Page 13 - Articles Written by JGJ EF DPS

Taking the time to think about what was going on in the classroom
especially the introductory class, sparked the recognition that case
analysis can at first sight be a daunting, if not a frightening prospect to
the student and no less so to the lecturer. In case analysis the students
are given the facts and the tools of analysis and are expected to apply
them. The problem is the expectation of the lecturer who often assumes
that the intellectual light bulb will spark and the student will make the
intellectual leap to a justifiable solution. This is not the case. More often
than not when asked by students what diagnostic tools should they use
the answer given becomes written in stone and the student does not
expand or explore additional or alternative applications. For example,
students will often use a SWOT analysis, filling in the segments but
failing to give the rationale for their inclusion. Moreover, the tool is static.
In a sense they fail to appreciate the cause-effect-performance-
consequence relationships and the changes in strategic direction,
consequence relationships and the changes in strategic direction.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that business case studies have no
definitive solution. Each person will arrive at his or her solution based on
the intellectual and experiential baggage that they carry with them when
trying to analyse a case study. As Saint Jean & Lapierre [Saint Jean &
Lapierre 1993] commented:

“One of the epistemological factors of the case method is the affirmation
of the relativity of knowledge… knowledge is relative…not only is
knowledge relative, but the organisation is a highly complex system
where all components interact sensitive to the interrelationships.”

Learning by doing; increased familiarisation with the application of
analytical techniques and appreciation of their implications; exposure to
a number and variety of cases and their solutions; will help hone

analytical ability. Likewise, exposure to peer group solution generation
and lecturer driven solutions will also enhance the learning process.