Systematic versus intuitive problem solving on the shop floor : does it matter?

This paper examines the role of systematic problem solving compared to more intuitive approaches in complex organizational settings. Using a longitudinal study of problems encountered during the start-up of Saturn Corporation's new manufacturing facility, we address four questions. 1) Does a systematic approach contribute to superior problem solving outcomes in a manufacturing setting? 2) Does a systematic problem solving take longer than more intuitive approaches? 3) When is a systematic approach most useful? 4) In what ways does problem solving in real-world organizational settings depart from a systematic model? Our results suggest that a systematic problem solving approach not only leads to better quality, more robust solutions under a wide variety of situations, but also requires no more time than do more intuitive approaches. We discuss implications of these findings for managers (such as the need to encourage data-gathering at various stages during a problem solving effort) and for theorists (notably, the need to reconcile these findings with research that reveals the highly idiosyncratic, interactive, and localized nature of problem solving in real organizations).