Dealing with complex and ill-structured problems: results of a Plan-Do-Check-Act experiment in a business engineering semester

ABSTRACT

Challenged by increased globalisation and fast technological development, we carried out an experiment in the third semester of a global business engineering programme aimed at identifying conditions for training student in dealing with complex and ill-structured problems of forming a new business. As this includes a fuzzy front end, learning cannot be measured in traditional, quantitative terms; therefore, we have explored the use of reflection to convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. The experiment adopted a Plan-Do-Check-Act approach and concluded with developing a plan for new learning initiatives in the subsequent year’s semester. The findings conclude that (1) problem-based learning develops more competencies than ordinarily measured at the examination, especially, the social/communication and personal competencies are developed; (2) students are capable of dealing with a complex and ambiguous problem, if properly guided. Four conditions were identified; (3) most students are not conscious of their learning, but are able to reflect if properly encouraged; and (4) improving engineering education should be considered as an organisational learning process.

KEYWORDS:

• Problem-based learning
• experiential learning
• business engineering
• competencies
• complex and ill-structured problems

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Jens Ove Riis is a Professor Emeritus of industrial management system at the Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University. Trained in mechanical engineering, he received a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Dr Riis has published articles and books in the field of project management, industrial management, design of production management systems and management of technology. He has been the director of the post-experience Master’s Programme on Management of Technology. In his teaching and research, he has strived to integrate business development, application of appropriate technology, and organisational design and development.

Marlies Achenbach (maiden name Steffen) works as a research associate at the Institute of Production Systems, TU Dortmund University. She holds a diploma in Industrial Engineering and Management from TU Dortmund University. She works on competence development and evaluation in the fields of Industrial Engineering and Lean Management. She is responsible for the Industrial Engineering Training Centre at TU Dortmund University, a simulated work environment to enable experiential learning.

Poul Israelsen is professor of production economics and management accounting at the Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University. His research and teaching interest centres around the economics of modularisation, the interplay between management accounting and lean, and management accounting along the value chain. He is currently the director of the post-experience Master’s Program on Management of Technology.

Poul Kyvsgaard Hansen is an Associate Professor of Technology Management and Organization at Center for Industrial Production at Aalborg University in Denmark. He holds an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and a Ph.D. in Technology Management. His current research focuses on various aspects of communicating complex problems and solutions. This includes both organisational and technical issues within three overall research areas: (1) Product modularisation – Architectures – Platforms, (2) Innovation Management and (3) Change Management. He is currently involved in two EU-projects (GaLA and ManuSkills) that investigate the use of games in education.

John Johansen is a professor of Logistics and Production Planning and Control at the Center for Industrial Production, Aalborg University. He holds an M.Sc. in Engineering and a Ph.D. in Industrial Management from the Aalborg University. He has published articles and book within Production Planning and Control, Simulation, Logistics, Supply Chain Management and Strategic Production Development.

Univ.-Prof. Dr-Ing. Jochen Deuse is the head of the Institute of Production Systems, TU Dortmund University, Germany. The Institute is concerned with Work System Design, Time and Motion Studies, Automated Process Technology, Digital Factory, Robot Systems and Systems Engineering. Jochen Deuse holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from TU Dortmund University and received his doctoral degree at RWTH Aachen University, Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL), in 1998. In the following seven years, he has held senior management positions in the Bosch Group in Germany and Australia.