Case Analysis: Problem Identification and Solution

Synopsis

a.Synopsis

Provide a brief (no more than 1/4 page) synopsis of the facts of the case. This is not what should be done, and does not state the problem. It is simply a review of the basic facts and events in the case. Imagine what you would tell someone if you were trying to acquaint them with the situation prior to explaining the problem.

b.Major Problem

Describe what the major problem is. Remember this is what can and must be resolved to prevent ongoing threat to organization. In chronological terms, the major problem is the result of the cause, but in terms of case analysis format, the Major Problem is stated first because of its significance. There may be minor related or unrelated problems in the case, but we need to first identify what the most significant issue is – what is the major problem? This is where you use related course concepts from your text to explain what the problem is and to clarify the depth and dimension of the problem.

c.Cause

State the cause of the major problem. The cause may be described as the events, conditions, decisions, or circumstances that have led to the current problem. What is important to note here is that the cause is generally past history, or beyond our control, or unknown (or some combination of these) but at any rate, we typically can’t solve or fix the cause (if we could, that would be the problem we would fix).  It can simply help us understand how we got to where we currently are, or how to avoid the same problem in the future, and knowing cause can sometimes even suggest how we need to consider a solution. However, as past history, or the unknown, it is out of our control and we need to move on to resolving the current problem. Some written cases give you a lot of information on cause, some will give you very little. Simply work from the facts and information presented; no need to make assumptions if the information isn’t provided.

d.Symptoms

State the symptoms of the major problem. The symptoms are the outcome of the current problem. As the outward manifestation of the problem, they are often what you see first when you look at a situation, but you then need to dig deeper to understand what the underlying problem is. We are sometimes tempted to solve the symptoms, but if we do not solve the underlying problem, the symptoms tend to keep re-appearing. It is generally a waste of resources to just fix symptoms while leaving a deeper major problem to continue to worsen (which problems generally do when left unresolved). In some cases, the problem has been in existence for quite a while and there are a lot of symptoms: on the other hand, if the problem has just happened, there may not (yet) be much in the way of symptoms.

e.Alternatives for Resolving the Problem

Discuss at least 3 alternative courses of action, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. Identify both the process you would use to implement this action and the outcome you would anticipate as a result of choosing this course of action. By alternatives, I mean different courses of action – these alternatives imply that choices need to be made, and so cannot ultimately be lumped together into one solution.

f.Solution

Identify the alternative you would choose from amongst the three ideas you have presented in the previous section as the solution, and justify your choice. Why is it a better solution than the other two alternatives you discussed?

g.Implementation

In this section you will describe in greater detail the implementation process you first identified when presenting the alternative; what needs to happen, who needs to do what and what outcomes need to be achieved for efficient and effective resolution of the problem.
   
4.Use complete sentences in all sections of the assignment -- point form is not acceptable on case assignments.