...CASES ANALYSIS OUTLINE STEPS If all of the objectives of the case analysis method are to be realized, an organizational structure for the compilation, analysis, and presentation of case analyses should also be considered. Without this structure, integral parts of the case analysis may be ignored, and the multi-purpose nature of the course defeated. Such a structure would provide the inclusion of the following: 1. Statement of the major problem – the essence of the case, the point beyond which one can no longer find a broader, more pervasive or underlying issue. 2. Outline of minor problems – with facts and reasons. A hierarchical order of importance for the sequencing of these minor problems will be discussed following these steps. 3. Existing major policy issues – if any. This section will develop the ability to discriminate between goals, strategies, polices, programs, procedures, and rules by requiring a delineation of those policy issues which require formulation, administration, or revision. 4. Major rejected alternative solutions – with facts and reasons. This insures an adequate search for alternatives, as opposed to superficial analyses that lead to 5. Recommended solutions – with reasons. These solutions should embrace and resolve all major and minor problems delineated in steps 1 and 2. 6. Policy recommendations: This step will require the completion of the goals cited in step number 3. 7. Programmed implementation of recommendations...
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...MSIS604/OMIS378 Information Systems Policy & Strategy Spring Quarter, 2013—2 April/13 June Instructor: Dr. Darrel A. (Del) Mank dmank@scu.edu Cell Phone: 408-605-3983 Office Hours: By appointment Office: Room 321W Lucas Hall Class Days: TTh Class Period: 5:45pm—7:00pm Class Room: 310 Lucas Hall Text: Schilling, Melissa A.; STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT of TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 4th Edition, 2013 ISBN 978-0-07-802923-3 Cases* Hewlett-Packard Merced Division SAP America VMware Inc., 2008 IBM and Eclipse (A) Oracle vs. salesforce.com Enterprise IT at Cisco (2004) Google Inc. *All Cases are from the Harvard Business Review and are available at the SCU Bookstore Course Objectives: • To develop an awareness of the range, scope, and complexity of the issues and problems related to the strategic management of ISTs. • To develop an understanding of the “state of the art” of the strategic management of IST and IST innovation. • To develop a conceptual framework for assessing IST capabilities. • To develop insight concerning the skills necessary to be effective as an IST manager. • To offer some practice in defining and working out strategic management problems related IST innovation and implementation. Course Description/Perspective: The course focuses on the strategic management and deployment of information systems and technologies (ISTs) to improve business competitiveness. The...
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...A Framework for Case Analysis Case analysis is a problem solving process. You are demonstrating in a systematic way how you have defined a key problem/issue, identified plausible, realistic alternatives (not necessarily limited by those suggested in the case), analyzed these alternatives using common criteria, and finally developed a complete set of recommendations. This process challenges your organizational and communication skills as much as your analytical and quantitative skills. Step 1. Situation Analysis. The first step in systematically analyzing an organization's marketing problems is to conduct a situation analysis. This is not part of the written case brief but it is needed before you can begin the problem solving process. Step 2. Define the Problem/Issue. Once you have conducted a thorough situation analysis, you can identify the problem(s) facing the organization. Be careful not to assume that the characters in the case are objective or accurate in identifying the problem or make a rush to judgment about the problem. Step 3. Identify plausible alternatives. What are reasonable options for solving the identified problem? While you should at least initially consider the options discussed in the case, do not assume that these are the best or even appropriate alternatives, especially if these options are not consistent with the problem. Alternatives should be plausible, not "straw men" that are just knocked aside in order to make a bee line for some obvious solution...
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...------------------------------------------------- Case Analysis Guidelines & Checklist Overview: In many ways writing a short analysis paper (including recommendations and/or conclusions) is like writing an “action memo” or executive memo in business. The following sections go over how to organize and format your written work here in class and in the business world to be attractive to the reader and effective in getting your point across. Approach: * Read the entire case carefully before you actually begin to write the paper, and make careful notes (including your emotional reactions, which can be useful). Try to read the case once at least a few hours or a day earlier, and then again when you are writing the paper. This will give you time to reflect on the issues, and to think out effective recommendations before you actually have to articulate them. * Relate your analysis and recommendations as specifically as possible to concepts of the course as presented by the textbook, cases, materials on the course web site, articles, and the various guest speakers and class discussions This is where you show what you have learned and are able to apply. * Remember that you have to make careful selections of what is most important in a case, and then develop a coherent, logical way (including useful section titles) to present your arguments using the outline below. Although you may use the guidance questions to help call your attention to interesting phenomena in the case or big issues or...
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...Notes on Case Analysis David Robinson, September 2008 Business school cases are quite long and complicated. We study cases not so much to find the right answer, but to train ourselves in systematic analysis so we will be effective decision makers in the business world. Successful case preparation depends on multiple readings of the case and multiple points of view. Multiple Readings of the Case If you attempt to analyze a case by pulling an “all-nighter” (waiting until the last minute, spend hours poring over the case and going line by line looking for insights) you will be overwhelmed. You should plan for multiple readings of the case over several days, complemented by group meetings and discussion. Multiple Points of View Even if you are preparing to write an individual brief, you should plan to discuss a case with a study group. You’ll notice that in business the major consulting firms always assign a team of people to each client, not just their single best industry expert. The reason for this is that no one person is likely to comprehend all the problems a firm faces. No two individuals are likely to have the same insights, but the combined wisdom of a team is likely to come up with a fairly comprehensive analysis. First Reading of the Case You should read the case first on your own—if you meet with your study group and open the case book and say, “OK, what’s this about?” there is every likelihood that your team will degenerate into “group think” (one person comes...
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...to time to write a good CAR. So, once you “get” the Big Picture of the Case, and recognize the major analysis elements (focal system(s), main problem/Alternatives, etc.): o focus on analyzing those Alternatives and coming up with some significant Findings, and especially Recommendations. o As your analysis results “solidify,” focus more and more on Writing a Good CAR and submitting by the Due Date! • Cases can contain more than 1 major “track” for their analysis, allowing for alternative versions of a CAR. So, do NOT simply imitate this Example CAR blindly for its “specific content.” Worse, DO NOT simply copy any of its parts. • Instead, use this Example CAR by way of “Reverse Engineering:” See how its contents arise logically if our Case Analysis Method (Guide) is applied to the Case. This will help you understand how our analysis method works! Then, use the same general analysis method (actually, the Approach) on the Case assigned for your CAR. • Don’t just imitate the pattern of alternative found here! Analyse and find out what alternatives make most sense in the particular Case you are working on. • No Case contains ALL the facts you want to know for its analysis. So, when analyzing Cases, be pragmatic! Do not worry about any facts beyond the Case (unless specifically instructed). Instead, conduct the “best possible” analysis using available Case-facts. • Leave Enough Time to Write a GOOD REPORT based on your...
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...discussing “case” materials in light of theoretical arguments advanced in “readings.” Case materials include standard Harvard Business School cases, book chapters about individuals (Robert Moses and Henry Kissinger), corporations (e.g., Lehman Brothers and Time Warner), and industries (e.g., the auto industry), and in-class videos (e.g., a “Bill Moyer’s Journal” segment on David Rockefeller). COURSE REQUIREMENTS Final course grades will be based on student performance on three written assignments and on student participation in class discussions. Written Assignments. Each student will be expected to submit two individual case analyses that indicate what the student learned from reading and discussing the case in question. The case analyses should be one single spaced typewritten page long and should be submitted the week after the case that they address is discussed in class. Individual case analyses will be graded on a scale from 1-3 and together will comprise 10% of a student’s final grade. Each student should also form a group with three to four other students to complete a case study of a real organization. The research for this case study can be carried out using primary sources (e.g., participation observation and/or interviews) or secondary sources (e.g., books, articles, or prepared cases about a target organization). Thus, group members need not have worked in an organization to use it as the subject of their final case analysis. Other case analysis topics...
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...Case Analysis This packet details the steps necessary to produce a case analysis that may be required for work in business and technology courses. This packet is not intended to replace instructor guidelines and should not be used in that manner. The packet’s intended use is as a supplement to classroom instruction on assembling a case analysis. Therefore, it contains only general information that must be tailored to fit specific guidelines as required by your discipline and by your instructor. This packet is subdivided into five sections: I. General Information States what a case is and what purposes it serves. II. Process Gives step-by-step instructions on how to get started on your case analysis. III. Format Provides a description of the most common format used in case analysis. IV. Checklist Allows appraisal of your completed case analysis to assure that it follows all necessary guidelines. V. Resources Lists helpful resources used to compile this packet provided so that you may obtain further information. General Information Definition: A case analysis is used to achieve a business goal. It is a hypothetical, yet realistic, business situation that is developed to give the student a sense of the types of business situations a manager or business owner may encounter on a daily basis; a case analysis prompt usually includes information on the business’s employees, goals and values. The situation requires a decision to be made and a solution to be proposed...
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...|STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT (MGT431) | |GUIDELINES FOR THE WRITTEN STANDARDIZED CASE ANALYSIS | | | | | |I. |Overview: | | | | | |The introduction of your paper should acquaint the reader with the company being analyzed and demonstrate your ability to succinctly describe the company| | |from a historical perspective. Take this opportunity to highlight key factors and past strategies, which have led the company to its present position. | | |It is important for you to understand precisely why the company has been successful (or unsuccessful) in the past. Taking time to articulate this may | ...
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...Charlotte Beers (Ogilvy & Mather) Case analysis At the point of planning to the launch of the business, the owner of the business is very passionate and usually experienced in the line-of-business; as David Ogilvy was at the age of 38 when he started his own advertising agency in 1948. Ogilvy & Mather, an advertising agency was started in New York and expanded worldwide. By 1991, O&M was ranked the largest marketing company in the world.[1] But there comes a time when a company must look to adapt a change. With competition growing, clients of O&M changed their demands. O&M was a high-cost agency that was failing in controlling their budget and lowering their cost; they failed to see the reason for a change. Due to that fact, O&M had lost few of their multi-million dollar accounts. Many companies may have either filed bankruptcy or have shutdown in the process of losing their clients but O&M was not the type of company that would give up that easily. In 1992, Charlotte Beers was appointed CEO of O&M and a massive change was underway. She was not the type of person who would dwell on the past, but instead look to better the future. Charlotte Beers clearly made an impression on the O&M employees as she had the ability to inspire. But more importantly, she came up with three strategies which turned the company around 360 degrees; Client Security, Better Work/More Often, and Financial Discipline. Yes these strategies were formed for an advertising agency...
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...Week 1 Written Case Analysis - Izmir National University Click Link Below To Buy: http://hwcampus.com/shop/mgt-455-week-1-written-case-analysis-izmir-national-university/ Use the following format for each week’s Case Analysis assignment. Each Case Analysis should be 5 to 6 pages in length. Izmir National University Case Analysis assignment Questions 1. What do the comments by the faculty tell you about INU ’s strategy? 2. What would you recommend the Dekan do regarding the Business School’s strategic planning process? What role would you recommend the Dekan play in this process? 3. Productivity is defined as the ratio of output (including both goods and services) to the input used to produce it. How could the productivity of the Business School be measured? What would the effect be on productivity if the faculty all received a 10 percent raise but continued to teach the same number of classes and students? Format I. Summary of the Facts This section presents a brief listing of the key facts, with page numbers from the case in parentheses, where appropriate. It should be no more than 1 page in length. Therefore, there is little room for a long-winded presentation of each fact. Important assumptions should also be listed here and labeled as such. II. Statement of the Problem This section presents a brief treatment of the major problem or problems, with a concise statement of the major problem or problems you see in the case. This part of your...
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...How to Approach a Case This is not the only approach that exists, but it’s a worthwhile one to try as you get started. 1. GETTING ORIENTED It’s useful to think of a case analysis as digging deeper and deeper into the layers of a case. 1. You start at the surface, Getting Oriented and examining the overall case landscape. 2. Then you begin to dig, Identifying Problems, as well as possible alternative solutions. 3. Digging deeper, Performing Analyses you identify information that exposes the issues, gather data, perform calculations that might provide insight. 4. Finally, you begin Action Planning to outline short-, medium-, and long-term well-defined steps. Typically, you’ll need to repeat this process multiple times, and as you do, you'll discover new analytical directions, evolving your assessment of the case and conclusion. a. Case Analysis Overview Analyzing a case is not just about digging. It’s also about climbing back out to examine what you’ve unearthed, deciding what it means, determining what to analyze next, and digging some more. Often your examination of information about a problem will change your idea of what the real problem is and about what to analyze next. The process is similar to when a detective investigating a crime shifts his or her opinion about the most likely suspect as more clues come to light. Gather your materials and tools. These include the case and any other related materials to supplement your reading...
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...956-7270 Email: jamesr@hawaii.edu Course Outline and Objectives: BUS 632 covers strategic management as an integrating paradigm for your business knowledge. The aim is to develop an understanding of the strategic challenges facing managers in competitive markets. Globalization, foreign competition, and rapidly changing technology have sharply increased the intensity of competition in most industries. We will learn how leading firms have devised strategies, structured, and managed their organizations to achieve competitive advantage in this challenging environment. Strategic management deals with uncertainty and unstructured situations. You will learn tools and concepts for putting some structure into your analysis of strategic issues. But most strategic choices require judgment. Case studies enable us to test our judgment and learn vicariously from successful and unsuccessful managers in a variety of situations. Hence, class discussion of the cases is a central part of your learning experience. Methods: We will combine cases, lectures, individual and group papers and presentations. Pre-requisites: First semester of Core. Textbook: Jay Barney, Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, Fourth Edition. Case Packet will be available. Assignments and Grading: 1. Participation: (15%) Attendance is required. Please inform the instructor in advance if you need to be absent. Participation means active involvement in the discussion of the case with evidence of preparation. 2. Article...
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...✓ Materials Needed Performance Measurement & Control Systems for Implementing Strategy: Text and Cases, by Simons, Robert. Prentice Hall, ISBN #0-13-234006-2 Cases in Management Accounting & Control Systems 4th Edition, by Allen, Brownlee, Haskins and Lynch, Pearson-Prentice Hall, ISBN #0-13-570425-1 Freakonomics: A Rouge Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Harper Collins, ISBN#0-06-073132-X ✓ University Communication with Students All email communication from the University is sent to the student’s wsu.edu address. Please be sure that you have set up the link to forward your personal email address (aol, hotmail, etc.) or you will miss announcements and information that is very important to you. This is the email I use to contact you regarding class matters. If you change your email address, be sure to update again. ✓ Catalog Course Description with Prerequisitites 3credits: Managerial evaluation of budgeting, cost accounting, and financial analysis techniques; their utilization in control of operations. (pre-requisite acctg 550 or equivalent). Please note that pre-requisites are strictly enforced and that students will be disenrolled if they do not have course pre-requisites). ✓ Instructor Course Objectives Knowledge and Skill Expectations: Students should have the knowledge and skill level to record economic events, read and analyze financial information through the topic areas covered...
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...Welcome to the Case Analysis Coach This tutorial is designed to start you down the road toward becoming an expert at analyzing business cases. You'll learn how to identify and define the business concepts raised by a case, as well as to develop analysis-based solutions, recommendations, and action plans. These skills will prepare you for class discussions and exams. You will have access to a complete real case, called Komatsu Ltd. and Project G., so that you can apply what you learn to a concrete example. You will also get other helpful resources, such as a Case Analysis Worksheet and samples of classdiscussion notes on the Komatsu case that were prepared by real students like you. In addition, smaller excerpts from other real cases are used to illustrate some of the steps in case analysis. 1 Introduction to Case Analysis Types of Cases The "case method" is an approach to learning that encourages students to extract useful lessons from the experiences of others ("cases"). Students study accounts of specific events in order to discover general principles that they can apply in other situations. Cases tend to fall into one of three categories that sometimes overlap: • • • Decision Cases describe a decision faced by the case protagonist. The student ultimately must choose among a finite set of distinct decision alternatives. Problem Cases require a student to diagnose a problem in a business case and to formulate possible solutions. Evaluation Cases illustrate a business...
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