CASE WRITING SEMINAR

Office of Responsible Management Education

PROGRAMME08.30-08.55 Writing cases on responsible management/ Kai

Hockerts

08.55-09.35 Dealing with a case company – experiences on case writing/ Marcus Møller Larsen

  Coffee break

09.50-10.20 Writing a teaching note/ Dana Minbaeva

10.20-10.35 Publication at ecch/ Marie Koustrup Frandsen

Teaching notes

By Dana Minbaeva, SMG

ECCH “template”• Title page• Summary of the case: brief description of case and its context.• Teaching objectives and target audience: describes, with examples, the key

issues and learning objectives, indicating the target group for the case.• Teaching approach and strategy: suggests how to approach the case in class,

e.g. trigger questions, the case’s demand on time-tabling, suggestions for assignments.

• Analysis of case questions: answers to the list of questions above. Should at least be as thorough as one would expect from the best students.

• Suggested readings: reference list according to key approaches mentioned above.

• Feedback: indication of how the case worked with different student groups• Appendices: e.g. references, follow up on what happened later in the story

(real life), etc.

HBS Publishing/Darden “template”• Overview or synopsis• Topical areas: type of course, target group, position in the course curriculum• Teaching objectives: “a case written without a teaching strategy or an opportunity

to connect theory to practice [or vice versa] is only a story”• Timing: how much time is needed to successfully teach the material?

– Time allocation plan• Student assignment: readings, study questions• Board plan: how points may be organized on the board as the discussion proceeds• Discussion questions and analysis/student response• Sequel or epilogue

– “Case B”– Video

• Teaching aids• Supplemented material

Teaching notes are living documents

• They must be added to and recast to reflect the instructor’s experience in the case/with the case– Pilot the case– Pilot the teaching note

PUBLICATION ON WWW.ECCH.COM

European Case Clearing House

By Marie Frandsen

REQUIREMENTS - ECCH

• The case needs to be tested in class.

• We layout the cases in order to ensure a consistent look.

• Pictures? – Yes please, but in high quality including + copy right prove if not yours

• All relevant documents to submit is in the ecch registration pack(tool box), including a signature by HOD

Field research: If you are using unpublished data from the company, you must submit a Case Release Form, i.e. a response from the company giving permission for the case to be used.

Desk research: If you are using already published data from the company, then your case does not require a Case Release Form.

Read more on: http://www.ecch.com/educators/submitcases/guidance/caserelease

CASE RELEASE FORM

GUIDELINES ON LANGUAGE

• Reference style: Harvard• Language: British English• Tense: Cases should be written in the past tense

as the events have already occurred. Teaching notes and potential industry notes can be written in the present tense, where appropriate.

• Voice: As far as possible, use active and not passive voice (e.g. ‘The CEO mailed the letter’ instead of ‘The letter was mailed by the CEO’).

SUGGESTED TEMPLATE CASE (ECCH)

Title page: (Layout by CBS, please include relevant picture for case)

Setting the stage: Introduction to context, area/issue, and main character (max. 1 page)

Case body: The story is told chronologically. Build tension and introduce relevant data.

Closing section: A recap of the original problem statement. Enables classroom discussion (max. 1 page)

Appendices: Relevant figures and tables

Literature list

TYPICAL PITFALLS• The case company will not let me use the case due to

confidentiality – get the company approval settled from the beginning.

• Many cases have already been developed on this topic – check the data bases before hand

• I cannot use the pictures and graphs that I have found, and know I really need them… – check copy right

• I cannot remember where I have this quote/information from – put in references right from the beginning (Harvard style).

• Try not to bias the case – be an objective storyteller.

Send drafts for feedback as often as you want!

IMPORTANT DATESJuly 19th 2013:

Deadline for submission of first draft to case coordinator

August 23rd 2013:

Deadline for submission of second draft to peer review

December 13th 2013:

Deadline for class room testing

THE OPENING SECTION – SIX ELEMENTS

The ideal opening section mentions six key elements (inspired by Jenny Mead, University of Virginia):• The decision maker’s name• His/her position• The company or organisation’s name• The date – either general (e.g. summer 2008) or an exact date• The firm’s location and type of business• The statement of the problem or trigger (often in a question

format, e.g. “Facing the pressure of the last weeks’ negative media coverage of the company’s coffee production in Guatemala, Mr Jørgensen was forced to take action, and he did not have much time to react”)

CASE CHARACTERISTICS• Based on primary and/or secondary data

• Is written in a storytelling manner

• Focuses on one organisation, preferably represented by an identifiable character – the protagonist can be a fictive person/group

• Focuses on a management challenge where the answer is not obvious.

• Usually describes a particular situation in which people are engaged in complex issues and are forced to take action on a dilemma.

• Consists of a teaching case (6-12 pages) and a teaching note (4-8 pages).

TEMPLATE FOR TEACHING NOTE (ECCH)

• Title page: Case Title, Name, Copy right, etc.

• Summary of the case: brief description of case and its context.

• Teaching objectives and target audience: describes, with examples, the key issues and learning objectives, indicating the target group for the case.

• Teaching approach and strategy: suggests how to approach the case in class, e.g. trigger questions, the case’s demand on time-tabling, suggestions for assignments.

• Analysis of case questions: answers to the list of questions above.

• Suggested readings: reference list according to key approaches mentioned above.

• Feedback: indication of how the case worked with different student groups

• Appendices: e.g. references, follow up on what happened later in the story (real life), etc.

A CBS CASE SERIES ON RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT

- free to download

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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