Reference no: EM134032722

Four types of situations that often occur in typical business cases.

These are situations that are Problems, Decisions, require Evaluations, or focused on Rules. These four do not cover every situation and you may develop competencies on your own as you develop in case analysis. Problem situations in case analysis require the accurate identification of the problem. Referencing the National Stockpile Case from the perspective of a Problem Case analysis:

Based off the entire case analysis process.

1. Situation - Start by asking yourself what the situation is and developing questions about information you need to answer the questions. By simply reading the first and last sections of the case. You are looking to define what type of "situation" the case is. These are Problems, Decisions, Evaluations, and Rule situations.

2. Questions - Develop questions to be answered automatically depending on the type of case. Do you need to know the problem? Do you need to know the decisions? Is there an evaluation requirement? Thinking of this as the "first pass" through the reading and you should conduct it by scanning through the headings of the text.

3. Hypothesis - This is considered the most important part of the case analysis process to develop accurately. Making sure to know the problem, decision, etc. Looking for causes and noting the causes you are most certain about. Deciding relevant evidence; quantitative or qualitative. Many cases have irrelevant material. Deciding if others in the case are the causes of the problem, decision, etc.

4. Proof and Action - In this phase, we are looking for proof and actions to support the hypothesis. What material supports your hypothesis? This can be considered as taking a position or making an argument. You are looking for specific facts to support your argument. You are taking a well-reviewed position.

5. Alternatives - Final phase, meaning it is probably best to question your hypothesis. The goal is to specifically look for weaknesses in your argument or hypothesis. Looking at the alternatives and comparing which is the strongest. Asking yourself if there is a better hypothesis. Keep in mind, "rules" situations require analysis in a specific functional area and provoke strong differences of opinion in their analysis.