What is a case study?
A teaching case study is a snapshot of a management situation that presents a problem, a challenge or an opportunity faced by an organization. The decision-maker, such as an executive, a manager, or an entrepreneur, is the protagonist of the case.
By reading and examining the situation from a particular organization member’s perspective, students will identify with the organization and feel the urge to solve the problem.
The business case studies will touch upon different aspects of the real life in family businesses. But they will all have some common aspects. In particular, they will be specific, general and urgent:
- Specific, because the decision focus of the case study should be situation-specific and concrete.
- General, because the decision focus of the case study should also support a deeper and broader discussion and serve as a general lesson on how to approach similar issues.
- Urgent, because the decision focus of the case study should be of immediate importance.