Philosophy of control: Management by exception rests primarily on which managerial attitude toward recognizing and addressing problems in performance?

Introduction / Context:
Management by exception (MBE) focuses attention on significant deviations from expected results. Rather than reviewing all routine data, managers concentrate on exceptions and take corrective action. This requires a mindset that welcomes early detection and candid reporting of problems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Standards, budgets, or targets exist for comparison.
• Information systems flag variances beyond control limits.
• Managerial response determines whether exceptions are resolved quickly.

Concept / Approach:
MBE is effective only when leaders value transparency and rapid problem solving. A positive attitude toward problem recognition encourages accurate reporting, blameless diagnostics, and timely countermeasures. Negative or indifferent attitudes suppress signals, allowing small issues to grow into major disruptions.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Lean management and quality systems (for example, Andon at the workstation) demonstrate that positive problem recognition drives faster resolution and higher performance.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• negative attitude: discourages surfacing exceptions; undermines MBE.
• indifferent attitude: leads to delayed action and drift away from standards.
• All of the above: logically impossible because attitudes conflict.
• None: incorrect because a specific attitude is required.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing accountability with blame; in MBE, the goal is process correction, not punitive responses that deter reporting.

Final Answer:
positive attitude towards problem recognition