Case studies are often used in professional education programs, especially in business schools, to introduce students to real-world situations and to assess their ability to decipher important aspects of a particular problem. In general, sequential case studies should include: background of the business environment, description of the business, main problem or issue, steps that have been taken to solve the problem, your assessment of these steps, and suggestions for better business strategies. The steps below will guide you through analyzing a business case study.
Step
Step 1. Examine and describe the business environment relevant to the case study
Describe the character of the organization and its competitors. Provide general information about the market and customer base. Describe significant changes in the business environment or new ventures that the company is currently undertaking
Step 2. Describe the structure and size of the company that is the object of the case study
Analyze the company's management structure, employees, and financial history. Describe annual revenue and profit. Provide data about employees. Include details about the ownership structure of the company, such as the size of private ownership, public ownership, and parent company investment. Provide brief information about business leadership and organizational structure
Step 3. Identify the main issue or problem in the case study
Generally, there will be several factors at play in the case study. Determine the main issues in the case study by looking at what information is dominantly depicted by the data, the main problems faced by the company, and the conclusions at the end of the study. Examples include expanding into a new market, responding to a competitor's marketing campaign, or changing customer base
Step 4. Describe how the company took steps to respond to the issue or problem
Use the information you've gathered and track a chronology of response steps taken (or not taken) by the company. Cite data included in the case study, such as increased marketing spending, new property purchases, changes in income streams, and more
Step 5. Identify the success and failure of the response
Indicate whether each aspect of the response met the stated targets and whether the response was generally well designed. Use comparative figures, such as target market share, to show whether targets have been met; analyze broader issues, such as human resource management policies, to discuss the overall response
Step 6. Describe successes, failures, unexpected results, and insufficient efforts
Using specific examples and supporting data and calculations, suggest a better or alternative course of action that the company could actually take
Step 7. Describe what changes you would like to implement in order for the company to realize your suggestions, including changes to organization, strategy, and management
Step 8. Close your analysis by reviewing your findings and emphasizing what you would have done differently in that case
Demonstrate your understanding of the case and your business strategy.
Tips
- Always read case studies over and over again. Initially, read the outline. As you repeat, pay attention to details on specific topics: competitors, business strategy, management structure, financial losses. Highlight phrases and passages related to this topic and take notes.
- In the early stages of analysis, no detail is unimportant. The biggest numbers can be deceiving and the point of analysis is often to dig deep and look for the subtle variables that cause a particular situation to occur.
- If you are analyzing a case study for a consulting firm interview, be sure to direct your comments to an issue the firm is dealing with. For example, if the company deals with marketing strategy, concentrate on the company's successes and failures in marketing; If you are being interviewed for a financial consulting position, analyze how well the company manages their accounting and investment strategy.
- Business school professors, prospective employers, and other evaluators want to see if you understand the business aspect of the case, not examine your reading skills. Remember that the content of the case study is more important than how the information is presented or the unique style of delivery.
