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70 THE RESEARCH PROCESS

higher piece rate will not improve productivity! Thus, finding the “right”
answers to the “wrong” problem definitions will not help. Hence, it should be
recognized that correct problem identification is extremely critical for finding
solutions to vexing issues.
Frequently, managers tend to describe the problem in terms of symptoms dur-
ing the interviews. Rather than accepting it as such, the researcher needs to iden-
tify the problem more accurately after talking to the employees and reviewing
the literature, as discussed earlier. One way of determining that the problem,
rather than the symptom, is being addressed is to ask the question (after gather-
ing sufficient information through interviews and literature search), “Is this fac-
tor I have identified an antecedent, the real problem, or the consequence?”
These terms can be discussed in the context of the earlier example of low pro-
ductivity. The real issue or problem here is low morale and motivation. The con-
sequence of the problem is low productivity. Note that the consequence (or
effects) of low motivation can also manifest itself in absenteeism, sabotage, or
any number of other adverse effects for the firm. The real problem that needs to
be addressed in this case, hence, is not productivity, but motivation. The
antecedent of the problem (i.e., the contributing factor) in the given situation
seems to be nonrecognition of the employees’ contributions. Until such time as
the employees are recognized for their work, their motivation and morale will
not improve, nor will their productivity, as a consequence. Without addressing
the central issue, if more money is given, or better equipment installed to
increase productivity, the desired results will not ensue because the right prob-
lem would not have been addressed.
Problem definition or problem statement, as it is also often referred to, is
a clear, precise, and succinct statement of the question or issue that is to be inves-
tigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution. As mentioned earlier, prob-
lem definitions could pertain to (1) existing business problems where a manager
is looking for a solution, (2) situations that may not pose any current problems
but which the manager feels have scope for improvement, (3) areas where some
conceptual clarity is needed for better theory building, or (4) situations in which
a researcher is trying to answer a research question empirically because of inter-
est in the topic. The first two fall within the realm of applied research, and the
latter two under basic research.

Examples of Well-Defined Problems
1. To what extent do the structure of the organization and type of information
systems installed account for the variance in the perceived effectiveness of
managerial decision making?
2. To what extent has the new advertising campaign been successful in creat-
ing the high-quality, customer-centered corporate image that it was intended
to produce?
3. How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product?
4. Has the new advertising message resulted in enhanced recall?