Instructor Resource
Neck, Neck, & Murray, Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset
SAGE Publications, 2018
1
Experiential Exercises
Chapter 2: Practicing Entrepreneurship
Source: Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-Based Approach (p. 105–109), by H. Neck, P.
Greene, & C. Brush, 2014, Northampton, MA: Elgar.
Exercise: Puzzles and Quilts
Authors: Heidi Neck and Patricia Greene
Description
This exercise is an interactive challenge designed to help raise student awareness of the
difference between predictive and creative thinking. It also is a strong illustration of how to gain
a better understanding of the impact of increasing degrees of uncertainty on the entrepreneurial
process. Given the unprecedented level of uncertainty in business and entrepreneurship, students
must learn how to navigate effectively in an increasingly uncertain world.
Usage Suggestions
Ideally, the exercise should be done on day one of a general entrepreneurship course as a way to
set up how entrepreneurs think and the difference between entrepreneurial and managerial
thinking. This exercise is ideal to illustrate the differences between the prediction and creation
approaches illustrated in Chapter 2.
Learning Objectives
Experience the difference between prediction and creation.
Materials List
Jigsaw puzzles (one per group, 300 pieces)
Pre-Work Required by Students
None.
Instructor Resource
Neck, Neck, & Murray, Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset
SAGE Publications, 2018
2
Theoretical Foundations
Neck, H. M. (2011). Cognitive ambidexterity: The underlying mental model of the
entrepreneurial leader. In D. Greenberg, K. McKone-Sweet, and H. J. Wilson (Eds. ), The
new entrepreneurial leader: Developing leaders who will shape social and economic
opportunities (p. 24–42). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Time Plan (60–80 Minutes)
The exercise begins in a room with tables for each team. Students are asked to clear their table in
preparation. The second room required is a large empty space. A table (fairly long) is placed in
Puzzle time 0:00–0:05 (5 minutes)
Divide students into groups of five to seven and give them the following directions: “Your task is
Random pull-out to quilting room 0:05–0:30 (25 minutes)
Pull students at random from the puzzle room, one at a time, asking for one volunteer from each
group. The individual volunteered or selected from each group is taken to the empty room with
the table of fabric.
At the fabric table the first group is told: “Your new task is quite easy but you don’t have a lot of
time. You are now designated quilt leaders. Your goal is to construct a design for a quilt. Choose
six pieces of fabric from the table—no more and no less. Select an area in the room and begin to
Instructor Resource
Neck, Neck, & Murray, Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset
SAGE Publications, 2018
3
Debrief 0:30–1:00 (30 minutes)
The debrief may take place inside the quilt room or back in the classroom depending on group
size. If debriefing inside the quilt room, have each quilt leader describe how the design of the
quilt emerged. If debriefing outside the quilt room, give students time to walk through the quilt
room to study all the quilt designs before leaving the room.
Begin with questions:
How many preferred the puzzle? Why?
How many preferred the quilt? Why?
Focus on quilts:
Ask the leaders about how the design came to be.
Ask team members why they joined one team versus another.
How did it feel moving from puzzle to quilts?
What type of thinking was required for each part of the exercise?
Puzzle as managerial thinking:
The goal is well defined (the puzzle picture is typically on the outside of the box).
Determine resources to achieve the goal (puzzle pieces).
Quilt as entrepreneurial thinking:
Entrepreneurs start with what they have rather than what they need (fabric pieces).
When entrepreneurs are not sure what to do their only choice is to act (pick a group and get to
work).
The design of the quilt emerges over time because it’s difficult to plan (the quilt keeps changing
Optional leadership debrief 1:00–1:20 (20 minutes)
What is leadership? (Ask them to write down their definition.)
Instructor Resource
Neck, Neck, & Murray, Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset
SAGE Publications, 2018
4
How did you “see” leadership around you? (Call on several different quilt groups.)
How did you “see” followership?
Who were the assigned leaders?
Did the rest of you know there were assigned leaders?
Key Takeaways
Under conditions of extreme uncertainty, the only choice is action.
One form of thinking (entrepreneurial or managerial) is not necessarily better than the other, yet
it is important to understand the environmental context. If the skills for completing a jigsaw
Teaching Tips
It is preferable not to refer to the exercise as the “quilt exercise” prior to conducting the exercise,
because it rather gives away the punch line. Pacing is very important. As soon as the quilt leaders
Attribution
The exercise is adapted from Saras Sarasvathy’s crazy quilt principle within her work on