harvard case study

harvard case study

The Importance of a Harvard Case Study

1. Introduction

The HCSM is based on learning and decision making, as opposed to the Scientific Method, which is based on hypothesis and testing. The biggest downfall of the Scientific Method is that it is impossible to test all the possible solutions to a problem due to the fact that the best solution is not known. If the best solution is not known, it will be impossible to know if the hypothesis test has been successful.

The Harvard case study is a highly important tool in the arsenal of any professional. In a vast majority of management positions, whether in government, business, or education, employees will be required to solve problems of any magnitude. A talented problem solver is a very rare commodity, and a person who is able to make sound decisions is an even more valuable entity. The Harvard Case Study Method will help you become a more skillful problem solver and decision maker.

2. Background of the Case Study

Also, many students would have already been exposed to group work/case presentations at the undergraduate level. These skills are important for business students to develop, as teamwork is often emphasized in business organizations. By discussing the situation in the case study with his/her colleagues, the student is practicing the art of discussion and reaching a consensus, a skill that is essential in the corporate world today.

Learning through trial and error in the classroom is a familiar experience for many students, but there is now a better way to teach business fundamentals. Starting in the fall of 2004, the Carol and Stephen B. Finn of the Applied Learning is making readily available to students and faculty in JD and EMBA programs, as well as in a number of LLM and MBA programs, an exciting set of interactive online business simulations designed to sharpen decision making. These thought-provoking, multimedia simulations cover a variety of substantive law and business topics. AIBS will be working with faculty to integrate these simulations into their course curricula. This would be the perfect opportunity for students to experience the actual management of a complex organization without the real-life risks, as well as real-life decision-making and also to reinforce what they have learned in class.

The Harvard case study is a highly recommended methodology for business students. Discussions, group work, analysis and hypothesis exercise, and most of all, the student’s ability to identify with a specific situation presented in the case ensure that they will actively learn by walking a mile in a manager’s shoes. In addition, Harvard cases are enjoyable for students, who develop a sense of problem ownership and act as consultants for the duration of the case.

3. Analysis and Findings

The analytical tools used by the researchers are multiple regression analysis, personal interviews, and statistical analysis. They examined different methods of teaching, comparing the apprentice system, the case method, and lectures. The research explored the hypotheses that learning occurred through the following sequences: specification of a general principle, abstraction of a rule from the principle, and application of the rule. They found that the case method was the best method by which to teach students how to apply classroom learning to real-world situations. The study found that the case method was more challenging than the lecture method, but was more effective in mastering certain types of knowledge. This is because the study revealed that the case method is directly involved with the process of pinpointing what the problem is and coming up with a solution. It was discovered that the mastery of facts does not lead to an improvement in the ability to define problems and make decisions. A decision-making skill has more applications than other skills toward actual knowledge employed on the job. This is confirmation of the original hypothesis that case teaching is more relevant to the types of skills used by managers than other methods and that it is an effective tool for management education. This essay has provided a summary of the Harvard Case Study’s research methodology, detail on the teaching method of the case, and conclusions drawn from the research. Essentially, the case study researched the effects of case method teaching on student learning. Its goal was to empirically investigate the assumptions that a) the learning of decision-forcing cases produces an improvement in decision-making skill, b) skill learned in cases courses carries over to other courses, and c) acquisition of decision-making skill is one of the prime motives for enrolling in business school. The research was centered on student learning in a course called Managerial Decision Making. The course was taught to the basis 50% of random selection of students in case sections and conventional instruction in other sections.

4. Recommendations and Solutions

Create A Scene, an online hub for case study resources suggest that it may be more effective to test students’ case analysis skills in an interactive role play with multiple players, rather than a solitary written assignment. This is certainly an interesting idea but also one marred with potential problems at a large educational institution. How does a teacher provide feedback and confirmation that the right decision was made at key points during the role play? This is something that would be much easier to evaluate in a written format.

It is important to highlight the suggestion presented by James Erskine, Director of the Institute for Professional Learning, that students should write up a “Reflective Case Diary” which holds a chronological record of their developing insights and so that they can talk through their reasoning to the teacher who can give input and question their judgement. This is a concept employed at Harvard Medical School utilizing Problem Based Learning. This is similar to the tutoring process that students at Harvard College receive from their tutors in the Core courses. It is imperative that students partaking in a case study be regularly challenged as this is crucial to the learning process. Any student will attest to skipping through prescribed readings if there is a guarantee they can get away with it. The tutor will be able to ensure the right tempo is maintained and that the student is not wasting too much time on a given problem. This will help to ensure that more students at tertiary level adopt the habits of the life long learner and are able to build strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

As mentioned by the directors of the Curriculum Development Centre at Griffith University, “the case process has the potential to affect the types of problems and issues that the students give consideration to, the type of analysis they undertake, their awareness of the organisational context and the range of solutions they contemplate.” This quote helps to reiterate why the case study is such an effective learning tool for students of the managerial class. It forces them to actively step into the role of the protagonist, think through the problem and write out or at least mentally consider the range of potential solutions.

5. Conclusion

Firstly, the Harvard Case Study Method gives you the practical and theoretical skills to be analytically and decide what’s important, to set up action plans, to work in teams, and the majority of all discover how to think as well as act like a manager. Because the case method grounds business education in the real world, the newly arriving MBAs learn that there are no easy answers to the problems managers face. The case studies are built to be as realistic as possible in order to increase a student’s critical thinking, decision making, and the all-important ability to set up and execute a management action plan. These are skills that are in very high demand from employers. The case method builds a bridge between classroom learning and practice in the workplace. For these reasons, Harvard has been utilizing this method to prepare MBA students for the situations in which they will be forced to think on their feet, manage, and make tough decisions. This type of training is invaluable and goes well beyond what is learned from the traditional lecture/paper/project teaching methods. Of course the case study method is very beneficial to Harvard because the school is in the business of training aspiring managers and leaders for relatively high opportunity cost. At the end of a discussion-based class, a student should realize that there were many conflicting viewpoints on the issue at hand and no doctrine for right or wrong. This helps to prepare the student for future situations that are devoid of black and white, pick a letter solutions. Often managers must make hard decisions based on conflicting information from many different sources. In conclusion, the Case Study Method is an important and highly effective teaching tool utilized in the preparation of today’s MBA students. Because the case study method requires both faculty and students to “play” specific roles, it can be an awkward experience for a less experienced or first-time case teacher. With practice and continual constructive feedback, the Case Study Method is a dynamic process that encourages lifelong learning from each participant.