How to analyse case study Step-by-Step

How to analyses a case study Step 1: Get a general Impression Which organizations and Industries/sectors does It relate to? Is the organization doing well or badly and how has It performed In the past? Is It an organization that has an unbroken record of success or has It fallen on hard times? Look at the development of the organization over time.

What strategies has It pursued? Which have succeeded and which have failed? How successful has the organization been – and on what bases do you know? What are your initial impressions of the main issues and choices confronting the organization? Is it in an expanding industry/sector, or a maturing one? Are customer needs changing? Does the organization confront a variety of opportunities? Or is there a particular strategic issue which the case is oriented towards? What information is there in the case as tables and annexes? Step 2: Start to analyses seriously First, with regard to Its environment: o Which are the types of environment where It has been able to succeed, and In which types has It had problems?

What have been and are likely to be the key drivers In the macro environment that may give rise to changes that could provide opportunities or give rise to threats? O What Is the nature of the competitive environment? Second, get insights about the organization itself: o What kind of strategic resources does the organization have – and which does it lack? O Think about which of these have provided advantage over competitors; or could provide competitive advantage. O Draw these analyses together by considering in what ways the organization has strengths or weaknesses greater than intention.

So you will have built up a picture of the relative strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SOOT) for the organization. Third, look at issues about the organization’s stakeholders. What are their expectations? Are they similar or In conflict? Who has more or less power and Influence over the organization’s strategy? And consider the organization’s culture.

How has this Influenced past strategies and is it likely to influence future strategy or constrain attempts to change strategy? Beware of regarding different frameworks of analysis as distinct and separate; they relate to each other.

For instance, the results of a value chain analysis could be put in the context of data from a PESTLE and 5-Forces analysis and are likely to provide more insight if they are. Pull together your analyses and ask: ‘What are the major issues that future strategy needs to address? ‘. In all of this consider what information is there in all the tables, annexes and appendices? What are they and how do they relate to and inform the questions above? Step 3: Develop and Evaluate Strategic Options use the results of these analyses as a starting point for developing strategic options.

You will have begun to think of what the organization might do during your analyses.

Note these down. Evaluate the options by asking the following questions: o Which are most suitable in terms of the strategic position of the organization; I. E. Ten strengths Ana weaknesses I t NAS Ana Ten opportunities Ana tenants It races? O Would a strategy, if followed, achieve competitive advantage for the organization and revive bases for the sustainability of such advantage? O Which are most likely to be acceptable in terms of the expectations of major stakeholders? Which are feasible in terms of the likelihood of implementation: for example in terms of resounding the strategy and managing change. Step 4: Justify your conclusions with reference to the case Relate your analysis to the task or questions you have been set. What elements of the strategic analysis do you require to answer the question? And what don’t you need, or are less significant (don’t try to Justify your arguments by using all the information you have – select what is most powerful to support your argument)? And is there further information or analysis that you need? Ask yourself whether you have really supported your conclusions and recommendations with hard evidence (events and results) from the case study? Have you allowed yourself to be swayed by the opinions of the organization’s own managers? Do the facts support their claims of success, or their excuses for failure? Make sure you clearly state what your recommendations are.

There is no point marshalling a list of fifteen possible reasons why the organization should do this or that without making it clear which one(s) is your preferred option.

Unless you clearly state what is your recommendation, you could lose marks. Step 5: Present a balanced view Make sure you have considered the alternatives to your recommendations. There is hardly ever Just one single option available to an organization in a given industry/ sector. Make sure your have made it clear why the recommendation you have chosen is the best of the available alternatives.

Make sure you have examined the downside of your options.