Challenges to Advancing Evidence-Based Management in Organizations: Lessons From Moneyball

Abstract

Moneyball, the popular film adaptation of Michael Lewis’s book on baseball, provides an engaging vehicle for teaching evidence-based management and decision-making bias, two topics that students without prior work experience may struggle to grasp. This article provides clip-by-clip examples of probing questions that can be used to foster a robust in-class discussion of both topics. While many students may have watched the movie in its entirety, the recommended clips have served as an effective teaching tool for students with no prior knowledge of the movie.

The Stages of Team Development: Examples From the Real World

“…Research has shown that using a film is an effective pedagogical tool in the field of Management (Schmidt, 2021). By using films to depict relevant examples, student engagement can be increased and students are able to explore what they’ve learned in the classroom in a more creative and personal manner (Cannon & Doyle, 2020; Schmidt, 2021; Urick & Sprinkle, 2019).…”

Lessons on the Resource-Based View and Generic Competitive Strategies From Kinky Boots: The Musical

“…This use compares favorably with the use of other films or series in management courses, such as 12 Angry Men (Rabinowitz & Fender, 2020) and Band of Brothers (Stratton et al, 2020). Finally, while several authors have detailed how specific films could be used to teach strategy-related concepts (Cannon & Doyle, 2020; Champoux, 2001; Hayward & Walker, 2016), Kinky Boots: The Musical is unique in its focus on a Black gender nonconforming protagonist. This example of a gender nonconforming protagonist answers calls for management educators to better prepare students for changing norms around gender expression (Graham & MacFarlane, 2021; Robinson et al, 2017).…”