The International Management Institute, New Delhi, will be convening its second workshop on “Instructional Methodology for Management Educators”, on April 26-28. The programme Director is Dr. S. R. Singhvi, Professor (Marketing) at IMI.

The two-day workshop will focus on the Case Method of learning. As the name suggests, the main motive behind the workshop is to explore and overhaul the teaching strategies used in B-Schools, especially “the case study method”. Also the workshop will be focusing on how to develop dexterity in designing the course curriculum so that the learners reap maximum benefit.

The workshop will reflect in detail, the learning process in management arena, mainly highlighting the method of case studies. The workshop would also ponder upon the desired pedagogy-mix and devise an action plan for the same. A management faculty of high repute, Dr. S. R. Singhvi, has done his Ph. D in marketing and is a Gold-Medalist in M.A. (Economics), LL.B. (Taxation) and PGDBM.

Q) Why is Case Study method of teaching important in Management Education?

A. There are various instructional methods to impart management education. The instructor has to arrive at a judicious decision regarding pedagogy-mix that is required to be used in a course to transfer the learning. Case Study Method is often used method. This 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 learners. The method also is used to apply the management techniques learnt and emphasizes both quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Q) How would you review the current state of Case Method teaching in India, at the moment?

A. Management Instructors realize the significance of Case Study Method of learning. They are caught in exposure of business situation through case like a story full of description and recent business incidents happening to keep the student interest on. The original purpose of developing business skills through case method is getting ignored.

Q) How can the faculty improve their understanding and delivery of case method? What is your advice?

A. The start has to be from design of course plan and also integration of courses in a management program. The institutional approach to pedagogy-mix has to be clarified. Having done this the adoption of case study method in its puritan sense can be adopted. Faculty with Harvard exposure is available as resource person even in India. In my case the exposure even extends to Kellogg. Some of us do enjoy reputation as good case instructors. Certainly case method would need more preparation on the part of instructor than the lecture method.

Q) How can/should students/participants gain from the Case Method? What should be their focus while doing a case analysis?

A. Some of the issues raised in earlier question are relevant as reply to this question. Students get confused in the absence of clear and differing direction. Then in most B-schools hard work and preparation is not thought of as a pre-condition for attending the class given pedagogy used in our degree level of education. They need to focus beyond the story. They need to learn to integrate various facts both quantitative and qualitative given in the case. Rather than depending upon blogs to ‘solve’ the case or trying to pick the teaching notes.

Q) Finally, any reading that you will like to recommend for understanding Case Method better?

A. There are several classic writings available on case method from ILO and Christensen onwards. I will recommend William Ellet’s The Case Study Handbook.