Can You Analyze This Problem?

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.