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BBM IV semester
Subject: Case Analysis & Methodology
Module 1: Introduction to case study

Introduction

Case studies have been increasingly used in education. Case Study plays a vital role in
imparting managerial skills in the students. Case studies have been used in graduate and
undergraduate business education for nearly one hundred years. By engaging students in
business conflicts developed from real events, cases immerse students in the challenges
they are expected to face. Challenges that require thoughtful analyses with limited or even
insufficient information. That requires effective responses within ambiguous circumstances
or complex economic and political contexts. That, most of all, demands decisive action that
must be articulated – and even defended – among other talented, ambitious individuals.

Case: Meaning

Cases are verbal representations of reality that put the reader in the role of participant in the
situation. A business case imitates or simulates a real situation. The unit of analysis in cases
varies enormously, from a single individual or organization to the entire nation or the
world. Cases can range from one page to thirty pages or more. But they all have a common
purpose: to represent reality, to convey a situation with all its cross currents and rough
edges- including irrelevancies, sideshows, misconceptions, and little information or an
overwhelming amount of it. One can therefore assume that every case deals with something
important (e.g. a pricing dilemma, debt-equity trade -offs, a major problem in a plant).

Definition 1 : A business case has been defined as “a carefully written description of an

actual situation in business which provokes in the reader the need to decide what can
and should be done”. There is a useful place for both- long and short, complicated and
simple cases. - K.R Andrews (1951)

Definition 2 : Professor Charles Gragg's classic statement defines the intended role of case
studies as “A case typically is a record of a business issue, which actually has been
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faced by business executives, together with surrounding facts, opinions, and prejudices
upon which executive decisions have to depend. These real and particularized cases
are presented to students for considered analyses, open discussion, and final discussion
as to the type of action, which should be taken.”

Definition 3 : A case is usually a "description of an actual situation, commonly involving a

decision, a challenge, an opportunity, a problem or an issue faced by a person or persons in
an organization." In learning with case studies, the student must deal with the situation
described in the case, in the role of the manager or decision maker facing the situation.

Definition 4 : In the 1950s, Professor Paul Lawrence viewed a case history in a more
operational mode:

A good case is the vehicle by which a chunk of reality is brought into the classroom to be
worked over by the class and the instructor. A good case keeps the class discussion
grounded upon some of the stubborn facts that must be faced in real life situations. It is the
anchor on academic flights of speculation. It is the record of complex situations that must
be literally pulled apart and put together again, for the expression of attitudes or ways of
thinking brought into the classroom.

Another definition is “a case has a narrative, a story, a set of events that unfolds over time
in a particular place” . – J. Shulman (1992)

A Case is a description of an organization at a certain period of time, containing its history,

its external environments and internal operations. It exposes issues, problems and
aspirations at a particular juncture. It could be in any functional area of management. The
Cases written are always real. They are built around a theme and expanded to make them
interesting. However, from a legal point of view, most of the times, the names of the
organizations as well as the persons are changed. They provide quantitative as well as
qualitative data.

“Cases are often actual descriptions of problem situations in the field in which the case is
being used; sometimes, they are syntheses constructed to represent a particular principle or
type of problem” (McKeachie, 1999)
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Carl Christensen, defined case as "... a partial, historical, clinical study of a situation which
has confronted a practicing administrator or managerial group. Presented in a narrative form
to encourage student involvement, it provides data - substantive and process - essential to
an analysis of a specific situation, for the framing of alternative action programmes and for
their implementation, recognizing the complexity and the ambiguity of the practical world."

Thus, broadly speaking, a case is a description of a situation faced by an individual or

organization.

Case study: Meaning

Case study is defined as collection of facts, opinion & judgment relating to actual
places of business where there are problems that require solutions or result. In the
other words case study refers to the collection and presentation of detailed information
about a particular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjects
themselves. A form of qualitative descriptive research, the case study looks intensely at an
individual or small participant pool, drawing conclusions only about that participant or
group and only in that specific context.

A case study is a written record of the events that occurred at a particular company or
within a particular industry over a number of years. The details included in a case study
may include, but are not limited to:

 Information about a company, industry, or project

 Objectives, strategies, and challenges established and encountered
 Responses, results, and recommendations

A case study is a description of an actual administrative situation involving a decision to be

made or a problem to be solved. It can a real situation that actually happened just as
described, or portions have been disguised for reasons of privacy. Most case studies are
written in such a way that the reader takes the place of the manager whose responsibility is
to make decisions to help solve the problem. In almost all case studies, a decision must be
made, although that decision might be to leave the situation as it is and do nothing.

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Case studies are popular today in studying all aspect of management such as law, medical,
engineering, psychology etc. Case studies involve logical thinking, critical analysis of
management problems/decision. Case present business problems where facts, opinions,
principles and judgment are in conflict. Therefore, responsible executive must take
immediate action in a business environment to save the business from collapse by
effectively resolving the conflict.

Caselet: Meaning

A caselet is a shorter version of a case study, generally two pages in length. Caselets are
similar to case studies in that they may either describe a sequence of events or put forth an
issue or problem that requires decision making. The use of caselets is gaining popularity as
a pedagogical tool in management teaching and executive education. Short cases are
especially intended for undergraduate students

The basic objective of a caselet or short cases is to allow the learner to apply ideas and
insights from theory to the real-life issues and problems contained in the caselet. This helps
the learner obtain a deeper understanding of all the relevant factors in a particular problem
situation as well as gain insights into the finer nuances of a topic in a particular field of
management. A comprehensive case study encourages the learner to sift through the
information provided and identify the relevant facts, and then use logic and opinion to
arrive at a set of decisions. A caselet, being brief and focused on the core issue, usually
provides only the relevant facts.

Case Based learning Methodology

The case method is a teaching approach that consists in presenting the students with a case,
putting them in the role of a decision maker facing a problem. The case method is a
teaching method that is largely used in business schools. The case method has been used for
decades in many top business schools as a way for students to apply analytical and decision
making skills in a situation that simulates a realistic situation. If used in a group setting it
also gives students to develop teamwork and interpersonal skills in a learning environment.
Students should place themselves in the role of the decision maker.
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The case method of learning was first introduced in 1871 by Christopher Langdell in
the Harvard Law school. The case method of instruction in business began in 1908 at
the Harvard Business School (HBS). In india, the Indian Institute of management,
Ahmedabad adopted the case study method in the early 1960s in collaboration with
Harvard Business School (HBS)

At HBS of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, teaching is almost exclusively

(95%) done through case teaching (also referred to as the Socratic method), where the
students prepare teaching cases and discuss them in class, with a professor as moderator and
facilitator. The casebook method, also known as the case method, is the primary method of
teaching. Traditionally, the casebook method is coupled with the Socratic method in
American law schools. The Socratic method (or Socratic Debate), named after the Classical
Greek philosopher Socrates, is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with
opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking
and to illuminate ideas. The Socratic method is a negative method of hypothesis
elimination, in that better hypotheses are found by steadily identifying and eliminating
those that lead to contradictions. The Socratic method searches for general, commonly held
truths that shape opinion, and scrutinizes them to determine their consistency with other
beliefs.

The case method brings reality into the classroom. When developed and presented
effectively, with rich and interesting detail, cases keep conceptual discussions grounded in
reality. Experience shows that simple fictional accounts of situations and collections of
actual organizational data and articles from public sources are not as effective for learning
as are fully developed cases. A comprehensive case presents you with a partial clinical
study of a real-life situation that faced practicing managers. A case presented in narrative
form provides motivation for involvement with and analysis of a specific situation.

By framing alternative strategic actions and by confronting the complexity and ambiguity
of the practical world, case analysis provides extraordinary power for your involvement
with a personal learning experience.

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1. Case analysis requires students to practice important managerial skills--diagnosing,

making decisions, observing, listening, and persuading--while preparing for a case
discussion.
2. Cases require students to relate analysis and action, to develop realistic and concrete
actions despite the complexity and partial knowledge characterizing the situation being
studied.
3. Students must confront the intractability of reality--complete with absence of needed
information, an imbalance between needs and available resources, and conflicts among
competing objectives.
4. Students develop a general managerial point of view--where responsibility is sensitive to
action in a diverse environmental context.

Functional areas of case study

Business cases are historical descriptions of actual business situations. Typically,

information is presented about a business firm's products, markets, competition, financial
structure, sales volumes, management, employees and other factors affecting the firm's
success. The length of a business case study may range from two or three pages to 30 pages,
or more. The case study/ discussion method of teaching has been employed for many years
and with considerable success in the humanities, business, education, legal, and medical
fields. A business case study can deal with any of the following functional area:

 Marketing - brand management, consumer behaviour etc.

 Human resources- Leadership & Organisational culture - Interpersonal/ intercultural
skills, negotiation etc.
 Finance - Analytics/ quantitative methods, managerial accounting, corporate finance etc.
 Operations Management – Production management, supply chain management
 Information Technology / Management information systems etc.
 Managerial economics - Entrepreneurship/ new business ventures, strategy, general
management etc.
 Business and government - Law, regulation, macroeconomics etc.

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Educational Applications of case study method

Case studies have also been used as a teaching method and as part of professional
development, especially in business and legal education. The problem-based learning (PBL)
movement is such an example. When used in (non-business) education and professional
development, case studies are often referred to as critical incidents. When the Harvard
Business School was started, the faculty quickly realized that there were no textbooks
suitable to a graduate program in business. Their first solution to this problem was to
interview leading practitioners of business and to write detailed accounts of what these
managers were doing. Cases are generally written by business school faculty with particular
learning objectives in mind and are refined in the classroom before publication. Additional
relevant documentation (such as financial statements, time-lines, and short biographies,
often referred to in the case as "exhibits"), multimedia supplements (such as video-
recordings of interviews), and a carefully crafted teaching note often accompany cases.

Unlike traditional lecture-based teaching where student participation in the classroom is

minimal, the case method is an active learning method, which requires participation and
involvement from the student in the classroom.

Figure 1: Instructor versus participant centered learning

The above diagram offers a spectrum of instructor versus participant centered learning. The
learning effectiveness of the lecture method has been questioned because of the lack of
interaction; but it continues as a means of reaching a large group at one time with
a condensed, organized body of information. Participant-centered learning, the
foundation of the case method, is an important part of the educational process at many
leading business schools. The case method is effective, since participant plays important
role in driving the case discussion and analysis, and instructor coordinates and gives
direction to the discussion and analysis.
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The basic purpose of instituting the case method as a teaching strategy was to transfer much
of the responsibility for learning from the teacher on to the student, whose role, as a result,
shifts away from passive absorption toward active construction. Through careful
examination and discussion of various cases, students learn to identify actual problems, to
recognize key players and their agendas, and to become aware of those aspects of the
situation that contribute to the problem. In addition, students are encouraged to generate
their own analysis of the problems under consideration, to develop their own solutions, and
to practically apply their own knowledge of theory to these problems. Along the way,
students also develop the power to analyze and to master a tangled circumstance by
identifying and delineating important factors; the ability to utilize ideas, to test them against
facts, and to throw them into fresh combinations.

In addition to the practical application and testing of scholarly knowledge, case discussions
can also help students prepare for real-world problems, situations and crises by providing
an approximation of various professional environments (i.e. classroom, board room,
courtroom, or hospital). Thus, through the examination of specific cases, students are given
the opportunity to work out their own professional issues through the trials, tribulations,
experiences, and research findings of others. An obvious advantage to this mode of
instruction is that it allows students the exposure to settings and contexts that they might not
otherwise experience.

The case study method also incorporates the idea that students can learn from one another
by engaging with each other and with each other's ideas, by asserting something and then
having it questioned, challenged and thrown back at them so that they can reflect on what
they hear, and then refine what they say. In summary, students can direct their own learning
by formulating questions and taking responsibility for the study.

Usefulness of the case study method of teaching in business/ management education

Case Study method of teaching is helpful in management education primarily for the reason
of giving managerial skills like analysis of business problem and synthesizing the action
plan. This also helps in developing mature judgment and useful attitudes among the

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learners. The method also is used to apply the management techniques learnt and
emphasizes both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The case method has been found to
be extremely useful in acquiring knowledge, developing skills, forming attitudes and
influencing behaviour.

1. Acquiring knowledge
In the managerial context, knowledge is, firstly, situation-specific concerning policies of
those - both external and internal - who influence managers' actions, and, secondly,
concepts, approaches and techniques expounded in the literature or by colleagues, or from
other sources. A manager needs to acquire such knowledge, not merely as words but so as
to be able to appropriately interpret it for improved decision making. In the case method,
knowledge is acquired while grappling with a real-life situation and not in isolation of its
context.

2. Developing skills
Development of skills involves an element of actually doing. The case method helps,
through discussion of real-life situations, to discriminate properly between the situations
where particular skills could or could not be applied. The practice part could be
accomplished by doing the exercise repeatedly or using different cases over a period of
time. The case method builds the capacity for critical thinking. Discussions exercise skills
of debate and challenge. Direct debate over practical problems stimulates student effort.

3. Forming attitudes and values

Formation of attitudes and values for adults is a time consuming process, as attitudes and
values are fixed early in life. It seems that the discussion mode of the case method,
particularly with co-learners, helps a great deal in re-examining the attitudes and values of
managers. Such discussions in small groups should be characterized by a relaxed, tension
free, non-evaluative atmosphere in which participants may discuss their own experiences.
Exposure to different ways of looking at the same situation might provoke the process of re-
examining one's own attitudes and values. Needless to say, the longer the duration of the
programme, the higher the likelihood of more participants starting such personal re-
examination and attaining a greater degree of change in attitudes and values.

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4. Behavioural learning
Behavioural learning is done mostly through on-the-job training and experience. However,
the learning of attitudes and behaviour could be enhanced by supplementing the case
method with the syndicate method and field project work. The syndicate method
(discussions in small groups) is an integral part of the case method. Field projects are
widely used in degree-type programmes to provide real life behavioural exposure.

The case method models the process of inductive learning-from-experience that managers
will employ during their careers. Thus, the method prepares the student for life-long
learning, and for being a useful participant in a learning organization. A case permits me to
demonstrate that the problem actually exists in the world; my style is to move, layer by
layer, from the specific to the general, ending up with the principle or theory of interest. For
me this is more valuable than constantly asserting that various theories are useful in practice
in order to hold student attention.

To summarize, we can say following are the objectives of the Case Method.

 Apply managerial concepts & theories into practice.

 Shifts away from passive absorption toward active construction.

 Gain exposure to a variety of organizational & managerial situations. Acquire particle

knowledge to solve problems. Developing decision making skills.

 To get into the habit of diagnosing the problem, analysis & evaluation of alternatives &
formulation of an action plan.

Inventory of Skills Developed by the Case Method

Michiel Leeenders, Louise Mauffette-Launders and James Erskine in 1999 point out a rich
inventory of skills that can be developed by the case method. The following points lists out
the transferable skills and competencies that can be developed by case study method in the
students.

 Analytical skills. The case method enables you to develop qualitative and quantitative
frameworks to analyze business situations, including problem identification skills; data

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handling skills; and critical thinking skills. You are forced to reason clearly and
logically in sifting carefully through the data available.
 Decision making skills. The case method pushes you, on the basis of your analytical
work, to assess what can be done and to make decisions. You will learn to generate
different alternatives, to select decision criteria, to evaluate alternatives, to choose the
best one, to formulate congruent action and implementation plans.
 Application skills. Cases provide an opportunity for you to practice using the tools,
techniques, and theories you have learned.
 Oral communication skills. The case method provides ample opportunity not only to
listen to your colleagues but also to express yourself, construct arguments and convince
them of your views. Thus, a whole set of speaking, listening and debating skills are
developed. In this exchange of ideas and arguments, you learn to think on your feet,
consider others’ viewpoints as well as to take and defend your positions.
 Time management skills. Under the heavy pressure of case preparation and the
juggling of your various other responsibilities, you are forced to schedule educational
activities carefully and manage time effectively.
 Interpersonal or social skills. The case method, through small group and large group
discussion, promotes learning how to deal with your peers. This learning includes
conflict resolution skills and practicing the art of compromise. Because so much of your
future work life will involve committees, task forces, boards or project teams, learning
to work effectively in a group will differentiate you.
 Creative skills. Because no two business solutions are quite the same, the case method
encourages looking for and finding solutions geared to the unique circumstances of each
case. This method invites you also to use your imagination in problem solving, as there
are normally multiple solutions to each case.
 Written communication skills. Through regular and effective note-taking, case reports
and case exams, you learn the skills associated with effective writing. Emphasis on
writing skills varies depending on the program you are enrolled in but often takes on a
high priority in business programs, as it is a key factor of success in management.

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Types of cases

 Caselet: A case could be a one-page, or even smaller, description with very little
quantitative or qualitative information, of a situation faced by a manager concerning just
one of the aspects of management involving just another individual. This is usually
termed a 'caselet' or mini case or short problem situations may be fabricated from a
composite of situations provided care is used in writing so as not to have
inconsistencies.
 Comprehensive case: It could also be extensive and detailed, forming what is called a
'comprehensive case.'

There is room for wide variation of cases. Cases need not be based only on real life
situations nor be comprehensive. Consequently, all case studies are not structured
similarly, and variations abound in terms of style, structure and approach. Case material
ranges from small caselets (a few paragraphs to one-two pages) to short cases (four to
six pages) and from 10 to 18 page case studies to the longer versions (25 pages and
above).
 True cases - which relate actual situations or events experienced by real persons or
organizations.
 Disguised cases - which are based on real events, but with names of organizations and
individuals changed to protect proprietary interests, prevent legal problems, or avoid
embarrassment.
 Fictitious cases - which are created by the case author in order to present a specific
situation for analysis for students.
 Multi-media cases- is in the form of audio-video clipping, rather than written
document.
 Informational type case studies - These, include a variety of items like working
environment, inter-organizational context, coordination, activities, problem areas,
history of events, inhibiting factors on, decision making, etc. This type increases
‘awareness’ about the environment and helps in the decision making process. This also
helps in the evaluation of consequences of a decision.
 Appraisal cases - These involve problem solving and decision making process.
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 Historical cases - These involve research and educational interests.

 Live and experimental cases cases - Social welfare rehabilitation or introduction of
ideas and analytical concepts form the basis for these cases: These types of cases help-to
analysing psycho/ social problems like drug addiction, alcoholism amongst workers, etc.

Dimensions of a case - Three possible dimensions encompass a large part of the case:

 What is described. A case could merely describe an individual, an incident, an

organization, or a system. On the other hand, it could describe a decision making
situation faced by a manager, involving part or whole of the organization, with a focus
on one or more of the elements of the problem solving approach.
 Purpose. The purpose of a case may be either research or learning. If the purpose is
learning, the emphasis could be on one or more of the forms of learning, namely
acquiring knowledge, gaining skills, and developing attitudes and values.
 Mode of description. The nature of presentation could be written, audiovisual or oral.

Conclusion

A case sets forth, in a factual manner, the events and organizational circumstances
surrounding a particular managerial situation. A case is a partial, historical, clinical study of
a situation, which has confronted a practicing administrator or managerial group. Presented
in narrative form to encourage student involvement, it provides data-substantive and
process-essential to an analysis of a specific situation, for the framing of alternative action
programs, and for their implementation recognizing the complexity and ambiguity of the
practical world. It puts readers at the scene of the action and familiarizes them with all the
relevant circumstances. A case on management can concern a whole industry, a single
organization, or some part of an organization; the organization involved can be either profit
seeking or not-for-profit. The essence of the student’s role in case analysis is to diagnose
and size up the situation described in the case and then to recommend appropriate action
steps.

Answer the following questions.

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SECTION A (2 MARKS)

1. What is case?
2. Define case study
3. What is caselet?
4. Write two use of case study method of learning?
5. What are the two types of case study?

SECTION B (5 MARKS)

1. Write a note on case based learning methodology.

2. What are the inventories of skills developed, in a student by the case method?
3. Write an elaborate note on educational applications of case study method.

SECTION C (15 MARKS)

1. What is case study? Write your comment on the statement ‘the case method as a
learning tool’.
2. What is case study method? What is the usefulness of the case study method of teaching
in business/ management education?
3. Explain the case study method of learning? What are the types of case study?

SECTION D (30 MARKS): Case study and article

Reference Book:

Neeta Baporikar, Case Method: Cases in Management, 2nd edition, 2008, Himalaya
Publishing House, Delhi.

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