The document discusses a proposed research study that would test the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis by examining whether training low-income undergraduate students in Six Sigma Generation Four (The Great Discovery) methods improves their academic performance. Specifically, the study would use a Solomon four-group design to compare class grades of students who receive the training versus those who do not, while controlling for other factors. The purpose is to determine if providing the language and processes of goal-setting and problem-solving through The Great Discovery can help low-income students overcome barriers to success posed by limited environmental language according to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

1. Running head: SIX SIGMA GENERATION FOUR 1
Impact of The Great Discovery® (Six Sigma Generation Four) on Undergraduate Student
Success: A Test of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
David Fried
University of Phoenix

2. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 2
Impact of The Great Discovery® (Six Sigma Generation Four) on Undergraduate Student
Success: A Test of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Haveman and Smeeding (2006) state that, though more students qualify to attend college,
the gap between the socio-economic status (SES) of college students is growing, as is the gap
between student SES and student success at college with the almost 75% of new college students
classified as high-income. Mamiseishvili (2010) indicated that, access to a college education has
increased for low-income individuals, yet the likelihood of low-income students return following
their freshman year is only 25% of the number of students who come from financially
advantageous backgrounds. Only 11% of low-income students finish their undergraduate degree
in a six year period compared to a 55% completion rate for students from higher income
situations (Mamiseishvili, 2010). Haveman and Smeeding (2006) stated that completing a
secondary education is the catalyst for social mobility; however, that ―contrary to its stated goals
and repeated claims, the U.S. higher education system fails to equalize opportunities among
students from high- and low-income families‖ (p. 128).
Environment and Language.
Human understanding of the world and individual thought processes are the result of the
language and cultural environment as stated by linguistic scholars Johann Herder and Wilhelm
von Humboldt (Liang, 2011). Applying this to education, students in low socio-economic status
(SES) environments experience a reduction in confidence, literacy, and academic achievement.
Chu (2011) stated that culturally and linguistically diverse students may lack the knowledge and
abilities needed for academic success. The lack of goal setting, process planning, force-field
analysis, and process execution knowledge is not beyond understanding of any SES provided
individuals are willing to overcome their self-doubt (Reboul, 2011). At one point students enter

3. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 3
the workforce, some even after attending college, but will they understand the values necessary
for advancement through organizations and be able to change their environmental conditions and
SES?
Communication and Language.
Janicki (2011) described the speaker’s role in the process of idea communication as the
creation of a set of words representing the concept, then sent to the receiver who is responsible
for not only understanding the words but the context surrounding them. Reboul (2011) added
that communication barriers exist between individuals from different cultures, separating
students within schools and employees within organizations. The misunderstanding of language
not only causes confusion surrounding the subject matter but also often creates conflict between
the speaker and receiver because of misinterpretations (Janicki, 2011).
The Great Discovery®, Six Sigma Generation Four
The original Six Sigma methodology was created to reduce manufacturing defects,
however, it contains defects of its own such as limited reach within an organization because of
the complicated and technical nature of the tools (Sanders, 2010). Twenty years after
conception, Six Sigma co-architect Dr. Mikel Harry and one of the original Six Sigma Master
Black Belts, Catherine Lawson, published How to Get Out of the Box and Win introducing the
fourth generation of Six Sigma, referred to as The Great Discovery®, discussing higher quality
decision-making using the foundational concepts of Six Sigma (Harry & Lawson, 2010). The
function of The Great Discovery is to make the proven quality methods of Six Sigma available to
individuals, in order that they may change their approach to goal setting and problem solving
without needing to learn complex statistical analysis (Harry & Lawson, 2010).

4. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 4
The Great Discovery on Changing Socio-economic Status.
The Great Discovery is the Six Sigma way of thinking in that it focuses practitioners on
constructing dynamic processes for the prevention of error before beginning the process rather
than trying to prevent it under situational constraint or fix processes after the error has occurred
(Harry & Lawson, 2010). The Six Sigma way of thinking is a function of quality language such
as goals, catalyst, process, driving force, restraining force, leverage, divergent thinking,
convergent thinking, and milestones.
Definitions
6 sigma – is a quantitative metric from an analysis of variance (ANOVA) where a given data
point is six standard deviations away from the average on a normal distribution where 99.74% of
the data set resides under the normal distribution (Caulcutt, 2001). 6 sigma is used in
determining the consistency or reliability of data.
Defect – is an occurrence outside the allowable limits of a process such as a student not knowing
what or restaurant customers who receive food they did not order.
Sigma – noted as the Greek symbol σ, this is the value of one standard deviation from the mean
of a normal distribution (Caulcutt, 2001).
Six Sigma – ―is a business process that allows companies to drastically improve their bottom line
by designing and monitoring everyday business activities in ways that minimize waste and
resources while increasing customer satisfaction‖ (Harry & Schroeder, 2000)
Standard Deviation – known as a sigma (σ), is a statistical measurement of the variation within a
set of data (Ha, 2005).

5. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 5
Problem Formulation
The problem is, though individuals living within poverty conditions may want to attend
and successfully complete college as a means of escaping their current financial situation, they
cannot because of a limited ability to perceive an alternate reality caused by a lack of language.
This is described by the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that states an individual’s language provides the
structure for a person’s conceptualization of thought. Without the language needed to properly
describe the new outcomes or the processes for arriving at them, people are unable to change
their socio-economic status. The relationship of language and a human’s ability to conceive an
idea was first conceptualized in fourth century Greece by Aristotle. It has been discussed since
by individuals such as linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt in the eighteen hundreds who postulated
that language was responsible for framing an individual’s perception, to Edward Sapir and
Benjamin Lee Whorf who, in 1929 identified language as the navigation system for social
perception (Jing, 2011). Applying von Wumboldt’s understanding and the Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis, individuals lacking language that extends beyond their situation of poverty cannot
conceptualize the methods or practices necessary to make changes to escape their economic
condition. An example of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the hypothetical story of an
archeologist searching through the uncharted jungle of southeastern Peru for lost ancient
temples. After breaking through some brush the archeologist finds himself at the edge of a
primitive village and face-to-face with six of its inhabitants. The archeologist raises his camera
and begins snapping pictures to document his discovery when the men of the group lunge at him
with spears. Held captive by the villagers, the archeologist frantically attempts to explain what
his camera does but with no word for photograph or camera, the villagers are unable to
understand his explanations and kill the archeologist. Jing explains the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

6. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 6
using European languages and the native American language of the Hopi tribe by stating that
from a European language perspective, time is a quantifiable aspect of life whereas the Hopi use
time as a relationship to before or after an event. Whorf understood that the language an
individual uses is a direct reflection of the individual’s perception of the world, according to
Jing, which can be expanded to include the environment that an individual exists within as a
direct cause of the barriers that exist surrounding education. The language of the neighborhood
becomes the language of the individual, even if unintentionally, framing the perception of
thought conception (Jing, 2011).
Study Purpose
The purpose of the proposed research is to perform a timeline study measuring the affects
of The Great Discovery (Six Sigma Generation Four) via the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis on the
lowest income undergraduate students at an institution for post-secondary education on Native
American tribal land to determine if training in The Great Discovery methods of goal setting,
process planning, force field analysis, and execution strategies raises low-income students’ grade
in comparison to students of higher income status. The benchmark data from research study
participants will then be compared to same data for the entire student population of the same
university.
Study Research Questions
Q1: Do the participant’s report a change in the methods of goal setting and process
execution following The Great Discovery training?
Q2: Do the participant’s report a change in their language surrounding goal setting and
goal achievement following The Great Discovery training?
Q4: Do the participant’s feel they are more following The Great Discovery training?

7. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 7
Quantitative Research Questions and Hypotheses
Q5: Was the average participant’s score for the class affected by The Great Discovery
training?
H10: The Great Discovery training will not affect participant’s class grades.
H1a: The Great Discovery training will positively affect participant’s class grades as
measured by a greater grade increase than students of the same socio-economic
status.
Research Method and Design
The researcher has selected a timeline study using a Solomon four-group design to
determine if The Great Discovery intervention affects student’s performance in class apart from
the natural proficiency gained with increased topic familiarity. In a Solomon four-group design,
each sample of students is divided into four groups; the first receiving no pretest or treatment, the
second receiving a pretest but no treatment, the third receiving no pretest but the study treatment,
and the fourth receiving the pretest and treatment. This method should identify the change, if
any, attributed to The Great Discovery training. The proposed research will be conducted within
a single class, facilitated by one instructor to ensure the validity of the potential change following
The Great Discovery training.
Study Population
The study sample will be undergraduate students at an institution for post-secondary
education on Native American tribal land scheduled on roster for entry into the study course.
Each student of the study sample will be randomly assigned to one of the four groups (no pretest
or treatment, pretest but no treatment, no pretest but the study treatment, pretest and treatment)
so necessary pretesting can be done with time for participant completion of The Great Discovery

8. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 8
training. Following participant’s assignment to study group and prior to the beginning of the
course, The Great Discovery training will be provided to participants of groups three and four via
internet-based training program.
Conclusion
Zailani and Sasthriyar (2011) indicate that Six Sigma has been used as a quality
improvement tool and a management tool, though traditional Six Sigma deployments rely on the
highly trained practitioners executing the complex statistical investigations seeking to eliminate
defect (Tarantino, 2009). The proposed research study aims to determine if The Great
Discovery, is a valid strategy for improving goal setting techniques, process planning, force-field
analysis, and process execution in undergraduate students at the University of Phoenix.

9. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 9
References
Caulcutt, R. (2001). Why is Six Sigma so successful? Journal of Applied Sciences, 28(3&4),
301-306. doi 10.1080/02664760120034045
Chu, S. Y. (2011). Perspectives in understanding the schooling and achievement of students from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Journal of Instructional Psychology,
38(3), 201-209. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Ha, S. M. (2005). Above the curve: Six Sigma learning begins at home. Industrial Engineer: IE,
37(11), 36-41. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Harry, M. J. & Lawson, C. (2010). How to get out of the box and win. Scottsdale AZ: The Great
Discovery Publishing L.L.C.
Harry, M. J., & Schroeder, R. (2000). Six Sigma: The breakthrough management strategy
revolutionizing the world’s top corporations. New York, NY: Currency Publishing
Haveman, R., & Smeeding, T. (2006). The role of higher education in social mobility. The
Future of Children, 16(2), 179-203. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.
Janicki, K. (2011). Communication and understanding. AILA Review, 24(1), 68-77. Retrieved
from EBSCOHost.
Jing, H. (2011). The validity of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis-Rethinking the relationship among
language, thought and culture. US-China Foreign Language, 9(9), 560-568. Retrieved
from EBSCOHost.
Liang, H. Y., (2011). The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and foreign language teaching and learning.
US-China Foreign Language, 9(9), 569-574. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.

10. Six Sigma Generation Four for Undergraduate Student Success 10
Mamiseishvilli, K. (2010). Effects of employment on persistence of low-income, first generation
college students. College Student Affairs Journal, 29(1), 65-74. Retrieved from
EBSCOHost.
Reboul, A. (2011). Language—Of freedom and human bondage. Social Science Information,
50(1), 128-141. doi: 10.1177/053901841038836
Sanders, J. H. (2010). Six Sigma myths busted. Industrial Engineer, 42(3), 41-46. Retrieved
from ProQuest.
Tatantino, A. (2009). Risk management for the next generation. Industrial Management, 51(1),
14-17. doi: 10.1080-00207543.2010.508952
Zailani, S., & Sasthriyar, S. (2011). Investigation on the Six Sigma critical success factors.
European Journal of Scientific Research, 57(1), 124-132. Retrieved from EBSCOHost.