Week 8: Case Study Group: FEP-KLTSA Business Challenge

Week 8

Introduction

What's a Wicked Problem?

    Wicked problems are those that are large, complex, and lack apparent solutions. They are usually social or cultural issues such as climate change, poverty, or healthcare, which are so linked with other elements that they are nearly impossible to pinpoint (Rittel & Webber, 1973). As you can see, we need to dig deeper into the core of wicked problems. The term “wicked problem” was initially created by Horst W.J. Rittel and Melvin M. Webber, professors of design and urban planning at the University of California, Berkeley, in their 1973 book "Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning". The paper presents 10 important characteristics that define a wicked problem:

1. There is no definite formula for a wicked problem.
2. Wicked problems have no end point—there is no way to know whether your solution is complete.
3. Solutions to wicked situations are neither true or false (right or incorrect); instead, they can be good or evil.
4. You cannot instantly test a solution to a wicked problem.
5. Every solution to a wicked problem is a "one-shot operation" since there is no chance to learn via trial and error—every attempt is important.
6. Wicked problems do not have a fixed number of possible solutions.
7. Each wicked problem is inherently unique.
8. Every wicked problem is a symptom of another problem.
9. There is always more than one explanation for a wicked situation since explanations differ widely based on the individual's viewpoint.
10. The planner/designer has no right to be incorrect, and they must accept full responsibility for their actions.

    Climate change, like issues with education policy and public health, is a nasty challenge. It avoids plain articulation and cannot be solved in a simple or definitive manner (Peters, 2017). Our changing conversations about climate science and conservation, the unique regional factors that determine the local consequences of climate change, and our ability to present an infinite number for possible solutions (as well as their irreversible) necessitate that we approach climate change with integrated and collaborative reasoning in order to find long-term, future-focused solutions.

Other types of problems 

    Wicked problem is a common words or term that can be use in any situation. We know that wicked problem is a problem that difficult or impossible to solve because involves multiple elements. Other than wicked problems we have simple problem and complex problems. Simple problem have a clear cause and effect that is easily identifiable and fixable. For example, an organisation’s business proposal was turned down by a customer. The organisation managed to investigate and find out why because the proposal was too expensive. The consequence was a direct result of the way the proposal was costed. In these examples, the solution is fairly straightforward which is lower down the cost of the proposal (Marcus, 2022).

    Instead of simple problems, we also have a terms called complex problem. A complex problem has multiple causes and some of these causes may be easy to identify while other causes may be hidden. There may be causes that are consequence of their lack of skills, which itself is a consequence of the organisation’s recruitment and induction processes. To solve complex problems requires a deep understanding of the problem and a multi-faceted strategy, which is fine-tuned as it is implemented (Marcus, 2022). Thus, when dealing with complex problems, we need to become skilled at separating problems from symptoms. This will enables the company to invest more efforts in the right areas (Marcus, 2022).

    Last but not least, tame problems have a clear definition which is a known set of potential solutions and a clear way to determine if the solution is successful. These types of problems are more straightforward and can be solved using traditional problem solving method where have some steps involve to solve it. Tame problems are complicated but not complex like wicked problems. There is often a right answer that can be found through the right expertise and process (Wang, 2015). 

    All in all, to solve all types of problems in entrepreneurship, the company need to have a employees that have convergent and divergent thinker. Convergent thinking is a term that centres on looking for a sole, correct way of solving any issue through a set specified, coherent advances. In the concept of convergent thinking, answer are either wrong or right, with zero vagueness in between (Kop, 2022). While divergent thinking involves in understanding every factor behind a specific problem faced by the company. It finds new opportunities while solving the problems and ways to resolve intractable issues or anything that challenges the company’s status quo (Kop, 2022).

Address the types of wicked problems that people who live in modern cities experience.

Wicked problems are complex, multifaceted issues with no clear solution, often interconnected with other problems. Traffic congestion is a prominent wicked problem in modern cities, causing a range of challenges and interconnected issues:

• Traffic Congestion: Increasing urban populations lead to more vehicles on the road, causing severe traffic congestion and longer commute times.
• Environmental Impact: Traffic congestion contributes to higher emissions and air pollution.
• Economic Costs: Delays and increased fuel consumption lead to higher costs for individuals and businesses.
• Public Health: Poor air quality and stress from long commutes negatively impact public health.
• Infrastructure Strain: Existing infrastructure struggles to accommodate the growing number of vehicles.
• Public Transportation: Overcrowded and unreliable public transport systems fail to provide a viable alternative.

Problem definition (pin points from user survey and interviews)

Traffic Congestion:

• "My daily commute has doubled in time over the past five years."
• "Public transport is overcrowded and unreliable."
• "Traffic jams are becoming a regular part of my daily routine."
• "Roads are always congested, even during off-peak hours."

Environmental Impact:

• "Air quality has worsened significantly over the years."
• "There are not enough initiatives to reduce emissions from vehicles."

Economic Costs:

• "I spend a significant amount of money on fuel due to traffic."
• "Businesses suffer due to delivery delays caused by congestion."

Public Health:

• "Long commutes are affecting my mental health."
• "I worry about the health impact of pollution on my family."

Infrastructure Strain:

• "Roads and bridges are in constant need of repair due to heavy usage."
• "There is a lack of investment in expanding road capacity."

Public Transportation:

• "Public transport is often delayed and overcrowded."
• "There are limited options for efficient public transportation in my area."

User persona

Name: John Smith
Age: 45
Occupation: IT Manager
Location: Suburban City

Income: $90,000/year

Background:

• Lives in a suburban area with his spouse and two children.

• Commutes 2 hours daily to his office in the city centre.

• Prefers using a personal vehicle due to the unreliability of public transport.

Needs and Goals:

• Reduced commute time to spend more quality time with family.

• Reliable and efficient public transport options.

• Improved air quality and less traffic-related stress.

Frustrations:

• Daily traffic jams and long commute times.

• High fuel costs and vehicle maintenance expenses.

• Poor air quality and health concerns for his family.

Storyboard

1.     John wakes up early to beat the traffic.

•  Problem： Despite leaving early, he still encounters heavy traffic.

2.     He listens to traffic reports, which indicate congestion on his route.

• Problem: No matter the time of day, traffic jams are unavoidable.

3.     John arrives at work feeling stressed and tired from the commute.

• Problem: Long commutes affect his productivity and well-being.

4.     During lunch, he discusses with colleagues about the increasing traffic issues.

• Problem: Concerns about the impact of traffic on work-life balance and health.

5.     John leaves work late to avoid rush hour, but still faces heavy traffic.

• Problem: Delayed return home, reducing time with family.

6.     At home, he worries about the cost of fuel and vehicle wear and tear.

• Problem: Financial strain due to high commuting costs.

7.     John reads about rising pollution levels and its impact on health.

• Problem: Concern for the long-term health effects on his family.

Solution

To address the traffic congestion problem, a multifaceted and collaborative approach is necessary. The solution involves significant investment in public transportation, including expanding and upgrading networks to improve infrastructure and implementing measures to enhance the reliability of public transport services, ensuring they are punctual and frequent. Promoting alternative transport modes is also crucial. This includes developing safe and extensive cycling and walking paths and encouraging carpooling and ride-sharing initiatives to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Smart traffic management can play a vital role in optimizing traffic flow and reducing congestion. Utilizing intelligent traffic systems and providing real-time traffic information and alternative route suggestions to commuters are key strategies. Environmental initiatives, such as establishing low emission zones and promoting the use of electric and hybrid vehicles through incentives and infrastructure development, can help reduce pollution in densely populated areas.

Urban planning and development should focus on mixed-use development to reduce the need for long commutes and promote the decentralization of business districts to distribute traffic more evenly. Policy and regulatory measures are also essential, including implementing congestion charges to discourage peak-time travel and fund public transport improvements and enforcing vehicle restrictions during peak hours to reduce congestion.

This comprehensive approach requires collaboration between the government, private sector, and the community to create sustainable and long-term solutions for traffic congestion in modern cities.

Design thinking 

Design thinking is a solution based way of handling phenomena in a given society. Design thinking process may range from as few as 3 steps to as many as 7 steps; however, this article will focus on the five typical steps of design thinking.

1- Empathize- The first process in design thinking is empathize, which is a user centred process whose main aim is to gather information from the users. This step enables one to clearly understand the problem you are seeking to solve. It’s also possible to turn to some stats, talk to the professionals in the sphere, improve the time perspective and expand your knowledge of the issue.

2- Define - In this stage, you dissect the work that was produced in the first stage in order to search for the core issues. This stage enables the design team to gather as many ideas as possible and see how they can deal with this problem.

3- Ideate- You and the members of your team should be having a good understanding of the problem at this stage and you should be able to view the problem with fresh perspectives. This will enable you to brainstorm for solutions that are out of the norm towards solving the impending problem that you are experiencing.

4- Prototype- This process is experimental based, and after researching the previously mentioned problem, and brainstorming a solution, you arrive at the fourth and final step, known as prototyping. In this stage, you will modify the product or service, perhaps testing it to arrive at the right improvement.

5- Testing- This the final step; here you use the product and find out whether it eliminated the initial issues and met the user’s needs.

Can wicked problems be solved?

Wicked problems are often addressed as complex, intractable, open-ended and unpredictable issues of urban planning and social issues. These problems have also suffered from obvious flaws, that are prone to perception of totalizing of intractable masses of complexity (Alford & Head, 2017). These will lead to lack of basis for breaking down the problem into manageable parts, which solution proposed is often misaligned, contradictory or irrelevant.

            Therefore, to an extent, it is still possible to recognize the types or degree of problems in terms of complexity and diversity as there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to fit all of them. By having great control over the definition of success, progress in the condition of intractability can still be made by trading off various costs and benefits. Deconstructing and identifying the type of problem to define its complexity level plays an important role in solving solutions. Below is Table 1 stating the wicked problems in terms of dimensions in relation to the complexity or “wickedness”.

Table 1: Deconstructing the dimensions of wicked problems (Alford & Head, 2017).

When we relate to the other problems that we have discuss earlier (simple, complex and tame problems), these problems have a similarity, where their root causes can be identified and there are possible or potential solutions for it. However, there will be at times that the fundamental problem is seen as a divergence of viewpoints, the suggested way is to establish processes of inclusive participation that lead towards a workable agreement (Alford & Head, 2017).

All in all, it is a new approach from what we learnt using the Design Thinking Concept, ranging from empathise phase to test phase to tackle a problem. The adoption of appropriate interventions based on sufficient knowledge and experience on the understanding of the issue. Instead of resolving the issue, the objective is to reduce the uncertainty, scope and frame the problems to control it and align with the existing administrative expertise and policy responsibilities (Daviter, 2017).

Conclusion

    In conclusion, wicked problems are problems where they are complex enough that solutions are unable to find a definitive or clear manner to solve the issues. Besides wicked problems, there are also divergent and convergent problems, tame problems and simple problems; where different problems require different approaches to solve the issues. Therefore design thinking is necessary to aid in tackling wicked problems. Whether wicked problems are able to be solved completely relies on collaboration, system thinking and agile methodology. This will not resolve the wicked problems but is able to reduce the impact it caused.

References

Alford, J., & Head, B. W. (2017). Wicked and less wicked problems: a typology and a contingency framework. Policy & Society, 36(3), 397–413. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2017.1361634 

Kop, S. (2022, April 23). Difference of convergent and divergent thinking in ideation. Accept Mission | Idea & Innovation Software. https://www.acceptmission.com/blog/idea-generation-divergent-vs-convergent-thinking/

Marcus. (2022, March 1). Identifying simple, complex and wicked problems | Marcus Coetzee. Marcus Coetzee | in Pursuit of Strategic Clarity. https://www.marcuscoetzee.com/identifying-simple-complex-and-wicked-problems/

Peters, B. G. (2017). What is so wicked about wicked problems? A conceptual analysis and a research program. Policy & Society, 36(3), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2017.1361633

Rittel, H. W. J., & Webber, M. M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences, 4(2), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01405730

Wang, V. (2015). Handbook of Research on Scholarly Publishing and Research Methods. In Advance in knowledge acquisition, transfer, and management book series/Advances in knowledge acquisition, transfer and management book series. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-7409-7

Owens, D. (2019, January 28). UX CASE STUDY — WICKED PROBLEMS. Medium. https://medium.com/@denizowens/ux-case-study-wicked-problems-a7bddcf6dfa2

‌Dam, R. F. (2024, July 8). The 5 stages in the design thinking process. The Interaction Design Foundation. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process

Daviter, F. (2017). Coping, taming or solving: alternative approaches to the governance of wicked problems. Policy Studies, 38(6), 571–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2017.1384543