Paper for 2nd International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education Curriculum design and delivery of lectures can be integrated with green elements in the teaching and learning process - service delivery. In fact, there is a keen competition among educational institutes under globalization and explosion of technology. It is time for faculty members to re-visit the ways of minimizing the time of service delivery with the concept of Six Sigma but maximizing the outputs of the teaching and learning process.

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
Dr. Shirley Mo-ching Yeung
Quality Assurance Director/ Assistant Professor
Department of Supply Chain Management
Hang Seng Management College (HSMC), Hong Kong
Linking WuWei (Daoism) with Contextualization via QFD for System Thinking
According to UNESCO (2010), Education for sustainability (EfS) has international
priority, as emphasised by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (DESD 2005-2014), which seeks to integrate the principles, values, and
practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning, in
order to address the social, economic, cultural and environmental problems we face in
the 21st
century (UNESCO, 2010, p.1). As innovative and proactive educational
practitioners, it is believed that the objectives, learning outcomes, activities (in-class
and/ or out-of-the class) and assessments have to be well-planned and penetrated with
spiritual and real life elements, for example Wuwei and connectivity of Daoism to
develop system thinking and widen the horizon of learners via the use of Six Sigma –
Quality of Deployment (QFD).
Apart from the above rationale of education for sustainability put forward by
UNESCO, the findings of Yeung (2014) from literature of the past 10 years also
highlighted that there were five factors for green service delivery, they were:
1) Organizational mission with quality concepts;
2) Staff management with caring mindset;
3) Strategy with green elements;
4) Technology with removing waste and streamlining operational processes; and
5) Economic returns with increase in total revenue in green services delivery.
Curriculum design and delivery of lectures can be integrated with green elements in
the teaching and learning process - service delivery. In fact, there is a keen
competition among educational institutes under globalization and explosion of
technology. It is time for faculty members to re-visit the ways of minimizing the time
of service delivery with the concept of Six Sigma but maximizing the outputs of the
teaching and learning process, for example, integrating spiritual and real life elements
into specific disciplinary modules in supply chain management (SCM) (for example,
module of Current Issues in SCM) to fulfill the needs of the community for
sustainability.

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
This paper is to highlight the importance of integrating WuWei (Daoism) with
disciplinary knowledge to benefit the learners in developing a cross-cutting ability to
perceive the world from a wider perspective and also to provide an insight to faculty
members on the use of Six Sigma (refer to Figure 1.0) - integrating disciplinary
knowledge of supply chain management with WuWei and Six Sigma concepts of
SIPOC and QFD of Six Sigma. Ultimately, both the learners and the faculty members
will develop system thinking with creativity for sustainability.
Contextualization of Contents via WuWei
In this paper, it is intended to explore the use of WuWei (Daoism and connectivity) to
increase the awareness of faculty members that integrating this kind of spiritual
elements into the disciplinary knowledge of SCM in a given scenario can increase the
understanding of the true self for harmony, for life-long innovation and finally for a
sustainable curriculum.
Based on the eight qualitative interviews with scholars from Canada, the U.S.,
Malaysia, Macau, Hong Kong who have experience in GE curriculum design; and
literature on Daoism and Quantum skills model, it is found that the ideas of Daoism –
WuWei (non-action) can be integrated with subject-based module to increase the
awareness of “connectivity” for harmony and life-long innovation that is beneficial to
undergraduate students. In fact, this kind of cross-disciplinary design of curriculum
for harmony and life-long innovation is needed to meet the challenges of the dynamic
external environment.
This study highlights the ideas of “WuWei” (non-action): minimizing force,
interference and intervention, and within the context of the Dao, harmonizing oneself
with the patterns and pulses of the cosmos (Nixon, 2006) to complement with the
findings of the cross-boundary interviews on GE. Barrett (2011) mentioned that
WuWei was first and foremost a special way of comporting oneself in the world: more
specifically, it was a form of action distinguished by 1) fine-tuned responsiveness or
skill, 2) non-deliberative spontaneity, 3) effortless, and 4) enjoyment. This composite
picture of WuWei was incomplete, however, as it remained vague in precisely the
respect that was presently under investigation, that was, the respect in which these
traits combine to present in an image of ultimate or spiritual fulfillment.
Chen (2005) made a remarkable comment on WuWei in his article of “Thinking ‘the
Unthinkable’ and Teaching ‘the Impossible’ East-West Dialogue through ‘Chaos’ of

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
Aesthetic Formulation, Butterfly Effect of Sagely Action, and Responsive and
Responsible WuWei of De” that no flow with the flow was no longer for the purpose
to ‘fit in’ but to transform or to effect changes within, the system that one fitted in.
Fitting in thus became simultaneously the means and the needs itself for
transformation. In this case, the self in Daoism was a fractal itself, one that potentially
could seamlessly interweave its being with the affinitive systems, or attractors in the
world, whose organization was now recognized to transcend classic dimensionality.
He mentioned that we humans could do in the world was so little, it would be better
for people to understand the philosophy of “a Yin Thought – System” in which the
particular capitulated to the demands of its environment and ‘flows with the tao’ –
WeWei then became literally ‘doing nothing’. Consequently, Chen encouraged
students to talk about their experience with images created through the enriched
image-making, way-making, world-creating, or Dao-carving language that should
produce as much meaning –making ripples as it would be with any thought-provoking
flapping of the butterfly.
“We should encourage them to describe in as much detail as possible
not just for correctness but relevancy, not just for clear language but
strong language, not just for denotation but evocativeness as well.
We should let the vibration of their mind go. We should let ‘butterfly’
of their feeling transform with the echoes and ripples of the pond,
the evoked rhythm and pulses of their lives. We should actively
employ theories that emphasize non-cognitive function of language
with the implication of the Dao, the chaos theory, and ‘aesthetic
composition’for the dynamic and broad vision of life.”
(Chen, 2005, pp. 174)
Hence, spirituality with WuWei and real life activities with inspiration, integration,
and multi-disciplinary knowledge outside the classroom are recommended to develop
a broad mindset for students to change and to generate innovation, for example,
missionary trip, residential College life, College-wide assembly, company visits with
the use of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma for process improvement…etc.
Customization of Contents via Six Sigma
As curriculum design activities are situational – based on the needs and wants,
requirements, and expectations of stakeholders, using systematic thinking for building
inter-relationship of components in curriculum design is very important.

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
“Sigma” is a symbol meaning how much deviation exists in a set of data. It is
used to identify the number of defects within the production process. For
service industries or social service organizations in relation to organization
culture, it can be interpreted as defects in working relationship and
communication that affect organizational performance. The aim of this
research is to make use of the idea “Quality Function Deployment (QFD)” in
Six Sigma to outline the requirements of internal customers – curriculum
designers and external customers – employers and accreditation bodies in
supply chain management (SCM) programme design to match the system
thinking of Six Sigma – SIPOC and the contents and activities expected from
the community. The matrix of House of Quality in Six Sigma can help reduce
defects – mismatch of deliverables.
When designing the House of Quality for matching the concepts of SIPOC
(Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, Customers) of Six Sigma and the
contents of a supply-chain related module, the author has collected relevant
data through literature on WuWei and General Education, and interview with
scholars on curriculum design to increase reliability.
In the following figure 1.0 of QFD, it is understood that inputs and processes are
important in curriculum design to enhance the learning outcomes of WuWei for
spiritual development, and current issues of SCM – green and ethics for knowledge
development. And, the learning process is tied up closely with the customers (i.e.
learners). If the learning activities and assessments are coherent with support from
relevant departments, for example General Education and Supply Chain Management
Department, the expected learning outcomes of learners will be achieved. Hence, it is
strongly recommended to adopt the system thinking of Six Sigma in curriculum
design for sustainability.

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
Fig. 1.0
Integrating SIPOC with contextualization of contents for Employability and
Sustainability
0 0
0
Contextualizati
on of Contents
(Literature
Review and
Interview
Results)
Score of
Importanc
e
Suppliers
(faculty with
knowledge
and practice
of WuWei)
Inputs
(College
mission
with
quality
concepts)
Processes
(faculty
and
supporting
staff with
system
thinking,
lean Six
Sigma,
green
mindset of
service
delivery to
streamline
operational
processes)
Outputs
(economic
returns
with
increase in
total
revenue in
green
services
delivery)
Customers
(learners
with
sustained
learning
outcomes
serving
the
communit)
e.g.
Spirituality of
WuWei
9 7
Department
of General
Education
(Generic)
for Daoism
9
Current
SCM
Issues with
arguments
on green,
ethics,
transformat
ion..etc. ,
e.g. toxic
substances
in children
garment of
LV
9
Engage
experience
d faculty
from Dept.
of GE and
SCM for
team
teaching to
highlight
the
importance
of
educating
9
The level
of system
thinking l
can be
enhanced
with cross
disciplinary
knowledge
9
Holistic
system
thinking
and lean six
sigma
concept
will be
developed
via paper of
this kind

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
New
regulations
imposed in
countries
Opinion
from
industry
practitioner
s and
academics
staff with
responsibili
ty in
managing
issues in
SCM
Create
contextuali
zed
environ-
ment for
students
(e.g.
learning
outside the
classroom)
Diarize
the pros
and cons of
issues for
stakeholder
map
analysis
Team spirit
of teachers
from GE
and SCM
can be
strengthene
d
Application
skill of
students
can be
enhanced
via
discussion
of current
issues in
SCM with
WuWei
e.g.
College-wide
Assembly
7 7 9 7 9 9
e.g.
Residential
College Life
with faculty /
industry
practitioners
as mentors
9 7 9 9 7 9
Total : 25 21 27 25 25 27

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International Conference on Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education June 2014 Arnhem, The Netherlands
Target Areas for
Improvement:
Engagement
of
Departments
Procedures
to align
vision/
mission and
staff for
curriculum
design
Increase
creativity &
competency
of teachers in
module
design and
delivery
On-going
generic
measurement
of outputs
(learners/
teachers/
industries)
with
evidence for
improvement
On-going
systematic
tools for
measuring
specific
learning
outcomes
for employ-
ability and
sustainability
For the future research area, it is suggested to design a cross-disciplinary GE module
with elements of Daoism, meditation, yoga to broaden the learning experiences of
undergraduate students for life-long innovation with harmony and transformation for
sustainability.
Key words : Daoism/ WuWei, harmony, life-long innovation,
General Education (GE), sustainability