Case method

The case method is a teaching approach that consists in presenting the students with a case, putting them in the role of a decision maker facing a problem (Hammond 1976). The case method overlaps with the case study method, but the two are not identical.

Case studies recount real life business or management situations that present business executives with a dilemma or uncertain outcome. The case describes the scenario in the context of the events, people and factors that influence it and enables students to identify closely with those involved

— European Case Clearing House, Case studies

The case method is a teaching method that is largely used in business schools. For instance it was used at the Harvard Business School since the founding of the school in 1908 (Corey 1998).

Teaching cases

Teaching cases are available through clearing repositories such as the Caseplace and European Case Clearing House, or through professional writing and publishing centers, such as Globalens at the University of Michigan.

Teaching case studies, and to a lesser extent writing them, is a central function performed at the top business schools worldwide. Some organizations, such as European Case Clearing House and GlobaLens, run competitions to identify the best new teaching cases. Some of the institutions that are the most active at writing teaching cases (as determined by the quantity and quality validated by awards) are: Harvard Business School, IESE, the Darden School at the University of Virginia, University of Michigan Ross School of Business (through Globalens, INSEAD, Richard Ivey School of Business, the Asian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Asian Case Research Centre at the University of Hong Kong.

A business case is a document that illustrates a business or policy situation to be solved and includes information for classroom discussion and other study. The situation does not have an obvious solution. The case provides information to stimulate an educated conversation concerning possible outcomes. Each case has one central decision point, dilemma, or angle. The nature of the situation is clearly apparent within the first two paragraphs.

The writing in a case is precise and nuanced, yet always clear and concise. It is neither colloquial nor stuffily formal. It is also engaging and interesting to the reader. It is imperative for a case writer to always be objective—a case is not a marketing pamphlet for the featured organization, though the writer may portray biases that the protagonist may have.

Structure

Writing styles may be unique to the individuals developing a case, yet almost every successful case employs the following structure:

Title and Introduction (½-2 pages)

• For the title, in fewer than 10 words make clear what is special about this particular case.

• Within the first paragraph, identify the case’s central person and business or organization, and provide a sense of the situation the person is in.

• Within the first two paragraphs, present what the central person sees as the decision point or dilemma. Identify other major players if relevant.

• In the remainder of the introduction, provide the context for the situation: when the situation took place (at least the year), the location and purpose of the company or organization, the relevant important business factors, and the goal or aim of the central person.

Background on the Company, Industry and Competitors (3-7 pages)

• Begin this section with the first subhead. If the section is long or relatively complex, use more than one subhead within the section to organize separate aspects.

• Often the best method for writing this section is to organize the information chronologically, with a very brief history of the company or organization.

• Provide the essential company, organization, competitor, and/or industry information that the central person had at the time of the case. What and where are the major products or services and their customers?

• Include enough background information for the reader to analyze the decision point presented in the introduction. Revenues, profits and losses, and other financial valuations may be crucial.

• Do not simplify or weight the background section to lead students to an easy decision.

• Include, as appropriate, historical information, trends, direct quotations from participants and analysts, and simple and/or essential tables and figures. The section can also include references to exhibits placed in the appendix, though the references should be clear and complete enough that the reader can continue without having to turn immediately to the exhibits.

• Consider depicting the culture of the company or organization if relevant.

• What are the important challenges and responsibilities of the central person?

• Are certain portions of the person’s career particularly important to the current situation?

• Connect the background in this section to the current situation, including underlying causes and current results.

The Decision Point in More Detail (1-5 pages)

• Begin this section with a subhead. Within it, use more subheads if appropriate.

• Go more deeply into the context and possible consequences of the decision point, dilemma or central angle. Include the consequences for the career of the central person as well as for the person’s company or organization.

• Show, if true, how the decision point or dilemma differs from the one initially perceived.

• Include the degree of urgency involved in the decision-making, or the timeline for the decision to be made.

• Conclude the text with alternatives available to the central person.

Exhibits and Endnotes (4-10 pages)

Use a subhead before any exhibits and before any listing of endnotes. Use a small title with each exhibit, beginning “Exhibit 1:” Exhibits can include financial statements, time lines, diagrams, charts, tables, pictures, and graphs. In some cases it is possible to include or link to multimedia supplements such as an interview video with the case’s central person. An endnote is needed for anything mentioned in the text for which a reasonable reader would want to know the source of the assertion, quotation, or apparent fact. The endnotes are referred to by number in the text and the notes themselves appear in order, all together, after the exhibits. An exhibit can have an endnote or its sourcing can appear as part of the exhibit.

More information is available on How to Write a Case Study.

See also

• Business schools
• Case competition
• Casebook method
• European Case Clearing House
• Experiential learning
• Teaching method

References

• Corey, Raymond (1998), Case Method Teaching, Harvard Business School 9-581-058, Rev. November 6, 1998 
• Hammond, J.S. (1976), Learning by the case method, HBS Publishing Division, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, Case #376-241, doi:10.1225/376241 
• Herreid, Clyde Freeman (2005), "Because Wisdom Can't Be Told: Using Case Studies to Teach Science", Peer Review (Winter 2005), http://www.aacu.org/peerreview/pr-wi05/pr-wi05realitycheck.cfm. 
• McNair, Malcolm P., ed. (1954), The Case Method at the Harvard Business School: Papers by Present and Past Members of the Faculty and Staff, New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 139, http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&docId=28506390 
• Robinson, Marc (2010), How to write a case study, William Davidson Institute note 1-429-140, Rev. October 10, 2010 
• Rogers, L.A. (1978, 1981), Business Analysis for Marketing Managers, Heinemann