Management Science Process—Methods for Managerial Problem Cause Analysis

The important managerial processes of problem identification, formulation, and solution are often approached experientially. There are, however, several formalized approaches which have been developed and are currently the subject of many management development programs. These approaches attempt to structure the establishment of a cause and effect relationship between a problem and its cause(s) for purposes of taking corrective action. This paper summarily presents the cause and effect methods, critically evaluates them, explores their differences, similarities, and the kind of problems for which each method is appropriate.