3. Analyzing Strategic Management Cases
Chapter 13
Analyzing Strategic Management Cases
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. After studying this chapter, you should have a good understanding of:
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should have a good understanding of:
How strategic case analysis is used to simulate real world experiences.
How analyzing strategic management cases can help develop the ability to differentiate, speculate, and integrate when evaluating complex business problems.
The steps involved in conducting a strategic management case analysis.
How to get the most out of case analysis.
How to use the strategic insights and material from each of the 12 chapters in the text to analyze issues posed by strategic management cases.

5. The Process of Case Analysis
Become familiar with the material
Identify the strategic problems/issues
Conduct the analysis, using appropriate course tools
Propose alternative solutions
Develop recommendations
Revise the recommendations after you
Integrate them (Do they fit together?)
Re-examine them (Are they feasible? Can they be implemented?)
Evaluate their risk/return (Are they justified?)

6. Case Analysis Skills Differentiation Isolate critical facts
Evaluate assumptions, information
Distinguish problems from symptoms
Speculation
Guesstimate “Why?”
Imagine different scenarios
Deal with uncertainty and incomplete information
Integration
Develop an organization-wide perspective
Integrate parts/whole
Integrate recommendations

7. Beneficial Points of View
Executives at the Organization
Members of the Board of Directors
Outside Consultants

8. Preparing the Oral Presentation (1)
Organize your thoughts
Become familiar with the material. Compare notes about key points and share insights with team members. Then, make an outline to organize the flow and content of the presentation.
Emphasize strategic analysis
Diagnose the problems and develop solutions. Present the material in a way that lends itself to analysis—don’t just restate the case. This involves three major categories with the following emphasis:
Background/Problem Statement %
Strategic Analysis/Options %
Recommendations/Action Plan %
Reorganize the material so that the appropriate tools of strategic analysis can be applied.

9. Preparing the Oral Presentation (2)
Be logical and consistent
Be organized and clear. Present your arguments and explanations in a logical sequence. Support claims with facts. Include financial analysis where appropriate. The problems you address and solutions you recommend should be clearly identified.
Defend your position
Anticipate that others might disagree and prepare to defend your views. This means being aware of the choices you make and the implications of your recommendations. Be clear about your assumptions.
Share presentation responsibilities
Each member should have a clear role in the presentation. Coordinate the parts into a logical, smooth whole. How well a team works together is usually very apparent during an oral presentation.

10. Preparing the Written Report (1)
Be thorough
The written analysis should be more thorough than the presentation. Provide the support for your arguments and reference case or other materials more specifically.
Coordinate team effort
After analysis, develop team consensus and. coordinate responses before committing your ideas to writing. Don’t prepare a written analysis that is contradictory or looks like a a patchwork of disconnected thoughts.
Avoid restating the obvious
Don’t waste space by recapping case details. Stay focused on the key points. Only restate the information that is most central to your analysis.

11. Preparing the Written Report (2)
Present information
graphically
Tables, graphs and other exhibits are one of the best ways to present the materials that supports your arguments. Information such as product lists can be summarized effectively by using a table or graph.
Exercise quality control
Mistakes that can be glossed over in an oral presentation are often highlighted when they appear in writing. Make your written presentation as professional as possible. Check spelling and grammar. Don’t let poor appearance distract the reader..