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The article presents a fictional business dilemma concerning the chain of command within business. In the situation presented, a plant manager of a firm involved in making quarter panels and other parts for one of the Big Three automobile companies, is faced with the problem of trying to find out why burrs and rough spots are suddenly appearing on so many panels causing them to be rejected. The manager and three of his key subordinates strongly suspect deliberate sabotage by the men on the production lines, who are reported to be angry over the suspension of worker Joe Valenti by a hot-headed supervisor, who accused him of drinking on the job. Details on what the manager decides to do with the situation are presented.

The article presents a management exercise demonstrating a systematic approach to problem solving and decision making. The ability of managers to solve problems and make decisions rationally has been assumed to be one of the valuable products of experience on the job. A close observation of actual practices has shown that even veteran managers can be very unsystematic when dealing with problems and decisions. The problem included involves two choices faced by a plant manager: whether to back up a rude supervisor and risk a strike that might be stopped by injunction, or avoid a strike by undercutting the supervisor and asking his men to cooperate with management.