Steve Andersen

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Innovation at the Department of Transportation
Steve Andersen, a middle-level manager in the Department of Transportation, well known for being a creative problem solver, and is facing a difficult decision. After coming up with a potential solution and a plan to address the issue of the citizen participation component of a large organizational program not being a success, Steve is turned down by the deputy commissioner in his department. Steve has been looking forward to the submission of this idea, since it has the potential of providing him with an extra income through the monetary incentive program set up to reward people just like Steve for their bright ideas. Steve has spent time and resources trying to see the root cause that accounts for the citizen participation component not being a success; and feels that his idea can solve the underlying issues within the organization. This paper will examine those underlying causes. It will also be analyzing the best analytical technique that allows Steve to re-frame the issue so that a favorable decision might result. In addition, the paper will evaluate the organization’s structure and point out the …show more content…

Steve would benefit from using a group decision technique. It is mentioned by Lee, S. (2002) that, Steve has already discussed his plans with the assistant commissioner, the information technology people in the department, and with peers in another department, and they have all agreed that it would be a great idea. As stated by Stroh, M. (2014), “one person is not smarter than a group of people”. A decision made by a group would bring together a broader perspective for defining the problem and diagnosing the root problem and effect. In this situation, the deputy commissioner has a fixed mentality and believes that Steve’s idea would hurt the department. However, I larger group would be able to make a better judgment of the

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