Wicked Problems and the Perils of Simplistic Technological Solutions

The term ‘wicked problems’, coined by Rittel and Webber in 1973, describes challenges that defy straightforward solutions. Unlike ‘tame’ problems, which have clear boundaries and solutions, wicked problems are deeply interconnected, shaped by systemic factors, and resistant to linear approaches. Their outcomes are judged as “good” or “bad” rather than “right” or “wrong,” depending on broader implications. These problems demand thoughtful, context-sensitive responses rather than quick fixes or pre-packaged solutions.

My thesis research, which examined behavioural policy and practices in English social housing, explored how advanced digital technologies intersect with a cultural tendency to reduce problems to behavioural terms. This interplay often produces unanticipated effects, shaped by emotional and cultural drivers, that complicate efforts to address systemic issues like housing insecurity. By examining these influences, we can better understand the risks of applying simplistic technological solutions to inherently complex problems.

Emotional drivers behind technology adoption

Decisions to adopt technology are rarely purely rational. My findings highlight the influence of emotional and cultural drivers, such as an ‘envy-desire’ to emulate the success of big tech companies. This aspiration often leads organisations to adopt pre-packaged, quick-win solutions to gain prestige or efficiency, even when these tools poorly align with the problems at hand.

For example, the push to transition some housing services fully online assumes that self-service solutions benefit all tenants equally. Yet, this perspective often overlooks the lived realities of housing precarity and poverty. For tenants already navigating high-stakes decisions, such as whether to heat their homes or buy food, the added responsibility of managing intricate administrative tasks can amplify stress and alienation. This narrow framing of self-service as a ‘tame’ solution ignores the systemic and emotional dimensions of these challenges, oversimplifying the problem.

By focusing on tame elements, such as automating payments, organisations risk neglecting the more complex, relational aspects of housing work. The wicked problems framework highlights how defining problems too narrowly can lead to ineffective responses. Addressing wicked problems requires considering not only technical efficiencies but also the broader, interconnected factors influencing tenants’ lives.

The hidden agency of technology and data analytics

Technologies and analytic techniques are not neutral tools; they carry embedded assumptions that shape how problems are defined and addressed. For instance, a benefits algorithm in the Netherlands perpetuated discriminatory assumptions, identifying dual citizenship as a marker of fraud. The resulting decisions, rooted in these biases, contributed to the collapse of the Dutch government in 2021. This example illustrates the ‘agentic effects’ of technology: the unintended consequences that arise from its design and implementation.

In English social housing, algorithms used to segment tenant behaviours, such as rent payment patterns, exemplify this issue. While behavioural analyses may simplify coding, they often reduce complex situations to overly simplistic terms. If an algorithm flags a tenant’s behaviour as problematic while the tenant presents a more nuanced account, the perceived neutrality of the technology often outweighs the human account, so amplifying bias and potentially reinforcing stereotypes.

By adopting the wicked problems framework, organisations can remain sensitive to the pitfalls of oversimplification. Technologies that frame issues reductively—ignoring systemic complexities—are unlikely to provide meaningful, context-sensitive solutions. Instead, understanding the problem space from multiple perspectives is essential to mitigating harm and ensuring that interventions align with the lived realities of those affected.

The efficiency trap

One of the most persistent narratives surrounding technology is its promise of efficiency. This appeal is particularly strong in resource-constrained sectors like housing, where tools like environmental sensors to monitor damp and mould are championed as cost-effective solutions. While these technologies provide valuable insights, an overemphasis on efficiency risks sidelining critical ethical considerations, particularly in the context of wicked problems.

Damp and mould, for example, are not merely technical issues that can be ‘solved’ with sensors—they are symptoms of systemic challenges, including underinvestment in housing stock, poverty, and complex tenant-landlord relationships. While sensors may identify damp efficiently, they do little to address the root causes of these conditions.

Simplifying such problems to fit technological tools can reduce tenants to mere data points, ignoring their lived experiences. For instance, the health impacts of damp or the emotional toll of feeling unheard are often overlooked in the push for efficiency. Ethical questions about balancing technological efficiency with tenant dignity and wellbeing, as tenants themselves understand wellbeing, must be addressed. Without this balance, organisations risk creating reactive systems that address problems only after they escalate, further alienating tenants and eroding trust.

The wicked problems framework reminds us that narrow problem-framing can obscure the interconnected nature of these challenges. Technologies must not only enhance efficiency but also engage with the broader complexity of housing issues, ensuring that ethical considerations and tenant perspectives remain central.

Rethinking technology for wicked problems: from tools to thoughtfulness

Wicked problems defy straightforward or singular approaches. Addressing them effectively requires moving beyond technological fixes and embracing a mindset that values complexity, empathy, and reflective decision-making.

Technologies and advanced analytic techniques are not passive tools; they embed assumptions that shape how we perceive and act upon problems. When these assumptions go unexamined, they risk reinforcing biases, narrowing perspectives, or exacerbating the challenges they aim to address. For instance, algorithms that frame rent arrears as purely behavioural ignore, organisational, structural and systemic factors, distorting the real nature of the issue.

The wicked problems framework underscores the importance of framing problems carefully. Rather than taming tenant interactions through standardisation, organisations must prioritise trust, transparency, and engagement with affected communities. Reflective practices that centre lived experiences can reveal insights often overlooked by technology-driven approaches. A key challenge for organisations in the social housing sector, is accepting that from a wicked problems perspective they are part of the problem. An over reliance on technological solutions can obscure this, and undermine the development of emotional competencies, such as humility, and empathetic listening skills.

Ultimately, technology can play a role in addressing wicked problems, but only when used as part of a broader strategy that acknowledges complexity. By focusing on empathy, iterative processes, and systemic understanding, we can move from quick fixes to meaningful, context-sensitive responses that resonate with those most affected.

This is a personal blog post.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusion or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Centre for the New Midlands or any of our associated organisations/individuals.

ABOUT OUR AUTHOR:

Dr Hannah Absalom is an experienced practitioner and researcher in social housing, with 18 years in housing practice and six years dedicated to studying the intersections of behaviourism and more recently emotions and the home. She holds qualifications in Criminal Justice, social Research and Managing Volunteers. She has extensive experience in tenant advocacy. Currently, she is a Teaching Fellow in public policy, where she brings her real-world expertise into academic settings. Hannah also provides consultancy services on housing issues, working with policy makers, social landlords and tenant organisations to improve housing conditions with an emphasis on relationships between people, such as tenants and landlords, and things, such as housing histories and the home itself.

Hannah’s research explores the emotional impacts of housing, poverty, and social services, focusing on how these intersect with tenant experiences and landlord practices. Her primary interest lies in understanding the role of emotions in housing policy and practice, particularly how tenant-landlord relationships can be improved through trust-building and transparency. Key projects, such as Feeling-at-Home, have allowed her to investigate, together with tenants and housing staff, the personal and societal implications of housing insecurity, tenant rights, and domestic abuse within housing contexts.