Using Interactive Planning in the Entrepreneurial Class: A Live Fieldwork-Based Case and Simulation Exercise

Abstract

Interactive planning is a technique used by large corporations to plan and implement innovative changes in strategy. This article prepares the instructor to teach students the technique for entrepreneurial and small businesses. The process used to teach interactive planning is an experiential simulation based on "live case" principles using small groups. Students learn to work with actual entrepreneurs and existing businesses. They learn the need for question asking as well as question answering and how to handle choices about which data to select. They directly experience the messiness and ambiguity of the entrepreneur's world. Concepts of strategic planning, problem framing, and stakeholders are introduced and the relationship between interactive planning and the traditional business plan can be examined. At the end of the simulation, both the entrepreneur or small business owner and the instructor contribute to debriefing.

Keywords

Ackoff business plan entrepreneurship experiential learning fieldwork group exercise idealized design interactive planning live case simulation small business stakeholders strategy teaching transformational change

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