5 Whys technique

(noun)

The 5 Whys is a question-asking technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem.

Related Terms

Examples of 5 Whys technique in the following topics:

  • Practice: Sampling and Data

    • Researcher B 3; 14; 11; 5; 16; 17; 28; 41; 31; 18; 14; 14; 26; 25; 21; 22; 31; 2; 35; 44; 23; 21; 21; 16; 12; 18; 41; 22; 16; 25; 33; 34; 29; 13; 18; 24; 23; 42; 33; 29
    • Why?
    • Why or why not?

  • A Taxonomy of Knowledge

    • Prescriptive knowledge is instructional or knowledge about techniques about how to do something (ibid).
    • Geography is very much a part of it: knowing were things are is logically prior to the instructions of how to go from here to there" (Mokyr, p 5).
    • Individuals can learn to do things without knowing why they work.
    • Once you know why techniques (prescriptive knowledge) work, (propositional
    • knowledge), it is easier to invent improvements to old techniques and develop of new ones.

  • Solving Equations with Rational Expressions; Problems Involving Proportions

    • Rational expressions, like proportions, are extremely useful applications of algebra, that can be solved using simple algebraic techniques.
    • Start by isolating the variable you are solving for: $\displaystyle x = \frac 3 5 \cdot 5$ which simplifies down to $x = 3$
    • (Why?)

  • Entering the Scientific Conversation

    • 10) Why am I reading this article?
    • Why or why not?
    • When you read a scientific article, notice how the writers use formal techniques, such as organization and language, to emphasize important points.

  • Expected Dividends and Constant Growth

    • And for any valuation technique, it's important to look at a range of forecast values.
    • They may have been growing earnings at 10 - 15% over the past several quarters / years because of cost cutting, but their sales growth could be only 0 - 5%.
    • Therefore, forecasting an earnings growth closer to the 0 - 5% rate would be more appropriate rather than the 15 - 20%.
    • This is why analysts often make inaccurate forecasts.
    • It is also why familiarity with a company is essential before making a forecast.

  • Introduction to the Writing Process

    • Imagine what you'll be doing and why it could be useful in creating a successful final paper.
    • Can you figure out why you might need each step?
    • Your question might be "Why in the world would I want to spend precious time outlining?"
    • Once we've explored each of these steps, we'll delve deeper into some of the more nuanced techniques involved in creating a strong argument.
    • Section 5 looks at the supportive use of quotations and paraphrasing, answering questions about formatting, appropriate use of quotes, and other issues.

  • Total Quality Management Techniques

    • Six sigma, JIT, Pareto analysis, and the Five Whys technique are all approaches that can be used to improve overall quality.
    • The following sections describe some other important and widely used techniques that drew inspiration from TQM in their focus on quality and control.
    • Pareto analysis is a statistical technique used to select a limited number of tasks that produce significant overall effect.
    • The Five Whys is a question-asking technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem.
    • The technique was originally developed by Sakichi Toyoda and was used by Toyota Motor Corporation as it evolved its manufacturing methodologies.

  • Case study: gender discrimination exercises

    • In a nationwide retrospective observational study of 227,571 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older, it was found that 2,593 of the 67,593 patients using rosiglitazone and 5,386 of the 159,978 using pioglitazone had serious cardiovascular problems.
    • If false, explain why.
    • (a) Since more patients on pioglitazone had cardiovascular problems (5,386 vs. 2,593), we can conclude that the rate of cardiovascular problems for those on a pioglitazone treatment is higher.
    • (b) The data suggest that diabetic patients who are taking rosiglitazone are more likely to have cardiovascular problems since the rate of incidence was (2,593 / 67,593 = 0.038) 3.8% for patients on this treatment, while it was only (5,386 / 159,978 = 0.034) 3.4% for patients on pioglitazone.
    • (b) One approach for investigating whether or not the treatment is effective is to use a randomization technique.

  • Review

    • Exercise 5.9.1–Exercise 5.9.7 refer to the following study: A recent study of mothers of junior high school children in Santa Clara County reported that 76% of the mothers are employed in paid positions.
    • Exercise 5.9.6 - Exercise 5.9.7 refer to the following: We randomly pick 10 mothers from the above population.
    • For each statement below, explain why each is either true or false.
    • There is the same amount of data from 4 – 5 as there is from 5 – 7.
    • Exercise 5.9.14 – Exercise 5.9.15 refer to the following study done of the Girls soccer team "Snow Leopards":

  • Psychological Pricing

    • We call prices that end in such digits as 5, 7, 8, and 9 "odd prices. " Examples of odd prices include: $2.95, $15.98, or $299.99 .
    • For a long time, marketing people have attempted to explain why odd prices are used.
    • The explanation is that customers perceive even prices such as $5.00 or $10.00 as regular prices.
    • Consumers tend to react very positively to these pricing techniques.