USE CASECASE STUDIES
Case Studies
Problem, analysis, recommendations: case facts organised, framework templates laid out, exhibits calculated from the case data. You define the problem and make the call.
PROBLEM · FRAMEWORKS · EXHIBITS · RECOMMENDATIONS
FIG 1ANATOMY
What goes into a case study, and who does what.
A case analysis is marked on judgement: did you find the real problem, use the evidence in the case, and recommend something defensible? Retelling the case earns little.
§01 · SHARED
Executive summary
MOREMIND DOES
Checks it against the length limit and that every recommendation in the body appears in it.YOU DO
Write it last, so a reader who stops here knows your answer.§02 · SHARED
Background
MOREMIND DOES
Organises facts from the case, keeps them separate from outside sources, and verifies any outside sources you cite.YOU DO
Select the facts the analysis needs. Don't retell the case.§03 · YOURS ALONE
Problem statement
MOREMIND DOES
Asks whether the statement names a cause or a symptom. Nothing more: the diagnosis is the assessed judgement.YOU DO
Define the central problem in a sentence or two. Everything after depends on it.§04 · SHARED
Analysis
MOREMIND DOES
Lays out framework templates and asks you to tie each point to case evidence or an exhibit.YOU DO
Apply the framework to this case and draw the conclusions it supports.§05 · YOURS ALONE
Options & recommendation
MOREMIND DOES
Provides an options matrix with the criteria you choose, such as cost, time and risk.YOU DO
Weigh the alternatives, recommend one, and say how it would be implemented and what could go wrong.§06 · SHARED
Exhibits & references
MOREMIND DOES
Calculates ratios and builds charts from the figures in the case, numbers the exhibits and formats references.YOU DO
Refer to each exhibit in the text and say what it shows.FIG 2HOW IT'S ASSESSED
What assessors look for.
Business school, policy and teaching cases are marked in similar ways.
DIAGNOSISThe underlying problem identified, not just its symptoms.
EVIDENCEAnalysis grounded in the case's facts and figures, not generic framework filler.
FRAMEWORKSFrameworks chosen for a reason, and their output used in the conclusions.
ALTERNATIVESMore than one option, evaluated against explicit criteria.
RECOMMENDATIONSpecific and feasible, with implementation steps and risks.
ACCURACYCalculations correct, and exhibits referred to in the text.
FIG 3COMMON MISTAKES
Where marks are usually lost, and how MoreMind helps.
What MoreMind can catch, and what it leaves to you.
MISTAKE 01
Retelling the case
The outline keeps case facts in one place, so the analysis can refer back to them instead of repeating them.
MISTAKE 02
A SWOT that leads nowhere
Framework templates ask you to tie each point to evidence and to say which conclusion it supports. The conclusions are yours.
MISTAKE 03
Errors in the exhibit calculations
Ratios and charts are calculated from the figures you enter, and the formulas are logged, so you can check them.
MISTAKE 04
A recommendation with no alternatives
The options matrix makes you score at least two alternatives against the same criteria before you recommend one.
FIG 4WORKFLOW
How a case study comes together.
From the case pack to a recommendation you can defend in class or in a report.
Fig 4PROBLEM · FRAMEWORKS
01
Read & note facts
case facts
02
Define the problem
you
03
Apply frameworks
templates
04
Build exhibits
from case data
05
Weigh options
criteria matrix
06
Recommend & summarise
you write
01 · READ & NOTE FACTSPull out the facts and figures. MoreMind keeps them separate from outside sources.
02 · DEFINE THE PROBLEMName the central problem: a cause, not a symptom.
03 · APPLY FRAMEWORKSPick the frameworks that fit the problem and fill them with case evidence.
04 · BUILD EXHIBITSCalculate ratios and build charts from the case figures, with the formulas logged.
05 · WEIGH OPTIONSScore the alternatives against the criteria you chose.
06 · RECOMMEND & SUMMARISEWrite the recommendation and implementation plan, then the executive summary last.
FIG 5EXAMPLE
Raw notes to a structured outline.
Your notes from the case become an outline with a place for each part of the argument. The structure is suggested; the problem statement and the recommendation stay blank until you write them.
ILLUSTRATIVE · NOT REAL DATA OR A REAL PROJECT
YOUR NOTES · ILLUSTRATIVE
- sales down three quarters running
- new lower-price competitor
- staff turnover high in stores?
- loyal older customer base
- online a small share of revenue
STRUCTURED OUTLINE
§1 Facts: Exhibit 1, sales by quarter
§2 Problem: [you define: cause vs symptom]
§3 Analysis: Five Forces, rivalry ↑ (new entrant, price)
§4 Options A · B · C, scored on cost, time, risk
§5 Recommendation: [yours]
FIG 6BEFORE YOU SUBMIT
Checklist, tools and further reading.
FIG 7FAQ
Common questions about a case study.
No. It organises the facts, lays out the frameworks, calculates the exhibits and gives you an options matrix. The diagnosis and the recommendation are the assessed judgement, and they're yours.
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