At LPU you will get a case study in each of the subject.A case study is a collection of facts and data based on a real or hypothetical business situation. The goal of a case study is to enhance your ability to solve business problems, using a logical framework. There may be questions at the end for which you need to find the right logical solutions or it may be an open ended discussion based case study,where you will need to discuss all the relevant topics appearing in the case.
Steps to do:
1.Read the case atleast twice.
2.Relate the case to your subject:There must be some connection of the subject you read in the class and the case study.Determine that connection and read your prescribed text book containing the topic of the case.
3.Presenting the Facts Surrounding the Case :It is helpful to read a case until you are comfortable with the information in it. During your reading of the case, you should underline crucial facts, interpret figures and charts, critically review the comments made by individuals, judge the rationality of past and current decisions, and prepare questions whose answers would be useful in addressing the key issue.
4.Identification of the Key Issue:The facts stated in a case often point to the key issue facing a manager, such as new opportunities, a changing environment, a decline in competitive position, or excess inventories. Identify the characteristics and ramifications of the issue and examine them, using the material in the case and the text. Sometimes, you must delve deeply because the key issue and their characteristics may not be immediately obvious.
5.Listing Alternative Courses of Action That Could Be Taken:Next, alternative actions pertaining to the key issue in the case are listed. Consider courses of action based on their suitability to the firm and situation. Thus, the promotion strategy for a small neighborhood stationery store would not be proper for a large gift store located in a regional shopping center. Proposed courses of action should take into account such factors as the business category, goals, the customer market, the overall strategy, the product assortment, competition, legal restrictions, economic trends, marketplace trends, financial capabilities etc.
6.Evaluation of Alternative Courses of Action:Evaluate each potential option, according to case data, the key issue, the strategic concepts in the text, and the firm's environment.
7.Recommendation of the Best Course of Action:Be sure your analysis is not just a case summary. You will be critiqued by your professor on the basis of how well you identify key issues or problems, outline and assess alternative courses of action, and reach realistic conclusions (that take the retailer's size, competition, image, and so on into consideration).
Don’t do what a teacher hates :
1.It should not be just a summary of the case. There should be logical thinking involved on the part of student to come up with issues and solutions to the key problem.
2.Don’t try to cover each and every aspect of the case. This way you will loose focus and entire presentation would lead to no concrete conclusion, instead you should choose the most important and relevant aspect and explain in detail all facts revolving around that aspect. However if you are given questions to solve, try to answer those only based on your understanding of the case.
3.Never read from the case while presenting. It gives the look as if you are not properly through with the case. You can take a look for facts and figures though.
4.Remember it’s a case study and not a comprehension. You should try to think and apply concepts which you have read in the class relevant to the case.
5.Never end a presentation without a logical and concrete conclusion.
6.Show your creativity in Presenting the case.Make use of audio-visual and role plays,acts etc to differentiate your team from others. Whatever you do it should appear as if whole team has put its effort in it rather than one or two individuals.
Disclaimer: These are only suggestions, the evaluation and pattern of presenting a case study may vary as per teachers .These being only suggestions may or may not be the sole criterion for getting good marks.