What is a Case?

Case is a slice of life Students have to analyze the facts and arrive at

decisions (like in real life) Simulates real life situation Enhances analytical abilities and problem solving skills No unique solution

Why case method?

Student-centric. Not teacher centric. Enables you unfold knowledge yourself Makes you more analytical and creative

Types of cases
Specific decision making General evaluation, appraisal and decision

making (comprehensive) Descriptive

Steps Involved
Identify the issue/problem Analyze the facts (given/assumed) Generate alternatives Define criteria for evaluation of alternatives Come out with recommendations Draw an inference/learning

How does one approach a case?

Defining the problem
Give a quick first reading, including the title and

headings. Try to figure out: >The core issue?

>Who has to take the decision? >Who are the other players influencing the decision?

Read it a second time. Highlight/underline. Make notes

in the margin. Write the problem/issue on a separate sheet of paper

Analyzing the facts

More information-more confusion! Information could be irrelevant (some times),

misleading, incomplete or biased. Mine out the information which is relevant What is not given , can be constructed /assumed Everything is not in black and white. There are grey areas

Generating Alternatives
Discard the ones which are too simplistic and

superficial Get behind the skin of the decision maker(s) Consider carefully the feasibility and practicality of suggested actions Weigh pros and cons carefully before jumping to conclusions

Criteria for evaluation

Economic, social, cultural, political and legal

dimensions(as applicable)-Both at macro level and organizational level. Time frame for implementation Availability of resources (finance, human, technological) Effect on organizational stability/equilibrium Anticipated reactions from competitors Conflict between individual Vs organizational objectives

Recommendations
Discard those which do not meet the evaluation criteria

(screening/filtering) Carefully weigh the pros and cons of the remaining alternatives in terms of their feasibility, practicality and demand on resources Try to have a neutral perspective (that of a consultant). Do not be unduly influenced by personal likes and dislikes Consider the long term effects of the suggested solution on the organization

Learnings /Inferences
Have I been able to correlate/apply the theoretical

concepts to the facts presented in this case? What tools and techniques have I made use of? Could the organization have done something different (specific evaluation cases)? Has the case offered me an opportunity to use multidisciplinary skills? Have the contributions of other students/ faculty helped me learn something new?

How to maximize learning through cases?

Prepare as groups Do a SWOT analysis (may not be relevant for all

situations) before coming out with solutions Get a grasp of organizational type, size, structure, culture and processes Understand the business environment, competition, industry structure by doing some additional research (books/internet) Do not learn cases. Learn with cases

Dos and Donts

Participate actively in discussions (can you learn

swimming through a coaching manual?) Be an active listener. Have a open mind. Avoid being judgmental. Allow other person to complete his point. Do not abruptly cut into him. Build up on the points made by others. If you are in disagreement ,give logical explanations.

Dos and Donts

Avoid unnecessary repetition Do not be obsessed with finding loop holes in

others arguments. You may miss out lot of good points. No unparliamentary language/gestures Avoid over dominance. Be collaborative in your approach. Take the discussions forward. Do not get stuck with trivial issues.

Dos and Donts

Do not hesitate to acknowledge your

mistakes. Do not lose your cool under any circumstances.

Group Presentations
While working in groups share the responsibility

equally among group members. Meet at regular intervals When in doubt consult your faculty. It wont be a bad idea to let the faculty have a preview of your presentations. Do not overspecialize. All the members should have a broad knowledge of what other members are doing.

Group Presentations
Do not forget that faculty has the prerogative to

change the order of the presentation .Member wise allocation of topics/ slides may not help. Submit a synopsis (not more than two pages) which should include the problem/issue, analysis, recommendations and inference(s) Avoid spending too much time on the case facts (not more than 5 minutes ).Spend more time on the presentation of your analysis, recommendations, learnings etc.

Group Presentations
It is not necessary that every member has to wield the

microphone during the presentation. If the group is a large one,3-4 speakers would suffice. Others can field the questions. Focus more on the structure and content .Do not get too much carried away by animations/special effects( to be used sparingly) Schedule sufficient time for Q&A. Take all the questions and answer them to the best of your ability. Do not ask questions to make the group making the presentation uncomfortable. Tomorrow you may be at the receiving end.

Nice Being With You!

THANKS and ALL THE BEST