Case Writing Presentation by A V Vedpuriswar

Objectives
Develop problem diagnosis, alternatives identification & evaluation skills: Learning by doing. Simulates real life problems and puts the students in the shoes of the decision maker. Improving industry knowledge & developing analytical skills The process of finding the answer is more important than the answer itself An inefficient but effective learning process.

Types of Cases
Teaching cases Decision Focus
Illustrate Theory Often Incomplete Students learn to make assumptions

Cases for Research Descriptive

Test Theory Develop/Generate Theory or Propositions Descriptive & Explanatory, Dissemination of best practices

Demonstration Cases

Types of Cases (cont)

Library Cases
Secondary Data

Field Cases Primary Data The Pros & Cons

The case development process

Case Theme: Issue/Concept/to be taught Prior preparation Data Collection Writing: Draft to Final Sign off: Obtaining Clearances in case of field case Testing: Does the Case Meet Stated Objectives?

Key issues in case writing

How do I choose my case? What concepts am I seeking to illustrate, and what conclusions do I want to draw? How should I deal with other sources of evidence as they come up or if events change dramatically? How do I write the case? In addition to teaching the case what other outcomes are expected?

Topic selection

Familiarity Interest Open/Shut? Multiple options

Arriving at a structure
HR Operations Marketing Strategy Finance Parts A & B Moving back in time

Coverage

Multi dimensional Cross functional Focus Turning points Exhibits

Developing a case on Corporate Social Responsibility

Flora & Fauna Future Generation Local Communities

Media

Special Interest Groups

Politicians

Firm

Government

Competitors

Industry

Traders Environment

Employees

Style
Simple Narrative Reader friendly Avoid reader dissonance Going back and forth Contradictory sentences Too many figures/names Repetition of ideas Leaps of abstraction

Quotations Avoid analysis

Case Opening
Indias largest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL)s, disappointing results announced in mid-2004, underscored the difficulties the company was facing in generating growth. HLLs major top management reshuffle in April 2004, undertaken at the instance of parent company, Unilever, was the most visible admission of the challenges being faced by the company. Even as analysts debated whether HLL could return to the heady days of the mid1990s, when double digit growth had come so easily, stock market operators had hammered down HLLs stock price. On May 2, 2000 when M S Banga had taken over as HLL Chairman, the HLL share (face value = Rs. 10) was quoting at Rs. 2,190. In April 2004, the share (face value = Rs. 1) price was only Rs. 150. What could HLL do to get back to double digit growth and regain the confidence of investors?

Case Ending
In mid-2004, the evolving business environment posed new challenges for HLL. Penetration levels in most FMCG categories had become saturated. Increased spending on consumer durables, education, health care and travel seemed to be having an impact on sales of consumer non durables. Meanwhile, many analysts were expecting cheaper regional brands to offer stiff competition to HLL. Evidence of this came from Anchor, a toothpaste brand in the west and CavinKare a company based in the south with promising brands such as Chik and Fairever. Various factors had contributed to the rise of regional brands. In many product categories, technology was easily available, unlike in the past when it was the preserve of multinationals. The smaller brands were also delivering on the quality front and it had become increasingly difficult for the larger brands to claim that their quality was superior.

The regional brands were also managed by more entrepreneurial teams who seemed willing to experiment and learn from mistakes. As organized retailing grew in India, there were also concerns that private labels and store brands would increase in importance. In the leading grocery chains like Foodworld and Nilgiris, private labels were becoming increasingly popular. HLLs Power Branding strategy had come under attack. Some analysts felt than in the process of rationalizing and restructuring the brand portfolio, smaller brands that could be potential winners in the long run, had been thrown down the drain. But Banga believed that this view was not correct. What could HLL do to get back to the double digit growth path of the 1990s? This was the question which taxed the minds of HLLs top management as they adjusted to the new management structure announced in April 2004.

Editing a Case
Has all the available information been tapped? Indeed, it is not a bad idea to prepare the list of references before writing the case. Is enough information provided for students to take positions and discuss the case in the classroom? Are all the facts presented accurately? Have references been given to quotes and factual information? Have the exhibits been referred to in the text? Has the case writer biased the reader with his or her own views? Are there important learning lessons for the students?

The Final Test

Reader friendliness Insights Learning value

DOs and DONTs

Have some idea of the learning objectives before starting the case. Accordingly, identify the issues that should be covered in detail. Have a thorough understanding of the situation being covered. This may include technology, markets and the relevant management concepts. Without a thorough understanding, we will not be able to collect the relevant information in a systematic way. Select the most important issues and cover them in detail instead of trying to cover too many issues.

Cont

Do not start writing the case before the collected material has been thoroughly studied and copious notes taken. Use past tense to the extent possible. This will bring a timeless quality to the case. Do not refer to an event such as, say, a court case and fail to explain how it ended. i.e., events should not be left hanging. Never offer your opinion on a decision. However, the opinion of company executives/analysts/ competitors can be given as quotes. Cont

Choose quotes carefully. Powerful statements should be given as quotes. Otherwise, it is more appropriate to use your own words. Quotes should also not be too long. Otherwise, they tend to be boring. All factual information, quotes, etc should be referenced. Good cases invariably have excellent footnotes. Difficult terms must be explained using footnotes. A case should not have too many details. Otherwise, it will become unmanageable. There should be enough data to generate multiple action plans but not so much as to confuse. Cont

The case must have some controversy to liven it up. A case should not be too long. Students should find it convenient to prepare the evening before the class and finish the discussion in the time allotted. Drama should be built into the case using characters. But care must be taken not to include too many sub plots, which will confuse the students. It is useful to follow a few conventions consistently. For example, characters in the case may be referred to by last names. Titles should not be put in capital letters. Cont.

All exhibits should be numbered. They should be referred to at an appropriate point in the text. Without such references, the exhibits may not be used at all by students. Too many headings can fragment the case and lead to repetition of ideas. Too few headings make the case less readable and make it difficult for the student to relocate the material later, if required. The opening paragraphs of the case must be written very carefully to build interest in the case. It is often a good idea to write the opening paragraph at the end.

Taking precautions
Chemistry Lab syndrome Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar syndrome Kalidas syndrome When in doubt, assume you do not know Check, recheck, re recheck Have a dictionary by your side

Thank You