- 1). Perform library research on the business you want to analyze. If you have been assigned a business case to research, supplement the provided information with supporting information from management journals and books. If you are doing an independent research project, seek potential case studies from news sources and business case books. Supporting theoretical information can be found in journals, through academic search engines like Academic Search Premier and JSTOR.
- 2). Conduct interviews with experts and people who work in the industry. Business case analyses are most effective when they draw on sources close to the situation. While it is not always possible to get direct interviews with people who were involved with the case, it is often possible to speak with industry insiders who knew the people involved. Seek out such people, and ask them if they are willing to be recorded. Audio recorders can be purchased at electronics stores for under $50.
- 3). Formulate the case problem in a few sentences. Many business cases turn on one or two key issues. Whatever was the main discussion topic at management meetings, is the main issue of the case. Look through annual reports and meeting minutes if the problem is not spelled out in the case book.
- 4). Provide background information on the case. This information should consist of the facts you got from textbooks, annual reports, news sources and other information sources. Provide a basic overview of what management was trying to do, how they approached the situation and how the situation turned out.
- 5). Provide background information on the legal, social and policy context of the case. This information should include laws and regulations that affected the business, as well as attention the case received from the community or interest groups. If the business situation resulted in any political backlash, mention that in the analysis.
- 6). Analyze and deconstruct the basic problems in the case. Use any theoretical material that is relevant to the issues in the case. If the case rests on a marketing problem, analyze the problem with reference to marketing theories. If the case rests on a finance problem, analyze the case with reference to finance material. Apply critical thinking skills to evaluate where management went wrong.
- 7). Make recommendations. Suggest places where management could have made better decisions, and propose what the better decisions might have been. Provide a basic overview of how management could have completed their objectives more effectively.
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