Students: Dissertation: Michael Eugene Smith

Michael Eugene Smith

ABSTRACT
Since the publication of Senge’s The Fifth Discipline in 1990, systems thinking has blossomed as a requirement for managers in the new workplace. This study examines the efficacy of two distinct approaches to learning how to think more systemically. One approach is to use the ubiquitous computer to create learning experiences. The second approach is to use an intact organization to provide learning experiences and support for new thinking.

Despite great interest in the application of computer-based simulation technology, a review of the literature found little evidence, if any, to support claims that computer simulation can change how people think about the performance of work systems. To address this deficit, a laboratory experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that computer-based simulation was more effective than a traditional classroom lecture in delivering the lesson of Deming’s (1992) funnel exercise. Using a “test-treatment-retest” methodology, subjects were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, a lecture or a computer simulation. Subjects were first assessed for their predispositions for systems thinking utilizing Likert-scaled items. Then, after exposure to either the lecture or the simulation, subjects were re-assessed for their systems thinking proclivities. Analyses for 62 subjects (31 in each condition) found that the lecture caused a shift toward systemic thinking (t(30)=3.59, p

Qualitative research within an actual organization provided a context for interpreting these results. Interviews were conducted with 17 managers who had changed employment to work within the systemic management environment at Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Kentucky. This research provided descriptions and observations of how the experiential learning associated with such a dramatic change in the work environment can affect the thinking of managers. The information gained from these interviews illustrates the importance of the organizational context for any durable attempt to profoundly change management thinking.

The current study has implications for education, particularly with respect to the development of managers. Specific implications for Quality Management and Supply-Chain Management are discussed, along with future directions for research.

Tuesday, March 7, 2000
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
H. Thomas Johnson, Chair
Wayne W. Wakeland
David W. Gerbing
Earl Molander
James R. Pratt, Graduate Studies Rep.