What is the case method?
Have you ever wished that you could go back in time and change the destiny of humankind? Have you ever had thoughts like "If I'd been in charge Apollo 13 would have been a success" or "I know I could have prevented the fall of the Roman Empire" or "I wish ice cream had no calories"? While the case method is unlikely to help you revolutionise Baskin Robbins, it will give you the exciting opportunity to put yourselves in the shoes of historical decision-makers. You will be given the chance to unleash your ingenuity in an environment where failure will not mean an end to your career. With the real-life data that is handed to you and your own brand of experience, knowledge, and common sense, you can navigate complex situations in a well-defined, dynamic work climate. This is no mere intellectual exercise because these are problems that you may face in your own career someday—problems that somebody else certainly faced in a more personal way.
The case method is a teaching approach that puts students in the role of people who had to make difficult decisions in the past. The method helps students develop the analytical and judgmental skills they will need to make in future as leaders and managers. It also teaches students to ask better questions. Management cases expose students to a variety of organizations and managerial situations. The cases are usually drawn from real life and depict a significant decision-making situation for a firm or an individual. Students are required to identify solutions from the numerous alternatives presented to them and recommend both a plan of action and a backup plan to be used if their original recommendation fails.
The case method evolved from the casebook method—a similar mode of teaching based on Socratic principles pioneered at Harvard Law School by Christopher C. Langdell. It is a successful and popular method that has been co-opted by numerous agencies and organisations—including the United States Marine Corps.
What are teaching cases?
Teaching cases are written like a good detective novel—minus the ending. Students are given a problem and all the data they need to make informed decisions. The actual ‘ending’ of the case—which includes the decisions taken, the reasons for taking them, and the outcome—is suppressed.
Most teaching cases used in business schools are deliberately ambiguous. Critical issues may not be explicitly identified and the information provided may be vague, contradictory, or irrelevant. The events in the case may also not be chronologically presented. There is usually no unique solution to a teaching case discussed in a business school class. That being said, some solutions are undoubtedly better than others and such solutions are identified during class discussions.
IIMB uses both Indian and international cases in its classrooms —several of which are developed by faculty members of renowned business schools such as Harvard and Stanford. Likewise, the cases written by faculty members of IIMB are used by universities and business schools across the world.
Disclaimer: While the case method does bear a resemblance to detective adventures, the cases you will be given are likelier to have titles like "Starbucks: When Trouble Brews" or "The Pepsi-Cola Wars" than titles like "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Danger in Darjeeling". However we assure you that the intellectual pleasure you will derive from solving these cases (all of which are of impeccable calibre) will outweigh the fact that you will not be required to operate a fingerprint or DNA kit during the course of your studies.
The Case Method in Action
There is no script to the case method, but there is a process. After you are presented with a case,you are given time to read it. You need to place yourself in the role of the decision maker or protagonist and identify the problem that you are faced with.
Spend time reflecting on the case and perform the necessary analysis. Once you have examined the causes and considered alternative courses of actions, formulate a recommended plan of action. After you have done your own analysis, you are encouraged to meet in learning teams and discuss the case with your classmates. In such group discussions you will often get new insights and perspectives which will enable you to look at the case situation differently.
When you are in class and under the guidance of your professor, you and your classmates may probe underlying issues. You will compare and contrast different alternatives, suggest courses of action in light of the organization’s business objectives—and probably change your mind at least twice during the course of the session. If you do not find yourself changing your mind there is a good chance that you either possess the brilliance of Einstein as he developed his theories on relativity or the stubbornness of Tony Stark as he uploaded Jarvis into Vision.
Both lectures and the case method are powerful ways of transferring knowledge but they differ in several, very distinct ways. Under the case method students typically have most of the airtime in class. Professors only steer, question, and correct course (because conversational tangents are an unavoidable part of human existence). Lectures, on the other hand, require learners to be fairly passive when they receive knowledge.
The case method taps into all the people it brings together. Since every person is the product of his or her thoughts, talents, experiences, viewpoints, culture and industry, the reservoir of knowledge you have access to is almost three dimensional in its comprehensiveness. But remember: when people come to class armed with their creativity and insight, they inadvertently bring along their personal biases and blind spots too. Debates emerge, coalitions form, professors challenge and provoke, and your classroom could easily be mistaken for the Avengers Tower. If you are wondering why we are not talking about the New Avengers Facility it is because we are safeguarding you from spoilers.
Speaking up for the first time (or the first few times) can be stressful. However, once you are more comfortable with your classmates and the environment, your discussions become more open and fun. Do remember that class participation is critical. Around 30% of student’s grades in many courses is based on the quality of their class participation.
Preparing for a Case
The case method is a bridge that connects the theoretical with the practical. And like every bridge, it is built with careful preparation and deliberation. You should ideally spend 2 – 3 hours on a case and use the SQ3R (survey, question, read, write, and review) method to absorb and organise information contained within. Since you may not always have the time you require, here’s a blueprint you can use in emergencies:
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Read the case fast to identify the key issues such as the problem, the players and the industry structure
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Review the exhibits to understand the data that you have at your disposal
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Review discussion questions. Sometimes you may not be given discussion questions in which case identify the key problem
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Read the case in detail but look out for answers to the questions
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Develop your own point of view
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Play devil’s advocate to your own position
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Discuss with your learning teams
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Make notes
Be prepared for the two big Cs: Cold Calls. If your professor points at you to begin the discussion, you should be able to recap the objectives of the case, set key points for discussion, and put a stake in the ground expressing your point of view. Being cold-called may give you the shivers, but you will warm up to it once you develop the skill of thinking on your feet. The professor may call on you, in particular, if you have special industry experience pertinent to the case. If you are in the beverages industry, for example, and you are studying a case on Pepsi, be extra prepared. And since real world business leaders are sometimes invited to your classroom, do not be surprised if the CEO of Pepsi walks in at some point.
It is critical that you take a stand. You need to have a point of view about the problem, a recommendation, and an analysis to back it up. But it is equally critical that you are open to new insights. The mark of an intelligent mind is, amongst other things, its ability to change.
It is not always a good idea to come into class with a troop of canned comments to deploy. What might seem sharp and insightful in isolation may not always be pertinent to the course a discussion is taking. It is quite possible that your carefully crafted comment will not fit in—or impress your instructor. A poorly-timed comment is no credit to its commenter. For similar reasons, it is also wise not trying to deliver pre-prepared speeches in class. Knowing what you are going to say may give you a feeling of confidence, but even if you do find the opportunity to wedge everything in, phrasing your contribution as a stilted speech is contrary to the spirit of a discussion.
This is probably something no teacher has ever said to you before: put a limit on your preparation. Do not assume that if you put in more time, you will do better. Time-management is a crucial skill and there will always be a lot to do. If you can give a case two hours of dedicated concentration you ought to be on track. When you go into class you should have a conclusion to the main issue and evidence to support why your conclusion is reasonable. It would also help you if you think about other possible conclusions and demonstrate why yours is preferable to the alternatives.
Speaking of things that teachers typically do not say: do not underestimate the importance of socialising with your classmates. The bond you form outside class can really help you in your hour of need.
Oh and while a talent for sniffing out red herrings may not help you in the fishing industry, it is certainly worth cultivating. A case study, like real life, frequently includes false trails, misdirection, and distractions.
Benefits of the Case Method
The benefits of the case method can be distilled down to a few powerful points.
- The case method encourages active learning. The knowledge you glean from it is deep and meaningful and sticks to your head better than any quadratic equation ever could.
- The case method allows you to absorb multiple perspectives and helps you think in new ways. You do not just learn how to think outside the box—you learn how to own, dismantle, expand, and repurpose the box too.
- The case method trains you to think analytically and express yourself in a clear and confident manner. It prepares you to take a seat at the business table. You may not always know which knife you will need to skewer your food with but you will always know which argument you can use to skewer your ‘opponents’.
- The case method trains you to make decisions within tight deadlines and when under pressure. It helps you become more detail-oriented, teaches you to ask pertinent questions, and shapes you to be a better listener.
- The case method trains you to take decisions under uncertainty. As in real life, while arriving at decisions, you will never have complete data and may not even have data in a suitable form. You will be forced to make reasonable assumptions from whatever data you have and plan for scenarios when such assumptions go wrong.
- As an unexpected bonus, the case method helps you learn more about your classmates as individuals. Your discussions will uncover shared interests, strengthen friendships, and help you connect with each other in a way that Facebook can never capture and LinkedIn can only envy.
- The case method grants you access to terrific feedback from 100 other smart, talented and opinionated people. Though you may not necessarily consider this a benefit at the time you receive it, we assure you that the feedback is something that will always stand you in good stead in your career.
- The case method is fun. Pure, unadulterated fun. For the legal enthusiast there is the challenge of playing devil’s advocate and spotting fallacious thinking. For the detective-at-heart there is the joy of analysing the ‘scene of crime’, the intellectual exercise of discovering motives and extrapolating moves, the satisfaction of sniffing out false trails, and the exhilaration of pinning down solutions. For the actor there is the chance to slip into the central role of an intriguing personality that is sufficiently open to interpretation. And for everything else, the Internet reminds us, there is Mastercard.
Misconceptions to Shelve
Sometimes students do approach case studies with the wrong mindset. The points below may not occur to you naturally because they may be at odds with the style of teaching and learning you have experienced over the years. It is important you address and accept them, though, because they determine the quality of your learning experience.
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There is often no right answer embedded in the case study
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A case analysis is not the process of finding the right solution (i.e. The process matters, not the final result)
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A case discussion is not an opportunity for students to demonstrate to their professor that they have found the right answer
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A case discussion is not a challenge to shut down other viewpoints. It is an opportunity to use knowledge and intuition to generate new knowledge
Remember that the case is not a container of truth. While some of the facts are solid, like a company’s financial performance for the last 10 years, their explanation may not be. In this instance, the explanation of why the numbers are what they are is open to debate—as is the strategy to be crafted.
Hang-ups to Hang Up
Most people do not look into a mirror each morning and say “You are amazing”. There are exceptions—like Gilderoy Lockheart and possibly James T. Kirk—but they are few and far between. For most part humans tend to be bafflingly humble. Under no duress and with no provocation we create a list of traits we consider flaws—and we allow them to hold us back in many situations. Smart people eventually figure out that these flaws are usually just differences that we disguise as problems.
Students do not speak up in class for many reasons (and laryngitis is rarely the reason behind their reluctance). They may be self-conscious of their accent or their less-than-perfect fluency in a language. They may have been taught, all their lives, that their place is to be seen and not heard. Their personalities may have been forced into moulds by cultural norms. They may have been raised under restrictions because of their gender or status. They may worry because their degree is in another field. Or they may just have their tongues tied and brains hijacked by a general fear of intellectual inferiority.
It is important that you put these hang-ups into perspective and realise that nobody is going to notice or remember what you think are glaring flaws. It is also important that you overcome any feelings of inferiority your upbringing, culture, or life-experiences may have saddled you with now because the real world will expect nothing less of you. IIMB is a safe space where people are valued for who they are. If you have never had the opportunity to grow and flourish before, know that you do now.
Case Discussion: More to Know
Sometimes reading the case, understanding what to do, and crunching the numbers is pretty straightforward. At other times, you may not be confident about what the next steps are. This is an excellent time to imitate the Tower of Pisa. Lean on your learning teams and discuss the case with your friends.
Set reasonable expectations for your performance in a discussion. You will not be making too many piercing comments—and that is alright. Do not let the fear of asking ‘dumb’ questions hold you back because there is no such thing (and you are very likely to be voicing a question that everybody else wants to ask).
Collaboration and the willingness to take risks and contribute are unlikely to take our species to the next level, physiologically speaking, but they are what help a discussion evolve. It is like any team sport—everybody has a part to play and everybody should play their part. Your professors may not have whistles or colourful cards to wave, but you can still trust them to referee.
With the case method how you learn determines what you learn. Do not take extensive notes during class, but make notes after the class. When you are in class you should focus on both participating and listening actively during discussions. Sometimes, your professor will send you notes / PowerPoint slides that would summarize the key learnings from the case. Review your notes after a week to consolidate your learning.
Do not delay your entry into discussion because the longer you remain silent, the more difficult it is to enter the discussion. And it is vital you participate because your track record is taken into consideration when you are graded. Speak up early. If you are prepared, this is an excellent time to bend your competitiveness into getting the first word in.
An Interjection for the Introvert
Introverts are people who tend to listen more than they talk. They favour depth to breadth and keep their enthusiasm and thoughts to themselves. They prefer taking their time to respond and actively avoid being the centre of attention.
Are you an introvert? If you are, the case method probably doesn’t appeal to you. But while it may not be your cup of tea—or flute of champagne if you are not into caffeine—the case method will be doubly beneficial for you. The case method prepares you for the real world—a world which requires you to express your views confidently and make decisions quickly. It forces you to operate outside your comfort zone, which can be a very unnerving experience. But you have a natural strength to see you through—reflection. Your habit of reflecting means that you are likely to already understand the underlying principles that govern the issues at hand and thus make decisions more quickly. Your ability to reflect means that you are likely to learn quickly from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. Introverts also possess a natural affinity for metacognition (the ability to think about and understand your own thought processes) and this is a skill that will not just aid your performance during case discussions—it’ll help you all through your life.
An Extra Word for the Extrovert
Even if you do not mind being the centre of attention the case method can be stressful—but only to begin with. Through most of your student life your success has been predicated on how well you memorise facts. The case method, however, requires you to think actively and have independent views. Thinking can be more important than reading! The differences can be overwhelming and you may feel inadequate or helpless to begin with (this is complete normal). But it will not be long before you appreciate and understand the pleasures of pooling information as a group. And, ultimately, you will be comfortable with having views that do not align with those of your professor. The fact that disagreement can actually enhance learning is not something schools typically teach us. And do not forget that it is the quality of your comments in class that is appreciated, not the volume. It is the light that counts, not the sound.
In Conclusion
If there is something that the writers who worked on Game of Thrones (Season 8) have taught us it is that blunt, unexpected endings are acceptable in the entertainment industry. They can always be justified, in hindsight, and nobody judges you for too long if the journey was worthwhile. We may not be in the entertainment industry, but we do believe that learning could be entertaining at times. So we feel justified in taking a leaf out of the GOT scriptwriter's book and ending this document here with no further ado. At least we can congratulate ourselves for not breaking a dragon’s heart.
The case method prepares you for life. Enjoy the process. Trust the process.
Best wishes
Centre for Teaching and Learning(CTL)