A root cause is rarely an initiating cause of a causal chain which leads to an outcome or effect of interest. Commonly, root cause is misused to describe the depth in the causal chain where an intervention could reasonably be implemented to change performance and prevent an undesirable outcome.

In plain English a "root cause" is a "cause" (harmful factor) that is "root" (deep, basic, fundamental, underlying or the like).

The term root cause has been used in professional journals as early as 1905, but the lack of a widely accepted definition after all this time indicates that there are significantly different interpretations of exactly what constitutes a root cause.

Many governmental investigation agencies avoid the term or use it informally. Others use it in a stilted formalistic or bureaucratic manner. The National Transportation Safety Board, with an excellent investigative reputation, uses the term "probable cause." (In law enforcement "probable cause" has a very different meaning.)

A common view of "root cause" follows.

Joseph Prince (born May 15, 1963, Singapore) is the senior pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore, one of Asia's biggest churches. He was one of the young pioneers who founded the church in 1983.

Joseph Prince, the son of a Sikh priest of Indian origin and a Chinese mother, spent his primary school years in Perak, Malaysia.

Prince changed his birth name to Joseph Prince during his previous occupation as an IT consultant.

Prince has been invited to preach at churches in Australia, London, USA, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, South Africa and Indonesia. Notably, he was invited to preach at the Grace & Favour Seminar at Hillsong Church^{[dead link]} Sydney and Hillsong London in 2006. In 2007 and 2008, he was invited to speak at the Hillsong Conferences in Sydney and London. In 2009, he was invited to speak, alongside Joel Osteen from Lakewood Church, at the 2 Days of Hope Conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Prince's TV program "Destined to Reign" is broadcast in more than 150 countries. His broadcast program is also streamed online through Internet and podcasts for viewers.

Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice. In 2011 he began starring in the CBS series Person of Interest as Harold Finch.

Emerson was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and grew up in the nearby town of Toledo, where he attended South Tama County High School. In 1976, after graduating from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he studied theater and art, he moved to New York City. Unable to find acting work, he took retail jobs and worked as a freelance illustrator. In 1986, he moved with his first wife to Jacksonville, Florida. There, from 1986 to 1993, he appeared in local productions at Theater Jacksonville and The Players by the Sea and worked as a director and teacher at Flagler College.

Emerson considered forgoing a career in acting in favor of a more stable vocation in teaching^{[citation needed]}. He decided to instead further his studies with a Master of Fine Arts that might also introduce him to theatre professionals and directors in his chosen trade. In 1993, he enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's University of Alabama-sponsored Master of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training program; and, upon graduating in 1995, he returned to New York where he appeared in the annual Alabama Shakespeare Festival showcase.