Case Methodology of teaching

It has taken me almost 9-10 months to understand how to make the best use of business cases! The case methodology is extensively used at IIMA. On an average if we have 18 classes/week, we do almost 10-12 cases. i.e. reading atleast 2 cases per day.

I have gone through different thought processes, not necessarily progressively, while reading cases.

a. Read each and every point in the case to answer the questions effectively: This methodology was the norm in the 1st 1-2 months. The thought process was that every point given in the case is important and one must know all points to "answer the questions" effectively. The end objective was satisfactorily answering the key questions.

The following 2 methods are used regularly based on time constraints or prof constraints.

b. Browse through important case facts: The objective behind this method was to survive through the class and also minimize input (time given) and maximize ROI, not by maximizing output.This was the usual objective when time available was too less or motivation was at an all time low (which is the case 60% of the time ;) ). This method of reading is the most used and abuses case methodology of studying to the core.

c. Read case as fast as possible by skipping the boring theory part and attacking the crux (which means concentrating in the crucial 2-3 pages out of the 15 page case): This method was at times used when one is a bit more serious about studying or the prof is someone who will not listen to arbit CP or this method of studying has become a habit. This method is used 30% of the time. (All numbers have been statistically arrived after cross tabulation multi cultural analysis).

The 4th method of studying cases is I believe a very good method and something which I am trying to do after a revelation when chatting with a prof. He commented that "Case method is an extremely good method of teaching because you read and learn about more than 100 companies within one year and how they function". I have never read a case passionately to understand what a company did! The objective was always to analyze the problem facing the company. The objective was never to learn what all the company has done and why they did so.

i.e. for example, if I was reading a case on Toyota in Operations, I would have usually skipped through the marketing part, company history etc to go to the core Toyota production system and see what problems are there in it.

There is a significant difference in the "problem searching" approach and the "Understanding company" approach. The former method employs a "consultant mentality" and the latter, "entrepreneurial mentality".

Reading the case as an open ended experience of an entrepreneur gives so many insights about the business that a problem searching approach misses out on. I have nowadays started reading cases with such an objective i.e. reading the case as a story to know what all the company has done. It is like reading a biography of many companies and I am enjoying it a lot more.

And no, this does not take much time also. It maybe takes 25% more time than (b) or (c). Note that this method is very different from approach (a). (a) cannot be sustained due to the efforts which we need to put in. In (a) one approaches the case with "what all did the company do" and one tries to remember each and every fact whereas in (d) one reads the case with a "how and why did the company do these" where case facts are less important.

The method (d) requires a bit more effort than (b) and (c) but the learnings are much higher. I anyway skip answering the case questions while following approach(d) since its anyway discussed in class and also would require too much effort which I cannot sustain!

Method (d) is best for those courses with bad profs but good cases!