Download pdf - how to write a case

7/29/2019 how to write a case

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We are here for collaborative

learning!!!!!!!!

Case Writing

The art of developing and

writing professional case

studies in the perspective ofacademic research

publications

Dr. Veena Tewari Nandi


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Contemporary Teaching..is about..

Practice & Outreach are actually CONSULTANCY

(Clues for Case writing)


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Industry-Academia Interactions: All cases developmentrequires a close interaction of the Faculty with theproposed case company. These interactions start with thedesire to help each other and gain from each others'expertise. The industry gains by the study and plausible

consulting that the faculty provides and the academia gainsby getting not only a case to study in the class, but also anopportunity to suggest improvement in the case company.Most of the interactions result in comprehending andappreciating importance of the issues that each thoughtwere inexistent.

Library cases help to bring out cases that could not be

done on field for physical inability to get to the companyand its operations. Moreover, usually cases on industry oreconomy warrant a library case approach over a field caseapproach.

Perception about the practice and theory of industry, firm,and individual as seen in reality, is exemplified by the case

itself. This leads to a convergence of knowledge, skill andpractice, essential in the field of business management.Further, an interaction of faculty and industry makes ourstudents prepare for the work and perform in the industry,better.


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Decide to publish.


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CSR: Similar or Different For Different People

Comments: The case has not been accepted for your developing a full case for

presentation at the International Conference on Business Cases(ICBC2010), in the

following respects:

1. There is no business case at all. It is more a small lecture on CSR meant forstudents.

Please prepare afresh and it should be business case like you have done in the past. Iknow you can do it.


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Balakrishnan (2010) What is the starting point of a good case study?

Though intuitively I would say the teaching objective, realistically it is with a good access to a

story. When you find one interesting case, it is important to bag it by getting permission. Since

these cases need approval they sometimes start out one way and end another. There is nothing

wrong in that. The most important point is collecting as accurate a picture of the setting of the

story which is always the backbone of the decision problem. Another important aspect to explore

is whether the teaching objectives may spillover to multiple disciplines. Do look at all angles as

this makes your cases more interesting and widens the reach.


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StructuringA case can either be researched base or canportrait real life events. It is a description of aparticular situation facing by an organization andthe people within the organization. Cases should

ideally have a decision focus. A good case placesthe reader in a position of having to considervarious alternatives and make a decision.

A teaching note relates the situation described inthe case to the theoretical constructs in a givenfield of study. A teaching note indicates the goals

and objectives of the case, the courses in whichthe case can be used, suggestions about usingthe case in a classroom situation and alternative

approaches.

As for a structuring a case, it is recommended topresent the case like a story, which has aninteresting beginning, suitable background, amiddle and a conclusion.


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Ideal steps for publishing..

Teaching Note:

* A case must have a teaching note (instructors manual) It

should begin with the case title.

The teaching note should include;

a) Case synopsis (abstract of the case)

b) Courses and levels for which the case is intended

c) Teaching objectives (list 2-5)

d) Theory application. Include linkages to relevanttheory in the field, which should be elaborated in thediscussion question section.

Research methods:

* Data sources (e.g., field interviews, observations,personal experience, secondary publications,government data synthesized from the authorsexperience. )

* Extent of any disguise.


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Ideal steps for publishing..(Cont)

* Suggested teaching approaches

* Discussion questions and

answers to those questions.

* References

* Exhibits (e.g., financial analysis,

summary of theory application)

* Epilogue (if appropriate)


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Teaching Notes

This is the most important part of a successful case. It will ensure that your case isused the right way in class and that all supporting resources are easily available for the

students/teachers. This section is easily 2-6 pages long. It can have competitive

information, reading recommendations (theories, journal articles, web articles, news

paper articles) and organizational material.


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Ideal steps for publishing..cont. Abstract, case and teaching note (instructors manual)

should be submitted as separate documents. Do notplace an abstract at the beginning of the case.

The case should have a footnote at the bottom of thefirst page as under;__________________________________________________________ This case was prepared by (names ofthe author(s) and university affiliations) and is intendedto be used for class discussion rather than to illustrateeither effective or ineffective handling of the situation.

Case can be typed in single or double line spaced.

Leave sufficient margin (1.0 minimum) on the left sideof the odd pages and right side of even numberedpages.

Author(s) are not identified in except on the cover pagefor the case and the teaching note

Ensure that the pages are numbered

Number the exhibits in the order they are introducedin the case

Short exhibits and tables can be placed as in-text tables


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Identify the

Objective, Method

and Facts..Determine the main

objective of the case study.

You may be writing a case study to

fulfill an academic requirement or to

help solve problems in real-lifesituations (professional obligation!!!!)

An academic assignment typically

will come with a specific objectiveand instructions, whereas a

professional assignment might

require you to define the objective.


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Students all over the world hate to read especially as today time is short. So if the

objective is to grab their attention, encourage participation and actually stimulate

active thinking rather than a more passive approach - you should make your caseinteresting and relatively short (2-6 pages). You may have an additional 3-4 pages of

resources in the teaching notes. This allows the teacher (who is NOT you and may not

have as much information about your case) to facilitate the class to a more fruitful

discussion and optimize the teaching objective.


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How????????????? Select the best approach.

Choose an analytical approachto increase awareness.

In the preliminary stages of solving management problems,an analytical case study mightbest meet the goal of alertingupper management to corefacts and issues. An analytical

case study primarily focuses onwhat has occurred and why.

Select a problem-solvingapproach to pinpoint and solve

major issues.If the goal is to make solutionrecommendations, write aproblem-solving case studythat clearly outlines problemsand solutions.


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Be smart.

Conduct research for your

case study:Examine the facts, dynamics,

communications and all

relevant aspects of the

particular situation. Research

might involve interviewing

people in an organization,

reviewing written documentsor looking up relevant

statistics.


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Is it important to mention the person and the decision role?

Yes it is important to mention the person and the decision role. This is because this information

gives the student an idea of the role they must take. Decision problems escalate with levels,responsibilities increase and so does the strategic time frame. To make the right decision, a

student must not only know the role they must play, but the decision outcome expected, the

resources available (money, manpower etc) and the context. You can disguise the company and

the role title but there must be enough similarity with the situation so that the case can help the

student understand the complexities of each choice and the outcomes; both in achieving the

stated objectives and any other sub-objectives that may exist in the system.


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USE OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN THE GARMENT SECTOR: Ellile Exports (pvt.) Ltd.

Reading Notes:

Ellile Export (pvt) ltd. mainly deals with garment manufacturing specialized in gents wearing. They are based at Noida, UP andhave a show room and material collection and dispatch centre in Karol Bagh, New Delhi . It started its business in 1996 with just

15 employees and they now have 159 employees working in full time basis. Their business model is B-2-B and also engaged in

trading activity. They take order of garments like t-shirts, shirts, trousers etc. They mainly target those organizations that has

minimum of 200 employees. It is basically done having seen the requirements in terms of uniforms, special occasion wearing, and

gifts to the employees or delegates. They also has license of manufacturing specific brands products for them.

Amresh Kumar after trying his hands in several areas finally found his place in terms of Ellile Export. With his employees and their

performance he was quite happy. His client coordinator Mr. Saroj Kumar is an efficient person and has never disappointed him in

terms of performance and trust. He has been with him since the inception. At any point of time, whenever Mr. Amresh finds anyproblem solved to be difficult he call on Saroj and finds out a route.

What is happening in his business for the last 4-5 years is quite satisfactory and he is happy with the performance. He has been

witnessing a growth of 20% over the last 4 years which is above the industry level. But what he discovers in his factory wastage

house made him bit tensed. Every day he takes a round of his factory and he discovers that as his production level is increasing

day by day the bins of waste material is gradually increasing. From his experience he finds the period of October to March is a pick

season, the production level goes up significantly in this season. Outsourcing has always been a major strategy of their production

schedule. But in house production gives them significant cost effectiveness. Amresh comes to his cabin and thinks over the waste.

He calculates out that a near about Rs-400000/month has been drain out in terms of waste material.

Amresh perhaps did not get what he expected from his factory supervisor. He really took the matter very seriously which fueled

his head-ache. As usual he called on Mr. Saroj.


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Set the Scope for

Readers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Explain the aim of the case study in the opening

paragraph. The goal may be to understand the

challenges of an organization or to solve

interdepartmental conflicts.

Provide an industry or company overview.

Certain facts or challenges may be common in

the particular industry. For example, software

bugs may be a common problem in the

technology industry, requiring extensive product

testing and quality control teams. Explain

relevant factors to readers.

Outline relevant theories and knowledge. Case

studies for academic programs typically require

reference to theories and information presented

in class. Refer to these theories and explain theirrelevance to solving the real-life issues in the

case. For example, a theory may be that training

employees in too large a group leads to less

individualized attention and inadequate skills

mastery.


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Focus on Issues and

Solutions.Identify all relevant issues. If manyissues exist, focus on the mostimportant ones. Some issues may becaused by underlying problems. Forexample, conflicts between teammembers may be due to unclearworkplace policies or employeeresponsibilities.

Recommend solutions: List the most

effective solutions first and explainhow they will solve core issues.

Address the challenges that mightaccompany suggested solutions. For

example, cross-cultural conflicts inan organization might requireadditional training for managers,which may require funds or anextensive search for topic experts.


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Provide a Clear

Conclusion..Write a conclusion

that summarizes

the main issuesand solutions:Emphasize the most effective

recommendations.

Include a reference

to relevant

management

theories:Explain in a few sentences

how these theories support

your conclusions.


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Alternative Solution for Conclusion writing

Remove any unnecessary words orrepetition

Break long statements into smallerchunks of information

Ensure each statement has thesame verbal form as the previousone (where possible)

Group similar ideas together

(clearer for the reader)

Make word choice as informativeand as concise as possible


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Publish

OR


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Perish!!!!!!!!!!!!! (DYE GRADUALLY..)


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TAKE AWAYS.


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How to build the content?????????

Describe the industry of operation and especially highlight the unique quirks or issues that

make the market challenging.

Describe the country of origin and focal market of operation.

Describe the organization, its history, its vision, is structure (large, small, diversified, SME,

adaptable?) and its culture.

Describe your focus product and help the student understand its potential and its realistic

performance in the market place vis a vis competitors. How is this product objective fit withinthe organization objective.

What is the time-line for the objective? Why the urgency? What could be the possible

consequences for not achieving your objective?


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CSR: Driver for Internal Branding

Dr. Veena Tewari Nandi

Abstract:

This case will be highlighting the practical issues of maintain and implementing the human resource policies at a work place. This particular

issue becomes more acute, if the work place is having employees from different nationalities. We have seen so many times that Human

Resource Policy Manual is generally maintained by all good organizations but when it is being needed by a particular employee for reference,

he/she has to really put efforts to get the same. Finally it gets available at some dust filled rack of the library or reading room. This case will

bring out an issue of skill based expectations at the work place from the employees working at the same level but of different nationalities.

How the perception will get changed for the top level management for two different people. This particular issue is being taken care as a CSR

perspective in the case. Now a days numbers of drivers are pushing CSR to the top of the corporate agenda. Increasing stakeholder demands

and expectations mean that companies can no longer ignore working with environmental, social and ethical issues as a part of their core

strategy. And that will be done if the organizations will take care of all the employees in the same way.

Key Words: Dilemma, Responsibility, Theories, Unethical, Whistle blowing

Teaching Notes:This particular case should be incorporated in the teaching pedagogy for the final year MBA, students. This case can be taken up in the class,

in Strategic HRM, Entrepreneurship, CSR and Ethics, Organizational Behavior and Human resource modules.

The teaching objectives depending on the modules are:

1) Selection, Recruitment and compensation

2) Organizational culture and its effect on employees performance

3) What is organizational Ethics?

The related theoretical concepts will be how HR functions add value to the organizations in the long term, Organizational culture and ethics in

the organization. In what way and up to what extent the case will add value towards an effective teaching pedagogy, will depend on the

tutors own experience and creativity.

The case is a real life situation which happened in one of the business college, which is based out of the India. The names of the people in

person are not being mentioned to keep the sanctity of the place and the profession.

The source of information for the case is all primary; the situations at some places have been modified to give the structured outlook to

the case.

Dr. Veena Tewari Nandi, Majan College, University College, Ruwi, Muscat.

Email:[email protected]. The case is written for class room discussion only.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Case Study on Customized ERP Implementation: Need of an Hour

Abstract:

This case will be highlighting the practical issues faced by the company (Name of the Company is being protected to avoid further

complications, otherwise all the situations are fully true to our level best), when going for an ERP implementation. Apart from the Major issue

of cost effectiveness the company faces the resistance from the existing employees, existing processes and overall environment. The case willdiscuss about actual situation under which the person responsible for the implementation studied the actual need of the company to have

the technological up gradation but with the minimum cost attached. Here after the whole project, he chose to implement the ERP but with

the customized version. The main problems to be taken care by the ERP were time taken to complete a particular task, inventory control

issues and some other inbuilt problems in the normal functioning of company. Few results were shown in the form of successful

implementation of JIT (Just in Time) and smooth flow of formal communication across all the departments.

Teaching Notes:

The mentioned case can be taken by the mentor in the subjects like ERP, Technology Management. Management Information System, HumanResource (Change Management).

The main issues covered under the case would be problems faced during ERP implementation and its effectiveness. According to the mentors

choice the questions can be raised from organizational culture, Management of Technology in small enterprises, change management,

Information system handling.

Questions to be discussed:

What are the benefits of customized ERP package in this particular Company and what will be your suggestions for the company you are

working for?

Suggest the steps to reduce the resistance from the employee while implementing ERP in this particular organization.

Discuss the benefits of customize ERP with respect to Procurement and JIT process and explain how it has reduced the lead time and

miscommunication?

Key Words:

ERP, Failure resource planning, software implementation, JIT.


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Examples.

Sample 1

MOTIVATING THE WPC EMPLOYEES

3.1.1 Create different levels of data clerks

Creating different levels of data clerks would result in a work

environment where the staff would be willing to work harder

in order to receive more interesting work tasks. Consequently,

it would limit undisciplined work behavior. It would provide

better efficiency and create fewer errors because in order to

graduate to the next level, the employees would need toperform their tasks correctly. It would also identify where the

errors are occurring. The clerks on the highest level would be

capable of relieving the firm secretaries during their holidays.


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Sample 2 (bullet point style)

Advantages:

creates a challenging work environment

limits undisciplined work behavior

identifies where errors are occurring stimulates staff to work harder to receive more interesting tasks

stimulates staff to perform better to graduate to the next level

creates staff able to relieve the (firm's) secretaries during their

holidays


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Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!


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GoodLuck!!!!!!!!


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The rough format is as follows:

1) Who is the teaching case for: Students of which classes, disciplines and what is the level of

expertise with this area? Is there any prior preparation students must do before they come to class?

2) What are the teaching objectives? Which theories and concepts can be reinforced, what skills can

be learnt?

3) What are possible issues the teacher or students can bring out in the discussion and how can

these be handled?

4) Are the resources documented easily accessible?

5) Is there a teaching plan how will you begin the discussion, how do you lead the students and

what is the outcome. In some cases a Board Plan (to jot down key points is also recommended).

6) What is the time needed to facilitate this discussion?

7) A few discussion questions maybe given and these can also help in class discussions. Do you

recommend group study or individual study? Should it be a discussion, debate, role play, etc? Why?

8) Last but not least how do you think students can be evaluated?