THE INCIDENT PROCESS: A CASE IN REVERSE Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Learning, Volume 24, 1997 THE INCIDENT PROCESS: A CASE IN REVERSE Jim Wilterding, Boise State University C. Christopher Baughn. Boise State University INTRODUCTION Decision-makers in government and industry may find themselves inadequately prepared in trying to cope with complicated, ill-structured issues. Attempts to gather information regarding the complex relationships among the participating individuals, political entities, principles and policies involved may be unsystematic, with no stopping rule for ending the formulation process. The incident process provides an opportunity for learning to structure problems through effective inquiry. The incident process is intended to develop problem-solving skills through a procedure in which knowledge about the problem is revealed only by an active process of inquiry. Unlike typical case methodology, the student is not initially provided with nearly enough information to adequately address the problem. Often, the case will be initiated by a single question or statement. The case unfolds only as participants ask relevant questions. Though this method was developed by Paul Pigors in his teaching at M.I.T. during the 1950s, our review of the literature covering the past ten years found no references to Pigor’s work on this or to the process itself. For several years, the lead author of this paper has used the incident process in conducting seminars in industry settings and in teaching business and law classes. It is hoped that through demonstration of this method, teachers, facilitators, and training personnel will be exposed to a potentially beneficial and engaging process. POTENTIAL POSITIVE OUTCOMES The inquiry method holds considerable promise, vet poses some rather unique demands on the instructor. Through questioning. students develop an appreciation of why they need to know certain information. The questions asked reflect the schemas that students have developed regarding the issue. Students are not automatically cued to particular perspectives, data, or analyses, and different frameworks developed in “shaping” a problem may be more evident. The method may be quite useful in “non-traditional” classrooms, where there is a diversity of age level and work experience among participants. The less experienced students can observe how experience shapes the type of questions asked. A significant increase in questioning skills is often evident after 3 or 4 incident “cases”. This method involves increased activity on both the part of the student and the instructor. Developing an understanding of the problem involves an active social process, drawing upon communication and listening skills. Of course, the instructor is not allowed to be passive, as the same “case” may unfold in different ways for different classes. It can be argued that the incident process is congruent with the development of expert systems, as such systems entail uncovering the most critical questions that enhance diagnostic capabilities. Asking the right questions, and knowing why they are the right questions is consistent with this process. This teaching methodology is also amenable to distance learning. TEACHING METHODOLOGY Because students are unlikely to have been exposed to this approach, it is important that they be provided with some initial guidelines and expectations. Below, a possible introduction to the process is provided: “We are going to solve a 320 Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Learning, Volume 24, 1997 problem today, but not by reading a case. When you’ve analyzed cases have you always had every bit of information that you wanted? Have you ever wished you had more? Now, you will get every bit of information that you want on this case, but you will have to ask for it. If you don’t ask for it you won’t get it. Ask any question that you think might help. Initially, I will not even ask you to justify why you need to know that information. Don’t worry about the questions being silly, because they may have some bearing on the case. At this point, the only thing that would be bad is if you don’t ask questions. If, at any point while asking questions, someone says that they think they have a solution, we can stop and examine the solution. If it is not satisfactory, then we can see if there is any more information that might help us.” The instructor then provides the initial question or statement. Questions that have been used have included. “Should the police department have hired Betty?” or “What disciplinary action should be taken against Bob?”. Students are encouraged to ask questions to develop their understanding of the case and its context. Often, they find that asking simple “yes or no” questions does not provide the level of information that they need. The inquiry process continues until a satisfactory solution is reached. Just as students may need to be encouraged to begin the process, some classes may need to be encouraged to bring the process to a close. At some point one must stop questioning and make a decision. Over time, students begin to be able to assess the marginal utility of further inquiry. Experience with this process has led to the development of methods for evaluation and to methods for dealing with larger classes. These issues, as well as elaboration regarding implementation, are provided in the demonstration. 321 Table of Contents Volume 24, 1997 Incorporating Computer Telephony into the MIS Course A Learner Oriented Infrastructure for videoconferencing Based Distance Education Courses The Identification of Temporally Related Structural Elements of the Experiential Component of Electronic Spreadsheet Tasks Does Involvement Influence Learning from Simulation Participation? Some Relationships with Helpfulness and Performance Outcomes Musings on Business Garne Performance Evaluation Performance on a TE Simulation: What does it represent? The Business Policy Game: An International Simulation - An Assessment Tool Students in Free Enterprise as Experiential Learning The Role of Computer Models in Wargames: A Practitioner's view Using Focus Groups as a Tool to Research Learning: A Demonstration and a Discussion Using Medical Simulations to Teach Multi-Cultural Diversity Using the World Game to Internationalize International Exchange Game Community Services Needs Assessment: An Innovative Approach Introducing Students to Potential Total Quality Management Ethical Dilemmas Privacy in the Workplace: A Situational Analysis Antecedents of Learning in Simulations Demonstrating the Learning Effectiveness of Simulation: Where we are and Where we need to go The Use of Computer Simulations as a Pedagogical Aid in Teaching Management Information Systems Evaluating Simulation Learning in a Distant Learning Instructional Model Financial Engineering of Global Investments The Labor History Game: Playing with the Past Perks Participation Assessing Negotiator's Proficiency with a Negotiation role-play The Art of Negotiating Enhancing Learning and Employee Development through the Assessment of Learning Pedagogy Preferences across selected Dimensions of Culture: A Preliminary Investigation Cooperative Learning: What are we Learning? Effective Use of Mastery Based Experiential learning in a Project Course to improve skills in system analysis and Design Simulations and Learning: Can we prove a relationship? (Seminar) Predicting and Reviewing NYSE Stock Prices by use of Basic Statistical Analysis and Logic Toy Car Depreciation Exercise ABSEL as Home Community: An Interactive Exploration Service Learning: Linking Academic Study to Community Development and Business Enhancement Ability of Efficient Evaluation of Knowledge-Based Management Strategies Corporate Ethics Training Programs Modeling Attributes in Demand Functions of Computerized Business Simulations: An Extension of Teach's Gravity Flow Algorithm Expert Systems Combined with Neutral Networks: Tools to Benefit the Marketing Researcher Computer Game Design: New Directions for Intercultural Simulation Game Designers Consistency in Simulation Performance over Time and Across Simulation Games The Impact of an Artificial Market Leader on Simulation Competitor's Strategies Business Plans, Case Studies, and Total Enterprise Simulations: A Natural Co-existence An Exploration into the Non-Use of Business Simulations The Market Game: Interactive Learning Through Market Simulation Plotting Brand Trajectories with the COMPLETE PPM package: A Market Segmentation Analysis and Positioning Tool Me and Mine Inc: An Exercise in Management Theory Learning to Differentiate Leadership from Managerial Position Business Ethics Survey: A Perspective from the Retail Industry Experiential Learning in Demand Analysis for an Agricultural Commodity Marketing on the Internet: A Pedagogical Exercise College Students Need Simple Computer Simulations, Especially for International Business Courses An Analysis of Student Attitudes, Performance, and Strategies in a Simulation Competition Based on a Controlled Product-Market-Entry Game Structure The Crystal Enterprise: Application of a Non-Computerized Simulation Model in a Process of Organizational Change Threshold: A Windows-Based Behaviorally Oriented Total Enterprise Simulation Coaching Business Game Teams Using a Decision Variable Optimizer Rock and Roll is here to Stay: Enhancing Experiential Pedagogy with Musical Exercises An Example of Business Process Analysis Simulation for Customer Software Support The Use of Business Gaming in Hong Kong Academic Institutions Using the Integrative International Simulation INTOPIA Mark 2000 in a Concentrated MBA Curriculum A Group Experience as an Integrated Part of the Core Management Course Empowered Learning in the Classroom The Inter-Group Interaction: An Innovative Approach to Cooperative Learning Courses that Utilize Student Team: An Approach to enhancing their Effectiveness Thoughts about the Measurement of Learning: The Case for Guided Learning and Associated Measurement Issues Measuring Student Learning Using Business Simulations: A Theory Based Perspective On the Use of PC Fingame in an Undergraduate Finance Course How Managers get Things Done: A Virtual Soundbite Internet Experiential learning in the Principals of Marketing Classroom: A Pedagogical Approach Current Student Perceptions Relative to Business Simulations Beyond Capitalism: Designing Business Policy and Social Justice The Use of Boards of Directors to Evaluate Reports and Presentations in an Undergraduate Business Policy Course Beacon Lumber: An Experiential Introduction to Financial Accounting The Application of Organizational Motivation Principles: The Experiential Business Simulation Motus Manufacturing Avoiding a Bogey: Grading Case Discussions Scientifically Communicating Consumer Behavior II: A Modified Exercise Using Personal Consumption Journals in Condensed Courses Designing Instruments for Assessing the Effectiveness of Simulations, (Seminar) 360º Performance Feedback: Appraisal vs. Assessment The Cafeteria Approach to Managing an Academic Career: Remaining Non-Perishable while Doing Your Own Thing An Experiential Exercise Related to Person-Organization Fit and it's Consequences For Today's Dynamic and Changing World, Business Simulations need to be expanded to encompass Much Greater Complexity: A Demonstration The Incident Process: A Case in Reverse Contextually-Anchored Business Simulations The Energy Factor: Building Motivation in the Simulation Gaming Environment The Design of an Internet Game