Case Analysis Success (Leadership Appendix B -- Jin, Joanna, Tong)

LC-Appendix B-Successful Case Analysis and Discussion (Jin)
The ability to read and learn from cases is an important skill for any business leader. Cases provide examples of good and bad business decisions along with enough of the story for us to learn from the challenges and approaches in them. They also provide an opportunity to test our business judgment and decision-making ability in the context of real business problems.
Since case analysis and discussion are standard approaches to learning in the business school classroom, this appendix is intended to help us approach both with some of the traditional techniques needed to succeed in the case classroom and to obtain the most out of the case experience. The discussion here contains hints on how to do the following: perform a successful case analysis; contribute to a case discussion; organize a case analysis report; stay within the ethical boundaries of case discussions; get the most out of the learning experience that case discussions provide.
Successful Case Analysis and Discussion
Performing a Successful Case Analysis

1. Skim the case quickly
2. Write out what you see as the central problem in the case
3. Read the case through more carefully, highlighting key issues and facts to support the central problem
4. List the possible solutions to the case problem
5. Select a solution and develop you defense
6. Outline how you would implement the solution
Contributing to the Case Discussion
1. Summary of case
2. Your sulotion
3. An alternate solution to one suggested by a classmate
4. An explanation of any underlying assumptions in the case
5. Transition to another area of the case
6. Connections to other cases read for this class
7. Clarification of relevant financial or quantitative information
8. Application of an analytical approach
9. Synthesisi of key learnings from the case
10. A summary of the discussion
11. Suggested next steps

Organizing A Case Analysis or Report
1. Inductive or indirect
strategic issues and problems
analysis of problems
recommendations

2. Deductive or direct
recommendation or solution
support for solution or evidence for recommendation
brief discussion of alternative solutions

3. Issues and results (executive)
crucial strategic issues
assumptions about issues
recommend strategies
justification for recommendation
plan of action
expected results

4. Elimination of alternatives
discussion of at least three alternative solutions
summary of why only one is the best
reinforcement of that one

5. Pros and cons
introduction of two best solutions
advantages and disadvantages of each
conclusion, recommending the preferred alternative

6. Thesis-antithesis-synthesis
solution
counters or objections to that solution
combination with solution emphasized


Staying within the Ethical Boundaries of Case Analysis

o 1. Pass along case notes or old case reports to students who have not yet taken the course
2. Discuss the case with someone who has not yet had the case in class
3. Attempt to find out "what happened in the case" (as if what the company did was the correct answer, or that someone else's "right" answer is right for you)
4. Contact a case company without permission to gather more information about the case situation
5. Identify the real company in a disguised case
6. Take advantage of group members by letting them do the bulk of the work instead of reading and analyzing the case yourself
Getting the Most out of the Case Experience

o 1. Prepare for the discussion by skimming, reading, thinking about the case
2. Emphasize the student-to-student learning over the teacher-to-student learning
3. Listen carefully to colleagues and synthesize their ideas and yours to develop your own critical analytical abilities
4. Develop your own personal system of case analysis
5. Remember, case analysis is designed to sharpen your analytical skills

Successful Case Analysis and Discussion
Perform a successful analysis Skim the case quickly
Write out what you see as the central problems in the case
Read the case through more carefully, highlighting key issues and facts to support the central problem
List the possible solutions to the case problem
Select a solution and develop your defense
Outline how lyou would implement the solution



Stay within the ethical boundaries Pass along case notes or old case reports to students who have not yet taken the course
Discuss the case with someone who has not yet had the case in class
Attempt to find out "what happened in the case"
Contact a case company without permission to gather more information about the case situation
Identify te real company in a disguised case
Take advantage of group members by letting them do the bulk of the work instead of reading and analyzing the case yourself



Contribute to a case discussion Summary of case
Your solution
An alternate solution to one suggested by a classmate
An explanation of any underlying assumptions in the case
Transition to another area of the case
Connections to other cases read for this class
Clarification of relevant financial or quantitativeinformation
Application of an analytical approach
Synthesis of key learnings from the case
A summary of the discussion
Suggested next steps


Organize a case analysis report Inductive or indirect
Deductive or direct
Issues and results
Elimination of alternatives
Pros and cons
Thesis-antithesis-synthesis


Get the most out of the learnign experience that case discussions provide Prepare for the discussion by skimming, reading, thinking about the case
Emphasize the student -to-student learning over the teacher-tostudent learning
Listen carefully to colleagues and synthesize their ideas and yours to develop your own critical analytical abilities
Develop your own personal system of case analysis
Remember, acase analysis is designed to sharpen your analytical skills