HRT 476 Operations Analysis Learning By Case Method

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HRT 476 Operations Analysis Learning By Case
Method

• Dr. Ed Merritt,
• CCM, CHA, CHE, FMP
• Cal State University (Cal Poly Pomona)

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Case Method Introduction

• Best way to learn managerial skills
• Most relevant
• Most practical
• Discuss how case method works
• Discuss how you can get the most out of it

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1. How Cases Help You Learn

• Cases sharpen your analytical skills
• Produce quantitative and qualitative evidence to
  support recommendations
• Defend your arguments and analyses
• Hone problem-solving, thinking, and reasoning
  skills

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Continued

• Wide range of organizations and situations
• Build knowledge in various subjects
• Problems you face are not unique
• Develop a more professional sense of management

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Varied Backgrounds

• Participants bring expertise, experience,
  observations, analyses, and rules of thumb
• Likely will differ significantly on what is
  important and how to deal with issues

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Main Benefits

• Helps managers learn how to determine the real
  problem
• Helps managers learn to ask the right questions
• Focused on learn by doing

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2. How To Prepare A Case

• Working individually
• Carefully read and think about the case
• Typically two hours of prep time
• No single way of prep works best
• General guidelines offered on next slide

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General Guidelines

• Read first few paragraphs, then page through
  case, asking
• What is case about?
• What info am I to analyze?
• How do the exhibits contribute to the case?

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Continued

• Read the case carefully
• Underline key facts
• Write marginal notes
• Ask What are the basic problems these managers
  have to resolve?
• Put yourself in place of the manager
• Make their problems your problems

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Continued

• Note key problems or issues
• Use a writing pad
• Go through the case a second time

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Continued

• Sort out the relevant considerations for each
  problem or issue
• Using a writing pad allows you space to diagram,
  expand, reevaluate

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Continued

• Do appropriate qualitative and quantitative
  analysis
• Utilize case and exhibits
• Qualitative is textual evidence that you
  extrapolate from the case
• Quantitative evidence is anything that you can
  count or time
• Ensure that you are building evidence beyond a
  simplified feeling

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Continued

• Develop a set of recommendations
• Ensure that recommendations are supported by
  analysis of the case data

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Individual vs Group

• Up to this point, you have done most of the work
  individually
• High degree of payoff to discuss with others who
  are working on the case
• Hear others reactions to the problems or issues
• Refine, adjust, amplify own thinking

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3. What Happens In Class

• Faculty job
• Let members discuss aspects of case
• Facilitate, pose questions, prod, draw out
  reasoning, highlight issues
• Present frameworks, concepts
• Generalize, summarize, or relate similar
  situations
• May organize on board

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Continued

• What faculty will not do
• Likely will not give own view during discussion
• Will not try to facilitate a consensus
• Will not drive a particular outcome
• The thought process is more important than the
  conclusion

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Continued

• Toward the end of class discussion
• Question may arise, What is the answer?
• Case method does not provide a discrete answer
• Participants will have developed several viable
  answers
• If faculty member knows the particular outcome,
  will likely let everyone know
• However, the outcome is not the answer

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4. Getting The Most Out

1. Prepare. Do not free ride.
2. Discuss with others before class.
3. Participate. Express views and challenge others.
4. Share related experience. Enrich the discussion.
5. Relate the topic to your experience. Do not tune
   out.

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Continued

1. Actively apply what you are learning to past and
   future situations
2. Note what clicks. Different people will focus on
   different issues and with differing perspectives
3. Mix it up. Embrace divergence of thought
4. Enhance and craft your mgmt style