LARP in the lecture hall? Yes, that was on the schedule for Bachelor’s students studying Management & Entrepreneurship at the beginning of November. Live action role playing (LARP) for the “Innovation and Change Management” specialization focused on experiencing change processes in family businesses.
When Theory becomes a Game
Guided by lecturer Dr. Maija Worek, fifth-semester students took on various roles in a family conference, complete with individual role descriptions and clear tasks. Two sessions dealt with two different starting situations: the economic situation and the challenges of succession planning for the fictional company Stahlbau Moritz GmbH.
At the beginning, the students were assigned specific roles: for example, boss Horst and his wife Else, who want to hand over the business; son Kevin, who has fallen out with his father; and daughter Veronika, who has the relevant training but does not have her father’s trust. The students also “played” a wide variety of employees from the workforce.
Armed with their previously acquired theoretical knowledge and specific information and skills about the characters, the students engaged in lively debates and were able to apply their knowledge directly to real-life situations. Different opinions were discussed, perspectives changed, and constructive solutions emerged – just as happens in real change management.
This course provided authentic experiences and promoted key skills that are crucial in innovation management. The students were able to try out and directly experience how change can be shaped, and stakeholders can be convinced.
Interested in playing? Information about the game and materials developed by Prof. Birgit Felden at the HWR Berlin is available at www.nachfolgelabor.de.
>> More information about the Bachelor`s program in Management & Entrepreneurship