Case Analysis #1 MGMT 2130 081 Guidelines WINTER 2015
Students will work in groups to complete and present a case analysis as assigned by the Instructor which is related to course material. The cases which you analyze in class describe actual managerial situations and are used as practice for your hand-in case. Your task is to identify the underlying issue (problem), analyze the factors which are contributing to the issue, and make appropriate recommendations. This process should develop your analytical and decision making skills, as well as your research and writing skills. Guidelines for completing this case analysis follow. For more background do not forget to review the case analysis slides that guided our discussion early in the term. Your written case analysis should be presented in APA format according to the MS Word template on the course Blackboard site using a 12 point Times Roman font and double spaced. Your report should include sections as shown below. Guidelines for the length of each section are given, however you are restricted to a 14 page maximum, not including appendices the title and reference pages. Print a copy of the rubric and attach it as the last page in your analysis.
Section I – External/Internal Analysis (10%)
Based on information in the case and additional research on the company’s external and internal environments, conduct both a G-STEP and a SWOT. This section can provide updated information concerning the subject company however you should be clear on the time period of the case. Do not expect the individuals in the case to have knowledge of anything that would have occurred after this date. Also, any assumptions should be listed here and labeled as such. It should not be a simple restatement of everything in the case, so avoid using quotes from the case. (2-3 pages + appendices)
Section II – Statement of the Problem/Challenge or Issue (10%)
This is the briefest, but perhaps most difficult section of the case analysis. The problem should be a basic underlying problem; it should not be a symptom of a larger problem. The problem will likely be related to a concept such as strategy, planning, motivation, etc., but should not be stated simply as “the organization has a poorly motivated workforce.” You must say what is wrong with it. It is unlikely that the problem will be stated in the case – it is your task to determine the problem/challenge or issue. This section of the analysis should be one to four sentences.
Section III – Situation Analysis (causes of the problem/challenge/issue) (20%)
This section should analyze in detail the major issues (causes of the problem) you have identified in Section II. In this section ensure that you apply appropriate course material and academic research to your analysis. Your particular focus should be discussed in light of at least 2 academic articles from scholarly journals to supplement course material and support your analysis of the problem and what contributed to it. For example, rather than stating that Joe is always late for work, you might relate this symptom to lack of motivation and then examine information related to expectations, or compensation in relation to this. Further integration of your articles provides depth to this section of the analysis. Always integrate course theory and academic research into your analysis. Avoid getting into alternatives or solutions in this section. (3-4 pages)
Section IV – Possible Alternatives (20%)
There may be many possible alternatives, however for this case, limit your analysis to a maximum of 4, examining the pros and cons of each. To do this you must be clear on your decision criteria. Note: I recommend you review the case analysis slides posted on Blackboard, especially for this section. Sometimes it is useful to do this in a table format for clearer presentation. Please note that status quo is not an option. (3-4 pages)
Section V – A) Solution and Justification (20% for Section
