Business Theatre Management Training: Peculiarities, Advantages and Disadvantages of the Performing-Lesson

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the peculiarities, advantages and disadvantages of the performing-lesson, a specific form of business theatre born and developed in Italy by Spell. Methodology - This study employs an inductive approach. Based on this, starting from a specific case, this study seeks to draw more general considerations. In particular, it considers the experience of Spell in adopting an innovative approach to management that emerged from arts-based methods, such as theatre, video, film, painting and literature. Findings - The performing-lesson is a training drama that seeks to clearly transfer content to large audience in a short time in order to intrigue, shock and entertain the participants. This method is useful when companies, managers or teachers want or need to sensitise audiences (employees, colleagues or students) to some themes, or when they need to encourage them to act on their attitudes or stimulate their behaviours. In terms of its advantages, this theatrical method enables a high level of involvement and interaction, and makes the theatrical performance enjoyable in every situation via its storytelling technique. Its effectiveness is closely related to the professionalism of experts in business theatre. In terms of its disadvantages, interaction with the audience is limited or driven, and the method does not enable communication of multiple contents, but focuses on a few, specific concepts. Practical implications - This paper recommends that companies invest in business theatre, particularly in performing-lessons, as a training tool to create a formative experience that can connect with and create a lasting effect on participants. In addition, this paper proposes that companies communicate with business theatre professionals to ensure they choose suitable content and forms for the performing-lesson. To do so, it is important for companies to rely on consultants or trainers with theatrical experience, while avoiding actors or theatre professionals who do not have specific organisational skills. This method is also useful for teaching management courses in higher education. Originality and value - This study seeks to combine two seemingly distant worlds – the world of business and the world of theatre. It focuses on the performing-lesson as a technique of business theatre that has not previously been examined in-depth in the international management literature.