The Harvard Business Case Graphic Novel

A few weeks ago, I interviewed workforce development expert Nancy Ahlrichs about tips for managing Generations X and Y. Perhaps Jeremy Short, a professor at Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, would have liked to add one more idea to Ahlrichs' points about coaching younger workers and giving them more learning opportunities: keep them entertained. At least, this seems to be the principle behind Short's case study that he wrote as a graphic novel.

Published earlier this summer, "iPremier (A): Denial of Service Attack" is the first Harvard Business case to embrace the graphic novel format. (For those of you not sure what a graphic novel is, think comic book with a meatier story line.) Short adapted the case from an earlier study by Robert Austin, a faculty member at Harvard Business School.

The "iPremier" case details an IT security crisis and tackles issues such as "risk management, preparation for crises, management of crises, computer security and public disclosure of security risks," according to a Texas Tech press release.
Short was a good choice to ink the study. In May he published an article in the Business Communication Quarterly titled "The Graphic Novel: A 'Cool' Format for Communicating to Generation Y." In the article, Short argues that graphic novels may communicate business ideas more effectively than traditional textbooks for the current generation of business scholars.

Reading this, I thought back to reactions concerning my aforementioned "Managing Generations X and Y" article. As one reader characterized these generations, "they are narcissistic, overly concerned with their personal self-esteem and their personal feelings, need too much micro-stroking, have limited attention spans..." You get the idea. I imagine that a development such as graphic novel case studies could reinforce ideas that younger generations expect to be entertained and won't perform if you don't meet this need.

Yet it also seems like an innovation that could be enjoyed not only by Generation Y, but those who like a good story no matter when they were born. What do you think: Are there benefits to mixing entertainment with business education? Are lessons easier to learn when you're enjoying them?

Graphic novel image courtesy of Flickr user Asheboro Public Library, CC 2.0