Hrm 590
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 managements involved, and to examine the case and to practice analyzing and solving real world strategic situations.
Please use the following format to guide your thinking and to frame your written case analysis (if required). This works if you are formally presenting a case analysis, or merely using the analysis for your own discussion purposes.
Key Issues and Assumptions
• Identify and define the key issues in the situation described in the case and/or your underlying assumptions.
• Every situation has a number of issues and your task in this section is to identify the major issues that you will focus your analysis on PLUS any assumptions you feel it is important to highlight.
Analysis
• What are the causes/factors producing the situation described in the case?
• Are its likely effects a major problem, or so minor that they should be ignored?
• You will need to devote most of your efforts to this section, as this is the most difficult part of the assignment for most students because it involves theorizing about why things have happened, rather than just describing what did occur.
• Your objective is to figure out WHY the situation arose so you can begin to pinpoint what aspects of the
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 managements involved, and to examine the case and to practice analyzing and solving real world strategic situations.
Please use the following format to guide your thinking and to frame your written case analysis (if required). This works if you are formally presenting a case analysis, or merely using the analysis for your own discussion purposes.
Key Issues and Assumptions
• Identify and define the key issues in the situation described in the case and/or your underlying assumptions.
• Every situation has a number of issues and your task in this section is to identify the major issues that you will focus your analysis on PLUS any assumptions you feel it is important to highlight.
Analysis
• What are the causes/factors producing the situation described in the case?
• Are its likely effects a major problem, or so minor that they should be ignored?
• You will need to devote most of your efforts to this section, as this is the most difficult part of the assignment for most students because it involves theorizing about why things have happened, rather than just describing what did occur.
• Your objective is to figure out WHY the situation arose so you can begin to pinpoint what aspects of the