Page 83 - The Case Lab Book

Don’t play the man play the ball

Defining the issue(s)

Many cases will involve several issues or problems. The
objective is to identify and separate the most important

ones from the less important ones.

After identifying what appears to be a major underlying

issue or problem, examine any related problems in the

functional areas such as marketing, finance, personnel, and

management.
Functional area problems may help you identify deep-rooted

problems that are the responsibility of top management (see

How to Read a Case Study).

Furthermore, identify issues that need to be addressed

immediately and their degree of urgency.

Company Analysis
Using theoretical concepts and frameworks

A company analysis relies on a number of elements such as

diagnostic tools, charts, diagrams and tables. Not all of these

will be appropriate for every case study. However,

developing an understanding of these different elements

and their applications will allow a clearer understanding of
most situations and contexts to emerge when they are

applied.