INSTALLING AND CONSOLIDATING WORK-TEAM VALUES: THE EFFECTS OF A MULTICULTURAL OUTDOOR EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAM Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 73 INSTALLING AND CONSOLIDATING WORK-TEAM VALUES: THE EFFECTS OF A MULTICULTURAL OUTDOOR EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAM Carroll Halterman and Nancy Sampson, University of Denver ABSTRACT The work-group values of seventy subjects, regularly enrolled in the University of Denver’s MBA program, were assessed both before and after a required four-day Outward Bound experience. Approximately one-third were international students (not US citizens). Differences are found between the values of US and Non-US respondents; between respondents before and after training; and between US and Non-US respondents. After training an increase is found in the total group’s estimate of the importance of trust; decreases are found in the group’s estimates of the importance (1) of work- group design, and (2) of a team member’s “doing whatever is needed.” Differences in value profiles which existed between US and Non-US students prior to outdoor training were not present after the outdoor experience. Outdoor Experiential Training results in both individual change and group agreement. ABOUT EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS Simulations and case studies are increasingly used to give students vicarious experience in such business-related activities as planning (Anderson, 1991), retailing (Fairhurst and Good, 1991), negotiating (Gentry, 1991), innovation and creativity (Halterman and Sampson, 1991), general management (Klepetar, Edwards & Farley, 1991; Oddou, 1990 Roach, 1986); marketing (Wolfe, 1991), ethics (Maddox, Armstrong and Wheatley, 1991), as well as performance appraisal (Psyarchik, Thorndike and Huddleston, 1991). In addition, working with these simulated and experiential situations has afforded both trainers, researchers and participants an opportunity to learn more about (and how to cope with) ethnic diversity and gender differences. For example, Anderson (1991) identified and overcame semantic problems with case problems in Mexico; Gentry (1991) perfected a role-play situation to sharpen participant awareness of critical differences between American and Japanese interaction patterns; and Wolfe (1991) developed procedures to make existing marketing games compatible and consistent with socialist cultures. Halterman and Sampson (1991); Feldman (1989); and Dingle (1989), all dealt with gender differences, and the latter two also were active in exploring and improving minority career patterns. Outdoor Experiential Programs Now that the trend toward outdoor experientially based training situations has accelerated, more research on the effectiveness of experiential learning is critical, say Roland (1982) and Wagner, Baldwin and Roland (1991). Information gathered across the “Outdoor Experience" industry indicates that the majority of such programs are each tailored around similar activities; and that improving communication, team-building, self-esteem, leadership, problem-solving and decision-making are the most common training objectives In general, trainees use permanent equipment or simple props to tackle a wide range of problems that cannot be solved by one or two people working alone. In responding to these challenges, the team members (or “patrols,” as the groups are often called) become entirely involved physically and intellectually. Trainee leadership styles, personalities, decisions, conflict, creativity, risk-taking, are all brought under scrutiny during the experience (and reconsidered by individuals, as a result of it). Like the afore mentioned simulations and case-solutions, the results of such outdoor learning experiences are construed to be metaphorically related to real-life and the workplace. They are meant to help shape (or reshape) the participant, and to aid in reorienting his or her work values and managerial style (See Bolt (1990); Chapin (1990); Galagan, (1990): Matteson, (1990; Perini, (1990); Prud’homme, 1990; and Thompson, (1991). Outdoor Training at the University of Denver The College of Business at the University of Denver has adopted a new MBA curriculum with a heavy emphasis on managerial communication. Their current master’s degree program is designed to produce MBA graduates with creative ability; an appreciation of the human implications of ones decisions and actions; and, in particular, strong interpersonal competence (University of Denver, 1991). To build momentum to the drive toward these requirements for MBA students, the school schedules each person for an outdoor ‘Outward Bound” experience early in his or her academic program. Other schools have reported similar moves toward a deeper and protracted experiential involvement of students. Naffziger, Fields and Dobson (1991), Klepetar, Edwards, and Farley (1991) and Van Eynde and Spencer (1988) are a few such examples). Even though there are well over 100 training organizations offering outdoor programs, only about half of the providers are felt to have credible evaluation procedures. According to Wagner, Christopher and Roland there is an “evaluation void.’ As a first step, this research attempts to evaluate the DU outdoor experience by defining its immediate results. It seeks to understand the DU outdoor experience in terms of participant changes and cross-cultural effects. The Actual Experience. At 1500 on a Friday in September 1991, the 70 students departed for the training site in rural Colorado. They were divided into 10-person “patrols.” As the facilitator explained, “Fewer than 8 in a group is too little; more than 12 are too many!” The first actual performance was a “rock-climb,” where climbers scale a rock-face as individuals, with others “belaying” them by taking up slack (when necessary) and paying out rope (as required). On the first day one-half participated in problem situations (such as acid-river) while the rest climbed. Schedules were reversed for the second day. These activities were followed by a “peak-climb, ‘ where they challenged the Colorado high country. The patrols planned intensively for this---it was awesome---but they thought about it, discussed it, laid it out, and then did it. Ordinarily, this activity takes 18 hrs, but it was shortened a little on this occasion, due to time constraints. Students got on the road by six AM, and spent several hours conquering Mt. Galena and two other peaks. The night solo” activity was the final experience. This is where each individual, alone, “takes stock” of himself or herself and relives the outdoor experience throughout the several quiet hours. Here, by themselves, participants record their innermost thoughts and impressions in a diary of events. In discussing this later, a participant exclaimed: “This was an experience in self- realization.” Then she added quietly: “It really changed my life!" (Hoagland, Sept. 1991). The Instrument. Management characteristics critical to the performance of successful work- groups have been converted into behavioral aphorisms (Halterman, Dutkiewicz and Halterman, 1991). The application of these workplace characteristics has been reinforced by other investigators (Menzel, 1991; and Neslund, 1991). The instrument proposed eight specific statements to be assessed (see Exhibit 1., below). Respondents were asked to indicate "the extent to which you believe [the particular statement) is necessary for an effective team. They replied on a 5-point Likert scale, where “1” represented ‘applies well” and “5” represented “doesn’t apply.” Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 74 METHOD From the seventy students who participated in the outdoor experience, sixty-six usable pre--and post-experience responses were obtained. One- third of the students were international (not of US origin) Hypotheses Three hypotheses were posited to order the analysis, all in null form: Hypothesis, There are no differences in the way students assess the importance of work-team characteristics, when pre-training and post- training participants’ responses are compared. Hypothesis There are no differences in the way students assess the importance of work-team characteristics, when US and NON-US participants’ responses are compared. Hypothesis. There are no differences in the way students assess the importance of work-team characteristics when male and female participants’ responses are compared. The Statistical Approach. Data were examined by analysis of variance techniques. F-scores and t=scores are reported. Ordering of responses is shown below in tables 1 through 5, below. Processing was by SPSSX. Pillais Test=(.2024;Sig~. 000). *Significant results. After training the 66 respondents place a higher value on trust (members like, trust, and help each other); they also place a value on jobs (members will do whatever is needed... and on team leadership (the leader is seen as competent, respected, and fair). Significant results. Before the experience there are differences between the values of US and Non-US students. Non-US students place a significantly lower value on standards of performance (Team members have high performance standards, and expect high performance from each other); they also hold a lower regard for work-group design (The team is designed to get results). [No Significant Differences.] After the outdoor experience there are no statistically significant differences between the values reported by US students and Non-US students. [No significant differences.] The two widest differences between males and females after training (liking and trusting each other and a competent, respected and fair leader) are not statistically significant. RESULTS Hypothesis is rejected (see Table 1). At the .05 level of significance there are changes in the values placed on Trust, Jobs, and Design. Hypothesis is rejected (see Tables 2 and 3). Prior to training US and Non- US students differ at the .05 level of better on the need for high performance standards. After training, there are no significant differences. Hypothesis is not rejected (see Tables 4 and 5). Neither before or after training are there any significant differences between male and female respondents. (Subsequent data analysis indicates a probable interaction between national origin and sex (Pillais Sig. = .007). Since some data cells are very small, and the exact nature of the interaction can not be adequately diagnosed.) [No Significant results.] The two widest differences between males and females before training (Importance of the goal, and knowing one’s job) are not statistically significant. Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 75 DISCUSSION The basic question is “Do trainees show evidence of changes after outdoor experience?” Table 1 provides statistical evidence that they do. The differences are additionally examined in Figure 1. Raw data from the tables have been transformed (reverse ordered) in both this figure and those that follow, so that the highest value data points fall conventionally furthest from the Y-axis origin. The scale categories above are ordered from the left to right, in the pre-training descending order. The post-training line in Figure 1 (+) indicates that "trust,” “jobs,” and “design," shift in their values to the respondents. Figure 2 shows how the subcategory "US students” change as a result of their experience. There are detectable differences (between this category and the total sample), in both the starting levels and the end results of change. As a result of the outdoor experience co-worker trust is seen as more important, whereas the value of work-team design declines. Examination of Figures 1 and 2 reveals that although the culturally-mixed total group of individuals and the subgroup of US respondents started out with somewhat noncongruent profiles, their post-training profiles are noticeably alike. The next question to be answered is ‘exactly what happens to ‘Non-US students’?” Tables 2 and 3 indicate that both the US respondents and the Non-US respondents shift as a result of the experience. Figure 3 displays how the two profiles compare after Outward Bound. The X-axis scales in Figure 3 are arranged in their post-training ordering (in the order that they were assessed as important after training). Figure 3 shows the major dissimilarities, which are also displayed in Table 2. Of the two differences shown in Table 2 (with t-scores of -. 2.38 and -1.79) the first was Significant at .05. The two cultural groups are fairly similar in their responses to the other scale items. The ending profiles in Figure 3 display a very reasonable concordance between US and Non-US students. This reflects the data in tables 2 and 3 which indicate that there are no absolute differences after training as great as those that existed prior. None of the differences between the two cultural groups after training are significant. CONCLUSIONS This research determined that, in terms of a participant’s estimates of work- team characteristics, an outdoor experiential situation causes significant change in managerial attitudes. This experience also changes individual perceptions, reduces dissimilarities among cultural groups, and modifies values. As a result, the stage is act for improved communicability among the participants, and facilitates an energized environment for growth. In order to more sharply focus the outdoor-training technology, however, additional research on the relationship between more specific learning objectives and the outcomes of tightly defined outdoor training experiences is recommended. REFERENCES Anderson, Richard A. (1991) Simulation in Mexico: A Case Study Using CLUG. Simulation and Gaming, 22.3, 368-372. Bolt James F. (1990). How Executives Learn: The Move from Glitz to Guts. Training and Development Journal, 44.5, 88-87. Chapin, Harvey (1990, March). A Team Builder’s Guide to the Galaxy. Business Month, 66-68. Dingle, Derek T (1989) Peak Performance Black Enter 19.10, 64-70. Fairhurst, Ann E., and Linda K. Good (1991) The Ethnographic Case Study An Experimental Approach to Teaching Retail Management. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 16-18 Feldman, Diane (1989) Women of Color Build a Rainbow of Opportunity. Management Review, 78.8, 18-21. Galagan, Patricia A. (1990) Execs Go Global, Liter ally. Training & Development Journal, 44.6, 58-63. Developments In Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 19, 1992 76 Gentry, Jim.(1991). Negame: A Cross-Cultural Role Play to Introduce Students to the Familiarization Stage of Negotiations. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 27-32 Halterman, Carroll C., and Nancy S. Sampson (1991) Success Factors in Experiential Training for Creative Problem-Solving Teams Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 135. Klepetar, Wendy, Barbara Edwards, and John Farley (1991) The Organizational Leadership Program. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18 139. Maddox, E. Nick, Terry R. Armstrong, and Walter J. Wheatley (1991) Ethical Dilemmas in Experiential Learning Issues and Strategies. Developmental in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 57-60 Matteson, Jeff.(1990 March). Canoeing, Camping, and bonding in Mosquito Country. Business Month, 63-64. Menzel, Kent E. (1991) Teams and Organizational Communication Unpublished mss, University of Denver, Dept. of Communication May 6, 1991 Naffziger, Douglas W., W.Calvin Fields, and Joseph J Dobson (1991) organizing an Outward Bound Field Trip. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 144 Neslund, Richard E.(1991. Team Excellence on Large Teams. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Denver Oddou, Gary R. (1990). Managing Organizational Realities; An Evaluation of a Semester-long Experiential Simulation. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review 2, 47-54 Petrini, Catherine M. (1990) Over the River and Through the Woods Training & Development Journal, 44.5, 25-36. Prud’homme., Alex. (1990). Executive Retreats: Let’s Get Physical. Business Month, 135.3, 60-66 Psyarchik, Dawn Thorndike, and Patricia Huddleston (1991) Experiential Learning in Human Resources: A Performance Appraisal Application. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 90- 91 Roach, Ben. (1986) Decision Theatre Curtain going Up on an Innovative Approach to Management Education. Business Horizons, 29.4, 70- 77. Roland, Christopher Choate (1982) The Transfer of an Outdoor Managerial Training Program to the Workplace (Doctoral Dissertation, Boston School of Education, 1981 Dissertation Abstracts International, 42.9. Thompson, Brad Lee (1991) Training in the Great Outdoors. Training, 28.5, 46-52. University of Denver (1991) university of Denver Peak MBA Outward Bound Course. Van Eynde, Donald F., Roger W. Spencer.(1988). Lecture vs. Experiential Learning: Their Differential Effects on Long-Term Memory. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review 4 (1988) 52-58. Wagner, Richard J., Timothy T. Baldwin, and Christopher C. Roland (1991) Outdoor Training: Revolution of Fad? Training & Development Journal, 45.3, 50-57. Wolfe, Joseph (1991) On the Transfer of Market Oriented Business Games to Socialist Cultures. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises. Proceedings of the Annual ABSEL Conference, 18, 121-126 Table of Contents Volume 19, 1992 The Pedagogical Utility of a Management Simulation Game in a Business Policy Course Modeling Economic Environments in Business Simulations: Some Comparisons and Recommendations Experiential Learning and TQM Principles: Teaching Behavioral Science in a Business School The Use of Poster Presentations as a Final Project in the Business Policy Course The Device Business: A Management Simulation for Strategy Formulation The Advantages of Experiential learning in the Auditing curriculum A Framework for the Identification of Moderated and Mediated Performance consequences of Pedagogical Alternatives Simulating Qualitative Research Relating to Values and Lifestyle Segmentation A New Market Demand Model for Business Simulators Interactive Optimization Using the Method of Relative Improvement Preferences: Methodology and Empirical Evaluation The Service Trainer Simulation Benefits of Internet Computer Networks for ABSEL Members How Should We Measure Experiential Learning? An Assessment of Simulation Usage in Management Accounting Courses The Influence of Myers-Briggs Type and Group Dynamics on Simulation Performance Effective Leadership Behavior in the Desert Storm Arena: An Application of the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Model Installing and Consolidating Work-Team Values: The Effects of a Multicultural Outdoors Experiential Program Key Determinants and Decision performance in a Business Simulations and Experiential Learning environment Multi-Cultural Experiential Learning: A Computer Simulation in Indonesia Attitudes Toward and Emotions Related to Women as Managers: A Replication and Beyond Scenario Approach to Simulating Consumer Expenditures: A Cross-Cultural Analysis Insights into Ethical Decision making Activities and Organizational Performance: A Management Simulation Analysis of College Students and Managers Evaluating a Business Simulation Program for Joint Venture Negotiation and Management Teaching Business Interviewing Strategies with an Experiential Approach Cooperative Learning Across the Business Curriculum Modeling Total Quality Elements into a Strategy-Oriented Simulation Teaching Business Decision making using a Simulator Extending the Educational Utility of a Simulated Competition within the Confines of an Established Undergraduate Marketing Curriculum Expert Systems Versus Traditional Methods for Teaching Accounting Issues Confidence Extremes Diminish Quality Performance in a Total Enterprise Simulation Can Ethics Be Taught? A Simulation Tests a Traditional Ethics Pedagogy Through The Looking Glass, Inc.: Organizational Climate Research as Experiential Pedagogy The use of Cluster Analysis for Business Game Performance Analysis Power and Ethnicity: An Experiential Learning Exercise (How to Sensitize Students to Diversity) Directed Development of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills for Case Analysis Implementing Total Quality Management in a Computerized Business Simulation Product Quality in Business Simulations Use of Simulation for Ethics Education in Management Satisfying the University's Customers through Total Quality Management Instruction: A Case Study Personality Characteristics and Group Performance in Total Enterprise Simulations Concepts of Interval Estimation and Quality Control Charts via Computer Simulated Sampling An Examination of the Effect of Team Cohesion, Player Attitude, and Performance Expectations on Simulation Performance Results The Effectiveness of Inventory Management and Production Scheduling Training in a Total Quality Management Environment Peer Group Indicators of the External Validity of Business Games: A five-year Longitudinal Study Political Strategies and Personal Actions Does Practice make Perfect? Observations on Simulation Trial The Use of A Non-Business Computer Simulation to Teach Marketing Management BankPro Commercial Bank Simulation The Production Game Pursuing Excellence: Work Strengths, Assets and relevant Values (An Exercise) Test of a Short Outward Bound Experience for College Students What is it that we want Student To Learn? Using Two TQM Philosophies when Playing Blackjack The Lagged Effects of Decision Variables on Financial Performance Measures Used in Two business Simulations The Development of an Experiential Exercise for Career Planning and Effective Job search Performance Measuring Quality in Management of Business Pedagogy Exploring Quality and Productivity Improvement: Using and Experiential Process Toward a Generalized Architecture for Intelligent Reactive Management Systems The Quality Game TQX: Using Expert Systems to Improve Training in Total Quality Management A Simulation of the Effect of the Medicaid Payment Lag on the Financial Position of Community Pharmacies The Use of a Board of Directors to Evaluate and Validate Decisions in a Competitive Graduate Management Simulation Course The Impact of Academic Dishonesty on Business Simulations and Experiential Learning Activities Picture Project: An Experience of Icebreaking and/or Decision-Making An Effective Role-playing Exercise for Teaching Requisite TQM Supervisory Attitudes/Behavior Computerized Management Simulations and Some Correlates of Students' Satisfaction The Timing and Stability of Reactions to Market Structure in a Single Player Simulation Environment A Graphics Application Extension for a Simulated Decision Support System Environment Aspects of a Group Project Utilizing Actual Business data and a Computerized Accounting System The Role of Universities' Extended Learning Department in Assisting Organizations Implement Total Quality Management A three-dimensional Learning Experience to Develop Total Quality Management Skills Estimating Quality Costs by Computer Simulation Applications and Examples of Quality Control Software Assessing Business Pedagogy A Demonstration of an Experiential Process for Exploring Quality and Productivity Improvement Processes An Action-Ethics Dilemma: A Demonstration Org Sim Jr.: A 2-3 Hour Version of the 2-Day Blanchard/Murrell Organization Simulation Building Buildings: An Experiential Exercise in Organizational Structure, Communication, Leadership and Group Dynamics Expert Systems for Organization Design: A Demonstration A Demonstration of Product Quality in a Business Simulation: Version 2 of CEO Two Revolutions, Total Quality Leadership, and the Baldy: The Story of Milliken Total Quality after the Award - The Xerox Story Building a Competitive Advantage through Customer Satisfaction and Reengineering Human Resource Planning: Managing the Only Renewable Resource for a Competitive Advantage Using Simulations to Teach International Issues: An analysis of the Multinational Management Game's Learning Environment Quality Function Deployment: A Tutorial Care and Nurturing of Teams Making a Good Thing Better: Adding TQM to Participative management Empowering Organizations to Redesign and Transform Themselves - Eastman Chemical Using Simulations in Field Management Development of an International Life Insurance Company Reinforcing the TQ Environment via Simulation Transforming a Business College into a Total Quality College