Developing a Case Study

Overview:

The final project for this course is the completion of a comprehensive case study.  Components of the case study will be completed at designated intervals throughout the course. 

Students will be provided with a focus area from which to construct their case study. The case study will represent an empirical inquiry investigating a significant contemporary issue in the business sector.  As a summative project in your MBA program, it is expected that you will draw from the skills and competencies developed throughout your MBA program.    

Prepare your case study as if you were a senior executive of the corporation preparing a document for review by the organization’s Board of Directors.  Therefore, the quality of your presentation should be of a caliber appropriate for this audience. 

Case Study Theme:

You must select from one of two topical areas in the development of your case study.  The two areas are:  1) Human Capital Management or 2) Healthcare Cost Containment.  For the topic selected, a problem scenario is provided in which to address. 

You will also be given a choice to select the type of the organization in which you will be developing your case study.  You may also have a choice of identifying an existing corporation/organization or creating a hypothetical corporation from which to base your case study. 

Topical Areas for Student-Written Case Studies

1.       Human Capital Management

The average age of your workforce has increased sharply over the last 10 years.  Within the next 10 years, a significant number of your workforce will be within the normal age range for retirement.  As a senior staff member leading a team on success planning, you are concerned that valuable knowledge, skills, and abilities will not transfer to existing and new employees and will be lost with the employees that will retire.  How would the increased talent shortfall affect the development and approach of your organization’s succession planning strategy and what might such a strategy look like?  Please present your case to the Board of Directors. 

2.       Healthcare Cost Containment

The political environment specific to healthcare continues to be unstable.  However, recent legislation has specified some employer-based requirements for the provision of healthcare to employees.   In addition, as the demographics workforce changes so does the use pattern for employer-sponsored healthcare coverage.   This increased utilization effects rate structure for a company.  How would recent governmental legislation affect your organization’s strategy of providing continued healthcare benefits to its employees?

Selecting your Organization: 

For your case study, you may select an actual organization or you may create a hypothetical organization.  The organization selected or hypothetically constructed one must be a publicly traded company, government sponsored organization or nonprofit.  The type of the organization must be selected from one of the following sectors:

·         Options for Types of Organizations:

o   Financial Services Organization

o   Transportation Organization

o   Public Utility Organization

o   Service Sector Organization

It will be important to dive into your case study development immediately.  For example, your selection of an organization must be made in Week 1, as your SWOT Analysis Appendix (due Week 3) will reflect this choice. 

Time Frame:

1.       Case Research (Weeks 1-4):  During the first four weeks of class, each student will complete the Case Research Section of their Case Study focus.  Please read the applicable resource identified in your “Assigned Reading and Research” section of your weekly assignments to ensure you understand the respective areas of the case study prior to beginning your case study.  As with all problems to solve, properly identifying the problem, and designing a good strategy for solving the problem at the onset is crucial.  If you do not address these areas properly, the case study will not turn out successful.  Also, each student should include the theoretical framework(s) they are basing their premise on.  Therefore, your approach in the case study must be informed by known frameworks and supported by data and relevant information.

Each student will submit a draft of their Case Research Section of their Case Study in Week 4.

Components of the Case Research Section: 

a.       Identify the Problem, Purpose, and Research Question

b.      Using Literature/Literature Review

c.       Selecting and Bounding the Case/Selecting a Design

d.      Designing the Case

e.      Considering Issues of Validity and Reliability in Designing Case Study Research 

2.       Data Gathering (Weeks 5-8): During Weeks 5-8, each student will complete the Data Gathering Section of their Case Study.  There are six data selection sources that you should consider for this part of your Case Study: documentation, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant observation, and physical artifacts.  Each student will submit a draft of their Data Gathering Section of their Case Study in Week 8. 

Components of the Data Gathering Section: 

a.       Collecting Data

b.      Analyzing Data

c.       Integrating the Study Findings

3.       Presenting the Case (Weeks 9-12): During Weeks 9-12, each student will conclude their Case Study, and present their findings.  An essential component of this section is a conclusion.  In Week 11 (or Week 12 at the latest), each student will submit their Case Study to the Discussion Board, along with a narrated PowerPoint presentation representing the Case Study.  Please remember that your audience for both the report and narrated PowerPoint is a Board of Directors.  Include both the PowerPoint and written case study in your e-portfolio.  

Presenting the Case Component: 

a.       Interpreting Findings and Drawing Conclusions

b.      Writing and Reporting the Findings

c.       Presentation with Conclusions