Manabi

Abstract

This note is an experiential exercise designed for 240 students divided into eight companies of 30. The exercise uses minimal setup yet explores issues of leadership, organizational design, organizational change, and building a learning organization. It is designed for a five-hour session divided into seven periods, but could be run as a day-long exercise. Participants organize leadership, production, marketing, accounting, distribution, quality, and human resources functions for a manufacturer (of paper origami toys) and then face rapid and turbulent market changes that force them to shift to knowledge products (leadership quotes and haiku poems). The teaching note outlines how to run the exercise from start to finish.

Keywords: leadership, organizational change, organizational design, organizational behavior