Case Study

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A Case Study, One Approach

As many who have taught the MBA Capstone course for the past several seasons here at the University, I have come to realize that there are likely as many processes to parse case studies as there are discussions that can be held on the topics advanced. In an attempt to offer some clarity on expectations to my students, I have synthesized from any number of texts and discussions with other professors on what constitutes a case study—without writing a book!

• When does it end? (It doesn’t.) • What did the author forget? • What was important? • What did the professor expect me to indicate was the reason for he or she assigning the

contents? The most important answers I can find to these questions become the famous “It depends!” Here is a very short attempt to suggest some order and illuminate “depends.” For further illumination, I highly recommend you consult Dr. Ellet’s book in the supplemental resources for an exhaustive effort to capture all the variables with some descriptive case examples. For our use: When you first approach a case study, you might ask:

• What does it attempt to convey? • Why did the author or authors write it? • In what format is it written? • What question or point is it attempting to illuminate?

Sometimes none of these answers are immediately clear. Much depends on the writing skill of the author.

• Is it learned, elegant, and direct prose that explains the points? • Does the author ramble and include information that may not be pertinent? The answer

is, again, “It depends.” But these questions need to be answered in your own mind. When assigned, they are for you to ponder alone. Do you have enough information to draw a hypothesis and then support it? How do you pose and prepare your results?

Occasionally, the study will be broadened for team use and edification. This is normally done in an educational establishment to capture the members’ abilities individually, by functional response, or categorical breakdown in assignment, but yet allow for a final source to decide and compile. You would like to be chosen in that role. That, by the way, is also how this author has been tasked to answer corporate issues―in my 30 years of being asked to solve problems on teams. Hopefully this content is useful beyond this course. Once I have answered the questions above, I can dig in, and dig in, and dig in some more! Sometimes you don’t draw the proper thesis or proposition out. No worries. There are few answers that are always wrong. Modify your position and try again. Take notes this time as you read it, and perhaps a pattern will emerge that you hadn’t discerned before.

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Was your thesis (or hypothesis) not supportable with the information given? Solution: find more information! Research some more. [You’re likely not just limited to the assigned case information.] Has something happened since the study was been published? Who wrote the study (i.e., did he or she have a bias or filter in the way)? Less formally, we likely would call that an “axe to grind” in the slang vernacular―but we are being polite and formal here. Okay, off we go into a solution or exercise. What kind of a case is it? Consensus seems to indicate there are about four types of cases into which we might experience the following topical questions. They deal with: 1) Problems that have caused an outcome or performance that seems surprising. 2) Rules that have been broken that might need review in either a qualitative or quantitative

sense. Think quality, technical, or financial, something you can measure or to which you can be held accountable. It’s likely a standard of some sort. These can get very black and white in solution.

3) Evaluations where someone has placed a value on an act, performance, or outcome. 4) Or, finally, surprise, someone has decisions that might have issues in scope, data, or

consequences. Is it right? Wrong? Why? And, for our purposes, “sustainable” or “innovative”?

Try and establish your case within these descriptions. It is a start. Next, I’d look for focal points in the concept. What, or even whom, stands out? Are there politics in the mix? Who wrote the history or study? When? Why? Was there an outcome, or is it still an issue? Then I’d read the contents of the study and the appendices and the table of contents, or agenda, or any other ancillary charts or graphs—especially if they are not called out in reference to your thoughts. Now, postulate what’s going on! Are we pursuing a solution? A change? A recommendation? Pick one and make it your thesis or hypothesis. Now reread it again, putting facts and figures against what you think is your thesis. Is there enough data to sustain your thinking? Can you protect your response against the questioning of others if you’re queried? What might be the alternatives? Is there a better one? If there is, guess what, you get to go back and change your hypothesis (or the concept that is driving your position) and build a new position. This is called iteration and is the result of some serious thinking and review. Cases are always written to get you thinking. Don’t run out of it. Can you have more than one solution to a problem? Yes, actually, it happens often, unless it’s a rule. Those have a very definitive means to reach a solution in a quantitative fashion. Hint: There is absolute math involved unless it’s a qualitative formula. When are you done? Simple answer: when you’re comfortable in your answer, have really considered all the alternatives, and remain happy you’ve parsed out the meaning. Take a position, include it in your paper, and be confident. Usually, however, it ends when you’ve either run out of time, have been given a deadline, or can’t spend further effort to accomplish the workload. Case studies, as we’ve indicated, can be

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good for team effort as the work can get shared. But, again, you’re vice president in charge of you and your part. It comes back to an individual effort.