How to write a case
When analyzing cases, it is important to isolate critical facts, evaluate whether assumptions are useful or faulty, and distinguish between good and bad information.
Cases are to be written in essay format, not point form.
When you use tools that require extensive analysis (like the Five Forces or Stakeholder Theory), do the work in an appendix and only talk about the most relevant findings in the body of the text (i.e. the industry forces or stakeholders that matter most to the development of your analysis).
Every case should include each of the following steps (but not as subject headers – incorporate them into a narrative):
- Identify your role:CEO? Board member? Outside consultant? Etc. One sentence max.
- Identify the problem:Write a concise problem statement. This should just be one or two sentences, and appear at the very beginning of your work. Use it as a reference point as you proceed through the analysis.
The process of thinking about possible solutions may lead you away from the initial problem. Don’t fall into this trap. Make sure your recommendation actually addresses the problem you have identified.
There generally is not one “correct” problem to be identified. Instead, you are graded based on how well you analyze and solve the problem you chose to work with.
- Conduct your analysis:Use the analytical tools from the course reading. DO NOT do external research.
The point of the exercise is to see how you apply the tools of the course to a real-world challenge, NOT to see if you can find out what the company actually did. Very often a strong case will make recommendations that are quite different from what the company did because you are working with different information than they were.
The analysis should be the longest section of your write-up. In full-length case studies, at least one full page per tool plus the work you do in the appendix. For the one-page case studies, one paragraph per tool plus the work you do in the appendix will suffice.
Each assigned reading has at least one tool (like shared value, stakeholder theory, five forces, etc.). Use at least two tools. ONLY use tools from our readings, NOT tools from other courses (like SWOT). Furthermore, you must use one of the specific tools assigned in the same week that case is due.
Make sure the tool you use fits the problem – i.e. five forces looks at the industry, while other tools, like those on organizational culture, look within the firm.
Also, ask yourself why you have chosen one type of analysis over another. Assumption checking can also help determine if you have gotten to the heart of the problem or are still just dealing with symptoms.
- Propose alternative solutions: Generally, three. Make sure each alternative is justified and supported by your analysis.
It is important to remember that in management cases there is rarely one right answer or one best way. Even when members of a class or a team agree on what the problem is, you may not agree on how to solve the problem. Therefore, it is helpful to consider several different solutions.
- Make recommendations:Choose ONE of the three alternatives.
Describe exactly what needs to be done. Explain why this course of action will solve the problem.
The recommendation should also include suggestions for how best to implement the proposed solution because the recommended actions and their implications for the performance and future of the firm are interrelated.
The solution you propose must solve the problem you identified. This point cannot be overemphasized; too often, students make recommendations that treat only symptoms or fail to tackle the central problems in the case. Make a logical argument that shows how the problem led to the analysis and how the analysis led to the recommendations you are proposing.
Remember, an analysis is not an end in itself; it is useful only if it leads to a solution. The actions you propose should describe the very next steps that the company needs to take.
Module 1: Purpose, Principles and Leadership
W1: Managing with Purpose
Quinn, R.E. & Thakor, A.V. 2018. Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization. Harvard Business Review, 96 (4):78-85.
Porter, M.E. & Kramer, M.R., 2011. Creating Shared Value. How to reinvent capitalism—and unleash a wave of innovation and growth. Harvard Business Review, 89(1-2):62-77.
Video: Shared Value as Corporate Strategy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaEv4frj-88&t=0s&list=PL4pqY0N7PHPaF5VWDZ_NUBEqfN702cfOM&index=4
W2: Responsible Management
Weitzner, D. 2019. Fifteen Paths. Chapter 5: Trade Fairly. ECW Press.
Weitzner, D., & Deutsch, Y. 2019. Why the time has come to retire instrumental stakeholder theory. Academy of Management Review, 44: 694-698.
Harrison, J.S., Felps, W., & Jones, T.M. 2019. Instrumental Stakeholder Theory Makes Ethically Based Relationship Building Palatable to Managers Focused on the Bottom Line. Academy of Management Review, 44: 698-700.
Video: IHMA Necessary Conversation with Ed Freeman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leDhu6XXr3Q
W3: Sustainable Management
Aldy, J.E. & Gianfrate, G. 2019. Future-Proof Your Climate Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 97(3):86-97.
Kiron, D. & Unruh, G. 2018. Business Needs a Safety Net. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(3):1-6.
Bhattacharya, CB & Polman, P. 2017. Sustainability Lessons from the Front Lines. MIT Sloan Management Review, 58(2):71-78.
Video: The Business Logic of Sustainability – Ray Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A35hen_d6eA
W4: Managerial Leadership
Hamel, G. & Zanini, M. 2018. The End of Bureaucracy. Harvard Business Review, 96(6):50-59.
Gulati, R. 2018. Structure that’s Not Stifling. Harvard Business Review, 96(3):68-79.
Martin, R.L. 2019. The High Price of Efficiency. Harvard Business Review, 97(1):42-55.
Video: Social Intelligence and Leadership
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qv0o1oh9f4
Case 1 (short submission): Alexa: A Pandora’s Box of Risks
HBP Product #: KE1143-PDF-ENG
Module 2: From Planning to Execution
W5: Managerial Planning
Porter, M.E. 1996. What Is Strategy? Harvard Business Review, 74(6):61-78.
Porter, M. E. 2008. The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 86(1):78-93.
Video: The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYF2_FBCvXw&t=184s
First full-length written case due: The Video-Streaming Wars in 2019: Can Disney Catch Netflix?
HBP Product #: 519094-PDF-ENG
W6: Management Communication
Weitzner, D. 2019. Fifteen Paths. Chapter 4: Change the Way You Listen. ECW Press.
Sull, D., Turconi, S. & Sull, C. 2018. Six Steps to Communicating Strategic Priorities Effectively. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(3):1-4.
Video: Think Fast, Talk Smart – Communication Techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnw168huqA
W7: Taking Successful Managerial Action
Sull, D., Homkes, R. & Sull, C. 2015. Why Strategy Execution Unravels and What to Do About It. Harvard Business Review, 93(3):57-66.
Sull, D., Turconi, S., Sull, C. & Yoder, J. 2018. Turning Strategy into Results. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(3):1-12.
Video: Why Strategy Execution Unravels and What to Do About It
https://hbr.org/video/5143339694001/why-strategy-execution-unravelsand-what-to-do-about-it
Mid-term assignment due
W8: Managerial Control
Weitzner, D., & Darroch, J. 2010. The Limits of Strategic Rationality: Ethics, Enterprise Risk Management and Governance. Journal of Business Ethics, 92(3):361-372.
Davies, A., Dodgson, M., Gann, D. & MacAulay, S. 2017. Five Rules for Managing Large, Complex Projects. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(1): 73-78.
Fountaine, T., McCarthy, B. & Saleh, T. 2019. Building the AI-Powered Organization. Harvard Business Review, 97(4): 62-73.
Video: A quick introduction to Agile Management
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6aShtkL6uw
Case 2 (short submission): Toys “R” Us Canada: Is Playtime Over?
Ivey Product #: 9B18M167
Module 3: The Challenge of Change
W9: Managerial Decision-making
Soll, J. B., Milkman, K. L. & Payne, J. W. 2015. Outsmart Your Own Biases. Harvard Business Review, 93(5):64-71.
Weitzner, D. 2019. Fifteen Paths. Chapter 9: Be Curious. ECW Press.
Francesca, G. 2018. The Business Case for Curiosity. Harvard Business Review, 96(5):48-57.
Zander, L. 2019. Surveymonkey’s CEO on Creating a Culture of Curiosity. Harvard Business Review, 97 (1): p35-40.
Video: Understanding unconscious bias
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVp9Z5k0dEE
Case 3 (short submission): Loblaw in Canada’s Stagnant Grocery Market
Ivey Product Number: 9B17M169
W10: Managing Change
Anand, N. & Barsoux, JL. 2017. What Everyone Gets Wrong About Change Management. Harvard Business Review, 95(6):78-85.
Groysberg, B., Lee, J., Price, J. & Cheng, J.Y. 2018. The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture. Harvard Business Review, 96(1):44-52.
Leetaru, L. 2019. The Wrong Ways to Strengthen Culture. Harvard Business Review, 97(4):21-24.
Weitzner, D. 2019. Fifteen Paths. Chapter 14: Re-create Yourself. ECW Press.
Video: The 8 Types of Company Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtadBlEgHQ4
Second full-length written case due: Hudson’s Bay Company – Restructuring in a Retail Decline
Ivey Product Number: 9B18M075
W11: Managing Innovation
Pisano, G.P. 2019. The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures. Harvard Business Review, 97(1):62-71.
Weitzner, D. 2019. Fifteen Paths. Chapter 11: Play the Spaces. ECW Press.
Christensen, C.M., Raynor, M. & Mcdonald, R. 2015. What Is Disruptive Innovation? Harvard Business Review, 93(12):44-53.
Video: The Explainer: Disruptive Innovation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbPiAzzGap0
Multimedia Case 4 (short submission): Disruptive Innovation at BBVA
HBP Product #: I0034E-HTM-ENG
This case is interactive. A link will be posted on Moodle two weeks before the due date.
W12: Managing Globalization and Political Risk
Ghemawat, P. 2017. Globalization In The Age Of Trump: Protectionism Will Change How Companies Do Business—But Not In The Ways You Think. Harvard Business Review, 95(4):112-123.
Rice, C. & Zegart, A. 2018. Managing 21st-Century Political Risk. Harvard Business Review, 96 (3):130-138.
Video: Condoleezza Rice – Political Risk & the Future of American Diplomacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9msb8tTZ7c
Weitzner, D. 2019. Fifteen Paths. Introduction. ECW Press.
Case 5 (short submission): Donald Trump Calls Carrier Corporation
HBP Product #:318030-PDF-ENG