Six steps to approaching a case study

Preparing a case study assignment will involve you undertaking the steps outlined below.

Generally, steps 1 – 4 apply to both analytical case studies and problem-solving case studies. Steps 5 and 6 only apply to problem-solving case studies. Nevertheless, ensure you follow the instructions for the particular assignment.

Read the case to gain an overview of the situation.
Read your task instructions and any questions associated with the case. Highlight any key words and concepts. Also, pay particular attention to any instruction verbs, and make sure you understand what they are asking you to do.
Read the case closely.
Identify the key facts of the case. Questions that might help you do this include:
- What organisations are involved?
- Who are the stakeholders?
- What is the organisational environment or structure?
- Who was the decision maker?
- What were the financial constraints of this organisation?
- What conflicts or issues have arisen?
- What strategies were implemented (if any)?
- What was the sequence of events?
- What were the outcomes?
Note
These questions may not apply to your particular case. You will need to determine your own particular set of questions for each individual case.
Now that you understand the facts of the case, what do you think the main problems are?
Problems in a case may be caused by other underlying problems. When you are analysing the case information given to you, aim to identify the problem causing other problems: this is the main problem. It can help to consider why something in the case situation happened – ask yourself why an event occurred, or why something went wrong.
The main problem may not be obvious when you begin the assignment. However, you can apply the theory and skills you have learnt in the unit to analyse the case and discover it. Case study assignments reflect work in professional organisations, and they give you an opportunity to develop these transferable analytical skills.

4. Analyse the problems

Now that you have identified the main problems, the next step is to analyse them and try to uncover the causes of those problems. Aim to explain the reasons why the problems have occurred.

Start by questioning the information presented to you. Let’s go back to the questions we asked above in step 2 (to identify the key facts), and probe further:

What is the organisational environment or structure? Are there any inherent problems with the organisation’s environment or structure?
Who was the decision maker? Is the decision maker the appropriate person or group who should be making the decisions?
What were the financial constraints of this organisation? What difficulties could arise from the financial constraints? Are these difficulties relevant to the problems arising in this case?
What strategies were implemented (if any)? Were the strategies implemented here based upon any particular theory? What problems were caused as a result of this action?

Consider what theories (i.e. systems of principles and concepts that can explain situations) might be applied to the case:

Guided by the case study requirements, look up relevant theory and background information in your unit’s prescribed texts and any additional readings. Use the keywords and concepts (identified in step 1) to help you locate the relevant sections. Make notes, in your own words, on how the theory applies to this case. How does the theory help explain what has happened? Make sure you record the bibliographical details of the sources you read for easy reference when responding to the case.

Note

Theory in this context means concepts and principles you can apply to explain a situation. For example, a theory might highlight the characteristics of different management styles. You can compare general characteristics in theory to your case to gain a sophisticated understanding of the problems and solutions. Access relevant theory in your unit’s prescribed texts and other scholarly sources.

- Identify potential solutions to the problems.
- Assess the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.
- Consider how the theories you apply in step 4 might support or find faults in each solution.
- Recommend the solution which achieves the most favourable outcome, and justify your decision.

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Six steps to approaching a case study

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