Deming’s tampering revisited: definition and future research agenda

Abstract

Purpose How do organisations know which problems are worthy of their attention? Despite good intentions, many attempts to solve problems fail. One reason for this failure might be because of attempts to solve non-problems or to solve problems with insufficient means, a concept proposed by Deming as tampering. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a definition of tampering, outline what is currently known about possible practical implications of tampering and to suggest how to extend this knowledge by proposing an agenda for future research. Design/methodology/approach To fulfil the purpose, a narrative literature review was conducted. Findings Through this review, common aspects of what constitutes tampering are identified and the following definition is proposed: Tampering is a response to a perceived problem in the form of an action that is not directed at the fundamental cause of the problem, which leads to a deterioration of the process or the process output. In addition, recommendations are generated regarding how tampering manifests itself in practice and why tampering occurs. These recommendations could be studied in future research. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that suggests a revitalisation of tampering. The results presented in this paper form the basis for continued studies on how tampering in organisations can be understood, managed and prevented.

Gaps in strategic problem‐solving methods: A systematic literature review

“…Omitting the required Stage 1 efforts risks overlooking opportunities or Stage 2 decisions disconnected from actual problems. Similarly, acting absent a Stage 2 decision may generate ineffective implementations in Stage 3 (Ackoff, 1974; Deming, 2018; Kimball, 1957; Mitroff & Featheringham, 1974; Smeds, 2022).…”

“…Problem or Decision Opportunity context and select the appropriate ones. However, according to several decision-making models mentioned in Section 2, these stages may not occur in a specific order (Boyd, 1995;Bryant, 2003;Deming, 1982;Kahneman, 2011;Lawson, 1981) (Ackoff, 1974;Deming, 2018;Kimball, 1957;Mitroff & Featheringham, 1974;Smeds, 2022). To assist decision-makers in surmounting these challenges, we devised a visual decision-making frame of reference (Figure 10) incorporating aspects from this study and real-world practice.…”

“…These types of situations, referred to as ‘Problem‐Solving Situations’ in this article, require identifying the underlying causes of the problem before taking any action. Failure to do so may result in a decision that fails to address the actual problem, as it may target an incorrect or non‐existent cause (Ackoff, 1974; Baer et al, 2012; Deming, 2018; Kimball, 1957; Mitroff & Featheringham, 1974; Smeds, 2022).…”