Business Case Studies

The case study is a learning tool used almost exclusively in business study and social science. They are summaries of real-life business scenarios or fictitious accounts of a business situation or dilemma. The business case study model is perfect for this subject area because various models are studied and compared which are relevant to the business world, and from which conclusions can be established as the basis for best practice and founding principals.

Business case studies are very often written by managers and company executives. These are people with hands on experience who themselves have undertaken research to establish the best practices for their companies. By studying their results, observations, assumptions and exhibits one can find how they came to certain conclusions.

Students may also find themselves drawing different conclusions which can lead to additional information gathering to establish whether better conclusions should have/could have been drawn. This type of investigation should prove interesting and intriguing to the business student. Case studies enable students to analyze business issues from a variety of perspectives and apply research and problem solving skills. The research approach of a case study sits somewhere between methodological paradigm and hard data technique.

In it’s essence a business case study is a research methodology which is based upon investigation of data. This investigation is usually not limited to an assessment of the current available data but will normally include a prolonged study of every possible aspect of a subject or particular case. Case studies rely on multiple sources of evidence as well as prior theory development in the subject area. The goal of a case study is to define underlying principals. Because business case study mirrors the research and modeling that is undertaken in the real business world, case study is one of the most effective and relevant study tools.

Related Links and Resources

• How to Make a Case Study Format – ehow.com
• Top 5 Free Case Study Samples – about.com
• Case Study Examples – sda.doe.louisiana.gov
• Case study – wikipedia.org

Recommended Books

• Case Study Research: Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods)
• The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively About Cases