Samenvatting van Aken & Berends
Chapter 1: Scope and Nature of this Handbook
This handbook gives a design-oriented and theory-informed methodology for
business or organizational problem-solving projects.
‘Field problem’ = a situation in reality that can or should be improved in the view of
influential stakeholders, such as an ill person, a polluted water well or an unreliable
logistics system.
This handbook provides the methodology for dealing with field problems in business
and management.
It is a methodology for business or organization improvement on the basis of sound
designed solution (as opposed to an emergent or a ‘muddling through’ approach).
This is why we use the term design-oriented.
Theory-informed means that, in this approach, problem solving is not carried out in a
craftsman-like way, largely relying on one’s own experience and informed common
sense.
The literature to be used in FPS entails two complementary aspects:
1. Object and realization knowledge: knowledge of the object of problem solving
– that is, knowledge of organizations and management in general, and of
various business systems and functions such as marketing, operations,
innovation and finance in particular; and knowledge of the realization of
business or organizational solutions through planned change.
2. Process knowledge: knowledge of approaches and methods to be used in the
analysis and design of business solutions and change plans, from problem
definition to decision-making on proposed solutions and change plans.
‘Theory-informed’ does not mean copying theory into particular cases. Theory is by
definition generic and must always be contextualized for use in actual problem
solving. ‘Theory-informed’ in FPS within an academic programme specifically means
the comprehensive, critical and creative use of theory:
1. Comprehensive: because problem solving should be based on a systematic
review of the existing literature on the issues in question.
2. Critical: because you should judge the value and limitations of existing
literature, among other things, on the basis of the evidence given.
3. Creative: because you should not just use theory but aim to build on iit, play
with it and add to it in order to produce appealing designs.
Theory-informed does not mean that you have to find a specific theoretical
perspective on the problem in question, like the theoretical framework often
requested to be used in explanatory research. In FPS you work more holistically,
aiming to use all or the most important perspectives to understand the problem and
to design an effective solution.
Chapter 2: Types of Student Projects
Explanatory research paradigm is the research paradigm of mainstream research in
most social sciences.
, The design science research paradigm is the research paradigm of professional
schools, such as medical schools, engineering schools, and increasingly, business
schools.
If the empirical cycle is used, this could entail descriptive or explanatory theory; if the
problem-solving cycle is used, this could involve either additions to explanatory
theory or additions to generic design knowledge, to be used to design solutions to
field problems.
Observation = the start of the empirical cycle. In this step you focus on a certain type
of business phenomenon in the real world and on what has been written about it in
the academic literature.
Induction = theory-developing step.
Deduction = the most promising ideas of the induction step are transformed into
hypotheses: statements that can be verified by empirical observation and
measurement.
Testing = the hypotheses are empirically tested.
Evaluation = the outcomes of the empirical test are examined and interpreted. This
may lead to a new research question and rerun of the empirical cycle.
The problem-solving cycle is driven by a certain business problem. Business
problems are not given but chosen by stakeholders.
Chapter 1: Scope and Nature of this Handbook
This handbook gives a design-oriented and theory-informed methodology for
business or organizational problem-solving projects.
‘Field problem’ = a situation in reality that can or should be improved in the view of
influential stakeholders, such as an ill person, a polluted water well or an unreliable
logistics system.
This handbook provides the methodology for dealing with field problems in business
and management.
It is a methodology for business or organization improvement on the basis of sound
designed solution (as opposed to an emergent or a ‘muddling through’ approach).
This is why we use the term design-oriented.
Theory-informed means that, in this approach, problem solving is not carried out in a
craftsman-like way, largely relying on one’s own experience and informed common
sense.
The literature to be used in FPS entails two complementary aspects:
1. Object and realization knowledge: knowledge of the object of problem solving
– that is, knowledge of organizations and management in general, and of
various business systems and functions such as marketing, operations,
innovation and finance in particular; and knowledge of the realization of
business or organizational solutions through planned change.
2. Process knowledge: knowledge of approaches and methods to be used in the
analysis and design of business solutions and change plans, from problem
definition to decision-making on proposed solutions and change plans.
‘Theory-informed’ does not mean copying theory into particular cases. Theory is by
definition generic and must always be contextualized for use in actual problem
solving. ‘Theory-informed’ in FPS within an academic programme specifically means
the comprehensive, critical and creative use of theory:
1. Comprehensive: because problem solving should be based on a systematic
review of the existing literature on the issues in question.
2. Critical: because you should judge the value and limitations of existing
literature, among other things, on the basis of the evidence given.
3. Creative: because you should not just use theory but aim to build on iit, play
with it and add to it in order to produce appealing designs.
Theory-informed does not mean that you have to find a specific theoretical
perspective on the problem in question, like the theoretical framework often
requested to be used in explanatory research. In FPS you work more holistically,
aiming to use all or the most important perspectives to understand the problem and
to design an effective solution.
Chapter 2: Types of Student Projects
Explanatory research paradigm is the research paradigm of mainstream research in
most social sciences.
, The design science research paradigm is the research paradigm of professional
schools, such as medical schools, engineering schools, and increasingly, business
schools.
If the empirical cycle is used, this could entail descriptive or explanatory theory; if the
problem-solving cycle is used, this could involve either additions to explanatory
theory or additions to generic design knowledge, to be used to design solutions to
field problems.
Observation = the start of the empirical cycle. In this step you focus on a certain type
of business phenomenon in the real world and on what has been written about it in
the academic literature.
Induction = theory-developing step.
Deduction = the most promising ideas of the induction step are transformed into
hypotheses: statements that can be verified by empirical observation and
measurement.
Testing = the hypotheses are empirically tested.
Evaluation = the outcomes of the empirical test are examined and interpreted. This
may lead to a new research question and rerun of the empirical cycle.
The problem-solving cycle is driven by a certain business problem. Business
problems are not given but chosen by stakeholders.
