The Convergence of Online Teaching and Problem Based Learning Modules amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is a convergence unfolding between two formerly unique and separate areas of teaching research methodology: distance education and problem-based learning (PBL) environments. Much has been published on each field independently, however, in the modern-era of online, distance, and hybrid educational programs there is a need for more case and experiential-based learning activities which can effectively measure stated learning objectives. Trends in education have led to the development of various methods to instruct courses and conduct research online. Teaching research methodology and pedagogy have evolved to include video capture, remote conferencing, and other real-time communications techniques allowing faculty and students to collaborate across great distances. Meanwhile, PBL environments have been used extensively in teaching medicine, clinical practice, law, business/management, and many other disciplines to improve student learning. This has been further accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic through the use of technologies like Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, Google Hangout Meet, etc. and the availability of PBL-ready environments in breakout rooms and asynchronous simulated projects. Student preference data from 2020 are reported as part of this study. One example of this merger between online delivery and PBLs was the development of a PBL statistical process control (PBL-SPC) module. A cross-functional academic team was created across both a college of business and college of education in which a PBL-SPC module was developed based on a real-life situation in which students immerse themselves in a potato chip factory environment. The motivation for the PBL-SPC was that this is a challenging topic to cover which students often find difficult to relate to and/or boring. Three different scenarios were developed and students, as individuals or in teams, must traverse the simulated factory to assess the situation. Learning outcomes are measured by the course instructors and the PBL environment is being used by faculty around the world. Additionally, the PBL-SPC module has now been scaled to other applications such as six-sigma simulated project training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pedagogical methods should be interactive, stimulate learning, improve the learning outcomes / critical thinking, and enhance student experience. This paper proposes that merging the effective and tech-friendly pedagogical methods of PBLSPC, with the right modalities and model of online delivery, can help achieve these aforesaid goals. Even more, it can deliver a great opportunity to educators and institutions worldwide for advancing the reach of education

Selling Technical Sales to Engineering Learners

Sales engineering or technical sales programs bridge engineering and business to educate engineering students in sales specific to their discipline. Students develop business awareness through such programs, providing the sales workforce with technically knowledgeable salespeople. The following study analyzed cohorts of students enrolled in a technical sales for engineers course to assess the changing perceptions and attitudes of engineering students toward technical sales. Students reported statistically significant changes in perceptions regarding interest, need, and rank of current ability toward technical sales and social skills after completing the course. Student perceptions of sales skills being innate and ingrained decreased. Group analysis – enrollment in the sales minor or previous sales experience – revealed expected differences including higher ranked prior ability and initial interest in sales. A separate analysis of 20 technical sales skills at the end of the course was used to highlight the level students perceived they had achieved each skill

Unpacking the Standing Neutral: A Cost Effective and Common-Sense Approach for Preventing Conflict

Let\u27s face it. You don\u27t need to be a Nobel-prize winning economist to know that contracts are inherently incomplete. No lawyer has yet crafted the perfect contract that will anticipate every eventuality. Problems and unexpected events are always around the corner. Long-term contractual relationships are especially vulnerable to the damage caused by friction in relationships, particularly when this friction turns into a formal dispute. In far too many relationships the parties do not perceive a need to engage in conventional conflict resolution until they begin to experience real pain. By that time, they have blamed each other for their troubles. Unfortunately, this usually means that the parties\u27 relationship has reached a breaking point, which can lead to calling on their respective lawyers who are not typically incentivized or instinctively inclined to resolve conflicts constructively in the way best suited to the preservation of the relationship. And if typical negotiations fail, the next step is calling in a mediator, and perhaps eventually ending up in arbitration or the court system. To avoid these harmful escalations of conflict in business relationships, this paper argues for the proactive use of a Standing Neutral – a trusted, independent expert advisor (or a panel of three advisors) – chosen by the contracting parties at the onset of the relationship with the clear goal to maintain a healthy relationship. A Standing Neutral process can best be described as a proactive, quick, informal, flexible, adaptable, non-adversarial, neutral, expert, preferably nonbinding, process for preventing and achieving the earliest possible solution to problems and preventing potential disputes. This white paper includes five parts. It will help you understand the why, what and how of using a Standing Neutral for preventing and managing conflicts. Part 1 explains why the time is ripe to consider collaborative approaches for resolving conflicts Part 2 shares research which supports using a Standing Neutral, suggesting that such preventive conflict resolution techniques are not simply a new fad, but perhaps one of the best-kept secrets that should be widely unlocked and adopted for widespread use Part 3 highlights the what and how of using a Standing Neutral Part 4 shares examples of the Standing Neutral concept in practice Part 5 explores the costs and benefits of using a Standing Neutral In addition, we provide a comprehensive Appendix on how to design a dispute prevention, de-escalation and resolution system. The bottom line? It is YOUR bottom line. Using a Standing Neutral is a most effective and efficient way to govern and improve today’s modern commercial relationships

Be like me: The effects of manager-supervisor alignment

Purpose: This study examines whether managerial capability fit between line-managers, middle-managers, and top-level managers enhances effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach: Effectiveness data and managerial capability ratings from more than 1,600 manager-supervisor dyads were collected in the United States and Germany. Polynomial regression was used to study the relation between manager-supervisor fit and managerial effectiveness. Findings: Our results indicate that the fit of managerial capabilities between a manager and his/her supervisor predicts the effectiveness of this manager. The most effective managers show particularly high managerial capabilities that are in line with predominantly high managerial capabilities of their supervisors. Two aspects are important: the manager-supervisor fit and the absolute capability level that both possess. The results further indicate that the importance of the manager-supervisor fit varies across lower, middle, and top-level management dyads. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes by advancing research on managerial capability fit conditions between managers and their supervisors as a central element in viewing and managing effectiveness of managers. Practical implications: This article informs managers, supervisors, and HR professionals about pitfalls in organizations that degrade effectiveness. Originality/value: This article shows how the alignment between managers and their supervisors relates to effectiveness in a large-scale study across different hierarchical levels

A variability taxonomy to support automation decision-making for manufacturing processes

Although many manual operations have been replaced by automation in the manufacturing domain, in various industries skilled operators still carry out critical manual tasks such as final assembly. The business case for automation in these areas is difficult to justify due to increased complexity and costs arising out of process variabilities associated with those tasks. The lack of understanding of process variability in automation design means that industrial automation often does not realise the full benefits at the first attempt, resulting in the need to spend additional resource and time, to fully realise the potential. This article describes a taxonomy of variability when considering automation of manufacturing processes. Three industrial case studies were analysed to develop the proposed taxonomy. The results obtained from the taxonomy are discussed with a further case study to demonstrate its value in supporting automation decision-making

A variability taxonomy to support automation decision-making for manufacturing processes

Although many manual operations have been replaced by automation in the manufacturing domain, in various industries skilled operators still carry out critical manual tasks such as final assembly. The business case for automation in these areas is difficult to justify due to increased complexity and costs arising out of process variabilities associated with those tasks. The lack of understanding of process variability in automation design means that industrial automation often does not realise the full benefits at the first attempt, resulting in the need to spend additional resource and time, to fully realise the potential. This article describes a taxonomy of variability when considering automation of manufacturing processes. Three industrial case studies were analysed to develop the proposed taxonomy. The results obtained from the taxonomy are discussed with a further case study to demonstrate its value in supporting automation decision-making