Page 34 - The Case Lab Book

There is no standard form for a case study. Case studies will vary in
length, style, and format and data presentation. However, the

route to understanding and arriving at a decision for any case study is
simply a process, driven not by the search for answers but
rather, by continually asking questions such as, ‘Why?’, ‘What was the

cause?’ and ‘What was the effect?’ If these can be answered then
solution generation and justification for such are well underway.

What is the critical issue or problems to be solved? This is probably the most crucial
part of the analysis and sometimes the hardest thing to do in the whole analysis.
Try to identify:
the key issues in the case;

who is the decision maker in the case and;

if there is a critical decision to be addressed.

How an organisation achieves its objectives is at he heart of case analysis.

How it builds and implements its strategy is the last building block in case analysis.

Some indication of where the organisation wants to be will normally emerge as the
case is read e.g.
- simple survival

- increased market share
- international expansion

and so on.

In a normal teaching situation the lecturer will ask you to put yourself
in the position of a consultant, a football coach, or an executive in a
company whose job is to address the uncertain future facing the
organisation. You are required to undertake a diagnosis of the current
health of the organisation and give a
prognosis on how it can be improved. Your recommendations must be
realistic and you must address the various functions involved in running

the organisation as well as its overall strategy.