The teacher who makes complex theories accessible by using role play and real-life case studies

“The point of reference is a key concept in my pedagogy. It is important to understand where the students are coming from,” says Johan Jakobsson, who teaches international business, leadership and organisation.

At the start of his teaching career ten years ago, he realised that he often set the bar too high. Over time, he has developed his ability to connect with his students and engage their curiosity.

As well as being the programme director for the Master's programme in International Business, he also teaches on the Master's programme in Management and the Bachelor's programme in Business and Economics. He also teaches stand-alone courses in management and organisation, as well as on the Human Resources programme.

“Stimulating students’ interest is central. Academic concepts can be difficult to grasp. If you can engage them, their understanding and motivation will increase,” he says.

Role-playing his mother’s experiences

Role play is one of Johan Jakobsson’s main tools in the classroom. For instance, he re-enacts his mother’s experience of being a minority in the workplace after she immigrated to Sweden from Finland. Through such scenes, students can experience concepts such as contrast, when the majority reinforces its established norms, and assimilation, when the minority adapts to the majority, in a concrete way.

“When they see me step into the role, almost like theatre, a level of understanding emerges that is hard to achieve through theory alone.”

He finds his work most rewarding when he sees a spark of curiosity ignite in a student, prompting them to ask questions and think critically.

"That shows integrity and a sense of responsibility for one’s own learning. Those moments are fantastic!”

Learning to handle uncertainty

Johan Jakobsson also works extensively with live case pedagogy, in which students analyse real companies and practise critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making.

“They also learn how to deal with uncertainty. In real companies, many parameters are unknown, so students need to practise working with assumptions,” he explains.

The students have worked with companies such as the board game company MIG, the food producer Dafgårds, APM Terminals (which operates the Port of Gothenburg) and the Dutch logistics company Mammoet (which relocated the church in Kiruna).

Learning as an experimental process

Through his research on multinational corporations and their subsidiaries, Johan Jakobsson has visited many companies in the Middle East, China, and India. He draws on these experiences in his teaching. He also conducts research on how live case pedagogy promotes learning.

"When there is no single correct answer, the entire process becomes experimental. Students have to justify their solutions and explain their reasoning. My research shows that working with live cases strengthens student engagement and motivation.”

He emphasises that university studies are not about receiving ready-made answers, but rather about developing one’s own approach to learning. Teachers are there to provide support and resources, not simply to deliver PowerPoint presentations. Real value is created through classroom interaction: you can ask questions, receive explanations and engage in self-reflection.

"Participating in classroom teaching is also important for building a sense of community and creating a network. The social dimension of studying should not be underestimated – the contacts you make are often at least as valuable as the education itself,” says Johan Jakobsson.