DJ Encounter : Invitation to the aesthetic turn in management education

This piece is inspired by aesthetic and arts-based practices in management education, a field which aims to deepen and broaden forms of knowing and knowledge beyond the theoretical. We propose, animate and offer the aesthetic metaphor of educators as ‘DJs’ using ‘DJ Sets’. Just as DJs master the adaptation of aspects of volume, tempo, resonance and variety of mixes on a turntable to co-create the musical experience with the crowd, educators use practices that layer and juxtapose different teaching methods allowing for the educator's and student's intentions, beliefs, ideas and experiences to shape the learning experience directing them to underexplored, new places. This piece introduces the ‘DJ metaphor’ for educators and provides examples as to how educationalists in business and management can create highly impactful teaching and learning spaces and practices, with a view of inviting the reader to embrace the aesthetic turn in their educational practice.