Organizational Theory and Teamwork in the Classroom

In 1938, John Dewey, the influential philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer wrote that “All genuine education comes through experience.” Along with many other business educators I take his words very seriously, so much so that I designed a course on Organization Theory that simulates the experience of real organizations for undergraduate business students. The basic structure of the class is as follows. Before they arrive in class on the first day, every student is assigned to one of six organizations. Each organization elects its own leaders, designs its own culture, and competes with other in-class organizations on weekly exercises. Each week the best organizations earn bonus points.

The effects of this course structure on student behavior are remarkable. Triumphs are met with cheers and exchanges of high-fives; defeats produce emotions that range from good-natured annoyance to anger. Sometimes the members of organizations form such strong bonds that they meet outside of the classroom for social activities, such as a trip to a bowling alley or to the student pub. Other times the tension between organization members leads to conflict. Of course, these things can and do happen in the so-called “real world,” and the consequences of success and failure in business organizations are usually greater than a lost bonus point. Hopefully, having experienced these things first in a classroom setting, students will be better prepared to deal with them during their careers.

For those who would like to learn more details about this course, a paper entitled “Putting “Organizations” into an “Organization Theory” course: A Hybrid CAO Model for Teaching Organization Theory,” which details the structure and development of the course, will soon be published in the Journal of Management Education.

– Dr. David R. Hannah, Associate Professor, Management and Organization Studies