Applying Dramaturgy to Management Course Design

Abstract

This article discusses the holistic method of experiential course design called dramaturgy as applied to an undergraduate 3rd-year management course—the Action Learning Management Practicum (ALMP). Dramaturgy, a theater term, involves the student-centered design of the course. The development of themes is characterized by the intertwining of a range of activities designed to enhance the social, physical, creative, and reflective challenge to participants. Choreographed to expand student experiences, increase challenge, and optimize learning through the flow of “dramaturgy waves,” the activities are constantly adapted to respond to specific needs of individual students and the class as a whole. Student comments, 2 weeks and 6 months postcourse, highlight key learning and suggest that there is merit in using dramaturgy as a method of design for management courses. Its emphasis on a holistic approach provides a means for developing the whole person in management education as advocated in the literature.