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Tools and methods developed during the era of quality and optimization have shown their limitations and become inappropriate in the context of the requirements of innovation. Nowadays the need to rebuild design practices in enterprises is strongly felt both in terms of human skills and methodological expertise. In part, a way to face the innovation era's difficulties has been provided through the theory of inventive problem solving. This theory represents a significant breakthrough in driving problem statement and solving in a direction that is expressed through the idea that technical systems are driven by objective laws. A second postulate concerns the notion of contradiction, but so far only few contributions have addressed the relations between laws and contradictions. This paper, through a qualitative approach, presents a solution to this limitation and proposes a possible use of laws within the choice of the appropriate conflicting pair, prior to the use of any TRIZ solving techniques. Tests to observe the impact of the proposed approach were conducted in a French engineering ‘grande école’ during three semesters with 180 engineers. The contribution of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, there is a theoretical contribution to the theory of inventive problem solving. In addition, the proposed method offers especially TRIZ practitioners new ways for problem understanding and problem formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined average-, high- and top-performing US fourth graders' rational number problem solving and their understanding of rational number representations. In phase one, all students completed a written test designed to tap their skills for multiplication, division and rational number word-problem solving. In phase two, a subset of students sorted cards that showed part-whole, ratio, quotient, measure, and operator perspectives of rational number representations. Each perspective was shown in numerical notational, word-problem, and visual formats. The results indicated that top-performing students scored significantly higher in problem solving and showed more effectively linked rational number representations than the other groups. The results imply that successful rational number problem solving is intertwined with representational knowledge for a wide range of rational numbers and that the bulk of US students do not possess effective skills for working with rational number representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the technique for demonstrating how cognitive heuristics affect decision making. Definition of cognitive heuristics; Discussion of a technique for improving decision making; Development of concepts that enhances critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Case studies of firms attempting to adopt a particular type of technological innovation have demonstrated that the process of technological innovation may be mediated by decision-makers' access to knowledge and by their cognitions - reflected in belief systems. This paper highlights the importance of cognitions in decisions about technological innovation. However, cognitive processes have been under emphasized in empirical work on technological innovation and part of the problem may have been lack of availability of research tools and techniques with which to explore cognitions. Cognitive mapping methodologies are reviewed in terms of their potential to fill this gap in the research into technological innovation. The paper discusses these methodologies, evaluates their limitations and argues that a distinction should be made between cognitive maps and the output of mapping techniques. The paper concludes that cognitive mapping may provide a useful addition to existing management research tools provided researchers are clear about what is revealed by the particular methodology used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been assumed that strategic decision making and implementation are both achieved through managers' sharing homogeneous cognitions of competition (e.g. Porac and Thomas, 1990). This paper tested the assumption of homogeneity of cognitions of competition, using a sample of 24 managers from the off-shore pumps industry. A variety of cognitive mapping techniques were used and maps were compared using a self-rating methodology. The results indicated that managers' mental models of competition are diverse, rather than homogeneous, but that this diversity increases as company boundaries are crossed and as functional boundaries are crossed. Therefore, it is concluded that future cognitive studies of competitive industry structures should assume diversity of cognitions rather than homogeneity. Specific propositions with regard to such research are drawn from the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the major theoretical approaches to strategic decision-making and identifies how each treats the process of problem formulation. Five models of strategic decision-making are analysed to determine the assumptions and biases made about strategic problem formulation. Successful strategic problem formulation is described and proposed as a beginning point for future research. Some constructs for further theory development are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on development programs for managers who demonstrate competence and possess prior experience. It states that rather than additive learning, the paper examines deeper change in the learner's outlook on the world, including changes in attitudes, opinions and beliefs, and in problem solving. It mentions that different forms of change could be distinguished by identification and internalization. It talks about findings of management development programs is that they result in subjective feelings of increased self-confidence and self-trust.

The article focuses on naturalistic decision making (NDM) research. Two possible NDM weaknesses have been pointed out by experts: (1) NDM researchers are unclear on what constitutes an error, and (2) NDM methodology might be "soft." Refutability is probably one of NDM's weaknesses. But one can argue that NDM is at a particular moment in its evolution. The main goal a scientist might pursue is to know what he or she does, and to know that what he or she is doing is only one specific way among many possible ways.