Who said that you cannot have fun while studying?

Students practiced structural ambidexterity by using Legos

February 10, 2022

Fourth year students at our Hospitality and Tourism Management program, who took the concentration of courses in Entrepreneurship, had a lot of fun this week at the Entrepreneurial Leadership class taught by Milena Kužnin.

The main topic of the class was practicing structural ambidexterity by using Legos, and the goal was to teach students taking the Entrepreneurship concentration how to be more exploitative and explorative in their entrepreneurial mindset development.

For those wondering what structural ambidexterity really means, here are some insights in the topic: In today's uncertain and volatile business environment practicing a more balanced way between prediction and creation becomes almost an imperative for organizations that want to succeed in the long run (Cesaroni et al., 2005; O'Reilly and Tushman, 2008). Structural ambidexterity therefore serves as an interdisciplinary approach to practicing the "mentality of abundance" and requires from leadership the integration of both (Hansen et al., 2018).

After being introduced to the overall topic, the students engaged in Lego exercise where they had to practice both the prediction (build the tallest structure using given resources - Legos) and creation (build a model that illustrates student's best characteristics as a person). The students then were asked to reflect on both activities and see the benefits of both approaches and how to integrate them from a leadership point of view.

"From the perspective of a teacher, nothing gives me more satisfaction than to watch young minds thinking outside of the box and giving their best to understand and demonstrate what they've learned. This exercise encouraged students to get outside of their comfort zone and try something new. I must mention we've had a lot of fun and laughs during this useful exercise, but we were also mindful of epidemiological constraints during the whole process. If you are wondering where we've got the Legos, I am thankful to my daughters who have selflessly shared their Lego set for this occasion :) !", said Milena Kužnin.