{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,11]],"date-time":"2026-04-11T13:32:48Z","timestamp":1775914368699,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,16]],"date-time":"2020-07-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1594857600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TQM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,14]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>Wicked problems require collaborative innovation approaches. Understanding the problem from the users' perspective is essential. Based on a complex and ill-defined case, the purpose of the current paper is to identify some critical success factors in defining the \u201cright problem\u201d to be addressed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>An empirical research study was carried out in a low-density municipality (case study). Extensive data were collected from official databases, individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group involving citizens, local authorities, civil servants and other relevant stakeholders.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>As defined by the central government, the problem to be addressed by the research team was to identify which justice services should be made available locally to a small- and low-density community. The problem was initially formulated using top-down reasoning. In-depth contact with citizens and key local players revealed that the lack of justice services was not \u201cthe issue\u201d for that community. Mobility constraints and the shortage of economic opportunities had a considerable impact on the lack of demand for justice services. By using a bottom-up perspective, it was possible to reframe the problem to be addressed and suggest a new concept to be tested at later stages.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Social implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>The approach followed called attention to the importance of listening to citizens and local organisations with a profound knowledge of the territory to effectively identify and circumscribe a local problem in the justice field.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper highlights the limitations of traditional rational problem-solving approaches and contributes to expanding the voice-of-the-customer principle showing how it can lead to a substantially new definition of the problem to be addressed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/tqm-12-2019-0300","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,14]],"date-time":"2020-07-14T00:34:08Z","timestamp":1594686848000},"page":"1865-1879","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Collaborative design in public services: a wicked problem-reframing case"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"36","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6125-5651","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patr\u00edcia","family":"Moura e S\u00e1","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1113-6977","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Catarina","family":"Frade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Fernanda","family":"Jesus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"M\u00f3nica","family":"Lopes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Teresa","family":"Maneca Lima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9328-8415","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vitor","family":"Raposo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,16]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"835","DOI":"10.1080\/15309576.2015.1137774","article-title":"Policymakers' perceptions of the benefits of citizen-budgeting activities","volume":"39","year":"2016","journal-title":"Public Performance and Management Review"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref036","volume-title":"Redesigning the future","year":"1974"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref002","first-page":"1","article-title":"Addressing wicked educational problems through inter-sectoral policy development: lessons from manitoba's healthy child initiative","volume":"14","year":"2019","journal-title":"International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref003","first-page":"231","article-title":"Harnessing the social web to enhance insights into people's opinions in business, government and public administration","volume":"9","year":"2017","journal-title":"Information Systems Frontiers"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref004","volume-title":"Social Research Methods","year":"2012"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1016\/S0305-0483(03)00029-X","article-title":"Process of organizational problem definition: how to evaluate and how to improve","volume":"31","year":"2003","journal-title":"Omega"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1108\/00251741011014454","article-title":"Solving business problems using a lateral thinking approach","volume":"48","year":"2010","journal-title":"Management Decision"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/147078530104300402","article-title":"A critical exploration of face-to face interviewing vs . Computer-mediated interviewing","volume":"43","year":"2001","journal-title":"International Journal of Market Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1080\/03906700500038819","article-title":"The social transformation of trust in government","volume":"15","year":"2005","journal-title":"International Review of Sociology"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1080\/01972240309487","article-title":"The digital divide as a complex and dynamic phenomenon","volume":"19","year":"2003","journal-title":"The Information Society"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1016\/j.techfore.2018.03.010","article-title":"Can we solve wicked problems? A conceptual framework and a collective intelligence system to support problem analysis and solution design for complex social issues","volume":"133","year":"2018","journal-title":"Technological Forecasting and Social Change"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref011","volume-title":"Qualitative Analysis: Practice and Innovation","year":"2002"},{"issue":"10","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1402","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2017.1315442","article-title":"Improving citizens' online engagement via community managers: an explanatory study","volume":"21","year":"2018","journal-title":"Information Communication and Society"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref013","volume-title":"Analyzing Qualitative Data","year":"2007"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1108\/00012530210443339","article-title":"Online versus offline research\u202f: implications for evaluating digital media","volume":"54","year":"2002","journal-title":"Aslib Proceedings"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1080\/25741292.2019.1622276","article-title":"Practicing public policy in an age of disruption","volume":"2","year":"2019","journal-title":"Policy Design and Practice"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref016","first-page":"101","article-title":"Wicked problems in public policy","volume":"3","year":"2008","journal-title":"Public Policy"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1080\/14494035.2018.1488797","article-title":"Forty years of wicked problems literature: forging closer links to policy studies","volume":"38","year":"2019","journal-title":"Policy and Society"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"711","DOI":"10.1177\/0095399713481601","article-title":"Wicked problems: implications for public policy and management","volume":"47","year":"2015","journal-title":"Administration and Society"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref019","first-page":"463","article-title":"Addressing wicked problems using new business models","volume":"4","year":"2018","journal-title":"Economic Alternatives"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref035","year":"2010"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1007\/s11077-014-9199-0","article-title":"From the \u2018old\u2019 to the \u2018new\u2019 policy design: design thinking beyond markets and collaborative governance","volume":"47","year":"2014","journal-title":"Policy Sciences"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref021","first-page":"743","article-title":"Promoting public cooperation in government: key drivers, regulation, and barriers of the e-collaboration movement in Kazakhstan","volume":"85","year":"2018","journal-title":"International Review of Administrative Sciences"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1016\/j.giq.2016.09.004","article-title":"Promoting open innovation in the public sector through social media monitoring","volume":"34","year":"2017","journal-title":"Government Information Quarterly"},{"issue":"167","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref023","first-page":"443","article-title":"A confian\u00e7a nos parlamentos nacionais\u202f: regras institucionais , representa\u00e7\u00e3o e responsabiliza\u00e7\u00e3o pol\u00edtica","volume":"37","year":"2003","journal-title":"An\u00e1lise Social"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1108\/TG-07-2017-0041","article-title":"From citizens to partners: the role of social media content in fostering citizen engagement","volume":"12","year":"2018","journal-title":"Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.1111\/capa.12058","article-title":"Public engagement in the Web 2.0 era: social collaborative technologies in a public sector context","volume":"57","year":"2014","journal-title":"Canadian Public Administration"},{"issue":"6106","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"472","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1230456","article-title":"Social media and the elections","volume":"338","year":"2012","journal-title":"Science"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"507","DOI":"10.1177\/0275074012445780","article-title":"Collaborative public management: where have we been and where are we going?","volume":"42","year":"2012","journal-title":"The American Review of Public Administration"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref028","first-page":"157","article-title":"Dilemmas in a general theory of planning","volume":"4","year":"1973","journal-title":"Policy Sciences"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1177\/1525822X02239569","article-title":"Techniques to identify themes","volume":"15","year":"2003","journal-title":"Field Methods"},{"key":"key2024081306225227700_ref034","year":"1994"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref030","first-page":"1","article-title":"Collaborative policy innovation: problems and potential","volume":"19","year":"2014","journal-title":"Innovation Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1080\/14719037.2016.1200662","article-title":"Strengthening political leadership and policy innovation through the expansion of collaborative forms of governance","volume":"19","year":"2017","journal-title":"Public Management Review"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref032","first-page":"76","article-title":"Are you solving the right problems?","volume":"95","year":"2017","journal-title":"Harvard Business Review"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2024081306225227700_ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"215","DOI":"10.3233\/IP-160395","article-title":"Digital government and wicked problems: solution or problem?","volume":"21","year":"2016","journal-title":"Information Polity"}],"container-title":["The TQM Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/TQM-12-2019-0300\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/TQM-12-2019-0300\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T21:23:23Z","timestamp":1753392203000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/tqm\/article\/36\/7\/1865-1879\/1222315"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,16]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,16]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,14]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/TQM-12-2019-0300"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/tqm-12-2019-0300","relation":{},"ISSN":["1754-2731"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1754-2731","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,16]]}}}