Managerial problem identification

Despite its importance in determining the set of concerns to be addressed by problem solving activity, managerial problem identification is not well understood. Theorists have variously accounted for identification in terms of individual cognitive processes, motivations, and organizational roles and procedures. But the important part which the problem itself plays in identification, through its observable manifestations, has been ignored. Empirical data concerning seventy organizational problems were collected and analyzed. The results indicate the importance of the problem and the evidence it provides for problem finding. Implications for further descriptive and prescriptive research are discussed.