Developing Problem Representations in Organizations: A Synthesis across Literatures and an Integrative Framework

Organizational research has long suggested that when working with problems that are complex and ill-defined it is imperative for organizational members to understand and represent these problems in order to effectively address them. However, research on the topic has remained fragmented across different organizational literatures resulting in the development and persistence of ambiguities in our understanding of the activities that compose the process of developing problem representations, the temporal patterns through which they unfold, and the associated mechanisms and outcomes. In this paper, we review and synthesize research across seven different literatures—all of which examine different organizational contexts that involve complex and ill-defined problems—and offer a framework that integrates research across these different literatures. Our framework delineates the different activities constituting the process of developing problem representations, provides insights about different approaches to developing problem representations, elaborates our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the process, and broadens our understanding of the different outcomes of the process. In so doing, our review and framework not only offer clarity and coherence on the topic but also highlight new opportunities for theoretical and methodological advancements.