Reference no: EM133193438

Case Analysis

Choose Your Role or character for the case:

Determine which key character you want to be in the case. Choose an executive ormanager by name or position in the case. You are learning to become a manager. Do not choose a customer.

Conduct the entire analysis from the point of view of your character. Make sure that all of the alternative solutions you list (see below) are things from your role's perspective and things within the power of your character to do. If you don't have a name, identify a job title.

Do not list alternatives that other people in the case have; only list the options facing your chosen role. You are making your character's decisions and no one else's.

Step 1 - Identify the Problem/Opportunity.

Identify the major problem or opportunity from your "character's" perspective in one or two sentences or a short paragraph.

Step 2 - Identify the Causes of the Problem/Opportunity.

Identify the causes of the major problem or opportunity from your "character's" perspective in few sentences or a short paragraph. Both internal and external environmental factors should be examined. Causes of problems or opportunities tend to be historical in nature.You should consider:
1. Why did the problem/opportunity occur?
2. When did it begin?
3. Where does it occur?
4. Where doesn't it occur?
5. What effective management practices should the organization be using?
6. What has the organization failed to do?

Step 3 - List at least three (3) Alternative Solutions to the Problem (or ways to take advantage of the opportunity).

1) Proposed alternatives should be consistent with the problem(s)/opportunity(ies) and cause(s) identified above in Steps 1 and 2.
2) Develop at least three possible alternative solutions. You may list both short-term and long-term solutions.
3) Though you might list information gathering (surveys, marketing research, a consultant, etc.) as an implementation step in Steps 5 and 6, information gathering/research is not an acceptable alternative solution.
4) Explain the pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of each of your alternative solutions.
5) Note: Your alternative solutions must be things that you (your character) can do in the future. You can't change the past. Therefore, do not list the things that should have been done in the past. That's water under the bridge.
6) Also, use "could" instead of "should" during this step. Pass judgment in Step 4.

Step 4 - Select the Best Alternative Solution.
Justify why you chose a particular solution and why it will best resolve the problem(s) / opportunity(ies).

Step 5 - Implementation Steps.

1) Develop appropriate action plan steps to implement your solution to the problem/opportunity.
2) Specify, as much as possible, what should be done, by whom, when, where, and in what sequence.
3) Also, indicate follow-up procedures to monitor the implementation of your solution to ensure that the intended actions are taken and that the problem is corrected--or that the opportunity is maximized.

Step 6 - Plan B.

Develop a step-by-step back-up action (contingency) plan including implementation steps just in case your best solution doesn't go well. You should be as detailed as in Step 5 above.
1) This is your back-up action (contingency) plan in the event that Plan A (Steps 4 and 5) does not work out.
2) Plan B's solution is NOT information gathering (surveys, marketing research, consultants, etc.), though information gathering may be an implementation step in Plan B.
3) Plan B must follow Plan A. It is not simply your second best alternative solution.
4) Feedback from the follow-up procedures you included in your action plan in Step 5 will help you decide whether to continue with Plan A or to switch to Plan B.

1. XXXX
2. XXXX
3. XXXX
4. XXXX
5. XXXX
6. XXXX
7. XXXX
8. XXXX
9. XXXX
10. XXXX (Your last step should describe how you will know your back-up action plan was successful. Explain how you will measure success. What will you do if your back-up action plan is unsuccessful?)