., Muller, A., & Roodt, G. (2013). Developing creative and innovative thinking and problem-solving skills in a financial services organization. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(1), 1-10. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1448375203?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Farhad, K. A., Ali, A., & Bibi, N. (2018). Analysis of skill gap for business graduates: Managerial perspective from banking industry. Education & Training, 60(4), 354-367. Retrieved from doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2017-0120 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Hämäläinen, R., De Wever, B., Nissinen, K., & Cincinnato, S. (2017). Understanding adults’ strong problem-solving skills based on PIAAC. Journal of Workplace Learning, 29(7), 537-553. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1966401218?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
He, W. (2015). Developing problem-solving skills with case study in A conceptual management course. Journal of Business Case Studies, 11(2), 57. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1673824748?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Jarvis, J. E., & Williams, I. A. (2017). A case study exploration of strategies to improve first-line supervisor problem-solving abilities in the retail supermarket industry. International Journal of Applied Management and Technology, 16(1) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2103085042?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Jarvis, J. E. (2016). Strategies for improving first-line supervisor problem-solving abilities in the retail supermarket industry. Business Premium Collection. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1844973564?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Karagozlu, D. (2018). Determination of the impact of augmented reality application on the success and problem-solving skills of students. Quality and Quantity, 52(5), 2393-2402. Retrieved from doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0674-5 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Kent, C. (2016). A qualitative study of problem-based learning in accounting education and its effect on career preparation. Business Premium Collection. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1873181478?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Lau, K. W. (2016). Understanding creativity competency for organizational learning. The Journal of Management Development, 35(10), 1198-1218. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1841759899?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Nair, S. M. (2017). Creative and problem solving skills among primary school pupils in peninsula Malaysia. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11(2), 372-385. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2038223560?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Nazem, F., Mozaiini, M., & Seifi, A. (2014). A structural equation model of creative problem-solving skill based on social capital among university students. International Conference on Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning: Kidmore End 307-313. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1674840393?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Schwagler, N. (2014). Integrating creative thinking skills into entrepreneurship curricula: A methods approach. ICSB World Conference Proceedings: Washington 1-4. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1796775246?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Sexe, F., M.B.A. (2015). UNDERSTANDING AND IDENTIFYING EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGIES. Proceedings of the International Annual Conference of the American Society for Engineering Management: Huntsville 1-6. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1751245816?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Shamsi, A. (2017). Relationship between knowledge management and managerial skills: The role of creative thinking. Foresight and STI Governance, 11(4), 44-51. Retrieved from doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.17323/2500-2597.2017.4.44.51 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Shokri, A., & Nabhani, F. (2015). LSS, a problem solving skill for graduates and SMEs. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 6(2), 176-202. Retrieved from doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-06-2014-0014 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Siu, L. H. (2017). Thinking about how to think: Cognitive skills to stay relevant in a digital economy. Human Resource Management International Digest, 25(5), 1-3. Retrieved from doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-02-2017-0040 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Sohmen, V. S. (2015). Reflections on creative leadership. International Journal of Global Business, 8(1), 1-14. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1680769091?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Vogel, T., Villegas, J., Callahan, A., Griffin, W. G., Jansma, C., & Sheehan, K. (2015). SPECIAL TOPICS SESSION: CREATIVE THINKING] SKILLS OF TOMORROW. American Academy of Advertising conference: Lubbock 35-36. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1717286976?accountid=30552 Accessed as on 14/11/2018
Worley, J. M., & Doolen, T. L. (2015). Organizational structure, employee problem solving, and lean implementation. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 6(1), 39-58. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-12-2013-0058 Accessed as on 14/11/2018