The Case Method of Learning: Is it a Team Effort?

Harvard B-School Experience - A Note

The goal of HBS or IMT is to prepare students for the challenges of leadership. We believe that the case method is b far the most po!erful !a to learn the s"ills re#uired to manage$ and to lead. The case method forces students to grapple !ith e%actl the "inds of decisions and dilemmas managers confront ever da . In doing so$ it redefines the traditional educational d namic in !hich the professor dispenses "no!ledge and students passivel receive it. The case method creates a classroom in !hich students succeed not b simpl absorbing facts and theories$ but also b exercising the s"ills of leadership and team!or" in the face of real problems. &nder the s"illful guidance of a facult member$ the !or" together to anal 'e and s nthesi'e conflicting data and points of vie!$ to define and prioriti'e goals$ to persuade and inspire others !ho thin" differentl $ to ma"e tough decisions !ith uncertain information$ and to sei'e opportunit in the face of doubt. (ioneered b HBS facult in the )*+,s$ the case method began as a !a of importing slices of business realit into the classroom in order to breathe life and instill greater meaning into the lessons of management education. Toda $ although !e also ma"e use of lectures$ simulations$ field!or"$ and other forms of teaching as appropriate$ more than -, percent of HBS classes are built on the case method. What is an HBS Case? T picall $ an HBS case is a detailed account of a real.life business situation$ describing the dilemma of the /protagonist/0a real person !ith a real 1ob !ho is confronted !ith a real problem. 2acult and their research assistants spend !ee"s at the compan that is the sub1ect of the case$ detailing the bac"ground of the situation$ the immediate problem or decision$ and the perspectives of the managers involved. The resulting case presents the stor e%actl as the protagonist sa! it$ including ambiguous evidence$ shifting variables$ imperfect "no!ledge$ no obvious right ans!ers$ and a tic"ing cloc" that impatientl demands action. 3ollectivel $ HBS cases cover ever inch of the rich landscape of issues general managers confront0from finance and manufacturing to mar"eting and human resources$ from the broadl strategic to the deepl personal$ from companies and institutions small and large$ from places around the globe. The also dra! on the full range of "no!ledge and anal tical tools business students must "no! to confront these issues$ providing a rich conte%t for their application. Though ever case is different$ nearl all center on one overarching #uestion: What should the protagonist do? In their t!o ears at HBS$ students stud more than 4,, cases04,, chances to 1oin !ith their classmates to test themselves against the roc".hard realities of life in business. Ho !oes the Case Method Wor"?

Ever !ee"$ our MB5 students pore over fourteen or so cases$ !hich usuall include a range of

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financial and other supporting data. 5fter spending a couple of hours stud ing each case on their o!n$ and conducting #uantitative anal ses as appropriate$ the test their thin"ing before class in small stud groups of four to si% people. 2rom ears of previous educational e%perience$ most people are accustomed to large$ passive lectures$ amidst faces the barel "no!$ and problem sets !ith an unclear relationship to actual business situations. 5t HBS$ first. ear sections of about ninet students share an amphitheatre. st le classroom$ designed e%pressl for the case method$ for about four hours a da for the entire ear. B !or"ing together dail on a !ide arra of real cases$ the not onl learn the lessons of business and management$ but the often forge relationships that last a lifetime. 5lmost inevitabl $ class begins !ith a /cold call$/ a provocative #uestion the professor poses to one specific student to open the case and ignite the thin"ing of the section as a !hole. In the course of a ear$ ever MB5 student is cold.called at least once$ and ou never "no! !hen it !ill be our turn0a po!erful incentive to come to class prepared. 2rom the springboard of this opening #uestion and the response$ the class collectivel dives into a riveting eight minutes of anal sis$ argument$ insight$ and passionate persuasion. In more traditional classrooms$ practicall the onl voice ou hear is the professor6s. HBS professors aren6t soloists$ but rather conductors !ho ever da orchestrate a stimulating rapid.fire discussion$ pla ing off all ninet minds in the room to anal 'e and s nthesi'e the situation. Since 4, percent of each student6s grade depends on class participation$ ever one is inspired to contribute. It6s commonplace at HBS for our professor to be the author of the case under discussion. It6s also not unusual for the actual case protagonist to participate in the class or arrive via live video to ans!er #uestions and e%plain ho! things finall turned out0a po!erful ad1unct to the lesson. Increasingl $ professors also enrich their teaching through technolog $ using ever thing from real.time simulations of d namic inventor management to live video tours of the factor floor. 3lass rarel ends !ith a tid solution to the protagonist6s dilemma$ but more often !ith a deep appreciation of the comple% factors at pla $ a clear idea of ho! to appl appropriate techni#ues to anal 'e and assess the problem$ and ne! insights into ho! to deal !ith the untid uncertainties of real business.

HBS Sections# Learning fro$ %ne Another Ever entering MB5 student is assigned to a specific section that !ill ta"e all of its first. ear classes together. Though each section is carefull selected to mirror the diversit of the student bod as a !hole$ each develops its o!n personalit and protocols. Ever section is taught b a team of facult !ho !or" closel together to integrate ideas and themes across the various classes. 2or HBS students$ their section becomes the center of their intellectual and social life$ their e%tended famil on campus$ allo!ing them to reap the re!ards of a more intimate environment !hile at the same time reali'ing the advantages of a large school. It is also a safe environment for honing the practical s"ills of compromise$ negotiation$ team!or"$ persuasion$ and leadership. Sections are intended to ma%imi'e one of the strengths of the case method: Every student is also a teacher. 5 great part of !hat students learn at HBS comes from listening to the do'ens of contrasting anal ses$ opinions$ and perspectives of their sectionmates$ a diverse constellation of e%ceptionall talented people from an e%traordinar range of personal and professional bac"grounds. 5fter ears of e%perience$ facult have set the si'e of a section at about eight to ninet students$ a number that allo!s them to bring this rich diversit to bear on case discussions

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!hile encouraging the proper level of vibrant interaction.

Wh& Are St'd& (ro'ps So )$portant? Earl in the first ear$ most students band together !ith several sectionmates to form a stud group that !ill !or" together throughout the ear$ meeting dail or several times a !ee". Students ma assemble the group based on temperament and chemistr or !ith an e e to including a specific mi% of bac"grounds and e%pertise that ma help them address the man dimensions of the cases the !ill discuss. 2or those used to solitar nights in the librar $ the emphasis at HBS on stud groups ma come as a surprise$ but the are universall described b MB5 students as "e to their success7 a personal and intellectual resource the couldn6t do !ithout. 8ffering a miniature version of the diversit in a section as a !hole$ a stud group is a place to clarif difficult concepts$ test ideas$ as" /dumb #uestions$/ learn ne! !a s of attac"ing a problem$ and sometimes 1ust to rela%.

The *ole of the +ac'lt& Teaching an HBS case is an unpredictable business. There is no familiar lecture to deliver$ and no telling #uite !hich !a the conversation might turn. 9ecent events in the business !orld ma cast the case in an entirel ne! light. Thus$ 1ust as students must prepare intensel for ever class$ HBS facult spend a great deal of time preparing for each class as !ell$ alone and in teaching teams$ even for cases the !rote themselves or have taught man times before. 5nd because students bring so much ne! energ and insight to ever discussion$ case teaching is a process of constant intellectual rene!al and gro!th in !hich the teachers can learn as much as the students do. The hallmar" of the HBS facult 0and !hat students remember and value most0is their e%traordinar passion$ commitment$ and s"ill as teachers. 8ur facult members are famousl /close to practice/: Man serve as business leaders$ entrepreneurs$ consultants$ and board members in their o!n right. :ra!ing on that e%perience as !ell as their intellectual rigor$ the have produced some of the most influential business research in the !orld$ and the !rite b far the greatest number of cases used in business classrooms around the globe. ;et the trul come alive in the classroom$ pursuing their mission to educate the ne%t generation of leaders !ho !ill ma"e a difference in the !orld. )s the Case Method Effective? The HBS approach to the case method of teaching ma represent the most demanding$ engaging$ and provocative !a to learn about the s"ills of leadership$ short of actuall serving as a 3E8. But does that preparation lead to significant results in the real !orld? (erhaps the best measure is the e%traordinar success of our alumni. HBS graduates have gone on to positions of leadership in an e%ceptional range of entrepreneurial firms$ established companies$ governments$ and nonprofit organi'ations in countries across the globe. 5nd man of them have maintained that their e%perience !ith the case method at HBS has been crucial to their success$ giving them the "no!ledge$ the s"ills$ and confidence to deal effectivel !ith the !ide arra of difficult decisions the have faced throughout their careers. 5lthough there is no substitute for e%perience$ the education students receive at HBS helps them ma"e the most of that e%perience$ providing a solid foundation that serves them for a lifetime$ no

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matter !hat path the choose to follo!.

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