Case work – Your path to profitable success!

1. Case work – Your path to profitable success! Tomas Hellström SFE

2. The purpose of cases

3. What is a case? • A case is a story, often experienced by real people, which you can now ”experience” too. • comprehensive history of a problem–complete with data, multiple actors and often contending interests • can be formal written cases, a newspaper article, a movie clip, a radio/TV news story, a picture, a piece of art.

4. Cases ask of students to… • distinguish important from peripheral information, • identify the problem(s) at hand and define its context and parameters, • identify a set of possible solutions, • formulate strategies and recommendations for action, and • make decisions and confront obstacles to implementation.

5. Analysis

6. How to run a case analysis • What is the situation—what do you actually know about it from reading the case? (Distinguishes between fact and assumptions -- > critical understanding) • What theoretical issues are involved? (Opportunity for linking to theoretical readings) • What questions do you have—what information do you still need? Where/how could you find it?

7. How to run a case analysis • What problem(s) need to be solved? (‘real’ grounds for conflict, different assumptions, sides of the argument) • What are all the possible options? What are the pros/cons of each option? • What are the underlying assumptions for [person X] in the case—where do you see them? • What criteria should you use when choosing an option? What does that say about your assumptions?

8. Common structure for case reports • Intro paragraph: Add value (don’t repeat). Use the elevator method. Good to begin with a short answer to the question: What is the point of this case? • Analysis: Present a structure of the case. What surprised me about this case? What is the critical context of the case? • Recommendations: These are outcomes of the analysis and the dilemmas it presents. Can be arranged into short, medium and long term. What next?

9. Presentation

10. Prepare • Develop a good understanding of the case and the assignment • Develop and ask the right follow-up questions connected to your assignment • Research and experience • Come to the presentation with a plan for how to present your analysis and your conclusions

11. Facts and values • Start out presenting and analyzing the important facts of the case (those relevant to your assignment). Keep repetition to a minimum. • Next deal with suggestions and evaluations, personal opinions etc. • Don’t be afraid to speculate widely, but save it to the end, and state what is based on facts and what is opinions.

12. Illustrations • Use a transparency with very few points on it. Use it to structure the presentation order. • Develop a ’whiteboard plan” for example: • Left side of board: facts. • Middle of board: major issues to be analyzed. • Right side board: the different possible positions to take and their consequences • Divide up the work for the presentation

13. Class room practice • Be active • Pay attention to fellow students • Keep statements short and concise and relevant to the issue • Be constructive – suggest further ways of analysing the case • Don’t get involved in private conversations • Show respect (creativity can be fragile)

14. End of lesson – now for the case work

15. Global Wireless Ventures • Let us try to understand the problem and help structure the decision for GWV. Questions to consider: 1. What factors – social, technological, economical etc., should GWV consider as most important to them? 2. Compare the locations: What are the pros and cons at each location?