Simulation supported industrial training from an organisational learning perspective : development and evaluation of the SSIT method

Abstract: This thesis deals with the problem of training people in companies, from workers to managers, who are in need of a good understanding of the problem situation at work in order to reach appropriate, effective decisions. This research has had two main goals since it started in 1992: (i) To develop a training method which might be used to facilitate the individual and organisational learning process of its participants, and (ii) To test and evaluate this method through several empirical case studies in different companies.The method is known as SSIT - Simulation Supported Industrial Training. The main idea behind this training method is to help participants to better understand their own problems at the company with the help of computer-based simulation games. The main characteristics which make this training method unique are the following:The simulation games are tailor-made to the participants specific problems.The training is carried out directly at the work place.The training is based on the execution of a number of simulation games which successively illustrate the problems of the company.The training method combines the work on the simulation games with other traditional types of learning techniques such as theoretical instruction and group discussions.The training promotes not only the participants individual learning, but also the organisational learning process.Other theoretical and practical contributions of this research include:The description and evaluation of four case studies of implementations of the SSIT method.For these training projects 18 simulation games have been developed and 32 participants have taken advantage of them.The case studies have reported positive training effects on the participants and on the company.The cost-effectiveness analysis has revealed significant advantages of using the SSIT method in comparison to other commercial production courses.