Case Analysis

By
Prof Maina Muchara, PhD
Objectives of Case Analysis
1. Increase understanding of what managers should or should not do in
guiding a business to success
2. Build skills in sizing up company resource strengths and weaknesses
and in conducting strategic analysis in a variety of industries and
competitive situations
3. Get valuable practice in identifying strategic issues that need to be
addressed, evaluating strategic alternatives and formulating workable
plans of actions
4. Enhance sense of business judgment, as opposed to uncritically
accepting the authoritative crutch of the professor or “back-of-book”
answers
5. Gaining in-depth exposure to different industries and companies,
acquiring something close to actual experience
Preparing for Class Discussions
1. Skim the case rather quickly to get an overview of the situation it
presents
2. Read the case thoroughly to digest the facts and circumstances
3. Carefully review all the information presented in the exhibits
4. Decide what strategic issues are
5. Start the analysis of issues with number crunching
6. Apply the concepts and techniques of strategic analysis
7. Check out conflicting opinions and make some judgments about
the validity of all the data and information available
8. Support your diagnosis and opinions with reasons and evidence
9. develop an appropriate action plan and set of recommendations
Participating in Class Discussions
1. Expect the instructor to assume the role of extensive
questioner and listener
2. Expect students to do most of the talking
3. Be prepared for the instructor to probe for reasons and
supporting analysis
1. Avoid “I think”, “I feel”, “I believe”, instead say “My analysis
shows….”, “the company should….because…..”
4. Expect and tolerate challenges to the views expressed
5. Don’t be surprised in you change your mind about some
things as the discussion unfolds
6. Expect to learn a lot in class as the discussion of a case
progresses
Preparing a written case analysis
1. Identify all pertinent issues management needs to address
1. Consider beginning your paper with an overview of
company’s situation, its strategy, and the significant problems
and issues that confront management
2. Unless necessary, avoid recounting facts and history of
company
3. Get updates from website, press releases, online data services,
public websites etc.
2. Perform whatever analysis and evaluation is appropriate
3. Propose an action plan and set of recommendations
addressing the issues you have identified
How to get the most out of a case
Keep an open mind
Take a stand for what you believe
Draw from your personal experience
Participate and persuade
Be concise and to the point
Think out of the box
Learn from the insights of others
Apply insights from other case analyses
Critically analyze your own performance
Conduct outside research
Decision making Techniques
Be thorough
Coordinate team efforts
Avoid restating the obvious
Present information graphically
Exercise quality control
Spend more time together
Make a focused and disciplined agenda
Pay more attention to strategy
Produce real decisions
Ten Commandments of Case Analysis
1. Go through the case twice, once for quick overview,
once to gain full command of facts, including
exhibits
2. Make a complete list of the problems and issues the
company’s management needs to address
3. Be thorough in your analysis of the company’s
situation-minimum one to two pages of notes
4. Look for opportunities to apply the concepts and
analytical tools (as per subject of study)
5. Do enough number crunching to discover the story
told by the presented data
..Ten Commandments of Case Analysis
6. Support any and all off-the-cuff opinions with well reasoned
arguments and numerical evidence. Purge “I think”, “I feel”, use
“My analysis shows”
7. Prioritize your recommendations making sure they can be
carried out in an acceptable time frame with the available
resources
8. Support each recommendation with persuasive arguments and
reasons as to why it makes sense and should result in improved
company performance
9. Review your recommended action plan to see if it addresses all
of the problems and issues you identified. Avoid incomplete and
insufficient state
10. Avoid recommending any course of action that could have
disastrous consequences if it does not work out as planned-be
alert to downside risks as you are on upside potential and appeal