Page 14 - Why I Like Case Studies

Diagram 2 details the strategy and actions taken by BTR plc.

It highlights and juxtaposes the strategic leaderships of the

companies, the value of due diligence and the importance of

implementation.

The Horse’s Mouth

From this first case emerged the view that talking directly to

the companies would provide greater information and

would certainly add more colour to the case. The problem
was getting into the company!

The Art of Gentle Academic Blackmail

The answer was blackmail, even if it was in the gentlest

form.

If blackmail is to work then you need a threat and the only

threat available is that, what is to be published is derived

from sources which are already in the public domain. If

there are errors in terms of the published information or

the interpretation of such, then the company has the

opportunity to correct or put their perspective on them.

A primary condition of academic blackmail is that you have

to do the leg work. You have to write a comprehensive piece

of work that shows your level of knowledge, understanding

of the company, its actions and the environmental matrix

within which it operates. Moreover, it has to display the
company’s strategy and tactics in terms of the timeline

frame of reference.