By relying on TQ programs, U.S. companies like Ford and Motorola have achieved world-class levels of quality. But the quality revolution is far from over. Although firms committed to TQ continue reporting improvements in manufacturing cycles and fewer production defects and late shipments, improvement rates are declining. The cycle of organizational learning is like the development of a child who is advancing from building blocks to more complex situations like making friends with others. Recreating People Express Managerial microworlds take learning through doing into a new phase.
Decision makers take control of a fictitious company, playing out the roles they fill in real life.
But unlike the actual world, managers are free to experiment with policies and strategies without fear of jeopardizing the company. In the process, which includes the kind of reflection and inquiry for which there isn't time in the hectic everyday world, managers learn about the long-term, systemic consequences of their actions. Imagine a symphony orchestra that doesn't rehearse or a basketball team that doesn't practice. High levels of proficiency are impossible in teams without well-developed virtual worlds. In a managerial microworld, a simulation model generates a company's behavior based on interactions in the organization and with its market and competitors.