Computer Cases & Towers

How to Prepare Case Studies?

INTRODUCTION:

“A case study can be described as the study of an object, person or situation in its natural habitat in an uncontrolled and observational manner”.

When any management graduate undertakes his course; he will frequently come across with various case studies during his academic curriculum. There is no management course without referring to case studies. Research reveals that students may work with as many as 800 case studies during a two year MBA program. It indicates the importance and significance attached to case studies. Apart from Management, the medicine and other courses also club case studies as the part of the academic curriculum. In this context, it is essential to explain the meaning and definition of a case study.

WHAT IS CASE STUDY?

Case study is the study of a particular situation or case or a problem in a given scenario thoroughly after weighing the pros and cons, taking a practically feasible decision in the best interests for effective implementation. Case studies are essential for MBA so that the students can step into the shoes of the given case study, understand the implications and the complications involved and can have the feeling that of a trouble shooter. To put in a nut shell, case study is a simulation of a management situation that helps the management graduates to react in a real situation and helps them by providing right direction towards right decision making and problem solving.

The technical students like engineering graduates have both theory and laboratory activities. The faculty teaches the theory in the class room and then takes them to laboratory to try and test what was taught in the class. The students will be in a position to correlate the theoretical concepts and aspects with that of the practical experiments in the laboratory. As a result, the gap between learning and doing is minimized and also students can grasp, understand and memorize quickly. And while doing practical experiments in the laboratory they may have a few doubts and the same can be clarified, verified and authenticated.

The case studies are also just like laboratory activities. Since for management education the students can not be taken to industry for each and every theoretical concept the case studies will prove handy for them. When the management concepts are explained then the case studies of the companies are explained so that students in the class room can feel like in a simulated situation and they will be able to understand the concepts effectively and efficiently.

IMPORTANCE OF CASE STUDIES:

People, in general, love to listen stories, examples, case studies and anecdotes. No teaching will be complete without the same. And teaching for management graduates is no exception.

Case studies will arouse the interest amongst the students. Every class should have at least one case study to make the teaching process interesting and entertaining. The students, for a while, get into the shoes of the key player in the case study and think and act like him.

There are institutions which are specializing in case studies alone and they have acquired prominence globally. ICFAI has number of case studies under its reservoir and its case studies are accepted and adopted all over the world especially USA, Canada, UK and other European countries. There is specialization in every discipline in these days. IBSCDC which is the acronym for Icfai Business School Case Development Centre was set up in 2003 and it has developed over 2000 world class case studies. Its case studies have been featured in more than 30 international textbooks on Management. It has sold more than 1, 30,000 copies to various global B-schools and universities. It is the second largest producer of case studies in the world and the biggest producer of case studies in Asia. Under the visionary leadership of Dr.Nagendra V Chowdary, Dean of IBSCDC, who has passion for excellence, it is set to conquer the globe with innovative case studies. IBSCDC believes in quality research and catering quality case studies. It coined a new tool ‘Structured Assignment’ for the first time in the world. Now days, the world looks at the innovative tools and techniques. Innovation is the key to survival in this cut throat competitive world.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR CASE STUDY:

A few characteristics and qualifications are essential for preparing case studies. The person should have passion to become the creator of case studies. He needs to involve and immerse himself in the case scenario thoroughly so as to have the feel of the real situation. Then only the best can be expected. The author should have flair for writing the case studies. He should be a voracious reader of various books from the discipline in which he is preparing. For instance, the writer of the case studies of HR should have read various books related to Human Resources functional area in order to do justification. Having industrial experience in the same discipline will help to create effective case studies. Imagination works out to some extent but having worked in the same field will bring out the best as the author knows the practical problems.

Lot of patience is essential to create the stuff. Ability to analyze the problems and prospects of the case and logical correlation of various activities in a given situation will prove to be highly beneficial. To put it in a nut shell, the author should have analytical bent of mind, problems solving skills and decision making skills for preparing case studies.

HOW TO PREPARE A CASE STUDY?

“Case study is a description of an actual administrative solution involving a decision to be made or a problem to be solved. It can be a real situation that actually happened just as described, or portions have been disguised for reasons of privacy”.

Usually the case study can be brief or extensive running from 2 to 30 pages. As such there is no specific rule that the content should be limited or extended up to certain levels. Read the entire text thoroughly once and jot down the key points and concepts and also the important issues involved in it in a separate sheet. Look for 4 W’s in the case such as what is the problem? where is the problem? when the problem started? And why the problem occurred? Relate and correlate all the factors and forces together to have better quick grasp about the case. Also read between the lines keenly. Apply your common sense and make comparative study of the situation. Observe closely if any statistical data is given. Look at the cause and effect relation with in the case study. At times the causes are hidden and it requires extraordinary ability to unearth the hidden causes. It needs probing temperament and correlate the same with the effects. This will help to get at the root of the problem for generating bags of solutions. During this process, the visualization technique is highly useful in order to correlate various things mentally. If time permits read and reread the text more times for getting at the crux of the case. Repeat the process till you get perfection.

Create number of multiple solutions to a given problem. Choose the best that suits the present position and adopt. It requires intuition and gut feeling to shortlist the best logical, analytical and appropriate decision. Don’t repeat what is already stated in the case.

During the case study analysis and preparation the academician with industrial exposure can deliver better results than mere academician without any industrial experience. The academicians always look at the case purely from their vast theoretical perspective as they are not exposed to industry. Of course, they honed their skills based on reading plenty of case studies. But that will not be sufficient to create effective case studies. On the other hand, the academician who hailed from industrial or from corporate background look at the case from multiple perspectives. They might have faced the same scenario as stated in the case study in their practical life. Therefore, they have ready made and tailor made answers and more solutions to each problem. Case study analysis requires critical and creative thinking. It also requires empathy i.e. stepping into the shoes of a situation and generating multiple solutions.

CONCLUSION:

Case Study is the heart of the management curriculum. Creating case study is a skill not a talent. If the case study writer has creative mind, passion, nose for writing, eye for detail, analytical bent of mind, problem solving skills, decision making skills and the ability to see the big picture and the capability to think out of the box, the best and the most memorable case studies can be crafted.

About the Author

(The author, Prof. M.S.Rao, is working as an Academic Guide in ICFAI University, India. He delivers ‘Guest Lectures’ upon request. He talks over radio and is a professional Writer and Trainer in soft skills, personality development, motivation, leadership and equity investments. He conducts training sessions to Corporates and Student community. Number of articles has been published in various global websites, magazines and journals. He has blog: http://profmsr.blogspot.com He can be reached at email: profmsr7@yahoo.com, profmsr7@gmail.com).

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Throw Out that Old Makeup Bag and Get A Sleek, Durable Cosmetic Case!

Are you are tired of having to dig through a jumble of cosmetics every time you put on your makeup? Or are you a makeup artist who is looking for a professional yet organized way to transport your cosmetics between appointments? You might want to pay attention then, because we’re going to list the top three products available in professional cosmetic cases: soft cosmetic cases, aluminum cases, and train cases.

If you’re looking for a soft, luggage-style makeup case, then it might be worthwhile for you to look into soft makeup cases. These bags are made of fabric and come in an assortment of colors to suit all tastes. They can look as simple as an ordinary suitcase or duffel bag, or as jazzy as a tote or handbag. However, instead of a huge empty space where all of your precious cosmetics would simply clash about, you will find that soft cosmetic bags have removable and stationary compartments which make organizing and finding your things a cinch!

Aluminum make up cases are particularly popular not only for their attractive outer shell, but because they make it so darn easy to unpack and re-pack your items! They have a trunk-like exterior and usually come in sets, with the large main case (usually equipped with wheels and a trolley handle, much like a suitcase) and a smaller matching case which fits snugly on top of the main case for easy transport. As with a soft case, an aluminum case contains many compartments for organizing your things, but the layout requires less work. Simply open the latches so that the top portion of the box folds open to reveal pop-up/pop-out drawers. Poof! All of your makeup and styling equipment is ready in a flash!

Perhaps one of the most popular storage units is the cosmetic train case. They come in a variety of colors and materials; however they are most popular in aluminum. They are usually around the neighborhood of 8” x 8” x 8” in size, and are of a constant design. The top half is usually split into two sections, so that when you unlatch and open the box, the top falls away to reveal many trays. These trays usually pop up and slide out, resembling a set of stairs. It’s the perfect storage for anyone with a small to moderate collection, or one looking for a stylish travel case.

Where can I buy an empty chef's knife storage case (UK only please)?

An empty case. No knives, no blocks, no hanging racks.

all the chefs i have worked with have always just used ordinary tool boxes you can get them from b andq wickes or any diy stores

3 U.S. students expect to be freed in Egypt (KSAT)

As questions continued to swirl about the fate of three American college
students arrested in Egypt for their role in ongoing protests there, a U.S.
official said that diplomats were also in contact with Egyptian authorities
about an award-winning filmmaker behind bars. The three college students --
Derrik Sweeney, Gregory Porter and Luke Gates -- were ordered to be released
Thursday, said Adel Saeed, the spokesman of the general prosecutor. But late
in the day, they remained in custody. There was less clarity, meanwhile, about
documentarian Jehane Noujaim. Film producer Karim Amer said Wednesday that the
Egyptian-American woman -- whose works include "The Control Room," about Al-
Jazeera and the United States during the early days of the Iraq War -- was
arrested while filming close to the Interior Ministry building in Cairo. On
Thursday, David Lynfield -- a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Cairo -- said
that U.S. diplomats are aware of "her place in detention" and have been "in
touch with the Egyptian authorities regarding" her case. Meanwhile, family and
friends of the three detained U.S. college students continued to ride an
emotional roller coaster, days after Egyptian authorities arrested them on
suspicion ...

KSAT

Пистолет Макарова "ПМ" / Makarov pistol "PM"