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Case analysis can be quite challenging. As a student, it is your responsibility to construct a coherent analysis using the tools that you have learned in your courses, from the textbook, and from journal articles.
The second key to analyzing cases is to recognize that only information provided within the case is important and that current knowledge of the organization is usually irrelevant and can actually bias the analysis. Cases are typically a few years old, and you are expected to make conclusions based on information from a specific time period; any assumptions you make should be noted. This is especially important for cases on business strategy, whether they be focused on finance, accounting, marketing, operations, or human resources.
STRUCTURE AND EVALUATION
1. Title Page with Executive Summary (5 points)
2. Introduction (5 points)
3. Analysis of the Problem (20 points)
4. Decision Criteria and Possible Options (25 points)
5. Recommended Solutions with Justification (25 points)
6. Instructions for Implementation and a Contingency Plan (10 points) 7. Conclusion (5 points)
• The remaining 5 points will be for grammar and business writing abilities
THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
An executive summary should be the last thing that is written before the paper is submitted. Typically, the summary consists of one or two paragraphs (maximum) that inform the reader of exactly what the paper is about and the conclusions you reached. Within the first paragraph, identify the major discussion points and the strengths and weaknesses of the organization that you are analyzing. The second paragraph should inform the reader what the recommendations are, even if the recommendation is to continue with the organization’s current path. You should provide a very brief justification for your recommendations.
EXPECTATIONS:
APA Format
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Typically using a pre-formatted table based on your headings throughout the paper is easiest. Include appendixes in the table of contents, but do not include your Executive Summary.
INTRODUCTION
The introduction is very important in that it sets the tone for your analysis. In the introduction, be sure to clearly outline the key problem as well as the key manager who needs to resolve this problem. Also, identify the organizational objectives to ensure you are tying your analysis and recommendations back to the organization, team, and individual objectives. Assume the reader is unfamiliar with the case, so provide a detailed, succinct overview of the case you are analyzing. Finally, you should identify the key long-term problems and differentiate them from the short-term problems the key person/organization faces.
ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM
The analysis is the heart of the case analysis. This is where you will analyze everything in the case and provide the information that guided your analysis. Your analysis should include the external factors, internal factors, strategic factors, and specific issues identified in the case. You also may need to pull on various human resource legislation. For example, if the case is in the field of Human Resources, you may want to refer to the company policies, Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Employment Standards Act, or to Human Rights Legislation to show you analyzed the case competently using relevant information. As far as the style for referencing, use APA style.
DECISION CRITERIA AND POSSIBLE OPTIONS
In this section you will clearly identify the key success factors and possible alternatives for the case. This section should begin by clearly identifying the criteria you will use to create your recommendations. Typically, in a business course, the first criterion is always “Is the recommended solution cost effective?” This usually is at the crux of all business decision making, no matter the field. Other criteria must be included and are created on a case by case basis. After the criteria are established, you must provide the reader with two or three possible options. Students should make sure that all the options are feasible. There is no point in including options that would obviously never be chosen. However, the most obvious option is usually included, although it is often not the best choice. In this section, you should clearly outline the pros and cons of every option so that in the Recommended Solutions section you can easily explain why your recommendation is the best.
RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS WITH JUSTIFICATION
Your recommendation is very important to the whole case. This is the section where you identify the best course of action that the key manager/person should take to resolve their issues. This is very important because by analyzing the case, you are acting as a consultant. Your recommended solution should be systematically chosen based on the criteria that you identified in the previous section. One caveat is that students often forget to ensure that their recommendations are: (1) guided by theory, (2) ethical, and (3) legally compliant. Other justifications vary by field within business.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTINGENCY PLAN
Once you have presented your recommended solution, you should identify an implementation plan. This will include a general timeline for implementation, a list of resources required for implementation, and who will be involved in the implementation. A contingency plan is always included. Since business is a very dynamic field, contingency plans are very important. Typically, the best contingency plan is the second-best alternative from the possible options that you presented. You should identify what the contingency plan would be and identify why this is the best alternative.
CONCLUSION
Your conclusion should be a very short paragraph which summarizes the main problem and how you solved it with your suggested plan of action. This should conclude your thoughts as a whole.