A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO CASE ANALYSIS AND REPORTING Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 19 A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO CASE ANALYSIS AND REPORTING Alfred G. Edge, University of Hawaii Denis R. Coleman, University of Hawaii ABSTRACT Although the case method of instruction is popular in the business school, one frequently finds students entering case courses without experience in case analysis. In the case method primary importance is placed upon the development of skills in decision-making; whereas in the normal classroom lecture the focus is on acquisition of knowledge. This difference in emphasis requires a significant adjustment for the introductory student. They quickly find that the instructor will not provide the right answers, but rather attempts to guide them through a variety of decision-making experiences so that they develop their own skills. The amount of guidance, and structure, that the instructor provides in a case course can have an important effect on student performance and attitudes. The problem of this introductory adjustment and the guidance that should be given to students are the subjects of discussion in this paper. INTRODUCTION Case analysis and reporting is more an art than a science; there are no “cookbook” rules that lead to brilliant analyses and presentations for each case. However, it is possible for instructors to give students aids--guidelines, checklists, and examples--which describe the “science” aspect of case analysis. Then, as students gain experience in case analysis, they will identify further guidelines, checklist items, and examples to add to the tips given by their instructor to lead to more effective and efficient analyses. A checklist is an enumeration of key points about a topic. Each point can be explained by a brief comment and, often, an example (e.g., a checklist on “How to Participate in Class Discussions” might include: Prepare Before Class, Push Your Ideas, Listen to Others, Recognize Flow of Discussion, etc.). A checklist covers a topic area that might take a short book to treat fully. Thus, the topic of each checklist cannot be discussed completely; however, we believe that a checklist can provide worthwhile advice for students on the conduct of tasks. This is accomplished by designing checklist items that serve one of the following functions. 1. The Outstanding “Do’s”: Most tasks have elements that one strives to execute. For example, during the in-class discussion, one tries to word contributions to be brief and to the point. Concentrating attention on the “Do” elements of a tasks improves its overall execution. 2. The Common Errors: In a similar fashion, drawing attention to the coon errors made in a task improves the performance of anyone who happens to make that error. For example, in the checklist on writing style, “Don’t Overuse the Passive Voice” is one of the “Don’ts”. 3. Reminders about Theory: In applying an extensive theory to a problem (e.g., marketing to a ease situation), one must be sure to relate all one’s knowledge to the problem. The systematic review afforded by the checklist ensures that no important areas of theory are inadvertently ignored. HOW TO ANALYZE CASES Case analysis is the intellectual process of formulating recommendations for management actions to further the interests of certain persons or organizations in the situation described in a case; thus, it is an example of decision-making. Case analysis gives students practice in bringing experience, theory, quantitative tools, outside research, and ingenuity to bear on the formulation of action plans in real (or realistic) situations. Although case teaching has many benefits for students, the use of cases as a vehicle to give students practice in diagnosing an organization’s situation and formulating action plans is its most important function. Student activities in learning by the case method are so different from those in learning by the lecture method, that students take some time to adjust to the new demands. Traditional teaching requires the student to learn theory and facts and to apply them to problems that are given. Cases can require that the student determine the problem, select the appropriate tools, and formulate a plan of action, all in the absence of complete information. Further, there may be no best action plan--unique optimal solutions cannot necessarily be identified by the instructor or by the class. These complications, all typical of job experiences soon to confront the student, embody the challenges and opportunities of case analysis. Some of the topic areas where introductory students need guidance as it relates to case analysis include: development of a framework to organize the analysis, a review of the quantitative and financial (“hard”) tools useful for case analysis and the marketing and behavioral concepts (“soft tools”) that are often relevant for case analysis. Checklists are valuable learning aids to each of these areas. For example, a framework to analyze cases includes: (1) comprehend case situation, (2) diagnose problem areas, (3) state problem, (4) generate alternatives, (5) evaluate alternatives and select best, and (6) defend implement. Details of this framework and others may be found in “The Guide to Case Analysis and Reporting.” HOW TO WRITE CASE REPORTS Case reporting gives students valuable training in communicating and selling the results of their analysis and solutions of problems in management and administration. These abilities in formal written and oral communication are vital to successful management careers. Students, in theory, enter case courses with the background and skills to write and present case reports. They supposedly have analytic, writing and speaking abilities sufficient to produce high quality case reports. However, most every instructor is disappointed to see how poorly beginning students put these skills together. Students need specific direction in communicating Insights into Experiential Pedagogy, Volume 6, 1979 20 case analysis. This communication involves: (1) selecting material appropriate for the presentation; (2) organizing the material for presentation; and (3) using the media (written words or oral speaking) to convey the message depend upon the setting of the presentation. Such factors as the objectives of the report, the time constraints, the familiarity of the audience with the subject, and the analytic background of the audience are important considerations in selecting and organizing material. All these areas can be conveniently summarized by checklists. HOW TO PRESENT ORAL CASE REPORTS One skill above all others rapidly earns a reputation for unusual competence. It is the ability to stand on one’s feet and deliver clear, forceful, interesting speeches. Anyone who aspires to management positions will be frequently called upon to deliver extemporaneous and prepared remarks to audiences of all sizes. The oral case report affords students an excellent opportunity to develop their abilities in public speaking. As examples of the problems beginning students find with case reporting, consider the following. The selection and organization of material for an oral case report is not the same as for a written case report. The written report is a detailed, logical development of arguments. The oral presentation must hold the interest and attention of the audience before anything is accomplished; thus, oral reports cannot use intricate arguments or examples with many details. Audiences are easily bored by arguments and examples they cannot follow. The most important rule in preparing an oral presentation is: include only material that is essential to the main argument and present it in a simple, straightforward fashion. This means that some illustrations, clarifications, and contents that would be included in a written report are left out of an oral presentation. In written reports one can refer to earlier points; no such opportunity IS available during speeches. There are other areas of presentations where the structure afforded by checklists are a valuable aid for students. These include: how to organize the presentation, tips on public speaking, and examples of oral presentations. SUMMARY This paper argues that introductory students entering the typical case course need substantial guidance and direction in case analysis and reporting. This guidance, or structure, can be provided through the development of guidelines, checklists and examples covering such topics as how to analyze a case, how to write a case report, and how to make an oral presentation. The essence of the case method is to teach students how to act intelligently, creatively, and morally in realistic situations. Students need more than exposure to theory (lectures and readings) and exposure to situations (cases). They also need guidelines telling them how to turn the theory into action. Table of Contents Volume 6, 1979 The Use of Cases with Role Plays in a Research Methods Course Debugging and Implementing the Live-Case Approach to Marketing Research in the Australian Environment Using a Case as the Basis for a Modified Debate Using Cases in Business Communication Classes A Structured Approach to Case Analysis and Reporting Intercollegiate Case Analysis Competition as an Experiential Learning Experience Attributes Germane to Student/Live Case Situations Understanding Dispute Resolution Through Experiential learning Personality Development and Conflict Dynamics: An Experimental Design to Study the Effects of Teaching Methodologies on Conflict Resolution Interpersonal Competence and the Digital PDP-11:40 The process of Writing a Collective Bargaining Simulation: A Case Study in Practical Pedagogy Simulating Negotiations in an Educational Context Simulations as a Technique for Teaching Collective Bargaining Experiential Processing of Differing Managerial Perspectives: The Use of a Game Show Format Individual Self Report vs. Group consensus in Small Decision-Making Groups Effects of Sex-Role Stereotypes on Promotion Decisions: An Exercise Computer Aids to Planning: The Budget and Forecasting Module Use of a Microcomputer in a Decision Analysis for Investment Portfolio Selection A Game of Investment Strategy: Description, Use, Criticism and Modification Coping with Future Uncertainties Through Probabilistic Budgeting Administration and Design of Simulation Materials for a Specialized Management Training Program Managing Stress in Organizational Life Banksim: The Bank Management Simulation Issues in the Organizational Application of Simulation and Experiential material Games Within Games: The Role of the Glitch Experiential Learning from Classroom to Business An Evaluation of the Small Business Institute Program as an Experiential learning Exercise Conversations with Top Management (Simulated) Experience in the Use and Assessment of Simulation in Management Education A Statistical Analysis of Simulation Users: Relationships between Stress and Human Subject guidelines Group Decision Making in a Computer Game Analysis of Demographic and Psychosocial Variables Comparing Performance During Three Managerial Accounting Simulation Schedules Business Policy Simulation and the Intense Course Structure The Use of Intensive Simulation in Executive Development and Academic Settings The Use of Experiential Exercises in the Undergraduate Consumer Behavior Course A Personal Marketing Strategy Approach: Framework and Application Teaching PERT Experientially in Marketing Research Discovering the Majority Fallacy An Experiential Approach to Studying International Business A Demonstration of the Business Simulation Game as a Curriculum Assessment Device Relating Teaching Methods with Educational Objectives in the Business Curriculum The Junior Achievement Applied Management Program as a Compromise Situation Between the Simulation and the Internship Who is Using Computerized Business Games?: A View from Publishers' Adoption Lists Trials and Tribulations in Testing Educational Innovations An Examination of the Perceived Effectiveness of Computer Simulation in a Classroom Setting as Affected by Game, Environmental and Respondent Characteristics Game Administration: A Life Cycle Analysis Research on the Effectiveness of Using a Computerized Simulation in the Basic Management Course Gaming and Attitudinal Change The Teacher-Student Relationship in Experiential Classes and the Student's Perception of Course Effectiveness An Exploratory Study of Student Characteristics and Educational Processes in Programmatic Experiential learning General Incongruity Adaption Level (GIAL) as a Predictor of Risk Preferences in a Simulated Management Game The Cap-Stone Opportunity: Combining Business Simulation and Experiential Learning Incorporating MIS/DSS into Policy Courses Via Simulation Who Benefits Most from Participation in Business Policy Simulations: An Empirical Study of Skill Development by Functional Areas The Use of Program NAMEX in Teaching the Accounting for Nonmonetary Assets The Use of Program CVP in Teaching Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis Experiential vs. Traditional Classroom Approach in the Basic Management Course: A Puerto Rican Experience A Guide to the Successful Use of Business Simulation Games The Dynamic Aspects of Interactive Gaming Puts the Realism into Gaming System Representation of SIMORG The Design of a Database System to Support Business Simulation and Experiential Learning A Data Entry and Retrieval System for a Computer Simulation (DERS) Simulation - An Advantage for Accounting Research Computer-Aided Project Performance Control Simulation: An Interactive Experiential Gaming Technique for Managerial Decision Making Utilization of Manual Simulation Games to Develop Scenarios of Future Events - An Exploratory Study Foundry: A Foundry Simulation Customized Debriefing: The Achilles Heel of Experiential learning? Computerized Business Simulations and Experiential Learning Exercises: An Instructional Interface The Baseball Game: A Group Role Observation, Problem Solving Experience A Practical Design for Experiential Learning Exercises: Roles, Technical Equipment and Alternative Debriefing Formats