The Use of Living Cases in Teaching Business Policy

Abstract

This article discusses the use of "living cases" as a means of increasing the excitement and relevance of business policy courses. With living cases, students are teamed with business owner/managers for an entire course. The business owner/managers attend and participate in all classes with the students. Students report that the business owner/managers provide a reality base that increases their understanding of course concepts, and owner/managers report that they benefit from seeing their firms from a fresh perspective. Implementation issues are also discussed.