GUIDELINES FOR CASE ANALYSIS

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Professor Winsted
All case analyses should begin with a brief background describing the most important aspects of the situation and the decision to be made.  This doesn't involve repeating the whole case, but simply highlighting the most important details as a framework for the analysis and recommendation(s).   All questions should then be clearly identified using numbers and headings and should be answered directly and clearly.   All case analyses should include a thorough discussion of alternatives with pros and cons for implementing each alternative, a clear decision and recommended course of action, and support for your decision/recommendation (these will be presented in answers to the questions).  Be sure you are decisive and clear in your recommendation.  Avoid solutions like do everything or do some of each.  Many decisions are very difficult, but a clear choice must be made.

Be thorough in identifying the alternatives, and be creative.  You are not constrained to just the alternatives presented in the case.  Do nothing (status quo) is often a viable alternative that many students forget to include.  When discussing the alternatives, always be sure to give balanced treatment to your analysis.  It is important to show that you carefully analyzed the case, weighed all the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, and arrived at your recommendation.  Don't write the analysis from a preconceived bias, having already decided what you think should be done.  On the other hand, it should be clear from your discussion of the alternatives why you selected the recommendation you did.  Be sure your recommendation is clearly supported by your analysis.

Be sure to include terms and concepts from your assigned reading as much as possible when you analyze the cases.  Cases will be graded based on use of these terms and concepts, thoroughness of the analysis, logic of the recommendation (a well-argued recommendation supported by careful analysis does not have to agree with the professor's recommendation or the actual decision made by the company), responsiveness to questions posed, and presentation (grammar, spelling, writing, neatness, organization).

All case writeups should be typed, double-spaced, with approximately one-inch margins, and stapled, and should include your name and the name of the case on a title page.  There is no required minimum or maximum length for case analyses.

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