Introduction          Introduction         Introduction          Introduction         

By definition, problem is any difference between an actual situation and a desired situation.

 Problem situations may be one of the following:

1.      A performance deficiency, which exists when actual performance is less than desired. For example, turnover or absenteeism suddenly increases is in the work unit

2.      A performance opportunity, which emerges when an actual situation turns out either higher than anticipated, or offers the potential to be so.

  The Challenge in dealing with any problem, be it a performance deficiency or an opportunity, is to proceed with effective problem solving–the process of identifying a discrepancy between an actual and desired state of affairs and then taking action to resolve the deficiency or take advantage of the opportunity.

The entire problem-solving process is dependent upon the right information being available to the right people at the right times.

 The problems which mangers face are usually classified into 3 main types, as shown in Figure 1.3:

a-   Structured problems,

b-   Unstructured problems,

c-    Crisis problems