Assignment Task
Overview
The use of case studies is a widely accepted means of bringing theoretical concepts and practical situations together. It is not possible to take a class to a company and observe the subject matter of organizational behavior in real life – hence a problem-based case study report is the best possible alternative to simulate a real, or realistic, organisation situation.
Executive Summary
This section should comprise a brief overview of the case, giving a brief background, noting any important assumptions made the major problems identified and solutions recommended.
Problem Identification and Analysis
Identify all the major and minor problems in the case using OB concepts and theories. Explain the underlying problems and not just point at the symptoms from the case alone. It is very important to link each problem identified to relevant theory and also to actual data from the case. Don’t forget to integrate theory and to reference all non-original work.
Also, you will normally identify a number of problems in a case. It is crucial to make the statement of major problems very clear. These are the major two or three problems, or key issues, that must be solved first. The major problems you identify and select for this case study might well be different from those identified by another person. This is not an issue for any concern, as problem selection is likely to vary in the field of management.
This section is just a short concise statement of what problems you are going to solve in the remainder of the case. Half a page is adequate. Having identified the major problems, you should check back to ensure that you are actually attempting to solve these, rather than other minor problems in the case. This section is crucial to a good case report.
Generation and Evaluation of Alternative Solutions (Brainstorming)
Most problems will have a large number of possible solutions. Your task is to identify and evaluate the more appropriate solutions (at least 2-3 for each major problem identified). Each alternative solution should be briefly outlined and evaluated in terms of its advantages and disadvantages (strong and weak points). Note: Although you should evaluate alternative solutions, you do not need to state in this section which alternative you actually recommend (this comes in the following section). Provide relevant theory or theories to explain the reasons for identifying these as problems and also practical solutions to the problems.