PMGM7002 Chap.9 Case Analysis: From Problem to Recommendation
Case Analysis: From Problem to Recommendation
Why this chapter carries so much weight
The group case analyses count for 30 per cent and the individual project, a written analysis of a case the course assigns, for 20 per cent. Both are graded against the same rubric and the same three-page limit, so the method in this chapter is the single most valuable skill in the course.
The guideline's stated purpose is to let you apply what you learned in class to real business situations, and it expects theories and concepts from class or readings in every analysis.
Four steps, in order
First, identify the problems the focal company or person faces, defining a problem as a gap between the actual and the desired situation and choosing the most important among several.
Second, analyse the underlying causes at more than one level, individual, team and organisation, using course models and covering the breadth of causes. Third, propose alternatives that eliminate causes and weigh their resources, constraints and likely effects.
Fourth, recommend a solution, map it back to the problems and causes, and give implementation steps, ways to reduce constraints and the resources needed.
What the rubric rewards
The top band identifies all key problems, analyses them insightfully with supporting data, applies management concepts effectively, recommends feasibly and writes excellently.
Most of those criteria concern analysis, so a well-written summary of a case cannot reach the top band.
The guideline also asks you to test the whole report for consistency, coherence, brevity and logic, and to state the assumptions and values you brought to it.
Format and discussion
The chapter sets out the format rules published for the group case analysis, from page limit and font to file naming and the warning that a draft is not a submission.
It also covers how the course expects cases to be discussed in class, where what a comment adds counts for more than its length.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Why case analysis carries half the weight
- 02
Defining a problem as a gap
- 03
Causes at individual, team and organisational level
- 04
Alternatives with resources and constraints
- 05
Recommendations that map back
- 06
The rubric bands
- 07
Format and submission rules
- 08
Discussing a case in class
Worked example · free
Run the four steps on a short case
- 2State the problem as a gap and reject the symptom report.
- 3Analyse causes at three levels with course concepts.
- 3Weigh alternatives and recommend one with implementation steps.
Key terms
- Focal Company
- The organisation, or person, whose problems a case analysis is written about.
- Problem Statement
- A description of the gap between the actual situation and the desired one, written before any cause is assumed.
- Level of Analysis
- The layer at which a cause operates, such as the individual, the group or team, or the organisation.
- Alternative Solution
- An option generated to eliminate one or more identified causes, weighed by its resources, constraints and effects.
- Implementation Steps
- The specific actions, sequence and resources needed to put a recommended solution into effect.
- Map Back
- Showing that a recommendation addresses the problems and causes the analysis identified.
Case Analysis: From Problem to Recommendation FAQ
How long can a case analysis report be?
Three pages at most, single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman with one-inch margins, according to the syllabus and the submission page. The title page and external reference list do not count toward the limit, and the submission page states that no appendix should be included. It must be uploaded as a PDF.
What is the difference between a problem and a symptom?
The course guideline defines a problem as a difference between the actual situation and the desired one, such as staff absence against a goal of motivated employees. A symptom report often names a judgement, such as that staff are lazy, which already assumes a cause. Write the gap first and leave the explanation for the cause analysis.
Do I need to use theories in a case analysis?
Yes. The guideline expects each analysis to draw on ideas and models taught in class or found in other readings, and the rubric grades how well management concepts and theories are applied directly, from effective application in the top band to none at the bottom. Theories are expected in the cause analysis and in generating alternatives, not only in the introduction.
Assessment move
Practise the problem statement on its own. Take any case or news story, give yourself five minutes, and write the gap between actual and desired in one sentence without any judgement about people. Once that sentence comes easily, the other three steps have something solid to build on.
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