Introduction to Case Analysis by: Dr. Dave Worrells and Mr. Scott Burgess | ERAU, College of Aeronautics 1 TRAN 274 – Transportation Science Introduction to Case Analysis “The essence of the student’s role in case analysis is to diagnose and size up the situation described in the case and then to recommend appropriate action steps.” (McGraw-Hill, n.d., p. 2). Objectives in Case Analysis 1. Increase understanding of what should and should not work to guide a business’s success. 2. Build skills in assessing organizational strengths and weaknesses and in conducting strategic analysis in a variety of situations. 3. Gain valuable practice at determining strategic issues that need to be addressed, evaluating alternatives, and preparing feasible plans of action. 4. Enhance ones sense of judgment by forcing a logically based, stand alone, factual solution, with multi-level feedback. 5. Gain comprehensive exposure to different industries and organizations, thereby simulating actual business experience. The case analysis approach compliments course work with current, real time occurrences, and issues within the aviation/aerospace industry. The following information is intended to prepare you to conduct exceptional case analyses. Knowledge and understanding of the case analysis process provides a baseline from which you continue with a resolution based narrative and elaborate upon alternative courses of action. In the process of conducting these analyses, you will express yourself efficiently and effectively. Verbosity is not necessary. State the facts as you see them, clearly and concisely. An important aspect of the case analysis process is to provide a clear view of the issue/problem/situation, consequences of doing nothing, reasonable alternative actions, and a high risk recommendation. The case analysis process may also be considered a decision making and problem solving tool; in some industries it is called a Decision Making Exercise. All good decisions are based upon a thorough evaluation of a problem or an issue. What are the causal factors, what are the consequences, does the problem warrant immediate action, what might that action be, and what priority should be assigned to it? Many times decisions are based upon limited resources. Rarely do decision makers have unlimited resources at their disposal to deal with the problem or issue at hand. The best decisions lie somewhere between limited and unlimited resources, reality, and imagination. Case analyses (CA) must meet a minimum criterion in any setting. Length should depend upon the complexity of the problem or issue. There must be a clearly applicable format to support the goal. These guidelines establish a generic case analysis format to suit most any situation; flexibly supporting or addressing any problem or any issue. This format requires two separate sections of specific courses of action: Alternative Actions and Recommendation. They are distinctly different components of the case analysis. The Alternative Actions section requires a resolution based upon what is available in the sources given and additional references found through research. The Recommendation section should be based upon your experiences and your imagination. The overall intent is that you provide upper management with all the information needed to make a final decision; the analysis must stand alone with no further explanation required. Once your case analysis is delivered to your manager she/he no longer has access to you; they are dependent uponIntroduction to Case Analysis by: Dr. Dave Worrells and Mr. Scott Burgess | ERAU, College of Aeronautics 2 the case analysis to make their decision. Have you provided enough information to enable a decision? Will one of your alternative actions be chosen? Will your recommendation pose the best course of action? Will your management take a completely different course of action? The author of a case analysis is responsible for all of the new information applied to the issue/ problem/situation. Co-workers, managers, other officials (and in this course, instructors) are assigned an implied task of providing the direction for your work. Consider the example where a chief operating officer (COO) sees or hears of a problem on a standard company operation. The COO does not have the time to apply themselves to the situation, so they assign you to analyze the problem and come up with viable solutions. The goal and direction is assigned by the COO and if they see the need for assistance, the person assigned is given sources or resources to facilitate success. In this case analysis process, the COO is the instructor and the worker is you. Your sources are the appropriate parts of the course text and learning outcomes. The resources are the internet, periodicals, journals, studies, and in some cases, professionals in actual organizations or subject matter experts. The student is now harnessed for success. Your CA must be valid and reliable, thus current and relevant. Consider how business operations work. Efficiency is often measured in the present and what is working, or will work, based upon the variables present today and in the near term. Research what is current and compare to related information or what has worked in the past. In this manner, you support an argument. Supporting statements are made with proof from other sources validating your claims; few can counter the argument. This is an important component of the case analysis. Your analysis must be substantiated by credible sources. This includes in text citations and a reference list. In this process the student gains valuable practice at the requisite skill sets that not only produce a graduate level analysis, but also produce a professional ready to apply problem solving, critical thinking, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, a broad range of literacy, and communications in a wide range of aviation/aerospace industry positions. Corporations, companies, colleges, and other professional entities all have a method or standard used to communicate effectively in something like a case analysis (Standard Operating Procedures, Operations Manuals, Company Policies, Processes, etc.). In this course, we use the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). At the conclusion of this course, you will have learned and practiced effective research techniques, compiled concise and comprehensive case analyses, and defended your work. McGraw-Hill. A guide to case analysis. Retrieved from http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/dl/free/0072969431/362614/guide_to_case_analysis.pdf