Introduction

Design-focused business problem-solving (BPS) deals with improvement problems, not with pure knowledge problems. The methodology presented in this handbook aims at the design of specific solutions for specific business problems, the design of the change processes needed to realize the solutions, and the development of support within the client organizations for these designs. There are, of course, other BPS strategies and our methodology is not necessarily the best one for each and every business problem: it has a certain application domain. In this chapter we give further characterization of the design-focused, problem-solving strategy, followed by a comparison with other BPS strategies and suggestions as to when to choose which one.

Design in general, and social system design in particular, is a key ingredient of our methodology. Therefore we give some background theory on design and designing, followed by a discussion of specific issues in social system design. Ideas on social system design are strongly influenced by world views. We conclude this chapter with a brief discussion on the paradigmatic starting points of our methodology.

Characteristics of design-focused business problem-solving

The design-focused methodology for business problem-solving builds on the traditions of rational problem-solving. Systematic inquiry into problem-solving, aimed at uncovering general principles, started with the work of Herbert Simon, Alan Newell and colleagues in the 1950s (see for example Newell and Simon 1972). Their work strongly influenced cognitive science, artificial intelligence, management science and economics.