Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
As you can see, eective case analysis is really an instance of eective problem solving, decision analysis and decision making. You want the case analysis process to increase the chances of making an eective decision. This means dening a process for reaching a decision which gives you the time and resources to reach a good decision. Some of what we discuss in class can help you in this process. However, rather than wait until then, here are some guidelines for case analysis which may help you now.
for each alternative, and the value to the player(s) in the case of these outcomes. Evaluate these alternatives by looking at possible outcomes and their consequences, in order to choose the alternative which best suits the goals you are pursuing. It is critical to consider implementation of a proposed solution in your evaluation. Choose the alternative which is most suitable in terms of both benets and costs to the rm and players in the case. Be sure in your analysis to consider whether you can sell your recommendation. Be sure to present both the costs and benets to the decision maker in your presentation. Few solutions are perfect, and some attention to dealing with costs and negative consequences is necessary. What is required for the eective implementation your recommendation(s). Considerations about implementation and feasibility should be included in your case analysis writeup.
3. Your writing should be clear and to the point. Your writing, formatting and document design should all help you eectively communicate your analysis and recommendations. 4. There is no need to restate details in the analysis. Only the information necessary to eectively make your argument should be provided. 5. Think about how you would package your analysis. How would you write the cover memo? How would you write the executive summary? Here is a set of guidelines for business analytic writing. Analyze your purpose and audience. Who will read your report? What are your objectives? Generate ideas. You need to develop an analysis. The key elements were covered earlier in this paper in the section on case analysis. Have you made eective use of your group and course materials in the analysis? Organize your information. Organize your information and categorize it so you can control your information and data eectively. Use the tools word processing or desk top publishing software provides to eectively highlight critical points and issues. Develop an eective and persuasive sequence of your ideas. Write a rst draft. Circulate it in your group. Edit and rewrite for simplicity, clarity and brevity. Thoreau once wrote Sorry I wrote such a long letter, I didnt have time to write a short one. Your report should clearly present four elements to the reader. 1. A clear succinct statement of the problem(s). The problem statement should reect the core issues in the case you are going to address. It reects the analysis you have done, rather than the surface issues often presented in any business problem. 2. An analysis which identies the root cause(s) of the problems identied. This is the most dicult and critical section. Your goal for this element is to clearly show why the identied problem exists. If you have done a good job here, the rest of your work will be far easier. 3. Given the problem and the root causes of the problem, you can identify what your goals are in the situation. Such goals or objectives should be clearly stated. You should indicate how you would know that the goal was achieved; e.g., how would you measure goal attainment. When the goals are attained, then we can know if the problems identied have been solved. 4. The management actions required to move towards achieving a problem solution. These have to be specic. For example, saying that two people should cooperate is inadequate. What is required is clearly stating the actions and conditions which 4
will increase the chances two people will cooperate. What will you do? What will you say? Be sure your recommendations are consistent with your analysis, and meet the requirements for solving the problem. Evaluate your recommendations for both their costs and their risks. Be sure to consider the implementation of your recommendations. Are your recommendations feasible given what you know from the course and the particular case.
Grading
Cases will be graded by the instructor and graders under the instructors supervision. Grades will be assigned using letter grades with pluses and minuses. Each individual in the group receives the group grade. If you think the grade assigned is not correct, please submit a written request for a regrade to the instructor. The case will be regraded by the instructor. Your regrade may be higher, lower, or stay the same. Here are criteria for case grading. This is to help you see what the criteria are in case grading. Each grader is given guidelines on the specics of each case in addition to these general criteria. Case reports should be viewed as business documents. They are evaluated both in terms of their intellectual and professional quality. A to A+. This is given for an excellent, insightful analysis. The analysis is extremely well written, persuasive, and shows creative, unusual insight. No negative comments would be required on such a report. The only comments required might be those which extend interesting ideas oered in the report. B+ to A-. Such a report meets the requirements set out for a case analysis. The major issues in the case are handled well, and there are no major oversights or omissions. More specically, the problem is clearly and concisely stated. The analysis explains the causes of the problem, what are the eects of the problem, and distinguishes causes from symptoms. Facts in the case are used appropriately and concisely. The goals set out are important, clear, specic and measurable. The justication for the goals chosen is clear. Recommended actions are clearly stated and appropriate. They address the underlying problem(s). The recommendations are concrete and appropriate consideration is given for implementation. Risks are explicitly noted and weighed. B- to B Such an analysis has some weak sections which do not fully meet the requirements for a case analysis. There should be clear evidence that the case has been evaluated adequately. However, one section or major component of the analysis is inadequate, or several sections and components have serious but not fatal aws.
C to C+. The analysis is has several major problems and serious deciencies, and does not meet the requirements for a B- or higher. C- to D. The analysis is grossly inadequate, meeting none of the requirements set out above.