Blogs >> Education & Books >>
Case Method
History of Case Method
- Case method was first thought of and adopted for
imparting business and management education by Harvard Business School
around the time the school started graduate program in business.
- In absence of the text books in business management in
those days, practitioners of business management were interviewed and
detailed accounts of what these managers were doing were written as
business case studies.
- These cases were then used as a training material by
the professors at the institute. The cases were presented to the business
school students who would then be required to study the cases, understand
the problems and dilemmas presented in the case, discuss the issues and
come out with alternative decisions and solutions.
What Is Case and What
Is Case Method?
- Business or management case studies give an account of
real life business and management situations which put forward a dilemma;
the reader is brought to a cross-road. He has to analyze the dilemma
situation and solve it. Thus, cases investigate contemporary issues in
real-life business situations.
- Therefore, preferably, cases should be based on actual
situations and experiences in an organization, based on studies undertaken
in the organization or on information extracted from consulting projects
or published articles and events in business magazines and newspapers.
Cases should include actual information of the organization and the actual
events including interviews, observations, data, industry records,
historical facts etc related to the organization and the industry.
- For better simulation of the exact real life situations
in a case, detailed annexure or exhibits to the case are often attached.
Normally, they are: history of the organization, organization structure,
its products and markets, its financial statements, plans, schedules or
time-lines, biographies, multimedia documentation of interviews etc.
- These cases are systematically developed, constructed
and written. While developing a case, its learning objectives are kept in
mind. Cases are developed by faculty, consultants, management authors,
working managers or even students and are published in textbooks, on the
Internet and as an internal literature of an organization or a business
school.
- They are then given to the students of business
management education in a large majority of institutions these days for
doing analysis and presenting the solutions to the issues and dilemmas
emerging in the case.
- Such a method of study and analysis of a case is
considered as an effective way to train the students of business schools.
This method can also be used in other disciplines like law etc with
required suitable modifications.
- This method aims at improving management student's
analytical, decision making and problem-solving abilities.
- While many of the students might not have the
opportunity of the diverse real life organizational and business
situations, the cases provide the students with the simulated experience
of organizational problems in a relatively short period of time.
“Case Method” Process:
How Does It work?
- Students of management and business students are
presented with a case by the faculty/professor.
- The students assume the role of a decision-maker while
reading the case, understanding the situation and identifying the problem
narrated in the case.
- For analyzing the case, students read the case several
times. The initial reading may give them a general understanding of the
case, the actors in the case, the organization, the industry and some idea
about the problem(s).
- On subsequent readings, students look for the problems
and issues involved in-depth and try to establish cause-effect
relationships at the root cause level.
- They also think about the alternative courses of
actions or solutions in order to finally present their suggestions or
recommendations.
- They often meet in small groups before the class to
warm up and discuss their findings with other classmates.
- In the class, the professor guides them and questions
them on their understanding of the case and the problems therein and also
on their analysis and recommendations. This facilitates the students to
probe further, revise their thinking of issues, compare still more
different alternatives and finally suggest more convincing courses of
actions or solutions in light of the company's objectives.
- The professor’s role is primarily that of guide and
facilitator and therefore, he does not do much of talking. He steers the
discussions on the case by making timely and pertinent remarks as the case
unfolds. The professor makes sure that the students do much of the talking
and interactions.
- Discussions in the class room take place in several
small groups. Exceptionally, discussions may also be coordinated in one
large group. As many groups or as one single group, the students decide on
the solution(s) and also, the proper course of implementation suggesting a
time line. The case method should help students see themselves as the
implementers, the executives and not just as consultants of theoreticians.
- The professor may conclude the case discussions by
presenting the students as to how the company actually analyzed and solved
the problem.
Advantages and
Disadvantages of Case Method
- Case method allows diverse thinking on the same issues
from various angles and many alternative solutions to the problems get
generated. This experience can be very enriching.
- Diversity of opinions and discussions over them
facilitate development of flexibility, conflict resolution and consensus
building among the students.
- Students learn to communicate and also to assert when
required.
- They learn participation in problem solving.
- Their critical thinking, decision making and problem
solving skills get honed up.
- They become good presenters.
- They learn to use data and information and quantitative
techniques. This helps them to become data and fact based managers.
- Some students with mindset of believing in one best
solution or answer to a problem may feel uneasy with case method as they
see so many solutions emerging after the discussions as if there is no
right or wrong answer to the case.
- Some students who are shy of communication and
presentation or public speaking do not like case method as it necessarily
requires lots of discussions and interactions.
- Fear of being ridiculed for their thoughts and ideas
may discourage some students from effective participation in case method.
|