Solving Case Studies

 Written By:   Rana Asif Shahzad Ali

(Guidelines, Techniques and Important Tips)

Case Study

A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior. Case studies can be used in a variety of fields including psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work. A case study generally contains facts, theories, assumptions, analysis, and prioritized solutions.

Case studies are being used more and more in colleges and universities to help students understand how a hypothetical event can influence a person, group, or organization in real life. Writing a case study can be tricky and complicated especially when you are facing an urgent deadline. 

CSM is a teaching method aiming to help students and trainees experience real-life situations and develop their abilities to make decisions under similar conditions. At the same time, CSM takes advantage of the multitude of experiences of the individuals that participate in the class or training session, providing a more comprehensive approach to the issues at stake.

In this particular context, the case study method is focusing on the ethical aspects of professional activity. The main objective is to identify the ethical dilemma and find ways to overcome the difficulties posed by the case.

Benefits of case studies

Designing case reports takes time and energy. So, is it worth taking the time to write them? Here are the benefits of creating case studies.

• ·         Collects large amounts of information
• ·         Helps formulate hypotheses
• ·         Builds the case for further research
• ·         Discovers new insights into a subject
• ·         Builds brand trust and loyalty
• ·         Engages customers through stories

 Limitations of case studies

There are a few disadvantages to conducting a case analysis. The limitations will vary according to the industry.

• ·         Responses from interviews are subjective
• ·         Subjects may tailor responses to the researcher
• ·         Studies can’t always be replicated
• ·         In certain industries, analyses can take time and be expensive
• ·         Risk of generalizing the results among a larger population

Case Study a Conceptual Analysis

There are many steps to writing a case study that a student has to follow in order to write a perfect case study. The following are some of the important steps that lead to a flawless case study.

1- The very first step

Here are some simple rules to guide you through this process of analyzing the case study:

• ·           Read carefully the entire case study. At first, try a fast, light reading, to get the general context of the case and get acquainted with the facts.
• ·         Identify the main issue (the ethical dilemma), the relevant facts and summarize them. Explain briefly the way you want to approach the case.
• ·    Identify the decision makers and the stakeholders. Determine the individual and the organizational responsibilities (legal, professional, technical, social, ethical etc.).
• ·              Analyze the case data and identify alternative courses of action or corrective measures that are in accordance with some ethical standards you find relevant.
• ·            Analyze threats and strengths for your alternatives. Put to test the alternatives you identified by discussing them critically with other specialists.
• ·               Set up an action plan meant to change the situation.

For example the failure of the Pakistani government in taking proper precautionary measures in the days of Covid-19. In this part of the case study, you have to describe the sudden increase of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan. It is part of a case study in which the students have to do a lot of brainstorming.

2- The Second Step

The Second Step Is That Of Discussing The Reason. In this second part of the case study, you have to look into the main cause of the statement that you have chosen for a case study. For example, the failure in taking precautionary measures against Covid-19 is due to the non-availability of proper planning or the lack of supplies like masks, sanitizers, and vaccines.

3- The Third Step: Make an Outline

Instead of mixing the solutions and the problems together, it is better to create some questions about the problem that you have to do a case study about and discuss those questions in detail. Make three to four main points about the topic of case study and discuss answers to those questions in the body or the main part of the case study. The outline that you draw for your case study should be organized according to the questions at hand. In this part of the case study you have to mention the reasons for the questions that may arise in the minds of the reader.

4- Fourth Step:  Answers to Questions

In the fourth and final part of the case study, it is the duty of the writer to bring into light all the possible solutions to the problem. When it is about a perfectly written case study each topic of the case study has different questions to answer and different problems to be discussed. It is the last part of the cases study in which the writer provides replies to all the questions that may arise in the minds of the reader. In this part, the writer explains to the reader the results that can be obtained by applying the solutions that they mention in their case studies.

A Gentle Reminder: Best practice in writing up a case study report

Writing a case study report involves following a few rules. These are as follows:

A case study report is not an essay: it is a call for action, to be read by the company’s managers and executives. Thus, it is of the utmost importance to state immediately, in the introduction, the report’s conclusion (the action to be considered). This will avoid lengthy argument and digression. The report should then set out the reasons for this recommendation, rather than being written in an “investigative” mode which only identifies the solution at its conclusion.

• ·    A written report is a means of communication: to facilitate this, it should include a table of contents, page numbering, and all the other basic requirements of a properly formatted document.
• ·         A case study report should follow the structure: “This is the main problem of the case study [...] the secondary problems are these [...] to solve these problems, this is what we recommend [...] and here are the reasons why [...]”

Finally, some pitfalls to avoid

• A case study report should not simply paraphrase the text provided. Avoid at all costs rewriting the case word-for-word, or copying figures, tables or graphs already included in the case study.
• Recommendations should be clear and unambiguous, and supported by as much corroborative data as possible.
• The presentation style of a document is as important as its content: both elements affect the reader’s perception of the analysis proposed. The report should be written in a simple, direct and concise style.
• Finally, subjective phrases such as “it seems”, “I (we) believe”, “in my (our) opinion”, and “it is obvious that” should be avoided.