Characteristics and Solution-Focused Approach to Solving Problems

Figure 5-2. Ninety-five Percent Confidence Interval (Mean) for Types of Problem-Solving Approaches Preferred to Restore Service

5.3.2.3. Characteristics and Solution-Focused Approach to Solving Problems

H₃ states that there will be a significant relationship between the characteristics displayed by an incident manager and the use of a solution-focused approach to solving problems while working to restore service when unplanned outages occur. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to test this hypothesis. An ANOVA test was performed, run as part of the suite of tests processed when executing a hierarchical multiple regression test, using SPSS™ Version 15, to determine if there is a linear relationship between the characteristics displayed and the use of a solution-focused approach to restoring service when unplanned outages occur. It predicts that an individual using a solution-focused approach would display all investigated characteristics. The model summary, detailed in Table 5-10, identifies the

95% CI APPROACH

3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.1

154 N 154

APPROACH = Solution-

Focused Problem-

Focused

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relationships between the various characteristics and a solution-focused approach to restoring service when unplanned outages occur. Ninety-one percent (R Square equals 0.915) of the variance in the solution-focused approach displayed can be predicted from the characteristics displayed.

Table 5-10. Model Summary Output for Solution-Focused Approach Model Summary Output for Solution-Focused Approach

Model

N R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate

Change Statistics

R Square Change F Change

df1 df2 Sig. F Change 1^a 154 .957 ^b .915 .866 .3543 .915 18.536 7 12 0.000

a Model summary using data from all respondents. ^b Predictors: (constant), Being Communicative, Being Authoritative, Being Pragmatic, Being Facilitative, Being Demanding, Being Entrepreneurial, Being Decisive

Descriptive data (See Table 5-11) describes the basic features associated with incident managers who use a solution-focused approach to solving problems and the characteristics they display obtained during this study. The results show a mean of 15.79, with a range of 5.94 through 25.69.

Table 5-11. Characteristics and the Use of a Solution-Focused Approach

Characteristics and the Use of a Solution-Focused Approach to Problem Solving

N Mean Standard

Deviation

Solution-Focused Approach 154 07.31 1.493

Being Decisive 154 12.09 1.708

Being Entrepreneurial 154 19.47 2.899

Being Authoritative 154 18.19 3.057

Being Demanding 154 25.69 3.284

Being Pragmatic 154 05.94 1.274

Being Facilitative 154 16.20 2.299

Being Communicative 154 21.45 2.933

A univariate analysis (N = 154) shows that the characteristics Being Communicative, Being Authoritative and Being Decisive are significant predictors of the use of a solution-focused approach to solving problems. Of these, however, Being Communicative accounts for 96.6 percent of variation (ß is 0.966, significance is .001), Being Authoritative accounts for 77.3 percent of variation (ß is .0773, significance is .001) and Being Decisive accounts for 71.7 percent of variation (ß is 0.717, significance is .001). Being Communicative (significance is .000) is identified as the most highly predicted characteristic to be displayed when using a solution-focused approach to problem solving. Moreover, one additional

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characteristic is identified as being significant (with p < = 0.05), that is, Being Facilitative (significance is .000). The significance of each of these four characteristics, therefore, indicates that they are not identified by chance as predictors of the use of a solution-focused approach to solving problems by incident managers. Hypothesis 3, there is a relationship between the characteristics displayed by an incident manager and the use of a solution-focused approach while working to restore service when unplanned outages occur, is accepted with p < = 0.001. (See Table 5-12.)

Table 5-12. Characteristic (DEAD PFC) Coefficients Solution-Focused Approach Characteristic (DEAD PFC) Coefficients Solution-Focused Approach

Unstandardised Coefficients

Standardised

Coefficients t Sig.

B Std.

Error

(ß) Beta

(Constant) 17.300 1.558 11.106 0.000

Being Decisive 0.548 0.132 0.717 1.143 0.001**

Being Entrepreneurial -0.006 0.048 -0.019 -0.122 0.905 Being Authoritative -0.228 0.050 -0.773 -4.575 0.001**

Being Demanding -0.108 0.052 -0.273 -2.081 0.059

Being Pragmatic 0.206 0.096 0.262 2.146 0.053

Being Facilitative -0.415 0.082 -0.549 -5.031 0.000***

Being Communicative 0.420 0.051 0.966 8.245 0.000***

** p < = 0.001 *** p = 0.000

5.3.2.4. Characteristics and Problem-Focused Approach to Solving Problems

H₄ states that there is a significant relationship between the characteristics displayed by an incident manager and the use of a problem-focused approach to problem solving while working to restore service when unplanned outages occur. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to test this hypothesis. ANOVA was used to examine if there is a linear relationship between the characteristics displayed and the use of a problem-focused approach to restoring service when unplanned outages occur. It predicts that an individual using a problem-focused approach displays all investigated characteristics. The model summary identifies the relationships between the various characteristics and a problem-focused approach to restoring service when unplanned outages occur. Twenty-four percent (R² equals 0.240) of the variance in the problem-focused approach displayed was predicted from the characteristics displayed. (See Table 5-13.)

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Table 5-13. Model Summary Output for Problem-Focused Approach

Model Summary Output for Problem-Focused Approach

Change Statistics

Model

N R R² 2 Adjusted R Std. Error of the Estimate R Square Change F Change

df1 df2

Sig. F Change

1^a 154 .490^b .240 .203 2.45446 .240 6.573 7 146 0.000

a Model summary using data from all respondents. ^b Predictors: (constant), Being Communicative, Being Demanding, Being Pragmatic, Being Decisive, Being Facilitative, Being Authoritative, Being Entrepreneurial

Descriptive data (see Table 5-14) depicts the basic features associated with incident managers who use a problem-focused approach to solving problems and the characteristics they displayed in this study. The results show a mean of 16.90, with a range of 5.94 through 25.69.

Table 5-14. Characteristics and the Use of a Problem-Focused Approach Characteristics and the Use of a Problem-Focused Approach

N Mean Standard

Deviation

Problem-Focused Approach 154 16.20 2.749

Being Decisive 154 12.09 1.708

Being Entrepreneurial 154 19.47 2.899

Being Authoritative 154 18.19 3.057

Being Demanding 154 25.69 3.284

Being Pragmatic 154 5.94 1.274

Being Facilitative 154 16.20 2.299

Being Communicative 154 21.45 2.933

The results from the ANOVA (N = 154) showed that the characteristic Being Pragmatic is a significant predictor of the use of a problem-focused approach to solving problems. Being Pragmatic accounted for 36 percent of the variance seen (ß 0.360, significance is 0.000).

This indicates Being Pragmatic and using a problem-focused approach to solving problems is not identified by chance (with p < = 0.001). Hypothesis 4, which postulated that there is a relationship between the characteristics displayed by an incident manager and the use of a problem-focused approach while working to restore service when unplanned outages occur, is accepted with p < = 0.001. (See Table 5-15.)

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Table 5-15. Characteristic (DEAD PFC) Coefficients Problem-Focused Approach

Characteristic (DEAD PFC) Coefficients Problem-Focused Approach

Being Entrepreneurial 0.013 0.080 0.014 0.167 0.867 Being Authoritative -0.192 0.071 -0.213 -2.688 0.008

5.3.2 Results from Component 2 of the Main Study

Two of the six hypotheses investigated in the main study were addressed in Component 2. These are cited here for ease of reference for the reader. H5 states that there will be a significant difference between unplanned outage types and their MTRS. H₆ states that the use of a Problem-Focused Approach or a Solution-Focused Approach to restore service will moderate the relationship between characteristics displayed by incident managers and their attained MTRS from an unplanned outage. Findings from the investigations undertaken to accept or reject these hypotheses are discussed in the following sections.

In document 02 Whole (Page 157-161)