Guidline_of_an_Effective_Long_Answer

Preparing an Effective Case Analysis What to Expect From In-ClassCase Discussions As you will learn, classroom discussions of cases differsignificantly from lectures. The case method calls for yourinstructor to guide the discussion and to solicit alternativeviews as a way of encouraging your active participationwhen analyzing a case. When alternative views are notforthcoming, your instructor might take a position justto challenge you and your peers to respond thoughtfullyas a way of generating still additional alternatives. Often,instructors will evaluate your work in terms of both thequantity and the quality of your contributions to in-classcase discussions. The in-class discussions are importantin that you can derive significant benefit by having yourideas and recommendations examined against those of your peers and by responding to thoughtful challengesby other class members and/or the instructor. During case discussions, your instructor will likelylisten, question, and probe to extend the analysis of caseissues. In the course of these actions, your peers and/oryour instructor may challenge an individual’s views andthe validity of alternative perspectives that have beenexpressed. These challenges are offered in a constructivemanner; their intent is to help all parties involvedwith analyzing a case develop their analytical and communicationskills. Developing these skills is important inthat they will serve you well when working for all typesof organizations. Commonly, instructors will encourageyou and your peers to be innovative and original whendeveloping and presenting ideas. Over the course of an individual discussion, you are likely to form a more complexview of the case as a result of listening to and thinkingabout the diverse inputs offered by your peers andinstructor. Among other benefits, experience with multiplecase discussions will increase your knowledge of theadvantages and disadvantages of group decisionmakingprocesses. Both your peers and instructor will value commentsthat contribute to identifying problems as well as solutionsto them. To offer relevant contributions, you areencouraged to think independently and, through discussionswith your peers outside of class, to refine yourthinking. We also encourage you to avoid using “I think,”“I believe,” and “I feel” to discuss your inputs to a caseanalysis process. Instead, consider using a less emotionladen phrase, such as “My analysis shows. . . .” This highlightsthe logical nature of the approach you have takento analyze a case. When preparing for an in-class casediscussion, you should plan to use the case data to explainyour assessment of the situation. Assume that yourpeers and instructor are familiar with the basic factsincluded in the case. In addition, it is good practice toprepare notes regarding your analysis of case facts beforeclass discussions and use them when explaining your perspectives. Effective notes signal to classmates and theinstructor that you are prepared to engage in a thoroughdiscussion of a case. Moreover, comprehensive and detailednotes eliminate the need for you to memorize thefacts and figures needed to successfully discuss a case. The case analysis process described above will helpprepare you effectively to discuss a case during classmeetings. Using this process results in consideration ofthe issues required to identify a focal firm’s problemsand to propose strategic actions through which the firmcan increase the probability it will outperform its rivals. In some instances, your instructor may ask you to prepareeither an oral or a written analysis of a particularcase. Typically, such an assignment demands even morethorough study and analysis of the case contents. At yourinstructor’s discretion, oral and written analyses may becompleted by individuals or by groups of three or morepeople. The information and insights gained by completingthe six steps shown in Table 1 often are of value whendeveloping an oral or a written analysis. However, whenpreparing an oral or written presentation, you mustconsider the overall framework in which your informationand inputs will be presented. Such a framework isthe focus of the next section