Case Study

How to Approach Case Studies

Introduction

A. Background – Describe the situation and the significant individuals
B. Discussion – Explain critical issues and possible solutions
C. Leadership Intervention & Recommendations

Conclusion

A. Description 30%

The first key component of leadership case study format is the summary description of a particular case. You are required to develop and demonstrate your critical thinking skills regarding knowledge and comprehension.

1. Key players
a. Name, role, responsibilities, structural relationships
b. Communication, reporting, decision making, workflow, management system, etc
2. Timeline
a. Sequence of events in the case
3. Context
a. Globe, nation-state
b. Industry, mission, vision, values
These are the key questions to consider when you examine the case.
1. Who are the key players in the case?
2. What are the roles and responsibilities of each key player?
3. How do the key players relate to each other?
4. What are the important events in the case description?
5. What is the sequential relationship among the important events?
6. What are the important circumstances that form the setting for the case? For example, you will look at circumstances that relate to such factors as: political, economic, cultural environment of the world and nation-state, trends in a specific industry, mission, values and vision of the organization in the case.

Rubric for Discussion

Emerging (1%-15%)

Developing (15%-24%)

Mastering (25%-30%)

Student describes the background mainly by quoting information from the case description. Some aspects are incorrect or confused.

Student describes the background mainly in his/her own words, and explores relevant information and assumptions although in a limited way. Most aspects are accurate.

Student summarizes relevant background information accurately and interprets the information with consideration of assumptions and their implications. This may include additional research and identification of potential biases.

B. Discussion (Apply, Analyze/Evaluate) 40%

The second key component to the leadership case study format is the discussion. Students are expected to develop and demonstrate critical thinking skills regarding application, analysis, and evaluation.
1. Identify at least 3 critical issues
2. Take different perspectives from different analytical frameworks and from the key players in the case study.
What is an analytical framework? It is a structured way to explain your analysis and to show your thinking systematically.
i. e.g. take perspectives based on theories you have learned OR take perspectives from a world view (common thought).
ii. Write about the perspectives of the people involved in the case
3. Prioritize the critical issues in accordance to the organization’s goals.
A critical issue is a problem that exists in a case description that needs the leader’s attention and possible intervention.
To identify the key issues by answering the following questions:
1. What is the problem that needs to be addressed?
2. What is the important decision to be made?
In this section you are to examine the broader world-views. The objective is to draw on different frameworks to form multiple perspectives for a particular critical issue. Another purpose is to train leaders to keep their minds open to views different from their own and also seek and take opportunities to incorporate their world-view in leadership situations. The perspective of the critical issue needs to be identified in terms of achieving the organization’s goals.

Rubric for Discussion

Emerging (1%-15%)

Developing (15%-30%)

Mastering (30%-40%)

· Student does not identify and summarize critical issues accurately.
· Student does not analyze a critical issue from the perspective of a chosen theory and engages ideas that are obvious or agreeable.
· Student does not integrate his/her worldview in the process of perspective taking.
· Student shows little evidence of reflection on his/her own assumptions.
· Priority set by students is unclear and simplistic with little consideration of the organization’s goals.

· Student identifies and summarizes critical issues with most aspects accurate. Nuances and key details are missing or glossed over.
· Student clearly analyzes a critical issue form the perspective of a chosen theory and engages challenging ideas tentatively although he/she may dismiss alternative views hastily.
· Student integrates his/her worldview in the process of perspective taking although in a limited way.
· Student shows some evidence of reflection on his/her own assumptions.
· Priority set by student is generally clear, based on accurate understanding of the organization’s goals.

· Student clearly and accurately identifies and summarizes embedded and implicit aspects of the critical issues.
· Student clearly analyzes a critical issue from the perspectives of a variety of theories and engages integrating his/her own ideas with others’ ideas.
· Student clearly connects his/her worldview and his/her perspectives on the case in a precise meaningful way.
· Student shows strong evidence of reflection on his/her own assumptions.
· Priority set by student demonstrates sophisticated, integrative thoughts in line with accurate understanding of the organization’s goals.

C. Leadership Intervention 30%

The third key component to the leadership case study format is leadership intervention. Students are expected to develop and demonstrate their critical thinking skills regarding the creation of a solution. An intervention is described as the planned actions to be taken by the leaders to improve the situation (the most critical issue).
1. Restate clearly the critical issue that you will be addressing in this section – from Part B.
2. Design 2 possible interventions for the most important critical issue. The interventions must be practical, viable, clear, and show how they directly resolve the issue.
3. Do a comparison of the two options – benefits and shortfalls.
4. Recommend one intervention over the other (prioritizing/arguing). Your recommendation should be persuasive based on your comparisons and arguments and should be clear to the audience.
5. Outline an action plan (e.g. to direct, to motivate, to support).
i. This includes the timeline, objectives, tasks, strategies, etc. that others need to follow.

Rubric for Leadership Intervention

Emerging (1%-15%)

Developing (15%-24%)

Mastering (25%-30%)

Student does not attempt to or fails to put forward 2 possible interventions.

· Student presents 2 possible interventions although in a limited way. For instance, one option is not really viable.
· Student recommends one interventions without addressing the other one, or does so superficially.
· Student presents an action plan although some objectives and details of the plan are unclear.

· Student presents 2 viable interventions with clear integration of the analysis conducted in the discussion.
· Student recommends and justifies one intervention over the other even with the support from information not available from the assigned case.
· Student presents an action plan with clear and specific objectives.

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