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Problem complexity and the formulation process in planning and design
Author(s) -
Volkema Roger J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830330406
Subject(s) - variety (cybernetics) , process (computing) , management science , computer science , artificial intelligence , engineering , operating system
The importance of problem formulation in planning and design is well documented: Errors of the Third Kind (solving the wrong problem or a suboptimal problem) produce underdesign and system failure. This paper explores the role of problem statements in the formulation process. Using Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety as a basis, the quantitative and qualitative features of problem statements are linked to the complexity of a problematic situation. Six propositions are offered for future study.