Case Writing

Presentation by
A V Vedpuriswar
 Objectives
• Develop problem diagnosis, alternatives identification
& evaluation skills:

• Learning by doing. Simulates real life problems and

puts the students in the shoes of the decision maker.

• Improving industry knowledge & developing analytical

skills

• The process of finding the answer is more important

than the answer itself

• An inefficient but effective learning process.

 Types of Cases
Teaching cases
• Decision Focus
• Illustrate Theory
• Often Incomplete
• Students learn to make assumptions
Cases for Research
• Descriptive
• Test Theory
• Develop/Generate Theory or Propositions
Demonstration Cases
• Descriptive & Explanatory,
• Dissemination of best practices
 Types of Cases (cont…)
Library Cases
• Secondary Data

Field Cases
• Primary Data
The Pros & Cons
 The case development process
• Case Theme: Issue/Concept/to be taught
• Prior preparation
• Data Collection
• Writing: Draft to Final
• Sign off: Obtaining Clearances in case of field
case
• Testing: Does the Case Meet Stated Objectives?
 Key issues in case writing
• How do I choose my case?
• What concepts am I seeking to illustrate, and
what conclusions do I want to draw?
• How should I deal with other sources of
evidence as they come up or if events change
dramatically?
• How do I write the case?
• In addition to teaching the case what other
outcomes are expected?
 Topic selection

• Familiarity

• Interest

• Open/Shut?

• Multiple options
 Arriving at a structure

• HR
• Operations
• Marketing
• Strategy
• Finance
• Parts A & B
• Moving back in time
 Coverage

• Multi dimensional

• Cross functional

• Focus

• Turning points

• Exhibits
Developing a case on Corporate Social
Responsibility
 Flora & Fauna

Future Generation Local Communities

Media Special Interest Groups

Politicians Firm Government

Competitors Industry

Traders Employees

Environment
 Style
• Simple
• Narrative
• Reader friendly
• Avoid reader dissonance
- Going back and forth
- Contradictory sentences
- Too many figures/names
- Repetition of ideas
- Leaps of abstraction

• Quotations
• Avoid analysis
 Case Opening
India’s largest fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) company
Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL)’s, disappointing results announced
in mid-2004, underscored the difficulties the company was
facing in generating growth. HLL’s major top management
reshuffle in April 2004, undertaken at the instance of parent
company, Unilever, was the most visible admission of the
challenges being faced by the company. Even as analysts
debated whether HLL could return to the heady days of the
mid-1990s, when double digit growth had come so easily, stock
market operators had hammered down HLL’s stock price. On
May 2, 2000 when M S Banga had taken over as HLL
Chairman, the HLL share (face value = Rs. 10) was quoting at
Rs. 2,190. In April 2004, the share (face value = Rs. 1) price was
only Rs. 150. What could HLL do to get back to double digit
growth and regain the confidence of investors?
 Case Ending
In mid-2004, the evolving business environment posed new
challenges for HLL. Penetration levels in most FMCG
categories had become saturated. Increased spending on
consumer durables, education, health care and travel seemed
to be having an impact on sales of consumer non durables.
Meanwhile, many analysts were expecting cheaper regional
brands to offer stiff competition to HLL. Evidence of this
came from Anchor, a toothpaste brand in the west and
CavinKare a company based in the south with promising
brands such as Chik and Fairever. Various factors had
contributed to the rise of regional brands. In many product
categories, technology was easily available, unlike in the past
when it was the preserve of multinationals. The smaller
brands were also delivering on the quality front and it had
become increasingly difficult for the larger brands to claim
that their quality was superior.
The regional brands were also managed by more
entrepreneurial teams who seemed willing to experiment and
learn from mistakes. As organized retailing grew in India,
there were also concerns that private labels and store brands
would increase in importance. In the leading grocery chains
like Foodworld and Nilgiris, private labels were becoming
increasingly popular.
HLL’s Power Branding strategy had come under attack.
Some analysts felt than in the process of rationalizing and
restructuring the brand portfolio, smaller brands that could
be potential winners in the long run, had been thrown down
the drain. But Banga believed that this view was not correct.
What could HLL do to get back to the double digit growth
path of the 1990s? This was the question which taxed the
minds of HLL’s top management as they adjusted to the new
management structure announced in April 2004.
 Editing a Case
Has all the available information been tapped? Indeed, it is
not a bad idea to prepare the list of references before
writing the case.
Is enough information provided for students to take
positions and discuss the case in the classroom?
Are all the facts presented accurately?
Have references been given to quotes and factual
information?
Have the exhibits been referred to in the text?
Has the case writer biased the reader with his or her own
views?
Are there important learning lessons for the students?
 The Final Test

• Reader friendliness
• Insights
• Learning value
 DOs and DON’Ts
• Have some idea of the learning objectives before starting
the case. Accordingly, identify the issues that should be
covered in detail.
• Have a thorough understanding of the situation being
covered. This may include technology, markets and the relevant
management concepts. Without a thorough understanding,
we will not be able to collect the relevant information in a
systematic way.
• Select the most important issues and cover them in detail
instead of trying to cover too many issues.

Cont…
• Do not start writing the case before the collected
material has been thoroughly studied and copious notes taken.
• Use past tense to the extent possible. This will bring a
timeless quality to the case.
• Do not refer to an event such as, say, a court case and
fail to explain how it ended. i.e., events should not be
left ‘hanging’.

• Never offer your opinion on a decision. However, the

opinion of company executives/analysts/ competitors
can be given as quotes.

Cont…
• Choose quotes carefully. Powerful statements should be
given as quotes. Otherwise, it is more appropriate to use
your own words. Quotes should also not be too long.
Otherwise, they tend to be boring.
• All factual information, quotes, etc should be
referenced. Good cases invariably have excellent
footnotes. Difficult terms must be explained using
footnotes.
• A case should not have too many details. Otherwise, it
will become unmanageable. There should be enough data to
generate multiple action plans but not so much as to confuse.
Cont…
• The case must have some controversy to liven it up.
• A case should not be too long. Students should find it
convenient to prepare the evening before the class and finish
the discussion in the time allotted.

• Drama should be built into the case using characters.

But care must be taken not to include too many sub plots,
which will confuse the students.

• It is useful to follow a few conventions consistently. For

example, characters in the case may be referred to by
last names. Titles should not be put in capital letters.

Cont….
• All exhibits should be numbered. They should be
referred to at an appropriate point in the text.
Without such references, the exhibits may not be
used at all by students.
• Too many headings can fragment the case and lead to
repetition of ideas. Too few headings make the case
less readable and make it difficult for the student to
relocate the material later, if required.
• The opening paragraphs of the case must be written
very carefully to build interest in the case. It is often
a good idea to write the opening paragraph at the
end.
 Taking precautions

• Chemistry Lab syndrome

• Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar syndrome

• Kalidas syndrome

• When in doubt, assume you do not know

• Check, recheck, re recheck

• Have a dictionary by your side

Thank You