MGMT599: GUIDELINES FOR CASE ANALYSIS

Some students initially find case analysis of strategic issues to be difficult and uncomfortable. This is due to the relative lack of structure of most problems. No correctly answered list of pre-questions or mechanical process will lead to the “right” course of action. In fact, there usually is no single, definitively “right” solution to most managerial problems. When analyzing a case, remember that there are often many possible solutions. The goal is not to find “the solution”, but to examine the case and practice analyzing and solving real world strategic issues using the concepts and theories you learn about in this course.

Your goal in analyzing the case is to focus on the problem, the …show more content…

It is better to give a thorough, explicit analysis focused on one or two primary strategic issues than it is to barely touch upon six strategic ideas.

• Sometimes students come up with amazing recommendations (for better and worse) that have no relationship to their analysis. I want to see that it’s the analysis that frames decisions made about the case. A poor analysis that results in good decisions means that somewhere or other, you have intuitively understood the case, but you need to backtrack and figure out what you understood. A great analysis that results in decisions that come from left field signals that you are not applying what you learned in your assessment/analysis of the situation.

Some helpful hints for participating in Case Study Discussions, whether in the online threads, or elsewhere:

• Keep in mind that there is usually more than one effective approach to resolving the strategic issues in the case.

• Offer your ideas, substantiating them with facts from the case and course material. Don’t fall into the trap of being told, “That’s an interesting idea, but you have no data or case facts to support your conclusions.”

• Be assertive, yet professional and respectful in questioning or disagreeing with a classmate. Case discussions are an important opportunity to refine interpersonal skills. “I see some drawbacks to your proposal” or “I’m wondering if you considered the effects of X on Y” creates a much different climate