Case Study Writing: publication opportunities and guidelines

Elizabeth M. Ineson

EuroCHRIE, Manchester, October, 2015

The Focus international

related to hospitality, tourism or events’ management

developed based on specialist knowledge and real-life experiences

offer students/management trainees opportunities to

consider and to respond to realistic scenarios of varying complexity

Developing case studies[for publication in Volume 7, 2016]

Focus? Field? Topic? Learning outcomes?

Level? For whom?

Information retrieval? Experience?

Revealed or non-revealed? Time?

Format? Instructions? Feedback?

Information Retrieval

workplace

student and employee experiences

student placements

own, relatives’ or friends’ experiences

critical incidents; observations or involvement

visits to industry; interviews; focus groups

Team organisation?

Chairperson? Leader?

Knowledge and experience?

List?

Debate versus action?

Groups: working mode?

Solving Case Studies ‘How?’ and ‘Why?’ customer care and fair and correct treatment of

employees cross-disciplinary/inter-departmental issues; team

work? team roles? research?

Case Study Researchmore comprehensive than conducting research on one specific topic in addressing more advanced cases, students and

management trainees should be encouraged to: collect relevant data from a variety of sources consider this information, employing divergent

thinking to brainstorm the case employ convergent, potentially valid decision-

making in order to devise and justify the solution(s)

Non-revealed Case Studies

distributed to individuals ‘on the spot’, i.e. everyone has access to an electronic or hard copy

responses may be prepared by individuals or debated by groups who develop a joint solution

focus on at least one area/department, for example in an hotel based case study: Food and Beverage; Wines; Housekeeping; Marketing; Human Resources; etc

Revealed Case Studies

more complex and inter/cross-disciplinary, encouraging consideration of broader managerial, international and cultural perspectives

usually require research, secondary data collection, calculations, preparation of budgets et al. and written responses

May be used for open book examinations/ assessments if not in public domain

Case Study 1: Missing Luggage (Non-revealed)

A tourist group from Germany was accommodated in the Hotel Classica in Riga for one night and they had to leave at 7 o’clock in the morning. To ensure a quick check out and luggage pick up procedure, a receptionist asked all tourists to place their luggage in the corridor in front of their room doors before breakfast. The luggage would be collected by the bellboy and placed in the bus. After breakfast the guests went to their rooms, took their hand luggage, made sure that they had not left anything and went to the bus. The procedure was, as always, well organised and one group of tourists complimented the hotel staff on a job well done.

Five hours later the Classica hotel received a desperate telephone call from a hotel in Vilnius where the group had just arrived. The message was that one of the guests from the Classica room 507 had complained about missing luggage. Following this call, a serious investigation began in the hotel, but no luggage was found and everybody was puzzled about this situation.04/21/23 10

10

Case Study 1: Missing Luggage (Non-revealed)

What do you think happened to the missing luggage?

Some hours later a receptionist received a telephone call from room

506. A Finnish guest informed her that he has a large suitcase in his room but

it did not belong to him. During a conversation with the Finnish guest he

recollected that he had returned from a party in the early hours of the

morning a bit tipsy. He saw a suitcase near his door, was surprised and

thought: “What is a suitcase was doing outside my room?” so he took it inside

and went to bed. The missing luggage was immediately transported to Vilnius.

04/21/23 1111

Case Study 1: Missing Luggage (Non-revealed)

Work individually and then discuss with neighbour

(5+5 mins)

Why did the problem of the missing luggage occur?

How should the luggage collection procedures for groups

be organised to avoid such a situation in future?

What security improvements should be made in the

future?

04/21/23 1212

Case Study 1: Missing Luggage (Non-revealed)

Work individually and then discuss with neighbour

(5+5 mins)

Why did the problem of the missing luggage occur?

How should the luggage collection procedures for

groups be organised to avoid such a situation in future?

What security improvements should be made in the

future?

04/21/23 1313

Points for discussion:

Procedures for, and responsibilities of, the bellboy and the receptionist

Luggage control for departing groups

Future practice

04/21/23 1414

Case study 2: Wings of Heaven (Revealed)

04/21/23 1515

Activities

Critically evaluate Wing’s approach to developing

Wings of Heaven, strategically and from a marketing

perspective.

Identify the challenges that face him now.

Suggest ways forward for him, with reasons.

Recommended Reading and Points for Discussion  

Format: A4 paper; Font: Garamond; Margins: Top and bottom 1", Left 1.6", Right 0.5"; Spacing 1.5"

For example: Title (16 font bold) By Your name (12 font bold) Insert text (12 font) with any tables/diagrams inserted at

appropriate position in text Question(s) for students (12 font bold italics) Points for discussion (12 font bold) (Will be in separate section at

the end of the book) You may also include further information to assist with the

discussion/problem solving.

Format for Case Study non-revealed cases pose at least one question for consideration

followed by a series of points for discussion to initiate and/or follow debate further information may be added

revealed cases involve one or more follow-up activities, for example: debate; information collection; further projects; letter writing; report writing; and making presentations

may suggest whether suitable for individual and/or group participation

encourage practical problem-solving approach to achieve learning outcomes; variable levels of difficulty; different types of questions and activities such as researching, collecting and processing information and brain-storming e.ineson@mmu.ac.uk

Format for Case Study

Thank you for listening

Any questions?