Classroom as Organization: Then, Now, and Next

Abstract

Classroom as Organization (CAO) is a highly experiential teaching approach that transforms the classroom into a functioning, student-run organization. CAO emerged during the early days of the organizational behavior field and continues today. While CAO research has a rich history in the Journal of Management Education and its predecessors, this article marks the first comprehensive literature review on the topic. We review the CAO literature, trace the development of this methodology, and create a visual map of the key models. By exploring CAO’s past and present, the aim is to distill key insights about this method and outline avenues for more educators to adopt this innovative and empowering teaching methodology in the future. We conclude by calling for continued empirical research (at the class and program levels) and intentional community building to support faculty and encourage broader adoption of CAO.