Tying Yourself to the Chair: Using Slack in a Classroom as Organization

Abstract

Background: The Classroom-as-Organization (CAO) is an established experiential education approach in management education. Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to explore how students and instructors use Slack to communicate in a CAO. Methodology/Approach: We conduct a discourse analysis of three separate exchanges on Slack, an application used for student and instructor communication in an externally oriented CAO. Findings/Conclusions: While Slack provides a venue where problems can be solved, and group dynamics patterns emerge quicker, it presents challenges for instructors, particularly surrounding the balance between suggestion and directive. Implications: Instructors need to be mindful of the benefits and challenges of using Slack when it comes to problem-solving, expressing emotions, and critical thinking for class activities. Institutional support for CAOs may be essential to reduce the pressure on instructors to monitor student activity on Slack.