• determine the symptoms, which require immediate attention;
• identify the fundamental issues and causal factors giving rise to these symptoms.
It is important to separate the immediate problems from their more basic causes. For example, the immediate problem may be a high rate of
absenteeism, while the more fundamental issue may be a poor motivational climate. How you define a problem determines how you go about solving
it. A short-term solution for absenteeism is likely to be different from solutions that attempt to deal with motivational climate. Be sure to identify both
the symptom and, more importantly, its underlying cause.
Step 2: Justification for Problem Definition:
In this step you need to review the information you have about the problem. You may need to make some inferences to fill in gaps. Clearly label what
is inference and what is factual. Do not be afraid to assume, but clearly state the assumptions you are making. You should make assumptions on the
basis of your knowledge of typical managerial practices, and they should be consistent with the facts about the case, even though your facts may be
somewhat limited. Managerial decisions are often based on limited information. In fact, practicing managers find that many of their decisions have to
be made quickly on the basis of limited information.
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