CASE ANALYSES

by Budhesh Chopra

Cases are detailed descriptions of real management situations. In the Case Analysis your objective is to analyze the management problem and make a recommendation for solving that problem. By applying concepts to actual cases, you improve your ability to think analytically when identifying problems and creating solutions.

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Preparing the Case Analysis

There are four basic steps to follow when preparing a Case Analysis. However, because you will encounter a wide variety of cases and problems, you should determine the appropriate approach to each situation. Generally, the four steps are:

1.  Clearly define the problem.

Be sure to identify the problem and not the symptom of a problem. For example, a decline in sales is a symptom of a problem; you must identify the actual cause of the decline in sales. It is also important to establish that the problem is a major problem for the company.

2.  Formulate alternative solutions to the problem.

It may be helpful to brainstorm as many solutions as you can and then narrow your list down to three or four solutions you feel are the strongest.

3.  Evaluate and compare the alternative solutions.

To evaluate alternative solutions you should consider their strengths (e.g. increased productivity) and their weaknesses (e.g. increased cost).

4.  Recommend and justify an effective solution.

Be sure to record the reasons why the chosen solution is most effective. In your Case Analysis you must provide a recommendation that is supported by your analysis.

Note: Your assignment may require that you identify more than one problem and develop a set of recommendations. 

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Writing The Case Analysis Report

Once you have the results of your Case Analysis you are ready to prepare the written report. It is important that your report include both qualitative and quantitative evidence to support your recommendations. Depending on the requirements of your specific assignment, the format of your report may vary. Following are the general components of a written Case Analysis report:

Title page

Table of contents

Introduction (this is not a summary; briefly describe the purpose and sections)

Environmental Analysis

A. General environment (economic, political, social, etc.)

B. Operating environment (competitors, suppliers, customers, etc.)

C. Internal environment (organization's finance, marketing, personnel, etc.)

Problem definition

A. Problem 1 and evidence

B. Problem 2 and evidence (if applicable)

C. Problem 3 and evidence (if applicable)

Alternative solutions

A. Description of solution

a. Strengths

b. Weaknesses

B. Description of solution 2

a. Strengths

b. Weaknesses

C. Description of solution 3

a. Strengths

b. Weaknesses

Recommended solution

A. Description of solution

B. Justification for alternative chosen

C. Implementation specifics

Summary of analysis

References

Technical Appendices

A. Financial anlayses

B. Other technical information

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Presenting The Case Analysis Orally

Consider these tips when preparing for your oral presentation:

Use an outline; do not read the written report.

Provide class members with a copy of the outline.

Emphasize only the key points of your analysis; do not provide excessive detail.

Use visual aids such as simple pie charts, graphs, or bulleted statements.

Make sure visual aids are large enough to be read by people in the back of the room.

How to Write Good Essays

The goal of the essay is to use material from the course to answer a question in a brief and analytically rigorous manner. A good essay states a clear thesis and systematically supports the thesis with evidence from the lecture and readings.

Some general comments about social science writing are in order. Social science writing is fundamentally about making an argument. Writing a social science paper is like having a debate. You, the author, decide upon the position you find most persuasive; it is your job to convince the reader that your interpretation of the evidence is most convincing. This entails citing evidence from the course materials to support your claims and making an argument for why your position is the most convincing interpretation of the evidence. The debate analogy also implies that you succinctly demonstrate why your interpretation is more convincing than the other competing interpretations. These skills take time to perfect.

Answer the question

A good essay answers the question asked. Read the question carefully, and answer it as it is asked. Be careful that you do not answer the question you wish had been asked, or a variant of the question closer to what you know. If the question has multiple components, be sure to address all parts of the question.

Write an outline

Writing an outline before you start the paper is imperative to the coherent organization of the essay. An outline will help you make sure that your thoughts are organized and presented in the most cogent possible manner.

Have an argument

Part of answering the question is crafting an argument. The importance of having a clear argument cannot be overstated. All too often, students submit papers that have the elements of a good paper but lack coherence. This trap can be avoided by presenting your general argument in the opening pages of the paper and then turning to the evidence. Make the argument clearly, cogently, and with logical precision.

Don’t waste space explaining what other people have or have not said, how important the topic is, or why and how it is related to other important themes (on which you know more and feel more comfortable writing).

Use evidence properly

Once you have established the argument, think about how you can illustrate and support it using evidence and facts that you have learned from the lectures and readings. Evidence supports an argument; it does not constitute an argument. Importantly, evidence must be interpreted to explain why it supports your claim.

In other words, do not just present a set of facts or state the argument of a particular author; rather, you should demonstrate precisely how and why this evidence makes it more likely that your argument is correct. Simply presenting information that is vaguely relevant to the question is not marshalling evidence.

Structure effectively

Academic writing involves fashioning a coherent set of ideas into a logically structured paper. This means presenting your points in the order that will make the most sense to a reader. Do not forget to state your argument clearly in the first paragraph of the essay. A good introduction should also present a “road map”

for the paper (i.e., a brief explanation to the reader of how the essay is organized). Since your argument is very likely to evolve as your write, it often easier and more effective to write the introduction last.

Be direct

This is not a course in creative writing; there is no premium placed on maintaining suspense or a sense of drama. Write precisely, clearly, and simply. Obviously, good papers will be free of spelling and grammatical errors. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to edit and proofread your work. If possible, have someone else read your essay before you hand it in.

Be prepared

There is no substitute for knowing the course material. No amount of clarity (or obfuscation) can compensate for a lack of basic knowledge and understanding of the readings and lectures. By the same token, if you know the material very well, and present it clearly, you will do well on the exam.