CASE WRITING SEMINAR Office of Responsible Management Education

PROGRAMME Writing cases on responsible management/ Kai Hockerts Dealing with a case company – experiences on case writing/ Marcus Møller Larsen Coffee break Writing a teaching note/ Dana Minbaeva Publication at ecch/ Marie Koustrup Frandsen

Teaching notes By Dana Minbaeva, SMG

ECCH “template” Title page Summary of the case: brief description of case and its context. Teaching objectives and target audience: describes, with examples, the key issues and learning objectives, indicating the target group for the case. Teaching approach and strategy: suggests how to approach the case in class, e.g. trigger questions, the case’s demand on time-tabling, suggestions for assignments. Analysis of case questions: answers to the list of questions above. Should at least be as thorough as one would expect from the best students. Suggested readings: reference list according to key approaches mentioned above. Feedback: indication of how the case worked with different student groups Appendices: e.g. references, follow up on what happened later in the story (real life), etc.

HBS Publishing/Darden “template” Overview or synopsis Topical areas: type of course, target group, position in the course curriculum Teaching objectives: “a case written without a teaching strategy or an opportunity to connect theory to practice [or vice versa] is only a story” Timing: how much time is needed to successfully teach the material? – Time allocation plan Student assignment: readings, study questions Board plan: how points may be organized on the board as the discussion proceeds Discussion questions and analysis/student response Sequel or epilogue – “Case B” – Video Teaching aids Supplemented material

Teaching notes are living documents They must be added to and recast to reflect the instructor’s experience in the case/with the case – Pilot the case – Pilot the teaching note

PUBLICATION ON European Case Clearing House By Marie Frandsen

REQUIREMENTS - ECCH The case needs to be tested in class. We layout the cases in order to ensure a consistent look. Pictures? – Yes please, but in high quality including + copy right prove if not yours All relevant documents to submit is in the ecch registration pack(tool box), including a signature by HOD

Field research: If you are using unpublished data from the company, you must submit a Case Release Form, i.e. a response from the company giving permission for the case to be used. Desk research: If you are using already published data from the company, then your case does not require a Case Release Form. Read more on: elease elease CASE RELEASE FORM

GUIDELINES ON LANGUAGE Reference style: Harvard Language: British English Tense: Cases should be written in the past tense as the events have already occurred. Teaching notes and potential industry notes can be written in the present tense, where appropriate. Voice: As far as possible, use active and not passive voice (e.g. ‘The CEO mailed the letter’ instead of ‘The letter was mailed by the CEO’).

SUGGESTED TEMPLATE CASE (ECCH) Title page: (Layout by CBS, please include relevant picture for case) Setting the stage: Introduction to context, area/issue, and main character (max. 1 page) Case body: The story is told chronologically. Build tension and introduce relevant data. Closing section: A recap of the original problem statement. Enables classroom discussion (max. 1 page) Appendices: Relevant figures and tables Literature list

TYPICAL PITFALLS The case company will not let me use the case due to confidentiality – get the company approval settled from the beginning. Many cases have already been developed on this topic – check the data bases before hand I cannot use the pictures and graphs that I have found, and know I really need them… – check copy right I cannot remember where I have this quote/information from – put in references right from the beginning (Harvard style). Try not to bias the case – be an objective storyteller. Send drafts for feedback as often as you want!

IMPORTANT DATES July 19 th 2013: Deadline for submission of first draft to case coordinator August 23 rd 2013: Deadline for submission of second draft to peer review December 13 th 2013: Deadline for class room testing

THE OPENING SECTION – SIX ELEMENTS The ideal opening section mentions six key elements (inspired by Jenny Mead, University of Virginia): The decision maker’s name His/her position The company or organisation’s name The date – either general (e.g. summer 2008) or an exact date The firm’s location and type of business The statement of the problem or trigger (often in a question format, e.g. “Facing the pressure of the last weeks’ negative media coverage of the company’s coffee production in Guatemala, Mr Jørgensen was forced to take action, and he did not have much time to react”)

CASE CHARACTERISTICS Based on primary and/or secondary data Is written in a storytelling manner Focuses on one organisation, preferably represented by an identifiable character – the protagonist can be a fictive person/group Focuses on a management challenge where the answer is not obvious. Usually describes a particular situation in which people are engaged in complex issues and are forced to take action on a dilemma. Consists of a teaching case (6-12 pages) and a teaching note (4-8 pages).

TEMPLATE FOR TEACHING NOTE (ECCH) Title page: Case Title, Name, Copy right, etc. Summary of the case: brief description of case and its context. Teaching objectives and target audience: describes, with examples, the key issues and learning objectives, indicating the target group for the case. Teaching approach and strategy: suggests how to approach the case in class, e.g. trigger questions, the case’s demand on time-tabling, suggestions for assignments. Analysis of case questions: answers to the list of questions above. Suggested readings: reference list according to key approaches mentioned above. Feedback: indication of how the case worked with different student groups Appendices: e.g. references, follow up on what happened later in the story (real life), etc.

A CBS CASE SERIES ON RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT - free to download Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. *The most restrictive CC license, only allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially. **All CC licenses are non-exclusive -- creators and owners can enter into additional, different licensing arrangements for the same work at any time, a practice known as dual-licensing. Note, however, that once granted, CC licenses are not revocable in the absence of a breach, and even then the license is terminated only as to the particular licensee.