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Demonstrating the Application of Design Thinking Methodology in MBA Fieldwork Consulting
Tara Peters, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Northwood University
DeVos Graduate School of Management
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
Overview
•Understand empirical rationale for fieldwork
•Explore Design Thinking Methodology (DTM)
•Review application of DTM to MBA fieldwork consulting projects
Why Fieldwork?
Fieldwork is an empirically-based pedagogy business school faculty can incorporate into their courses to facilitate student development of competencies that will enable our graduates to meet the evolving needs of business.
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
Why Fieldwork?
One of the ways in which scholars theorize is by conducting rigorous,high-quality fieldwork. Collecting original data in real organizationsmakes fieldwork different not only from desk research in general butalso from working with computer simulations, laboratory experiments,and secondary databases. Fieldwork is challenging and rewardingbecause it occurs outside controlled settings; employs a moreidiographic, open-ended research mode (McCall, 2006); and has noprespecified algorithms for producing it (Gephart, 2004)—it is “ajourney that may involve almost as many steps backward asforward” (Edmondson & McManus, 2007: 1173)
(As cited in Michailova, S, Piekkari, R, Plakoyiannaki, E. Ritvala, T., Mihailova, I., & Salmi, A., 2014).
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
Why Fieldwork?
In Rethinking the MBA, authors argue business schools “will need to continue to experiment with, and commit more broadly to new pedagogies. Many of these new techniques involve hands-on exercises and experiential learning.”
(Datar, S.M, Gavin, D.A. & Cullen, P.G. 2010, p. 9).
Design Thinking
@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2016
“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.”
—Tim Brown, CEO & president
Fieldwork Project Overview
Organization: Blue Haze Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
How/Why Chosen: The PTA needed a non-cost professional group to help
evaluate and resolve its issue/problem, and we needed a design challenge fieldwork project for a grade.
Issue/Problem: Blue Haze Elementary tardy students percentages increased
significantly after district busing was eliminated and parents were forced to drop-off and pick-up students. The administration asked the PTA to recommend a strategy to reduce or eliminate excessive tardiness.
Empathy
How does the problem impact the end-user?
Reduced federal and state funding support.
Class interruptions.
Administrative burden.
Define
Who is the end-user and why were they chosen?
Blue Hayes Elementary Administration
o Students
o Parents
o Teachers
o Support staff
o Administrators
Ideate
What were some of the options considered?
Private busing, car pooling, tougher consequences for excessive tardiness.
Surveys to parents, teachers, support staff and administrators.
Ideate
Actions performed. Sent out surveys.
Survey findings revealed a strong correlation between tardiness and increased traffic congestion at the school.
Observed current traffic flow conditions over multiple periods.
Rejected private busing, car pooling, and tougher consequences for excessive tardiness after determining that traffic flow observations support survey findings.
Shared survey findings, observation results, and solution/recommendation (prototype) with the PTA.
Test
• Performed a limited prototype test using the South Work Centers only (Kindergarten—KG and First Grade—FG ).
• PTA reported no tardy KG or FGs during the one week test period compared to 20 KGs and 16 FGs the week prior.
• Expanded the prototype to the entire school and tardy results were the following:
Test Results
Current Month
Kindergarten: 2
First Grade: 4
Second Grade: 3
Third Grade: 0
Fourth Grade: 2
Prior Month
Kindergarten 67
First Grade 48
Second Grade 84
Third Grade: 61
Fourth Grade: 39
Benchmarking
Northwood University – MBA Fieldwork Consulting
Harvard Business School – FIELD Method
Rutgers Business School – Team Consulting
University of California Riverside – Fieldwork in Management
Tuck School of Business – Global Consulting Project
Contact Information
Tara Peters, Ph.D.
Phone:
469.272.5663
Email:
Address:
1114 Northwood University
Cedar Hill, TX 75104