Abstract:

To understand a pragmatic science like business management, students need to learn it through three sequential steps:
(1) acquiring knowledge,
(2) structuralizing knowledge, and
(3) generalizing knowledge.

However, it is difficult for undergraduate students who do not have business experience to learn steps (2) and (3). Recently, many classes have been trying to take on active learning (AL) to solve this problem in Japan. Business game is one of the representative examples in the field of business management. However, it is also challenging to carry it out in a regular class without a lot of time and effort. Other AL methods exist which use easily handled material. However, existing AL methods are insufficient for the practice of management theory. In this situation, we propose teaching methods based on the OODA (Observe-Orient-Decide-Act) loop using Role-playing. The OODA loop is a decision-making theory developed by John Boyd to explain how individuals and organizations can win in uncertain and chaotic environments.

In this paper, we design a group work of a factory by utilizing origami (paper for folding) for understanding basic management accounting. This group work also aims for students to experience the importance of dialogue in organizing. So, in this group work, to increase the effectiveness of learning, communication with each group member is necessary. In the middle of group work, we set up opportunities for “mutual inspection.” Mutual inspection is useful for grasping the work, achievements, and progress of other groups. Students are expected to grasp the progress status and results of their own group. Moreover, new ideas may be created by linking their idea with observed work of other groups. So, after the group work, we allow students to observe the work of other groups and review the group work (“reflection” step).

By doing this reviewing work, students can obtain the following merits.
･ Students can reconstruct individual and group work.
･ Students can improve their interpretation by entering different viewpoints on the same facts.
･ Students can acquire reference posture, way of thinking, and knowledge by knowing other people.
･ New ideas and methods are born through comparison with other people.

That is, by relativizing and reflecting on their own work, students get different ways to apply and acquire knowledge for the same work. So, they structuralize the acquisition of knowledge. Furthermore, we arrange a “planned accident” to give students some experience with the reflection process (Step 8).

The implementation method of our proposal is as follows:
Step 1: Ice-breaker
Step 2: Explanation and planning
Step 3: Group work 1
Step 4: Mutual inspection
Step 5: Reflection
Step 6: Explanation and planning
Step 7: Group work 2 (1st stage)
Step 8: Reflection by “planned accident”
Step 9: Group work 2 (2nd stage)
Step 10 Mutual inspection
Step 11: Reflection
Step 12: Lecture

We conducted an experimental class and demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposal. According to the experiment, the more the groups could observe and reflect carefully, the more they could get good performance. The results suggest that our proposed method works effectively for undergraduate students in understanding management theory without consuming a lot of their time and effort.

However, we have some issues that need to be overcome. In future studies, it would be necessary to refine the content of group learning and present an evaluation method.

Keywords:

Undergraduate Business Management Education, Active Learning, Group Work, Uncertain environments, OODA loop.