Learning by the Case

Method
By

Asif Ali Rahman

What is a Case?
 A Case Study
• Case studies are written summaries of real-
life business situations based upon data and
research. In reading a case study a picture
of what has happened to a company over a
period of time can be gained. These could
include events such as organizational
change and strategy decisions within an
organization as well as outside factors and
influences. A case study can be a
shortened, second hand version of a real-life
situation. It enables students to appreciate
and analyze real problems and events faced
by people in business. Case studies are
also used to illustrate theory studied in class
and allow that theory to be applied

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 Educational Purpose of a
Case
• Case help students sharpen their
analytical skills, since they must
produce qualitative and quantitative
evidence to support recommendations
& decisions
• In case discussions, participants are
challenged by the course instructor and
fellow participants to defend their
arguments and analysis; the effect on
the participants is a sharpening of
problem-solving & a heightened ability
to think and reason rigorously
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 Educational Purpose of a
Case
• Case studies cut across a range of
organizations & situations, and
provide for any one participant, an
exposure far greater than one is likely
to experience in one’s day-to-day
routine
• Cases permit building knowledge
across various management subjects
by dealing selectively & intensively
with problems in each field
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 Educational Purpose of a
Case
• Cases and related case discussions in
class, provide the focal point around
which the participant’s expertise,
experience, observation and rules of
thumb are brought to stand
• What each class participant brings to
identifying the central problems in a
case, analyzing them, and proposing
solutions is as important as the case
itself

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 Educational Purpose of a
Case
• Perhaps the most important benefit of
using cases is that they help students
learn how to ask the right questions.
An able business leader once
commented: “90 % of the task of a
top manager is to ask useful
questions”
• A final benefit of using case method
of learning is that it adds to the fun
and excitement of the class
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How to analyze a Case?
 Preparing a Case
• The use of case method calls
first for you to individually
carefully read and think about
the case
• No single way works for
everyone, however a set of
general guidelines is given

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 Guidelines to prepare a
Case
• Read the first few paragraphs, then go
through the whole case very fast, asking
yourself, “What broadly is the case about
and what types of information am I being
given to analyze?”
• Read the case very carefully, underlying the
key facts as you go. Then ask yourself:
“What are the basic problems this manager
has to resolve?”. Try hard to put yourself in
the position of the manager in the case.
Develop a sense of involvement in the
manager’s problems
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 Guidelines to prepare a
Case
• Note the key problems on rough
paper. Then go through the case
again, sorting out the relevant
considerations for each problem
area
• Develop a set of
recommendations supported by
your analysis of the case data

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 Until now your best results
will come if you have worked
by yourself
If you have time before class, it is always
better to have some informal case
discussions with class fellows
What happens in the
class
You gain most if you actively
participate in all the
discussions
A typical question at the
end of the case is
“What is the answer?”