Collaborative Strategic Thinking: A War-Room Pedagogy for Teaching the Strategic Management

Strategic Management is widely recognized as a capstone course in business education, designed to prepare undergraduates for decision-making in complex and uncertain environments. Yet, in many classrooms, teaching methods remain rooted in lectures, case studies, and group projects that often result in task-splitting rather than genuine collaboration. As a result, students may leave the course familiar with analytical tools. Yet, they remain less prepared for the messy, adaptive nature of real strategic work. This paper proposes the War-Room Pedagogical Framework (WRPF) as an alternative approach to teaching Strategic Management at the undergraduate level. Inspired by the intensity of organizational “war rooms,†the framework positions the classroom as a dynamic space where students formulate strategies, respond to shifting scenarios, and engage in structured debates with peers. Four guiding principles underpin the design: immersion, adaptation, debate, and reflection. By moving beyond static group work, WRPF encourages students to think collectively, challenge assumptions, and refine strategies in real time. The paper argues that this approach not only deepens engagement but also cultivates higher-order skills such as strategic agility, critical analysis, and collaborative leadership. It contributes conceptually by extending experiential learning into contexts of uncertainty and practically by offering educators a flexible model that can be adapted to case studies, simulations, or industry-based projects. In doing so, the WRPF provides a pathway for preparing graduates who are not only competent in using strategic frameworks but also capable of working together to navigate the unpredictable realities of business.