Guidelines Fall 2013

CASE ANALYSIS #2 GUIDELINES FALL 2013

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 problem or issue, analyze the factors which are contributing to the problem, and make appropriate recommendations. This process should develop your analytical and decision making skills, as well as your writing skills. Guidelines for completing the hand in case follow.

Your written case analysis should be presented in APA format according to the MS Word template on the course Blackboard site. Your report should include sections as shown below:

Section I - G-STEP and SWOT (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 should provide updated information concerning the subject company. Also, any assumptions should be listed here and labeled as such. It should not be a simple restatement of everything in the case. (2-3 pages; 2% penalty for each page after page 3)

Section II - Statement of the Problem (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. This section of the case analysis should be about two to four sentences.

Section III - Causes of the Problem (20%)

This section should analyze in detail the causes of the problem you have identified in Section II. At this point ensure that you apply appropriate course material to your analysis. Your particular focus should be discussed in light of at least 5 academic articles from scholarly journals to supplement the course material. 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 gives depth to this section of the analysis. Always integrate course theory and academic research into your analysis. (3-4 pages; 5% penalty for each page after page 4)

Section IV - Possible Alternatives (20%)

Identify possible