Case Analysis: A Vocational Tool to Teach!

 

Schools across the globe use case study as a major method to teach students. What is a Case? A case is a description of a management problem or situation as viewed or presented to a decision-maker. It is a pedagogical tool that involves a discussion centred around the case. It sets a situation with all the ancillary facts, figures, emotions, opinions, views, grapevine, and the like. A case is all about a specific managerial organization containing its presents actualities, events, and institutional surroundings. It is a simulation kind of experience for the readers where he/she can familiarize themselves with the plan of action and corresponding circumstances. The case method includes the special type of instructional material that is developed for the purpose and the special technique of using that material in the instructional process.

 

Why do we need Case Methodology for Teaching?

All organizations are different and dynamic each managerial circumstance requires personalized analysis and verdict due to its exclusive aspect. Hence, Professor Charles Gragg observed and suggested that solutions to managerial problems cannot be found in textbooks and cannot be taught by mere lecture delivery. Case studies give a horizon to students to expand their limited or no knowledge about the practical approach towards managerial issues.

Case Study is for preparing tomorrow’s managers with a practical scenario by: 

  1. Providing wide-ranging acquaintance to distinctive types of circumstances, corporations, and industries
  2. Assigning myriad roles to students mentioned in the case.
  3. Prospects of allowing the application of studied principles, concepts, and techniques of management to problem situations,
  4. Preparing the students to develop managerial action plans to solve issues.

 

Objectives of Case Analysis

The objectives of the case analysis are:

  1. To enhance the understanding skills of students which will help them make decisions for the success of a business.
  2. To develop analytical skills of students for strategy making concerning different types of state of affairs, corporations, and industries.
  3. To help students do a SWOT analysis to formulate plans, strategies, and alternative strategies that are practical and connected to realities.
  4. To not restrict students with opinions of teachers and “back-of-the-book” answers and let them have an intellect of business reasoning.
  5. To give the students real business world exposure by deep knowledge about various businesses and industries.

 

How to Analyse a Case?

Students who are habituated to the lecture method of teaching are required to re-orient their study habits. A case assignment unlike the lecture method of teaching requires conscientious preparation before class. Students cannot get any benefit from a case discussion or he/she can’t contribute to the discussion unless he/she prepares himself/herself thoroughly for the case discussion. The student has to prepare to ruminate prudently on the situation presented, advance reasonable thoughts, write a well-buoyed examination of the situation, and a sound, impregnable set of suggestions and endorsements about the strategic actions that need to be taken. The students can follow the approach discussed below.

  1. Read to get acquainted: The first time reading of the case provides the students an initial understanding of the situations, issues involved in the case, etc.
  2. Read, Read and Read: This step provides full command of the facts, information, opinions, views, company culture, values, etc.
  3. Focus on the exhibits, appendices, etc.: This step provides full information about the case.
  4. Probe the case: The student should recall the difference between reading and studying.  Read in-between the lines as the problems may not be apparent in the case material itself. Students have to prepare notes about facts, important situations, information, less important information, situations, etc.
  5. Detect the issues: Students have to identify the strategic issues in the case. It helps to identify the tools and techniques of analysis and process. As mentioned in the previous step, sometimes the students are required to identify the strategic issues and problems by reading in-between the lines or by digging the information given.
  6. Perceive the key issues: The students should use their creative or innovative skills, analytical skills, and application skills to diagnose the key issue or key problem in the case. This is the crucial step in the case analysis.
  7. Check the analysis: Students have to check the diagnosis made with the help of questions given at the end of the case. The students should think repeatedly even if the diagnosis matches with the questions. Students may move to the next step after confirming the diagnosis.
  8. Reasoning: Students have to support their analysis and estimations with explanations and testimony.
  9. Verify the data and information: Case material may provide contradicting opinions, views, and information. Students have to assess the opinions, views, statistics, and information provided with the help of their skills of inferences and judgment.
  10. Analysis of the issues: After diagnosing the basic issues all other issues related to the basic issue should be analysed. These issues include the calculation of financial ratios, production figures, sales figures, human resource costs, benefits, etc.
  11. Identify the problem to solve it: The students have to use the conceptual knowledge and skills of management in identifying the data and information required to develop solutions.
  12. Compare the data and information: If both these two do not match with each other and the data available are not sufficient to solve the problem, the student has to identify the gaps in the information available.
  13. Fill in the gaps: The student has to fill in the gaps through inferences and assumptions with the help of information available, conceptual knowledge, and by reading in between the lines of the case material.
  14. Re-investigate: Given the previous step, the student has to re-check the diagnosis and re-diagnose the basic problem, if necessary.
  15. Exercise analytical tools: Strategic analysis is not just a collection of opinions and views. It has powerful tools and techniques as presented in the text. The students have to use these tools and techniques.
  16. Analyse the case: Students have to analyse the case thoroughly with the help of strategic management tools, techniques, their opinions, judgment, etc.
  17. Alternate solutions: The detailed case analysis normally paves the way to generate alternative solutions or recommendations to solve the basic problem diagnosed. The strategic management concepts should be inter-weaved with the issues identified, in developing alternative solutions.
  18. Gage the alternative results: Students should evaluate each of the alternative solutions in terms of their strengths to implement, weaknesses, opportunities provided by the external environment for implementation, and threats posed by the external environment in the process of implementation. Further, the possible outcome of each solution should also be considered in the process of evaluation.
  19. Ranking: The student has to rank the solutions based on their score in SWOT analysis.
  20. Unsurpassed solution: The student should recognize that there is no single best solution for all situations. It varies from individual to individual and from situation to situation and based on judgment. However, the student can select the best solution based on the ranking of alternative solutions.
  21. Action Plan: The students have to prepare a detailed plan for executing the best solution. The possible hindrances should also be pointed out along with the means to overcome them in the plan of action.
  22. Communiqué: The student should prepare detailed communications and address them to the parties regarding the plan of action

 

Author

Prof. Gaurav Petkar

Professor, School of Economics

Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT-WPU

 

Co-Author:

Ms. Ariba Atique Sayed (1212210043)    

Research Scholar, 

M.Sc. Economics

Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT-WPU



 

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