Identifying and Solving the Right Problem by Using Multidimensional Systems Thinking

Abstract

It is a serious failure of business and management researchers when they solve the wrong problem precisely. This means that their problem formulation is inadequate which may lead to disastrous consequences for the well-being of the stakeholders. To avoid substantive failures in problem solving business and management scholars should reconsider the basic assumptions of the system under their study and include as many stakeholders’ views as possible. Appropriate problem solutions should address all the important dimensions of the problem in question (the scientific-technical, the interpersonal-social, the systemic-ecological, and the existential-spiritual), and create some optimal balance among them. The job of responsible business and management research is identifying the right problems and producing solutions for them that are substantively adequate and ethically acceptable in a broad socioeconomic context.