Michael McDermott

1
The Case Study Method An Introduction

• By
• Michael McDermott

2
The Case Study Method

• What is it?
• Why use it?
• How do I become accomplished at it?
• Where can I practice it?

3
What is it?
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The Case Study Method

• For a student this involves three parts
• Processing Performing the analysis
• Preparing putting together the presentation
• Presenting Delivering the presentation

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Processing

• This is not just reading the case
• Nor is it simply getting a highlighter pen
• It demands that you look at each sentence, each
  exhibit and see to draw out assumptions,
  inferences, facts
• This takes time!
• Ideally, I like to go through the case and use
  Excel to take notes, record thoughts, pose
  questions.

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How long does it take to undertake this
process?

• Obviously it depends on the length
• A 500-word article may take an hour
• A 20 page case study may take 4-8 hours
• Practice makes perfect

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How do I Perform The Case Study Method?

• Assume that the author has included each sentence
  for a good reason. So make sure you consider the
  implications of such
• What assumptions or conclusions can you make when
  you read a sentence?

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How do I Perform The Case Study Method?

• You need to consider the importance of all
  aspects of the case study
• The text
• The tables
• The exhibits
• The figures

9
Preparing

• A presentation that adopts a standard formula in
  terms of structure is not ideal
• However having said that there are some
  structural issues that need to be adhered to a
  PEST at the end is wrong a SWOT before PEST and
  Internal analysis is in the wrong sequence
• The higher the quality of processing, the easier
  it is to prepare the presentation

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Preparing my advice

• Identify what you consider to the key question
  that needs to be addressed in the case
• Then identify some secondary questions and
  structure them in a manner that is logically
  consistent and which develops a good flow
• Do not overwhelm the listener or reader with
  a very large number of questions that do not
  appear to have a clear flow
• Answering each secondary question as you go along
  should make sure the argument developed is robust
• Provide clear conclusions

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Presenting your analysis in PPt
Dos Donts
Add value Simply provide a summary
Facilitate comparisons Make such impossible
Tables work Rely on excessive amounts of text
Focus on presenting your analysis on each slide Fall in love with charts that look good but fail to hammer home the key finding
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This Class vs Others

• This Class
• The presentation should not require commentary
  your PPt in the business world may only be read
  by others
• Often presenters best-points are not made in the
  PPt! Avoid that mistake

• Other classes (as described by students)
• The PPt is simply an aide-memoire
• Assess based mainly if not exclusively upon the
  oral presentation

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What is the Case Study Method?

• A case study is a description of a companys
  evolving performance
• The authors presentation is descriptive
• The students presentation must be analytical

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What is the Case Study Method

• Action Learning
• Problem solving
• Analysis is based ONLY on the material in the
  case itself
• Do not undertake any additional research
• More often than not the case provides subtle
  clues be sensitive to such

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Why Use the Case Study Method?

• The emphasis is upon developing life-long skills
• Its like riding a bicycle
• Once you can do it, you have it for life

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The Case Study Method

• The case study is full of evidence
• The aim is to analyze this evidence and present a
  coherent evaluation of the companys decisions
  and actions
• And to provide logical recommendations that would
  enhance the competitiveness of the business

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Why Use the Case Study Method?

• The skills gained are precisely what businesses
  and organizations need and value
• Trust me such skills are extremely rare
• Even in many ostensibly successful businesses,
  the lack of such skills is alarming

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When and Where Can I Practice the key skills?

• In class, you are provided with written case
  studies
• However, every day you are exposed to a number of
  case studies

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When and Where Can I Practice the key skills?

• When you go to a restaurant you are going to
  leave having performed case study analysis?
• You will have formed a clear opinion of that
  supplier
• Based upon your experience you have analyzed all
  aspects of the supplier in terms of your customer
  experience

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When and Where Can I Practice the key skills?

• When you are reading the business section of the
  newspaper, you can be more reflective and conduct
  your own analysis of the company based upon what
  you have read

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When and Where Can I Practice the key skills?

• In short, everywhere
• This class is seeking to develop a new or
  improved mindset
• One in which you see the world through a new
  lens

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When and Where Can I Practice the key skills?

• So open your eyes!
• Consider all those businesses that you deal with
  or observe
• Which ones are on the right tracks strategically?
• Which ones do you think are out of synch?

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Common Reactions

• This is new
• This is different
• This is difficult
• All the above are true

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Common Reactions

• I need direction
• But you are seeking to develop rare skills
• This is not strategy by numbers

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The RealityIts Like Golf

• Many of us play golf
• Playing regularly will improve us
• Many may become average players
• But very few become exceptional

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Presenting The Case Study
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Common Failings

• The most common failings at first are
• Failure to identify any issue(s)
• Present a condensed, descriptive overview of the
  case study
• Use text only and demand too much from the
  audience/reader
• Or put together endless graphs and bar charts
  that are attractive, but offer no analysis
• Focus on manifestations of problems rather than
  their causes
• Failure to provide any analysis
• Focus upon tactical issues as opposed to
  startegic

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Common Failings

• In every slide you need to provide added value
• That means helping the reader/audience by
  offering analysis
• Slides that only summarize the case study are
  worthless

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Presenting The Case Study

• In terms of presentations help your
  reader/audience
• Use Tables to facilitate comparisons
• Use Tables to show clearly the impact of issues
• Avoid relying only on text

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Example of Using Table
Factor Variable Impact on Company Impact of Issue (1-5)
Political Ban on imports from Asia Opportunity 5
Economic Weak US Threat 5
Social
Technological Web 2.0 applications Threat 3
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Example of Using Table
Company A Company B Company C
Founded
Domestic Presence
Location of international operations
Generic strategy
Target market
Market share
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The Case Study Method

• Make use of standard tools of strategic analysis,
  but do not allow them to result in a rigid
  approach to problem solving
• Be creative in use of Tables, Figures etc

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The Case Study Method

• Above all, you must avoid simply regurgitating
  the case study
• This is the key challenge to overcome

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The Case Study Method

• Above all, you must avoid simply regurgitating
  the case study
• This is the key challenge to overcome

35
The Case Study Method

• Above all, you must avoid simply regurgitating
  the case study
• This is the key challenge to overcome

36
The Case Study Method

• Any Questions?