CREATIVITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Focusing on the analysis and characterization of Problem A (the problem requiring collaboration within a team) and using the four principal variables of problem solving (i.e., opportunity, motive, level and style) - as well as the tendency of complex problems to be “moving targets”, please explain how do Petroski's examples illustrate the problem as a moving target?

Problem A Statement:

Problem A: The problem requiring collaboration (with its various sub-problems and/or sub-tasks, A1, A2, A3, etc.)

In viewing Problem A from the perspective of systems engineering and technical project management, we are accustomed to separating problems into various sub-problems (and/or tasks) based on technical requirements and functionality; the interconnections between and integration of the outcomes of these sub-problems are also part of our problem (Problem A) analysis. For example, we have a Problem A with four sub-problems or sub-tasks (A1 – A4), each of which comprises 25% of the overall problem without noticeable overlap, and so on (actually, this is an unlikely case, as real life is much more complicated!). There is a need to add the cognitive requirements and functionality of Problem A to the framework – i.e., we need to be able to characterize a problem in terms of opportunity, motive, level, and style – with the aim of aligning our problem solving behavior (both as individuals and collectively, as a team) to what the problem requires.