Vikapla Case Method Colloquium

What is the Future of the Case Methodin Management Education in India?

Mukund R Dixit, S Manikutty, S Sreenivas Rao,MM Monippally, Rama Bijapurkar, G Raghuram,Rishikesha T Krishnan, Sumit Mitra, KRS Murthy,Jerome Joseph, and Abhinandan Jain

Shiva Kumar Srinivasan (Coordinator)

This colloquium serves as a conceptual and experiential platform to stage the insights generatedon the case method by the faculty who have taught and/or trained at the Indian Institute ofManagement, Ahmedabad (IIMA). It comprises three sections titled Contexts (including Techno-logy and Culture), Institutions, and Futures. The institutions comprise IIM, Ahmedabad, IIM,Bangalore, and IIM, Indore though the primary focus remains on the curricular and pedagogicalinnovations at IIMA.

The insights on the future of the case method in India that emerged from the colloquium arethe following:

The availability of information and communication technologies in the emerging milieu isnot a threat but an opportunity to reinvent the method; this, however, requires breaking fromthe ‘classical method’ in order to innovate.The changing demographics of the classroom necessitate a greater appreciation andsensitization to how cultural differences can affect the receptivity to the case method.The written analysis of cases (WAC) was and will continue to remain the site for introducingthe case method to the incoming students of the Post-Graduate Programme (PGP) at IIMA.Communication skills can be taught effectively if a performative dimension is built into thecase discussion through role plays.Many of the cases used in the IIMs reflect the ethos of a socialist, pre-liberal era of the Indianeconomy. There is a pressing need to develop cases that reflect the economic developmentsof recent times.The case method will continue to be the mainstay of the forthcoming PGPX (PGP forexecutives) at IIMA since the greater work experience of the participants will make itpossible to combine ‘inductive and personalized’ forms of learning.An examination of the barriers to effective case teaching and writing at IIM, Bangalorereveals that a formal review process may help to increase the standard of cases and teachingnotes.The institutionalization of the case method in a new IIM requires enormous efforts on thepart of both individual faculty (with prior exposure to the method) and the institute as awhole. The learnings from the experiment at IIM, Indore are relevant to understanding whatis at stake in the replication of the method in a new institution.The Socratic Method is not synonymous with the case method; it is not the instructor’s taskto invoke the dialectical method in response to an ‘inner voice,’ but an attempt to facilitatethe learning process. The method persists despite adverse conditions in many institutions.Questions of form remain more important than content in teaching through this methodsince it helps to negotiate the gap between ‘management reality’ and ‘methodical manage-ment.’ The method should move from a mere ‘post-mortem’ of a business situation to adynamic orientation and facilitate active learning through the realization of the dictum that‘the past is in the present as in the future.’The case method will continue to structure the education of managers in the future despitechanges in the nature of competition, the organizational environment, etc. However, it maybe necessary to supplement the case method with field-based projects to generate the habitof decision-making; this will also make the learning contemporary for the participants.

ExecutiveSummary

C O L L O Q U I U M

includes debate bypractitioners and

academicians on acontemporary topic

KEY WORDS

Case-based ProblemSolving

The Socratic Method

Decision-making

Methodical Management

Googalization

Culture

WAC

Performing Communication

VIKALPA • VOLUME 30 • NO 4 • OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2005 87

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What have we learnt about the case method?What have we learnt through the case method?Should we attempt to train another genera-

tion of instructors in the method? Or, will we discoverthat the case method has served its time and that wemust move on to new methods without making a fetishof the past? What is the future of the case method inmanagement education? What, more specifically, will beits role as a pedagogical tool in management schools inIndia in the years to come? These are the questions thatserve as the coordinates to the colloquium on the casemethod. This colloquium, in other words, is an attemptto take stock and gives managementeducators in India a platform to sharetheir experiences and learnings onany aspect of the case method thatis relevant to its past, present, and,especially, its future.

The two primary issues such asthe future of the case method and itsrole as a pedagogical tool, however,are implicated in several other issueswhich emerge from the technologi-cal challenges and the culturalspecificities that the method mustgrapple with in order to ensure itsviability in the years to come. The relevant ‘socio-eco-nomic indicators’ here include the decline of reading asa cultural practice, the growing prestige of technologicalforms of rationality, the demand for multimedia and/or gaming forms of interactivity, the rise of globalizationand the exacerbation of cultural differences in our politicaland educational lives, the emphasis on communicationin both general management and communications-basedprofessions and services, the worldwide proliferation ofmanagement education, and the endemic uncertaintiesin the global economy. The contemporary challenges tothe method represented in these emerging contexts,however, are mediated by ‘legacy systems’ in institu-tions. So, unless we are sensitive to how these legacysystems have shaped the deployment of the method, wewill find it difficult to give a direction to the future that

we can envisage for the method. Hence, the contribu-tions to the colloquium are divided into three sections:Contexts, Institutions, and Futures.

Several members of faculty with experience of thecase method in management programmes were invitedto participate in this colloquium. All the participantswere drawn from the IIMs and most are faculty at IIM,Ahmedabad (IIMA) where the method continues tothrive. That a number of professors were willing torespond to this invitation at short notice despite com-peting commitments is a witness to the fact that despitethe intangible, enigmatic, and elusive qualities of the

case method, it continues to generatea transferential hold on the very ideaof management education. It is notsurprising then that the case methodhas become a powerful tool of dif-ferentiation for management pro-grammes worldwide. While it is truethat most Indian managementschools are not yet in a position todeploy the case method widely dueto a shortage of trained instructors,its persistence in the IIMs, especiallyat IIMA, which pioneered thismethod as early as the 1960s as part

of its collaboration with Harvard Business School, isitself worthy of a case study in management education.It is this foundational moment, in itself a mélange ofmyth and method, that endows IIMA with the pedagogi-cal responsibility to disseminate the case method.

What then is the case method? How is it differentfrom the lecture method? Unlike the lecture method(which is preoccupied with an economic form of know-ledge transfer and hence comprehensible within a spa-tial frame), the case method, almost by definition, de-mands more since it is also implicated in the problemof temporality. It demands that the participant locatehimself or herself at a particular locus in space and at aparticular point in time to think through a problem in-volving decision-making in an organization in the con-text of a business situation. The situation itself could be

INTRODUCTION

Shiva Kumar SrinivasanFaculty, Communications AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

The case methoddemands that the

participant locate himselfor herself at a particularlocus in space and at a

particular point in time tothink through a problem

involving decision-makingin an organization in the

context of a businesssituation.

88 FUTURE OF THE CASE METHOD IN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IN INDIA

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of varying levels of complexity andhas to be extracted from the case; thecontours of the situation are by nomeans obvious without some analy-sis. It is not clear, in other words, tothe participants at the beginning ofa case discussion as to what exactlyis at stake in a given situation. Thecase discussion often reveals that the situation is some-thing other than what they might have imagined it tobe during individual or group preparation before class.Furthermore, the temporal unfolding of the case throughthe interpersonal dynamics of the classroom is also anunpredictable process. But, despite the unpredictabilityof the process, it continues to play a dominant role inmanagement education since it not only imparts knowl-edge but also helps to facilitate the development of otherrelevant attitudes, competencies, and skills as well.

The method at its best demands not merely intel-lectual robustness and the willingness to do some home-work on the part of the instructor and the participantsbut also the affective capacity to contain and work-throughthe discussion generated. Even experienced instructorswho have taught a particular case on several occasionswill find that it is not easy to choreograph a class dis-

cussion especially when a contingentencounter with the reality of anyconcept opens up possibilities thatdid not emerge in previous casediscussions in the class. In otherwords, the method is not without itsdemands. The demands are many innumber, but, minimally, we must

recognize that the emotional labour is much more in thecase method for all the parties concerned (other thingsbeing equal) than in the lecture method. The participantsmust also have an appetite for handling change, uncer-tainty, and a considerable ‘tolerance for ambiguity.’ Themethod is both analytical and discursive and henceunsettling for those who demand easy answers at theend of a session. It is, to put it simply, doubly demand-ing, and as the contributors will demonstrate, doublyrewarding. Hence, both academic institutions and non-profit organizations must provide incentives, whereverpossible, to encourage the writing of cases and work outthe modalities for training employees or participantsthrough the use of the case method.

As indicated earlier, the contributions are set outfollowing the plan of the three sections: Contexts, Insti-tutions, and Futures.

Today, the case method instructor finds himself/herself in situations that he/she had not faced tilla decade ago. The technological environment of

the method has changed. The developments in informa-tion and communication technolo-gies have made information on thepast and current decisions and per-formance of the companies availableat the click of a mouse. Statisticalanalysis of the information is signifi-cantly easier than before.‘Downloads’ of analysis of others areeasily accessible. Presentation of caseanalysis can be made more colourful

and animated than before. Discussion of cases can berecorded, stored, retrieved, and communicated instantlyacross geographies. The instructor-participant interac-tion can take place on a 24x7 basis. The technological

changes have induced changes in theparticipant environment as well. Theattitudes, behaviour, and expecta-tions of the participants of both PGP(i.e., MBA) and executive develop-ment programmes have changed. Sohave the expectations from organi-zations employing these graduates.

The instructor experiences frus-tration and excitement simultane-

The instructor experiencesfrustration and excitementsimultaneously. Frustrationarises from the ‘quick fix’approach adopted by the

participants to involvethemselves in the learning

process.

The participants musthave an appetite for

handling change,uncertainty, and a

considerable ‘tolerancefor ambiguity.’

SECTION I: CONTEXTS

CASE METHOD IN THE NEW MILIEU: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REINVENTION

Mukund R DixitFaculty, Business Policy AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

VIKALPA • VOLUME 30 • NO 4 • OCTOBER -DECEMBER 2005 89

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ously. Frustration arises from the ‘quick fix’ approachadopted by the participants to involve themselves in thelearning process. The desired involvement of the par-ticipants in the method is declining. E-meetings and e-coordination have replaced face-to-face interaction anddialogue. There is a negative tension between the de-mands of the method and the response of the partici-pants. The instructor is disturbed by ‘cut-and-paste’submissions and presentations of others’ analysis of thecase. The instructor is also disturbed by the increasinguse of ‘Internet download-based cases’ as opposed to‘field visit-based’ cases. There is the risk of inadequatedevelopment of skills, attitudes, values, and habits formanagerial decision-making and action. The method istending to break down.

The excitement, on the otherhand, is from the opportunity toexperiment and innovate in augment-ing the degree and nature of pre-class, in-class, and post-class involve-ment in the method. His/her ownpreparation can be richer with thelatest information on the company.The case itself can be developed andmade available to the participantsdifferently. Greater complexity canbe brought to the class. Live interac-tions with executives are possibleduring the session. There is a greateropportunity for coordination andsharing of experiences among colleagues within the busi-ness school and outside.

These developments and others that will be dis-cussed here call for a reinvention of the method. Theresponse of the academicians and the educational insti-tutions to the reinvention imperatives would, however,decide the effectiveness of the method in the future. Thediscussions are based on our experience in handlingcourses and modules using the case method, coordinat-ing general management competency development pro-grammes for senior and top executives of corporationsin India and abroad, conducting case method workshopsfor management school teachers in India, and informalbut involved interactions with colleagues and partici-pants of programmes in India and abroad. We feel thata systematic review of the responses of business schoolsto the new milieu is called for.

The Case Method

The case method of learning has been a significantinnovation of the Harvard Business School (HBS) to helpdevelop managerial competencies in the participants ofmanagement education programmes. The method wasdeveloped in response to the question, “How can I bringthe ‘field to the class’ and provide an opportunity to theparticipants to get involved in ‘real-life situations’ andlearn?” It succeeded by carefully documenting the sit-uations faced by the decision-makers and bringing themto the class. The greater emphasis of the method is ondeveloping skills, attitudes, and habits. The managerialcompetencies that the method attempts to develop are:

(a) technical development and theuse of tools, techniques, frameworks,checklists, models of analysis, diag-nostics, and decision-making; (b) be-havioural (managing self and inter-personal relationships for decision-making and implementation), and(c) conceptual (abilities to abstractand see patterns or their absence inmultiple developments). The methodfacilitates the development of com-petencies by urging the participantsto get involved in the decision-mak-ing situation. The cornerstones of themethod are: the instrument, calledthe case; involvement of the partici-pants in the instrument; and sup-

porting infrastructure. As the method evolved over theyears, each of these stones has been honed and perfected.‘Recommended’ structure and processes have been de-veloped for making the method effective.

The Instrument

The instrument used to facilitate learning is the ‘case.’It describes a real-life decision-making situation faced bya decision-maker. The dominant media for presentingthe case has been print. The case is divided into text andexhibits. The case writers prepare this instrument incooperation with the decision-maker and his/her or-ganization. The writers go through various phases likecase-lead identification, data collection based on inter-views and secondary information search, draft prepa-ration, testing, validation of the draft by the involvedparties, and clearance of the case for use in variouseducational programmes. The discipline of case writing

The method facilitates thedevelopment of

competencies by urgingthe participants to get

involved in the decision-making situation. The

cornerstones of themethod are: the

instrument, called thecase; involvement of the

participants in theinstrument; and

supporting infrastructure.


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requires that the authors be as close to reality as possible.The insistence on reality arises from the need to presentto the participants the opportunities to get involved insituations that they might face as decision-makers whenthey take up regular employment. The hope is that theywould have a start-up advantage in their careers.

The cases are inventoried in case clearance housesor published in books or journals. The educationalinstitutions or the course instructors identify the casesthat they would use to facilitate the learning from theircourses or modules. They also identify the supportingreadings that would enable the participants to get in-volved meaningfully in the case.

Involvement

As mentioned before, the methodfacilitates learning by involvement.What is stressed is ‘action orienta-tion.’ The role of the participants isnot that of bystanders commentingon what has happened or what ishappening. They have to accept re-sponsibility for their decisions andtheir consequences. They are re-quired to involve themselves in themethod in three distinct phases todevelop these competencies. Theinstructors and the business schoolsfacilitate this by an appropriatechoice of cases, readings, assign-ments, and by providing the sup-porting infrastructure for prepara-tion and interaction.

Three Phases

The method involves the participantsin pre-class preparation, class dis-cussion, and post-class reflection.There are definitive expectations from the participantsand the facilitating instructors in each phase. In the pre-class involvement, the participants are required to gothrough the assigned case and the readings, analyse thecase on their own, and participate in small group dis-cussions. In the in-class phase, the case is discussed. Thecase discussion progresses from the initiation sub-phase,where a participant or a team of participants presentsthe analysis, decisions, and action plans, to the build-

up phase where the initial presentation is critiqued andalternatives are examined, and finally to the summaryand integration phase where the discussion is summa-rized or integrated with previous discussions and read-ings are left open-ended. In these phases, the partici-pants and the instructors play multiple roles such as theinitiator, the devil’s advocate, the listener, the lecturer,and the integrator. The instructor and the participantsuse the class resources like the blackboard and audio-visual equipment to record the class discussion andrelate to it. In the third phase, the participant and his/her team reflect on their involvement and their learning.They develop areas for future action based on such areview. The instructor provides support to the reflectionphase by providing end-class questions or interactingwith participants after the class.

Infrastructure

The method demands infrastructurethat provides for and facilitates iden-tification/development of the instru-ment and involvement of the partici-pants. It also demands that infra-structure be provided to enable theinstructors to develop and hone theircompetencies in handling themethod. The physical infrastructurerefers to the classrooms and officespace that facilitate face-to-face in-teraction, sufficiently large black-boards for recording of the class dis-cussion, audio-visual aids for pro-jection of pre-prepared material, andcubicles and syndicate rooms toenable individual preparation andsmall group interaction before andafter the class. The infrastructure alsoincludes the office for case purchase,duplication, and distribution. The

case method has found the galleried classroom and self-contained syndicate rooms as its fitting infrastructure.

The administrative infrastructure includes officesupport for issuing guidelines, distributing case mate-rial, conducting examinations, holding meetings to decidethe schedule, discussing collectively the performance ofthe participants, reviewing the performance of the pro-gramme and the feedback from the participants and

The case discussionprogresses from theinitiation sub-phase,

where a participant ora team of participantspresents the analysis,decisions, and actionplans, to the build-up

phase where the initialpresentation is critiqued

and alternatives areexamined, to the

summary and integrationphase where the

discussion is summarizedor integrated with

previous discussions andreadings or left open-

ended.


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other stakeholders. It also includes the support for de-velopment or procurement of the case material.

Structure and Processes

The following is a summary of the processes that havehelped to implement the method.

The participants get acquainted with the methodthrough an orientation programme where a case isdiscussed and the nuances of the method are broughtout. The participants are expected to practice the methodas they progress from session to session and course tocourse. The classes are conducted in a galleried class-room that facilitates face-to-face interaction. Even in aflat classroom, the seating arrange-ment is in a U-shape to facilitate in-teraction among the participants.

The instructor decides the casemix from the ready repository, books,and journals, and prepares a coursepack and intimates the case unit wellin advance to enable it to get suffi-cient copies of the cases and readingsand distribute the material to theparticipants well in advance. Thesessions are of 70-90 minute dura-tion. A typical day is so scheduledas to provide time for prior prepa-ration and reflection. The instructorprovides the guidelines for prepara-tion. The participants form smallgroups for discussing the cases andreadings before the class. The instruc-tor may form the team. The partici-pants prepare as individuals andmeet in a group to discuss the case.At times, the instructor takes rounds to provide supportin the pre-class preparation. In the class, the instructorasks one of the participants or a team to initiate the classdiscussion and carries the class forward. The discussionin the class is systematically recorded on the blackboard.The instructor provides end-class questions to ponderover and leaves the task of reflection to the initiative ofthe participants. In some cases, the instructor meets theparticipants individually or in groups at least once duringthe course.

The learning from the course is integrated in themiddle or at the end of the course through a presentation

or a review. Cross-course learning is reviewed by theinstructor team or the programme chairman/coordina-tor in the beginning or at the end of the term. Theperformance of the participants is evaluated continu-ously. Class participation is evaluated by the instructorand grades are given to individual participants. Thereare presentations, quizzes, assignments, and sit-in ex-aminations. The instructor provides written and oralfeedback on the performance of the participant. In short-duration programmes, the feedback is provided throughformal and informal review sessions. The course as awhole is evaluated by the participants through a struc-tured questionnaire at the end. At times, the instructortakes mid-term feedback on the course. Changes in the

case and reading mix are madewherever needed.

It is the active involvement ofthe participant in the learning proc-esses mentioned above and the di-versity of the roles played by him/her that decide the nature and extentof competencies developed by him/her. Failure to be involved in oneimpairs the progress in the other.This demands a discipline of its own.Preference for ready solutions, un-willingness to stretch, pre-decidingrelevance, an attitude of followingrather than leading, unwillingnessto shake one’s zones of comfort, andlooking for the Guru’s wisdom willnot result in the desired involvement.The structure and the processes ofthe method were fine-tuned in themilieu characterized by reliance onprint medium, centralized commu-

nication, and computing infrastructure. Access to in-formation was limited to school libraries and archives.Participants relied substantially on the business schoolfor information. The responses of the participants to thedemands of the method were satisfactory. This milieuis changing. It is characterized by rapid developmentsin information processing and connecting and commu-nication technologies that are shrinking distances, andbringing people ‘face-to-face’ from anywhere and eve-rywhere. These technologies are providing access toinformation, analysis, and images at little or no cost.Changes have necessitated a review of the structure and

The structure and theprocesses of the methodwere fine-tuned in themilieu characterized by

reliance on print medium,centralized communi-cation, and computing

infrastructure. Access toinformation was limitedto school libraries andarchives. Participants

relied substantially on thebusiness school for

information. Theresponses of the

participants to thedemands of the methodwere satisfactory. This

milieu is changing.


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processes of the method, the formatof the instrument, and the infrastruc-ture itself.

New Milieu

The salient features of the new mi-lieu are:

• emergence of a new body ofpractice of management in res-ponse to pressures of globaliza-tion and competition by adopt-ing the latest in managementtheory

• faster and cheaper availability of global informa-tion, images, and sounds at the click of a mouse

• mobile technologies that make interactions and com-putations possible from anywhere and everywhereand at any time

• enthusiasm among educational institutions and cor-porations to place significant information on theInternet and make it available to all at the least orno cost

• development of fast search engines that makessearching the Internet easily and cheaply

• easy and affordable recording, storing, and instan-taneous retrieval of data, voice, and images

• enhanced opportunities for collaboration in devel-oping content and delivery and independent oppor-tunities to the participants to search and obtain theneeded information

• emergence of new types of entrepreneurs and thecreation of attractive placement opportunities

• arrival of a new generation ofMBA participants fed onInternet chats, downloads, in-teractive computer games, homedelivery, fast food, and entranceexaminations for professionaleducation

• arrival of a new generation ofexecutive education participantsfed on performance appraisals,360 degree feedback, six sigmabelts, theory of constraints, andcore competencies

• increased demand for ‘ready tosee and experience’ products andservices by the participants.

Interaction with instructors andparticipants point to the impact ofthe developments on the effective-ness of the method. Colleagues aredisturbed by the breakdown of the‘discipline of the method.’ They re-collect the ‘good old’ serious dayswhen the participants were totallydevoted to learning from the method.

They prepared well. The class discussions were fruitfuland there was a sense of fulfilment. Uncertainty in theclass has increased. Uncertainty is with respect to thegenuineness of the preparation and class participation,the sincerity of the assignment submission, and the extentof post-class reflection. Some point to the way the classesare collapsing as the participants download the readyanalysis and present it as if ‘it is their own.’ Alterna-tively, there is the cut-and-paste practice of developingthe project report. They are undermining the involve-ment in the three phases of involvement. They alsochallenge the instruments of evaluation like submissionof case analysis, presentation of analysis in the class,group tasks reports, and learning diaries. The attentionspan of the participants has declined and there is atendency to withdraw from active engagement in theclass discussion and adopt a ‘let us finish this at theearliest and hit the Net to know the latest’ approach. Thisshifts the focus more to ‘knowledge transmission.’

The interactions with colleagues and participantsalso point to the new possibilities with the method in

the new milieu. The case itself canbe presented differently. Greatercomplexity can be brought to the de-cision-making situation through theuse of images and sounds. Fasterstatistical analysis, organized pre-sentation, accessing information oncompanies from the class itself, andbetter coordination in the learningprocess are pointers to the opportu-nities created by the milieu. Innova-tions and experiments are possibleto involve the participants totally inthe method.

Uncertainty in the classhas increased. Uncertainty

is with respect to thegenuineness of the

preparation and classparticipation, the sincerity

of the assignmentsubmission, and theextent of post-class

reflection.

Faster statistical analysis,organized presentation,

accessing information oncompanies from the class

itself, and bettercoordination in the

learning processes arepointers to the

opportunities created bythe milieu.


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New Situations

The following presents an indicative view of the newsituations in which the instructors find themselves in thechanged milieu.

Let Me Make My Booklet

“Can you distribute the course CD instead of the book-let? Send it as early as possible. Also let me have thelist of useful websites. Let me make my booklet as I deemappropriate.” These are some unusual requests made tothe instructor who is used to distri-buting the cases and readings in abook format. Earlier, he had notprovided flexibility in mixing andmatching the readings with others.Everything had to be printed andpacked at the business school caseunit or at the printer’s premises.

Reading is Boring

In an executive education pro-gramme, the instructor was upset thatthe class had not read the case. Thecase had 25 pages with seven exhi-bits. Before giving time to the par-ticipants to read the case, the instruc-tor enquired what happened. The fol-lowing was the response of one ofthe participants:

At this age I am too bored to sit down and readsuch a long case. Can you make reading a plea-sure? Can I listen to the case rather than readit? Can I get a feel for the product being pro-duced? Can I see the layout of the plant beingredesigned? Can I sense the resistance to changeby feeling the emotions of the people involved?

A different request has been the demand for casesthat have graphs, exhibits, and diagrams in colour.

A variation of this bored reader is the comment thatit is too monotonous to read printed pages day after dayand month after month. The novelty with the conceptof the case and the case method wanes as the participantsprogress from one term to the next. This builds mo-notony and makes the participants avoid getting in-volved before the class or adopt short-cuts.

We are Not Here to Enter Data

The instructor was upset that the class had not workedout the numbers. There were opportunities to developinsights into the company’s performance by cross-link-ing the exhibits. On enquiry, a participant demanded:“Can I get the exhibit in Excel sheets so that I focus moreon analysis than on entry? Can you distribute a pre-analysed exhibit so that we focus more on inferencebuilding and decision-making rather than on workingout the numbers?”

Googalization

At the end of a written assignment,the instructor discovers that the ‘sub-mission he liked the most’ was adownload from a website. The par-ticipant had downloaded an alreadyexisting analysis and put his namein the submission. ‘Google’ facilita-tes the search for the ‘analysis’ in theshortest possible time. This facili-tates the participant to ‘adopt’ quickmeans to success. He/she takes risksand hopes that the instructor or theteaching associate will not find out.It might get a grade but it harboursunethical practice and questions the‘value orientation of the participant.’When caught, the participant pleadsfor mercy or feigns ignorance andproductive hours are wasted in ar-

guments, counter arguments, and enquiries. Anotherimpact of googalization can be seen in the followingsituation:

“Why have you not read the case?” asked the in-structor. “I began with the intention of reading the casebut got absorbed in the information on the company andindustry I collected from a Google search,” was theresponse. Satisfying curiosity has become primary andgetting involved in the case and thinking through thesituation has become secondary.

Easy availability of information on the Net has ledto a tendency to ‘put together’ cases. ‘Googalized’ in-formation is woven around a ‘semi-real’ issue. While thisserves ‘the narrow class purpose,’ it does not enableeither the instructor or the institutions to get a ‘feel’ forthe field.

“Why have you not readthe case?” asked the

instructor. “I began withthe intention of reading

the case but got absorbedin the information on thecompany and industry Icollected from a Google

search,” was theresponse. Satisfying

curiosity has becomeprimary and getting

involved in the case andthinking through thesituation has become

secondary.


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This Case has Become Redundant

The instructor began the class by asking the question,“Should we acquire this company?” The whole classargued for taking over as the participants had found outfrom the Internet sources that the company had alreadybeen acquired. This upset the learning purpose of theclass. Despite the instructor’s effort to look at the otheroption, the class refused to carry the discussion forward.Publicly available information had made the case prepa-ration and discussion biased. There was a ‘switch-off’before the class making the case redundant. Redundancyhappens when participants get computerized access toearlier class analysis. In the earlier milieu, tracking thiskind of information was difficult andtime-consuming. The participantsconcentrated on the case and usedthe information available in the caseto make up their minds. Divergencein analysis and decisions thus led toa meaningful debate in the class.

Not only the case but also thereading material becomes redundant.The participants are frustrated thatold reading material is assigned tothem when the latest can bedownloaded from the Net. Similarly,they point to the inadequacy of thecourse outline by comparing theoutlines of other business schools.The participants, at times, offer tohelp download the latest cases andreadings from the Net.

The redundancy dimension hasput pressures on the instructor and the business schoolsto review the curriculum continuously, stay current, anddevelop new cases.

Low Stretch

Competition in the class is not on the stretch of theevidences in the case but on sharing data/analysisdownloaded from various websites. The short-cutsbecome a need to save time for other ‘interesting’ ac-tivities rather than sitting down with the case and read-ings and struggling through the situation. The percep-tion that ‘short-cuts do not matter’ or a ‘good grade’ doesnot matter is reinforced by the lack of rigorous evalua-

tion by the employers. Everybody is well placed. Theproliferation of employment opportunities has arisenfrom the impact of the new technologies and the con-sulting opportunities thereby created.

The frustration of the instructor is in seeing that theold case analyses are easily available to the participants.Some participants just change the name and submit. Theinstructor and WAC (Written Analysis and Communi-cation) reader’s role is reduced to that of a policeman.‘How do I prevent them from hitting the Net?’ becomesthe concern. Can the concern be shifted to ‘how do Ifacilitate the best use of the Net and enhance the worthof my assignment?’

Group Work as Compliance

Debates and discussions within thegroup have been replaced by ‘searchindividually and patch collectively’process. The work is pushed to theend. The instructor is forced to playthe policing role. The same reportsget submitted in multiple courseswith small changes here and there.

New Competition

In the executive development pro-grammes, the instructor may con-front the following: “Do not repeatwhat the author has said.” In one ofour in-company HRD seminars, wehad an online chat with the authorabout his value addition. In the sameformat, the participants pointed tothe live interactions with the authorswhen they attended a training pro-

gramme in another business school. They shared theinsights they had obtained from this interaction. Theyalso suggested additional website sources to enable theinstructor to update himself/herself and add value.

The emphasis in organizations is on staying up-to-date with the latest management thinking and takinginitiatives on their own to respond to this. The initiativeshave been in-house seminars by leading authors, in-volvement of international consultants in conducting in-house workshops, and providing online access to busi-ness magazines and business school publications.

The instructor also finds that the ‘practice’ is sig-nificantly ahead of the frameworks and theories being

The emphasis inorganizations is on

staying up-to-date withthe latest management

thinking and takinginitiatives on their own to

respond to this. Theinitiatives have been in-

house seminars byleading authors,involvement of

international consultantsin conducting in-house

workshops, and providingonline access to businessmagazines and business

school publications.


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discussed in the class. There is a large body of ‘practiceexposure’ available in the class. The new competitionhas put pressure to develop the value adding capabilityof the instructor and the business school and doing theneeded homework before the commencement of theprogramme to identify collaboration possibilities withinthe class.

Response

The method as practised in the old milieu finds itselfat the crossroads. The competence development thrustof the method is suffering and the method is likely toget reduced to a ‘farce.’ There is the danger of ‘pseudolearning.’ The participant gets the grade but there is nolearning. How do we respond to these challenges andenable the method to deliver? The current response hasbeen ‘disciplining’ and initiating measures to enforce therequirements of the method. This hastaken us on a punishment and polic-ing mode: Make vigilance tighter,award stricter grades, show youranger and walk out of the class,develop software to check ‘cut-and-paste’ or restrict access to the Inter-net, insist on written submissions orhave more in-class examinations asopposed to take-home or increase thenumber of assignments and makethe schedule tighter. To us these arenot sustainable solutions. The greaterthe role of policing the further the break-down of the method. The method itselfneeds to be reinvented by recognizing the opportunitiesprovided by the new milieu. Are there opportunities?

Opportunities

The new developments not only provide opportunitiesto respond to the new situations but also help overcomesome of the rigidities and compromises imposed in the oldmilieu.

Greater Flexibility

The new milieu promises greater flexibility to the in-structors and programme managers. Earlier, the methodrelied significantly on the ‘written word’ and face-to-face interaction. There were situations where the lefthand did not know what the right hand was doing. The

discussion in one class could not easily be shared withcolleagues. Participants could not keep in touch.Regimentations were in ‘fixed consultation hours’ andpre-specified discussion hours before the class. As thelead time needed for duplication and distribution waslonger, there was limited flexibility in changing thecontent mix. The course, at times, became rigid. Thedevelopments provide for greater flexibility in interact-ing with the participants, preparation and distributionof the instructional material, and sharing experiencewith colleagues.

Making the Left Hand Know What the RightHand is Doing

In the absence of developments seen in the new milieu,instructors and the programme managers depended onformal meetings or informal interactions to know whatis happening in other sections and other courses. At

times, these mechanisms tend tobreak down. The participants had tolive with duplication of cases andprescribed readings. It is now pos-sible to keep track of what is happen-ing where and alert the instructorsand managers through a ‘knowl-edge management system’ that keepsa record of what is happening inwhich part of the programme andmake it available wherever required.Integration within the programme iseffective and the value of the pro-gramme is enhanced.

In the new milieu, it is possible to share notes andcoordinate team teaching projects. It is also possible toknow what is happening in the other session and coursesand avoid duplication. Earlier, there were communica-tion gaps and the cases were repeated. In the new milieu,we can create an easily accessible common pool of ex-periences. It is possible to eliminate duplication by design.

Collaboration Opportunities

The new milieu has opened up opportunities for collabo-ration with other educational institutions in case testing,sharing feedback on a draft case, and exchanging noteson case analysis and case discussion. Collaborations arealso possible with industry. Executives can intervene inthe discussion and offer their opinions on choices madeeven while they are away from the class. Their involve-

The milieu has openedup opportunities for

collaboration with othereducational institutions in

case testing, sharingfeedback on the draftcase, and exchangingnotes on case analysisand case discussion.

Collaborations are alsopossible with industry.


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ment is necessary to alert the participants to the behav-ioural consequences of their recommendations.

More Effective Preparation Possibilities

The instructor’s own preparation is enhanced by the newmilieu. His/her own access to information on the com-pany, industry, economy, and experience of colleagueshas increased not only at home but also abroad. Sittingin India, he/she need not visualize the ‘Wal-Mart’ su-permarket based on printed pages to teach the Wal-Martcase effectively. He can ‘Googalize’ himself/herself andhave a virtual tour of the supermarket to get a feel ofits operations.

He/she can be a part of a case teaching communityand get helpful hints to prepare for and facilitate thelearning from ‘complex cases.’ Given the multimediamobile technologies, it is possible to record impromptuand bring live situations to the class with little or noeffort.

Alternative Case Formats

We should be able to develop casesusing multimedia opportunities andprovide alternatives to the printversion. It is possible to build voice,images, and text in the case andenable the participant to get involvedtotally. The participant can save his/her time in comprehending the case and use the remain-ing time in analysing the situation, again using multi-media, and then come to a decision.

The involvement in the company could be arrangedthrough video-conferencing and chatting opportunities.The participants can comprehend the case in the ‘ques-tion and answer mode.’ In this format, they get the nextpart of the case or the exhibit only if their analysis andcomprehension of the current part of the case is appro-priate. The questions posed by this format are: How dowe provide time for this? What is the supporting infra-structure?

There could be a half case. Part of the case couldbe presented and the rest of the details have to be filledin by the participants by research. The participants getinformation from the organization on the basis of ques-tions raised by them. In the class, they compare theirinformation and share their descriptions of the situation

and the analysis. This would provide an opportunity toget a feel for the unstructured situation. The organiza-tions can react to the efforts of the participants in col-lecting the data and decision-making.

Blackboard Recollection

In the case method, the blackboard plays a major rolein recording and prompting the progress of the classdiscussion. The instructors prepare a blackboard planas a part of the class strategy. After the session, theyreview the development of the board and make theirown notes on the performance of the class strategy. Inthe old method, the instructor recollected the develop-ment of the class board and reflected on what happenedin the class on a particular day. Alternatively he/shewould ask the teaching associate to record the delibera-tions. Some business schools used electronic boards thatallow the instructor to take a print-out instantly. This

was expensive. It is now possible totake a snapshot of the board with adigital camera and present it to theclass the next day. Alternatively, theinstructor can use the Excel sheet asthe board and keep entering. Ofcourse, this calls for proficiency inkeyboard management.

Bringing Greater Complexity tothe Classroom

The way the method developed — the cases in printmode, limits on the number of pages to facilitate readingwithin a given time limit, and less structured exhibits— tended to simplify managerial complexity. It wascriticized for providing an inappropriate view of realityto the participants. The new milieu provides opportu-nities for developing instruments that use multiple mediaand place a more complex situation in the hands of theparticipants.

Providing Support at the Pre-class Stage

In the old milieu, unless the participants were involvedin a fully residential programme and the instructorswere also on the campus, it was not possible to providesupport to the participants and their teams while theywere preparing for the class. Avoidable anxieties andtraps of superfluous work, especially in the early stagesof the programme, could not be taken care of. This used

The new milieu providesopportunities for

developing instrumentsthat use multiple media

and place a morecomplex situation in thehands of the participants.


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to lead to ‘too many waking hours with no substancegained’ impressions. The participants relied on theinformal network of their seniors to sort out the issues.This favoured some but not others. It is now possibleto create a ‘help desk’ and make the preparation moremeaningful. The participants could consult the desk andprogress on the basis of ‘go-or no-go’ gateways. Theinstructor can also intervene selectively and monitor thepreparation process. It is possible to be ‘present’ in eachdiscussion group without physically being there.

More Involved in Class Dynamics

It is possible to provide for greaterinteraction in the class. Routine com-putations can be seen through Excelsheets and discussion could be oninferences and decisions. The conse-quences of decisions or evaluation ofalternatives could be made moremeaningful through quick ‘what-ifs’and ‘goal-seeks.’ This used to be aHerculean task in the old milieu.Multiple ‘what-if’ scenarios could bethought through and the conse-quences of decisions can be seen.Even a live interaction with execu-tives could be organized. Role playscould be more forceful through re-cordings. Impromptu recording ofthe discussion and playback is alsopossible. Given the handycams andother hand-held gadgets, it is possi-ble to record on the spur of themoment and playback or take it homefor ‘review and reflection.’ Earlier,an independent classroom was to beearmarked for recording sessions. This restricted theflexibility of the role plays in the case situations.

Mass Customization

With increased pressure on finance and the imperativesto be financially self-sufficient, many institutions haveincreased the size of the batch and the sections. This hasmeant decreased attention to individual participantsand the promotion of ‘switch-off.’ Is it possible to touchbase with all through e-mail and other formats of inter-action and provide feedback on their involvement in the

method and their response? In the absence of feedback,the learning of the participants would be impaired. Al-ternatively, he/she might make his/her own assessmenton what needs to be done to ‘stay in the system.’

Technology makes it possible to mass-customizethe interaction and feedback processes. It should bepossible to track the performance and interaction of theparticipants in various phases of the method and builda customized participant relationship management. It isalso possible to develop the profile of each participantas he/she progresses from session to session and courseto course and provide feedback and suggest measures

for intermediate corrections. It ispossible to track the participant’sdevelopment of competencies bypooling the comments of various in-structors on the participant’s pro-gress and provide opportunities toaddress the weak areas. In the oldmilieu, the comments of the WACinstructor on the participant’s sub-mission and his/her recommenda-tions for improvement were notknown to the instructor of, say, themarketing course which also usesthe ‘problem solving’ approach re-commended by the WAC instructor.It is now possible to pool this in a‘participant’s knowledge system’and enable the marketing instructorto touch base with the same partici-pant and reinforce the learning. Acontinuous feedback on the partici-pant is possible. Informed decisionson participants can be taken basedon this. This would be a better alter-

native than evaluating the participant on the basis ofletter grades and in deciding to keep them in the schoolor throw them out.

An Agenda for Reinvention

The new milieu makes it imperative to reinvent themethod. There is a case for liberating the classroom andcorridor-bound method. We need to rethink the formatof the instrument, the mechanisms, and the processesfor involvement. We need to sustain the developmentalrole of the instructors and the institutions and minimize

Technology makes itpossible to mass-

customize the interactionand feedback processes.It should be possible to

track the performance andinteraction of the

participants in variousphases of the method and

build a customizedparticipant relationshipmanagement. It is alsopossible to develop the

profile of each participantas he/she progresses from

session to session andcourse to course andprovide feedback andsuggest measures for

intermediate corrections.


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the policing role. Analogously, we have to increase thethinking and the discursive role of the participants andreduce the pure ‘downloading’ role. The following arethe indicative items on the reinvention agenda. Theagenda poses several questions for deliberation bymembers of academia and industry.

A Broadband of Innovations and Experiments

We need a clean break from the classical method. There areincremental innovations around the existing approaches.A broadband of innovations and experiments have tobe initiated around the instrument, involvement pro-cesses, and the infrastructure. The innovations could beat the levels of programmes, courses, modules, and ses-sions. Experiments are needed to build alternative com-petencies of the instructors and their associates to handlethe new technology basket creatively.

The regimentation of one session for one course ona given day may have to be rethought.Experiments in building flexibilityin the schedule to accommodatesessions of varying duration need tobe initiated. Today, technology pro-vides opportunities to handle the co-ordination challenges posed by theseexperiments.

Borrowing from OtherProfessional Schools

The inspiration for the original innovation was the lawschool. With the multimedia orientation, it is possibleto examine the pedagogies developed by other schoolsthat train professionals like designers, actors, and dramadirectors. What are the possibilities? What are theadaptations needed to revive the method?

Partnerships and Collaborations

This aspect is more relevant in the context of executiveeducation where the participants at times have moreinformation than the instructor. How can we collaboratewith the participants in co-designing the learning op-portunities? Similarly, partnerships are possible in de-veloping the cases across business schools, testing themtogether, and sharing experiences on case teaching. Onecan create a ‘community of case method practitionersand keep track.’ Co-coordinated discussions can happenacross programmes in different geographical settings.

Industry can get involved actively in supporting this.How do we make this happen in a sustainable way?

Infrastructure

The class format that facilitated face-to-face interactionand recording on the blackboard is not adequate torespond to the new needs. We need facilities for usingall the media simultaneously. The questions are: Can westore what is written on the board for later use? Can weget in touch with the company executives or visit thecompany sites while the class is in session? Can we checka reference in the library from the classroom itself? Ifthe same case is being discussed simultaneously in twodifferent locations, can we exchange notes during andafter the discussion? Can we record impromptu the classdiscussion or the role play? With the cost of technologycoming down, each class can be equipped with all thegadgets. The class needs to be redesigned to facilitate

simultaneous access to all the media.

The infrastructure for the distri-bution of instructional material needsto be rethought. The burden ofmaking copies and distributing at anappointed time can be done awaywith. Should it be distributed so wellin advance? Can the participantsdraw what they need from a virtualsource? Can there be a filter in termsof the analysis needed to receive the

next pack? Can it be linked to preparation for the class?Reinvention would help in responding to the queries.

Learning and Unlearning

The reinvention effort has implications for the way theinstructor and his/her team of assistants equip them-selves to respond. They need to develop comfort inhandling diverse gadgets in the class and mix and matchthem appropriately for their sessions and courses. Theirclass strategy needs to look at the role of technology inthe class. How do we change our style of ‘court mar-shalling’ or ‘board management?’ What do we continueand what do we discard?

As we benefit from the new technology, there is aneed to rearticulate the discipline of the method in termsof self-preparation, active involvement, and reflection.There is the risk of getting lost in the multimedia. The

The class format thatfacilitated face-to-face

interaction and recordingon the blackboard is notadequate to respond to

the new needs. We needfacilities for using all the

media simultaneously.


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reinvention requires that the instructor spends time onnew tasks and competence building. How do we releasethe time of the instructor to concentrate on post-classand pre-class monitoring and feedback? What can bethe modifications in schedules and work routines?

Role of Institutions

The reinvention of the method means that the currentinstructors have to unlearn and relearn. What role caninstitutions play in facilitating the transition from ‘com-

petencies for the old milieu method’ to the new ones?How do we facilitate unlearning? What are the mecha-nisms for facilitating this? How can institutions createan environment for facilitating unlearning and relearningby the current instructors? How do they induct the newinstructors into the method in the new milieu? What arethe opportunities for experimenting and building com-petencies? Should it be done by the instructor on his/her own or should there be a collective effort? How canthe institutions facilitate this? Can there be an actionresearch project around this?

Cases are developed todepict the dilemma of

decision-making, givingthe needed ‘facts’ and‘data’ that would beneeded to make the

decision but avoidingvalue judgments of thecase writers themselves.

The case method of instruction and learning hasnow been recognized as an important pedagogyin teaching management today. Cases are deve-

loped to depict the dilemma of decision-making, givingthe needed ‘facts’ and ‘data’ that would be needed tomake the decision but avoiding value judgments of thecase writers themselves. The idea,now expressed as a standard foot-note in the opening page of each case,is not to illustrate ‘correct’ or ‘incor-rect’ handling of the administrativeor managerial situations by the ex-ecutives actually faced with the situ-ation, but rather put the participantsback to that point of time before thedecision was taken to help generateoptions and implications and arriveat their own decisions. By stating theirdecisions and defending them, after the application ofthe relevant theoretical concepts, it is expected that par-ticipants would gain a better understanding of the issuesinvolved, analyse the use as well as the limitations ofapplying a theory to a practical situation, see multiplepoints of view and perspectives, and thus arrive at betterdecisions. What actually were the decisions taken by theexecutives are never given in the case and, as a generalrule, not discussed in the class.

Pioneered at the Harvard Law School in 1871 andadopted by the Harvard Business School (HBS) in 1924,this method has since been in use in many other insti-tutions in different countries with widely different cul-tures such as in Switzerland, France, India, the Philip-pines, and Nicaragua. But it appears that the questions

of whether the case method, whichwas developed in the US would beequally effective in other cultures,and, if not, what would be neededto bring about changes in teachingand learning methods to increase theeffectiveness of the sessions have notreceived much attention. Hence, weseek to explore the following ques-tions:

• Is the effectiveness of the casemethod culture-dependent? If so, how?

• What would be the implications for teachers andlearners if it were culture-dependent?

The Case Method: Essential Features

The first feature of the case method is that almost allthe discussions on a topic in a session are conducted withreference to the case itself; theoretical concepts, whendiscussed, are only those that can be linked with (or arerelevant to) the case. Hence, a case discussion cannotand does not cover all aspects of the theory on any topic;

*Note. A different version of this paper was presented at the Academy ofManagement Annual Meeting in Honolulu, August 2005.

IMPLICATIONS OF CULTURE ON TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH THECASE METHOD*

S ManikuttyFaculty, Business Policy AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


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it covers those particular aspects that are applicable inthe case and emphasizes their application in the givensituation. Thus, there is a sacrifice of breadth in favourof depth and application, though in the hands of anexpert teacher, the nuances of theories can be exploredand interesting insights derived.

The second distinctive feature of the case methodlies in the nature of its discussions. The lecture methodis highly instructor-centred; even methods such as simu-lation are quite instructor-centred when it comes to theinterpretation of the experience. In a case discussion, theinstructor’s role is to facilitate a discussion that mainlytakes place among the participants themselves. Thus,the instructor does not direct a dis-cussion to reach a pre-selected solu-tion; he/she merely facilitates thereaching of some alternatives by theparticipants.

A third feature of the casemethod is the ambiguity it forcesparticipants to live with. In contrastto the lecture method, in which theinstructor presents frameworks andconcepts with an air of finality; in thecase method, there are no right orwrong answers (as it is indeed thecase with real-life situations). And,at the end of a discussion, the in-structor still does not say what is the‘best’ or even a ‘better’ answer. It,therefore, leaves a great deal ofambiguity at the end of a discussion.

A fourth feature of the casemethod is the responsibility it placeson the students to learn in their own way. Typically, acase involves considerable preparation; the responsibil-ity for the preparation and learning is squarely on theparticipants both as individuals and as a group. If thediscussions do not go well due to lack of preparation,the instructor may not be able to salvage the situationas can be done in the case of other teaching methods.

We now explore how these features are culture-dependent.

Dimensions of Culture

The term ‘culture’ refers to a collection of the pattern

of thinking, feeling, and relationships in a society thatis subject to certain norms and values in that societalcontext. Hofstede defines culture as “the collective pro-gramming of the mind that distinguishes the membersof one group or category of people from another”(Hofstede, 20011).

Culture has been studied from different points ofview and paradigms. We adopt the five dimensionsidentified by Hofstede (1980,2 2001) in his pioneeringwork: power distance, individualism/collectivism,masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term/short-term orientation.

Power distance refers to the nature of dependencyrelationships in the society/country.Applied to classroom situations, ittranslates into (i) a certain distancethe teacher is expected to have fromhis/her students; and (ii) distanceamong participants (especially in ex-ecutive development programmes)depending on their age, rank, andstatus.

Individualism/collectivism re-fers to the extent to which a cultureencourages its members to look afterthemselves or remain integrated intogroups. It involves sacrificing someindividuality for the group, caringfor the group members, and mutualsupport. In classroom situations, ittranslates into the extent to whichparticipants form a group whoseviews are more important than thoseof the individuals themselves. With

a high ‘group’ feeling, the participants may like to supporteach other’s arguments, instead of engaging in a debate,and be reluctant to oppose or criticize a colleague. It mayalso apply to subgroups within the class such as studygroups.

Masculinity refers to qualities such as aggressive-ness, competitiveness, seeking after material success,and proclivity to exert power as compared to tenderness,

A case discussion cannotand does not cover all

aspects of the theory onany topic; it covers thoseparticular aspects that are

applicable in the caseand emphasizes their

application in the givensituation. Thus, there is a

sacrifice of breadth infavour of depth and

application, though in thehands of an expert

teacher, the nuances oftheories can be exploredand interesting insights

derived.

1Hofstede, G (2001). Culture’s Consequences, Second Edition, Thousand Oaks,CA: Sage Publications.2Hofstede, G (1980). Culture’s Consequences, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Pub-lications.


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cooperation, and seeking softer values in life. In class-room situations, it could translate into dominating thediscussion, engaging in ruthless cutting down of anotherargument, and actively trying to get the attention of theinstructor. Winning arguments would be considered asindicative of the ‘executive potential’ of the participant,and even if other points of view are listened to, it couldbe with a view to making counter-points aggressively.

Uncertainty avoidance refers to the extent to whicha culture programmes its members to feel either com-fortable or uncomfortable in unstructured situations. Insome sense, it refers to a preference for clear-cut solu-tions to open-ended solutions; it refers also to the extentto which a complex situation is reduced to a very simpleframework (the ubiquitous 2 x 2 matrix) and using thisin very different situations. In classroom situations, itcould be the reluctance or readinessof participants to recognize that aproblem could have multiple solu-tions, each appropriate in its ownway not only to the context but alsoto the personalities involved.

Lastly, we have the long-term/short-term orientation. This refers tothe extent a culture programmes itsmembers to accept delayed gratifica-tion of their material, social, andemotional needs. In classroom situ-ations, it would refer to the propen-sity to look at long-term implicationsof a problem as opposed to short-term implications and also convertconcrete problems to more abstractproblems applicable in a longer-term.

We shall now try to see howthese cultural features could affectthe teaching/learning through the case method.

Power Distance

The case method is essentially a democratic method. Ina culture with high power distance, teachers are expectedto adjudicate, give his/her own ‘answers’ to the issues(and give these answers a degree of finality), and steerthe discussions to a pre-determined conclusion. A teacherwho lets others speak a lot may be seen as weak andineffective or even as not very knowledgeable. Letting

the participants arrive at their own conclusions may beseen as reluctance to put his/her own point of view andtaking a stand while asking others to do so. For theteachers also, the method may provide difficult chal-lenges.

As Gragg observes, “Teachers, particularly thoseunused to the system, sometimes find it straining toleave their safe haven of dogmatism and meet theirstudents in a democratic plane” (Gragg, 19543). We mayalso expect teachers’ views to be questioned to a far lessdegree in high power distance cultures.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Since the case method imposes a need for group work,dependence on others for one’s academic performanceis a part of life and this may be highly unsettling in

individualistic cultures. In collec-tivistic cultures, on the other hand,a very high sense of group affiliationis likely.

Such a strong sense of groupaffiliation, however, may encourageindividuals to suppress the expres-sion of their own personal points ofview in favour of that of the groups.There may also be a greater reluc-tance to enter into an argument witha co-participant lest the latter’s feel-ings be offended. A participant maybe more inclined to say, after a briefargument, “OK, I agree” or simplynot to press his/her point beyond anearly stage. In individualistic cul-tures, on the other hand, despitestrong group affiliations, individu-alistic opinions could still be expected

to be dominant.

Masculinity

In more masculine cultures, competitiveness and ag-gression are valued; in feminine cultures, they are dis-couraged. In case discussions, usually, there are evalu-ations of class participation but this in itself may not

The case method isessentially a democratic

method. In a culture withhigh power distance,

teachers are expected toadjudicate, give his/her

own ‘answers’ to theissues (and give theseanswers a degree of

finality), and steer thediscussions to a pre-

determined conclusion.A teacher who lets othersspeak a lot may be seenas weak and ineffective

or even as not veryknowledgeable.

3 Gragg, Charles L (1954). “Because Wisdom Can’t Be Told,” in McNair, MPand Hersum, AC (eds.), The Case Method at the Harvard Business School:Papers by Present and Past Members of the Faculty and Staff, New York:McGraw-Hill.


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result in aggressive or competitive class discussions. Ofcourse, there will always be people who participate morebut even they may be reluctant to be seen as aggressiveand competitive. This may not be the same as thatresulting from collectivism: even in a new class such asin an executive development programme, aggressiveparticipation may still not be there.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance (or intolerance to ambiguity) isa crucial determinant of the quality of a case discussion.Cases are usually open-ended and highly ambiguous.As Prof. Dewing of HBS put it, “There should not bea single problem in use which is not capable of at leasttwo intelligent solutions, and it would be surprising ifany group of experienced businessmen could offer anunequivocal solution with unanimous accord to any oneof them” (Copeland, 19584). There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’answers to the decision issue posed;there can only be pros and cons ofthe different options.

Considerable interpretation ofdata and reading ‘between the lines’may be needed and judgments mayneed to be made on ambiguous re-marks made in the case by execu-tives.

This may lead to a feeling of nothaving ‘adequate data’ — hard,quantifiable, unambiguous data — in the case to makea ‘clear-cut’ decision. The important point of this is thedegree of comfort or discomfort at the end of the classon the finality of the decision outcome that emerged.According to Dunn (1954)5:

The student under the case method must de-velop the art of floundering gracefully in thisuncertainty. He must ultimately come to enjoyor at least to live at truce with uncertainty, orthe case method will be unbearable for him. Notall students are emotionally constituted to ac-cept this floundering and uncertainty. Thepsychology of some men drives them to seeksurety and shun doubt. Such men, in my ob-

servation, seldom make successful case methodstudents.

To overcome this discomfort (and perhaps to getgood feedback), the instructor may resort to devices suchas (i) informing the class what the actual decision by thecompany was; (ii) summing up in such a way as to givea better weightage to one particular decision; (iii) givinghis/her own analysis and conclusion, etc. Whatever bethe disclaimers, these tend to enhance the credibility ofparticular decisions.

Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation

Many cases involve a trade-off between long-term/short-term measures. One objective of a case discussion couldbe to enable participants to appreciate the implicationsof this trade-off. All the same, the cultural propensitiesmay induce participants, on the whole, to prefer long-term or short-term solutions and the instructor may also

be supportive of this choice. We rec-ognize the difficulty in studying thisproblem distinguishing between truecultural effects and conditioninginduced by the institutional struc-ture in the country. For example, asystem (as in the US) of stock mar-kets watching quarterly results andequity analysts valuing stock onshort-term measures may conditionparticipants (especially if they are

experienced) to see such measures and results as criti-cally important; this may have little to do with cultureas such. However, these two factors could be less inter-twined if the participants are fresh from college or haveonly a limited work experience.

Following the learning model proposed by Kolb(1976)6, we can expect that participants from cultures oflong-term orientation would adopt a model of abstractconceptualization and be more interested in the devel-opment of a theory that applies to a larger variety ofsituations as compared to a ‘here-and-now’ culture thattreats a problem as done once it is over with. People withlong-term orientation can also be expected to delve intothe theoretical aspects of a problem in much greaterdetail as compared to those with short-term orientation.As we have noted, the case method is short on theory

Considerableinterpretation of data and

reading ‘between thelines’ may be needed and

judgments may need tobe made on ambiguous

remarks made in the caseby executives.

4 Copeland, Melvin (1958). And Mark an Era: The Story of the Harvard BusinessSchool, Boston: Little, Brown&Company.

5Dunn, Albert H (1954). “Basic Characteristics of the Case Method,” in McNairand Hersum, op. cit.

6Kolb, D A (1976). Learning Style Inventory Manual, Boston, MA.: McBer &Company.


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development as compared with thetraditional methods.

Hence, it is to be expected thatparticipants from cultures with short-term orientation will be more dissat-isfied with the learning of theoryunder the case method as comparedto those from cultures with a long-term orientation.

Conclusion

The need to be sensitive to the cul-tural context while conducting a casediscussion cannot be over-emphasized especially forteachers teaching in multiple cultures and for partici-pants being taught by teachers from different countries.Having taught for a number of years through the casemethod, I have been struck at the difference in the waycase discussions are supposed to go in the US and theway they go in India, irrespective of instructors. Yet,with progressive globalization of schools and with moreand more students taking part in exchange programmes,case teachers need to recognize the impact of the cultureof the participants on the way case discussions need tobe conducted for maximum effectiveness. The conse-quences of a lack of appreciation of the cultural back-ground of the participants and the teacher may lead toa reduction in class effectiveness, frustration on the partof the teacher as well as the participants, and a loss oflearning. Lack of a summing up giving the teacher’s ownpoint of view may, for instance,deeply jar participants in cultures ofhigh uncertainty avoidance and highpower distance and participants mayfeel that they have learnt nothing,while doing the same thing maystimulate examination of alternateview points and courses of action,and the possible consequences. In-complete discussions on theory mayleave participants with a feeling ofhaving been cheated out of knowl-edge. The effects of these may beespecially severe in short-term pro-grammes such as executive develop-ment programmes where partici-

pants have no time for understand-ing other assumptions and points ofview or for corrective action.

Lacking cultural appreciation,the teacher may initiate remedialmeasures that may make mattersworse. The participants, for exam-ple, may be forced to take theirpositions more clearly but withoutany inputs from the teacher as towhich of the positions is ‘preferable’and they may feel worse at the endof such a session. The teacher, with

his/her own beliefs about teaching, may find it difficultto satisfy the participants’ demands.

The second implication could be on the types ofcases that would go better with some cultures. For ex-ample, highly ambiguous and open-ended cases may notgo well in cultures of high uncertainty avoidance; de-scriptive cases that highlight the ‘lessons learnt’ that areamenable for a much better consensus could go better.Cases that may necessitate taking stands on ethical issuesor those involving values may find the participants ina bind on taking such positions in highly collectivisticcultures. Similarly, in cultures with short-term orien-tations, cases involving ‘here-and-now’ decisions wouldbe better than those involving long-term implications.

The third implication could be on the case writingefforts to be made by institutions in different cultures.

This follows from the argument inthe previous paragraph and wouldimply the development of cases thatare likely to go better in a givenculture.

Finally, students from othercultures could be given counsellingsessions on the way case discussionsare conducted in a different cultureand the way they should integrateinto the class discussions to makethemselves more effective.

Thus, appreciation of the cul-tural aspects of a classroom can makeboth teaching and learning throughthe case method more effective.

The consequences of alack of appreciation ofthe cultural backgroundof the participants and

the teacher may lead to areduction in class

effectiveness, frustrationon the part of the teacher

as well as theparticipants, and a loss of

learning.

Cases that maynecessitate taking stands

on ethical issues or thoseinvolving values may findthe participants in a bindon taking such positionsin highly collectivisticcultures. Similarly, in

cultures with short-termorientations, cases

involving ‘here-and-now’decisions would be betterthan those involving long-

term implications.


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In 1964, IIMA adopted the case method from HBS.WAC (Written Analysis and Communication), likeother Post-Graduate Programme (PGP) first-year

courses, received its substance and form from HBS.

At HBS

At HBS, the WAC course was then known as WrittenAnalysis of Cases. It was earlier known as BusinessProblems Analysis and later as Elements of Adminis-tration – General. WAC at HBS, therefore, was an ex-tension of the first-year course in general and the casemethod in particular. The emphasisin other courses was case discussion,but in WAC it was on written analy-sis. The sum and substance of othercourses and WAC was one and thesame — case analysis.

At IIMA

IIMA first copied WAC from HBS in1964 with the title of Written Analy-sis of Cases. This was later named asWritten Executive Communication.Finally, in 1969, the Courses ReviewCommittee accepted the title ofWritten Analysis and Communica-tion — a name that continues toremain till date.

The main reason for the change in the title was toadd the dimension of communication. The course adopteda twin focus:

• to sharpen analytical skills in managerial decision-making situations

• to improve written communication skills.

WAC remained a skill-based course. It did not covertraditional communication concepts. It was also notconsidered a course for improving linguistic abilities,descriptive essay writing skills or creative writing skills.The participant was assumed to have these skills evenbefore the course started.

It focused on developing logical thinking and skillsin writing. These skills were needed in other courses foracquiring skills in substantive areas of management. Inturn, the tools, techniques, and knowledge acquired inother courses were used in WAC to analyse managementsituations. WAC also provided an opportunity to inte-grate skills acquired in the context of specific functionalcourses into those of general management.

The distinctive features of the course were that itrequired the participants a) to come out of technicaljargon and communicate with generalists, and b) to

adhere to the discipline of word andtime limit.

The course content was spreadfrom single-function cases to multi-function cases leading to BusinessPolicy by the end of the year. Nego-tiation brief, article writing (prob-lem-oriented), proposal writing, re-port writing (problem-oriented), anda report linked to the summer as-signment were weaved into thecourse content.

The focus of the course by andlarge was on case analysis. Even innon-case situations like report writ-ing, the focus of the assignments con-

tinued to be analytical, problem solving, and were basedon management situations.

Case Method

The primary pedagogy used in the course was the casemethod. While the class sessions included discussionsand presentations, the emphasis was on written reportsin assignments. The purpose of class discussion was tohelp the participants to think through the questions thatthey should ask themselves while analysing the case forwriting a report.

WAC remained a skill-based course. It did not

cover traditionalcommunication concepts.

It was also notconsidered a course for

improving linguisticabilities, descriptive essaywriting skills or creative

writing skills. Theparticipant was assumedto have these skills evenbefore the course started.

SECTION II: INSTITUTIONS

WAC AND THE CASE METHOD

S Sreenivas RaoRetired Faculty, Business Policy AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


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The case method in WAC highlighted the followingissues:

• The course required the participants to think througha given situation rather than do a generalized on-the-one-hand and on-the-other-hand type of pre-sentation.

• The focus of the content was on problem solvingand decision-making and the useof rigorous logic and evidence.This brought the WAC course intune with other courses in thefirst year and management per-spective in general.

• This course, unlike othercourses, emphasized writtencommunication. In a way, thewritten medium froze one’sthinking at a point of time andhelped to analyse the thoughtprocess and product repeatedlyand iteratively.

Managerial OralCommunication (MOC)

By 1977, the need for a complementary course on oralcommunication was felt. So, we developed the MOCcourse which was again a skill-based course. It was feltthat MOC could take on from WAC after the participantshad acquired the skill of analysis and communicationin the written frozen medium. It was assumed that thegrounding in OB courses and the summer assignment

in the first year would provide the needed groundingfor appreciating MOC.

WAC was a more left hemispheric-oriented course.It emphasized reasoning and logic. But, MOC was a righthemispheric-oriented course: it dealt with relationshipsand emotional aspects. Unlike the written frozen me-dium of WAC, MOC emphasized the oral free-flowing

medium.

The content of MOC envelopedsituations involving listening, con-versations, committees, negotiations,presentations, and interviews. Giventhe content and purpose, the casemethod was not found suitable. Theuse of caselets, incidents, and roleplays were more relevant. But, caseswere found suitable and were usedextensively both in committee andnegotiation modules.

Wrap-up

Given the content and objectives ofthe WAC course, the case method was found to be ideallysuited. It brought the course in tune with other coursesand the management concepts and philosophy broadlyaccepted at IIMA. The problems faced in WAC did notarise from the course content or the objectives but fromits administration and the development of case materi-als. While examining the course, we were constantlyasking ourselves whether it should be a course in amanagement school or a communications school.

THE CASE METHOD IN ‘TEACHING’ MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

M M MonippallyFaculty, Communications AreaChairperson, PGPIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

WAC was a more lefthemispheric-orientedcourse. It emphasized

reasoning and logic. But,MOC was a right

hemispheric-orientedcourse. It dealt with

relationships andemotional aspects. Unlike

the written frozenmedium of WAC, MOC

emphasized the oral free-flowing medium.

difference is that the connotations are generally positive.

Before I talk about the relevance of the case methodin teaching managerial communication — that is whatI am familiar with — I would like to first separate ‘caseapproach,’ ‘case method,’ and ‘case analysis,’ which areoften used interchangeably.

In rural Kerala, where I grew up in the 1950s, ‘Com-munist’ was a dreaded, hold-all label. It was slappedon atheists, non-conformists of any shade, street

drunkards, and anyone who did not belong to the patrioticIndian National Congress. Strangely, the ‘case method’reminds me of an equally loose use of a portmanteaulabel in discussions of management education. The only


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Case Approach, Case Method, Case Analysis

The case approach is naturally the broadest of the threeterms. It refers to an inductive approach to education.It is based on the belief that, in Charles Gragg’s words,“wisdom can’t be told.” You focus on individual ‘stories’and derive wisdom or arrive at relatively loose, broadlydefined heuristics from engaging with them. In thisbottom-up approach, the learner is the driver and dif-ferent learners develop different insights from the samestory. The opposite of the case approach is the deductiveone where the teacher starts from proven — or at leastwidely accepted — general principles. The teacher mayuse individual stories to illustrate the application ofthose principles. The lessons to be learned are the samefor the whole class and pre-determined by the teacher.

Case analysis is but one horse in the case approachstable but the most prominent and most popular one inmanagement education circles. Theinstructor challenges the learners toanalyse a fairly concise and editeddescription of a managerial problemthat has been presented to them. Theyhave to go beyond the facts of thecase and connect the dots in innova-tive and fruitful ways. Based on theiranalysis, they need to come up withdecisions and their justifications: “IfI were the protagonist, this is whatI would do and here are my reasons.”Not surprisingly, they are oftencurious about what decision wasactually taken by the protagonist inthe case and what its consequenceswere. The instructor may or may notknow what happened in the com-pany. Even if he/she did, they might not share it withthe class. The decisions that players in the real situationtook are largely irrelevant.

There are other ways of adopting the case approachin the classroom. Using the case as a basis for a role playis one such approach. Instead of analysing the case, theclass has to live through the events mentioned in the caseor events that unfold as a result of actions mentionedin the case. Another is to use the case as a base on whichthe class builds an action plan or different groups in aclass build different action plans. It is useful, at times,to treat the case as one of the many possible ways of

responding to a challenge and to go back in time andbuild other ways of dealing with the original challenge.In other words, instead of asking what Mr Sheth shoulddo now, the question can be: “What would you havedone at the start of the case if you had been Mr Sheth?”The background remains the same. One can also thinkof changing one or more parameters in the case andasking the class to deal with the situation. The case may,for example, state that the company had a net profit of8.5 per cent. The instructor might tell the class that thecompany had a net loss of, say, 12.5 per cent for twoyears in a row and the CFO had been jailed for fraud.Now, the class has to continue and re-build the case.Some management teachers who use case analysis maybe horrified at the thought of subjecting cases to suchtreatments. But, these are all illustrations of the way acase can be used in what one broadly calls the ‘caseapproach.’

‘The case method’ is a label thatcaptures the relatively stable but byno means fixed collection of rubricsand practices followed by a particu-lar group or school of professionalswho adopt the case approach. Oneof the practices of instructors whouse case analysis in the managementclassroom, for example, is to refrainfrom suggesting or throwing one’sweight behind any suggested solu-tions whatsoever. They depend onthe class to come up with their ownsolutions and to justify them. Theinstructor will challenge the partici-pants closely but never approve ordisapprove of what they say. The

facts of the case are sacrosanct. Participants may notimport anything into the case. They are, of course, al-lowed to make reasonable assumptions but a solutionhas to be found within the framework of the factsmentioned in the case.

The case method, then, is not a pure breed. Whatit means to you depends on what school of professionalsyou belong to, what subjects you teach, and what yourobjectives are. For me, the case method is about usingcases as a basis for unscripted role play performed inclass by the participants. They will need to analyse thecase when they prepare in groups for the role play;

Case analysis is but onehorse in the case approach

stable but the mostprominent and most

popular one in mana-gement education circles.The instructor challengesthe learners to analyse afairly concise and editeddescription of a mana-gerial problem that hasbeen presented to them.They have to go beyond

the facts of the case.


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similarly, after the role play, there will be a review andan analysis of the way they performed their roles. Thisis how I have been using the case method as a teacherof managerial communication. Let me illustrate thedifference.

Case Method for Teaching ManagerialCommunication

I recall a case analysis session conducted at IIMA in 2002by Robert D Blackwill, former American ambassador toIndia and HBS professor. He chose the short HBS classic— The Dashman Company — for analysis. The case isabout a large defence equipment company in the US. Ithad over 20 virtually autonomous plants. Anticipatingshortage of essential raw materialsin 1940, Mr Manson, the companypresident, brought in an outsider,Mr Post, as vice president to coordi-nate purchasing, which had neverbeen coordinated previously by theHead Office.

Mr Post convinced the Board thatpurchasing should be centralized forit to be coordinated efficiently and toprevent shortages in future. Armedwith the Board’s approval, he sentout a letter asking the purchase execu-tives in the plants to notify him aweek ahead of signing any contractabove $10,000.

While Mr Post got positive sounding replies frommost plants, he received no notice of intention to signcontracts above $10,000 although it was the peak buyingseason. Executives from the headquarters who visitedthe plants in connection with other business, however,reported that all units were functioning as usual.

The case was subjected to a lively and insightfulanalysis performed jointly by the instructor and thestudents. The latter rose admirably to the challengethrown by the formidable instructor. They answered alarge number of questions: Was there a problem at all?What was it? Was Mr Post a good hire? Or did MrManson make a mistake hiring him? Who was the realvillain? Was it Mr Post? Mr Manson? Or was it Mr Post’sassistant? At the start of the peak buying season, whydid he suggest something that was certain to keep MrPost on the roads for at least a month? Why were no

notices received from the plants? What should Mr Posthave done? And so on.

The analysis was exhilarating. Many mistakes or-ganizations make in people management were ablybrought out by the class. But, a thought struck me. Thiscase was largely about organizational communication.How would I use it to improve my students’ organiza-tional communication skills rather than analytical skillswhich they get in other subjects too? The ability toanalyse the case and talk about it would perhaps makethem more articulate, but not directly improve the waythey communicate in an organization because these weretwo entirely different sets of competencies. It is one thingto say, “I’d do and say such and such a thing if I were

in that situation,” and quite a differ-ent thing to actually do so. So, I setout to convert the case into a roleplay where the students have toperform communication and not justanalyse what others have done orindicate what they ought to do.

Case-based Role Plays

In the role play on Dashman, theclass was divided into groups andeach group was asked to take therole of one of the major players. Eachgroup’s representative would attenda review meeting (in class) convenedby Mr Manson when he realized thatsomething was amiss. Each repre-

sentative would describe what he did and explain whyhe did so. Then, he would answer questions from therest of the class where each had a specific role in theDashman Company. The role play would be followedby an analysis of the way those players performed theroles given to them rather than of the case itself. In roleplay after role play, with different sets of participants,the result was very revealing. They displayed manysubtle barriers to effective managerial and organiza-tional communication. Nearly every representative spokeas if his/her own action was appropriate and the blamefor the problems at Dashman should go to someone else.When they realized that the roles had been assigned atrandom and that they would have gone into the self-justificatory mode irrespective of the specific role theyhad been given, a major insight into the challenges oforganizational communication was achieved. No amount

It is one thing to say “I’ddo and say such and such

a thing if I were in thatsituation,” and quite a

different thing to actuallydo so. So, I set out toconvert the case into a

role play where thestudents have to performcommunication and notjust analyse what othershave done or indicatewhat they ought to do.


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of analysis of the case as an objective outsider wouldhave given the participants this valuable realization.

Encouraged by this, I now convert many cases intorole plays when I deal with topics such as listening,conferencing skills, presentationskills, assertive communication, andpersuasive communication. The caseprovides a rich and complex organi-zational context for performing andrefining a wide range of communi-cation tasks. The analysis is of theperformance by the participants ofthese tasks rather than of the caseitself. Whenever feasible, the roleplay is video-recorded and playedback for analysis by the whole class.Most participants find the experiencea source of many insights into theway people communicate.

While case analysis and case roleplay can both be justifiably broughtunder the label, ‘the case method,’ there is a fundamentaldifference within the basic inductive approach. In caseanalysis, you are an outsider; in case role play, you are aninsider. Case analysis is invaluable in areas such asstrategy. Role plays built around suitable cases may beessential in helping participants refine their communi-cative or organizational behaviour as opposed to theability to merely conceptualize behaviour. Within the

case approach, then, one should explore ways of addingmaximum value to the learners of different subjectsrather than be constrained by orthodoxies derived fromsuccessful teaching of certain other subjects.

Of course, case-based role playsare subject to all the weaknesses ofrole play as a classroom technique.In spite of sincere efforts, some par-ticipants may be unable to under-stand and absorb the essence of thecharacters they play. They may un-wittingly ignore case facts and playthemselves and thus upset others’planning and responses driven bythe case facts. Some participants maybe tempted to play to the gallery andcreate fun and laughter in the class-room but devalue the learning expe-rience. This is especially so when roleplays are video-recorded for subse-quent playback and analysis. Somerole players are unable to see the

other players except as their fellow participants. Thismay defeat the purpose of the role play. Moreover, manycommunication issues are such that the ten or fifteenminutes that an instructor can spare for the role play ina class may be nowhere near what is needed. In spite ofsuch drawbacks, it is worth developing and using caserole plays if the objective is to help participants refinetheir communication rather than talk about it.

Many communicationissues are such that the

ten or fifteen minutes thatan instructor can sparefor the role play in aclass may be nowhere

near what is needed. Inspite of such drawbacks,

it is worth developingand using case role playsif the objective is to help

participants refine theircommunication rather

than talk about it.

There is a whole generation of us, IIMA alumniof the 1970s, who have survived the risk of beingmade obsolete when the environment around us

changed in 1991. In fact, not only did we survive, wethrived; and many of the 1970s alumni lead importantinstitutions of post-liberalization India and do so verywell indeed.

Long-term Impact of the Case Method

One cynical view is that we were recruited to IIMA for ourbrightness; obviously, we would adapt anywhere, any-

how. But, the reality is that we had a business schooleducation that equipped us to embrace change and runwith the ball. As Professor Ravi J Matthai said, “We teachyou how to learn so that you can learn the rest of your life.”And that is exactly what happened. We were taught howto think, how to solve problems, how to learn, and howto create solutions for situations we knew not much about.And that is why when the world changed we still thrived.

What, I believe, gave us this unique competence wasthe case method of teaching — taught the right way bystalwarts of the case method. It truly was about problem

GOING BACK TO THE FUTURE OF THE CASE METHOD

Rama BijapurkarVisiting Faculty, Marketing AreaMember, Board of GovernorsIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


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analysis, about the process of getting problems solved,about knowing that there are only thinking frameworksin this world, not perfect formulae with all the dataavailable to plug into.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Case MethodTeaching

I was reading more about this subject on the Net andcame across a brilliant article by David A Garvin, “Pro-fessional Education in the World of Practice.”1 He quotesthinkers on this subject saying that the positives of thecase method are that ‘it puts students in the habit ofmaking decisions,’ creates a ‘bias foraction,’ and gives ‘courage to actunder uncertainty.’ Equally, there arenegatives like ‘foolhardiness,’ andno respect or awareness that certainsituations may actually call for a‘wait-and-watch’ approach. My viewis that this default option does notwork too well in this new world ofours. As a default option, “when indoubt, do something that keeps yourfuture options open or place consi-dered bets,” is what works. The casemethod builds for what Garvin ar-ticulates as “flexibility … alteringpositions as new evidence emerges.”In today’s world where new evidence is perpetuallybeing created and where strategic navigational princi-ples are more critical than strategy-determined destina-tions, the case method is just what is needed to buildgreat managers. It is not about ‘what to do.’ It is about‘how to think about things.’

However, badly taught cases — with cases beingillustrative of problems and instructors forcing the classto come to a single solution in a single way — aredisastrous. Then, we truly have a ‘stuck-in-between’syndrome — not deep enough for anything or for anykind of learning. My worry is that we are getting to thispoint in our premier business schools where how toteach cases, how to prepare for cases, and the wholereligion and ritual of the case method is not being taughtformally to successive generations of teachers and stu-dents. In fact, even cases are ever so old, on an average.

I had an interesting interchange with an IIM dean. Hesaid that my worry and my push for contemporary casematerial reflected very little understanding of the casemethod itself. According to him, old cases could teachas well, if not better than new ones, since the solutionor the context was not the point of the teaching, but theprocess of arriving at it was. I do agree that there aresome all-time classics that are timeless and ageless andare ‘must-haves’ for any course. However, my worry asa practitioner is that if most of the cases taught are circa1970/1980, pre-liberalization era, while the world out-side is in 2005, globalization era, then we will be turningout a generation of Rip van Winkles struggling to orient

themselves to the new world. Manycases of yesteryears do not reflect thecomplexity of the contemporaryworld merely because many of theseissues are new. As a practitioner of30 years, I can vouch for it.

Similarly, IIMA had bannedcable television on the campus formany years. I was worried about thisas we were bringing up a bunch offuture managers, especially market-ers, who had no first-hand clue aboutthe information revolution that wassweeping the country. And it wouldhave been naïve to say that it did notmatter!

Relevance of the Case Method forBuilding Leadership Skills

Today, the most important qualities that are needed ina business leader are problem solving skills (intellectualpower to determine direction), innovation, and the will-ingness to shed past dogmas and respond willingly tochange. The case method does a splendid job of fosteringall three.

Let me discuss one more peculiarity about thosewho get into the top-tier business schools in India. Theyare the products of huge angst. To get into an IIT and/or an IIM, you have to have been a ‘straight and narrow’guy or gal, doing things by the book. There is no roomfor brilliant mavericks here. The result? As a teacher forthe past 20 years, I am noticing more and more riskaversion, more and more ‘what is the right answer’questions, and more and more ‘let us not blow this hard

Today, the most importantqualities that are neededin a business leader areproblem solving skills(intellectual power todetermine direction),

innovation, andwillingness to shed past

dogmas and respondwillingly to change. The

case method does asplendid job of fostering

all three.

1 http://www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/090322.html


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work for opportunity by thinking out-of-the-box.’ Forthis lot, we absolutely need the case method. Talk andthink on the fly. There are no right or wrong answers.There is no perfect world. There is no book! You needto go ahead and take some risks if you have to createthe ‘next practice.’

So, in conclusion, I would say that we should staywith the case method but rededicate ourselves to it. Thecraft is jaded and warped as it has trickled down throughthe years without serious renewal. It is time for a newpush to get the case teaching up to speed in our premierbusiness schools.

Work experience willenable a richer discussionbased on relating to one’sown experiences during

case discussions. One canexpect to see livelier

classes when it comes tosuch sharing and

understandingorganizational

implications. Questionsand approaches based on

out-of-the-box thinkingcould be limited due to

the ‘baggage’ ofexperience.

As I see it, the case method is synonymous withexperiential learning, that is, the learning isbased on experiencing real world settings.

Further, the learning is personalized allowing for induc-tive reasoning in a framework that permits ‘no right orwrong solutions.’

Role of the Case Method in PGPX

The Post-Graduate Programme for Executives (PGPX)is a full-time residential programmeto be launched by IIMA in the year2006 for executives with substantialwork experience leading to a one-year Post-Graduate Diploma inManagement. The objective of theprogramme is to develop bright,enthusiastic, and aspirational exe-cutives into management leaders andchange agents in the global arena.The programme has a general man-agement focus with emphasis onmanaging across borders and cul-tures.

Given the above, the casemethod becomes even more signifi-cant as a learning methodology onthe following two dimensions:

• The value of inductive reason-ing is richer since it can be ex-tended to the participant’s prior experience.

• The personalized learning, which could result indifferent solutions, becomes even more visible re-

sulting in the much needed value of empathy andacceptance of differences in approaches.

Role of the Case Method in PGP vs. PGPX

The PGPX participants would have substantially morework experience than the participants of the PGP. In fact,the first batch of PGPX participants would have anaverage experience of over nine years (eight years morethan the average for PGP). The increased significanceof the case method, in the context of substantial prior

work experience, as outlined above,brings out the similarities and differ-ences with respect to the PGP.

Role of Work Experiencein the Case Method

Work experience will enable a richerdiscussion based on relating to one’sown experiences during case discus-sions. One can expect to see livelierclasses when it comes to such shar-ing and understanding organiza-tional implications. Questions andapproaches based on out-of-the-boxthinking could be limited due to the‘baggage’ of experience. It is alsopossible that some participants mayactually want a quicker and a greaterexposition of the underlying abstrac-tion and theory since their experi-

ence may already have them in this quest mode. Yet,class discussions cannot just focus on abstraction with-out connecting to relevant applications. This would in-deed be a challenge for the faculty.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE CASE METHOD IN EXECUTIVE EDUCATION?

G RaghuramFaculty, Public Systems GroupChairperson, PGPXIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


111

Teaching Methodology for PGPX

The structuring of the PGPX course design takes intoaccount the substantial and varied experience the se-lected executives bring to the classroom. It is hoped thatthe teaching methodology will evolve over time giventhe experience and commitment of the faculty.

The design of PGPX is built on IIMA’s well-estab-lished experience of designing and running post-gradu-ate management programmes for exceptionally brightstudents and a wide range of executive education pro-grammes for practising managers from many countries.

Many of the courses in the ‘Building Blocks’ seg-ment of the programme have been designed with theidea of a faster ramp-up into the concepts rather thandeveloping basic organizational un-derstanding and/or implementationmechanics. The courses in the ‘Pre-paring for Top Management’ segmenthave addressed the question: Whatdo top managers do?

The PGPX also plans to build onthe rich experience resource that theparticipants bring to the learningenvironment so that it can benefitIIMA, the participants, and theirorganizations. There is a significant independent projectcourse wherein the experience of the participants alongwith IIMA’s learning rigour is to be leveraged therebyresulting in a case (for use in the case method!), or apaper on an industry structure analysis, or ‘bridging thedivide’ (focused on solution approaches to a global/societal divisive situation), or even a business plan asa potential entrepreneur. These outputs are expected to

add value to the academic material at IIMA. The ‘Inter-national Immersion’ segment provides for a group projectwherein a live organizational problem will be addressedby the participants and the learnings shared. Leadershipworkshops and seminars by the participants for mutuallearning are also built in.

Regarding the ratio of course content that will betaught using the case method, it is expected to be morethan the PGP though that is not to say that the focuson abstraction or theory would be any less.

Incorporating Learnings from the CaseMethod in PGPX

At a structural level, at least two ideas from the use ofthe case method in executive educa-tion from other business/manage-ment (development) programmeshave been incorporated in PGPX.One is the integrated case which nor-mally is conducted towards the endin general management programmes.In the PGPX, it is expected to bespread over five working days. Theother is the idea of focused experi-ence sharing which takes the shape

of a rigorous independent project (described above) andseminars by participants. However, the learnings fromthe classroom dynamics are not really transferable sincethe management development programmes, being of ashort duration, are focused more on exposure to thesubject with some conceptual understanding. The PGPX,in a way, seeks to transform the individual towards ahigher career goal.

The PGPX plans to buildon the rich experience

resource that theparticipants bring to thelearning environment sothat it can benefit IIMA,

the participants, and theirorganizations.

THE CASE METHOD IN INDIAN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Rishikesha T KrishnanFaculty, Corporate Strategy and Policy AreaChairperson, Centre for Development of Cases and Teaching AidsIndian Institute of Management, Bangalore

That the case method has many potential benefitsis well established — it can bring into the class-room a simulation of real managerial situations

with all their attendant characteristics — complexity(multiple objectives, diverse stakeholders, trade-offs),

ambiguity (principally problems of interpretation), un-certainty, and incomplete information. This offers anopportunity to the student to put himself/herself in theshoes of the decision-maker and grapple with manage-rial decision-making. Yet, the use of the case method in


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management education in India is far from widespread.

There Isn’t One ‘Case Method’

One reason for this is perhaps inherent in the nature ofthe ‘case’ itself. There is no single understanding of whatconstitutes a case let alone what characterizes the casemethod. In common parlance, a case seems to indicatean illustration of a best practice rather than a managerialdecision situation — hence, companies take pride inhaving been the subject of the HBS case study. Thoughcase-based research is often not considered ‘scientificenough,’ cases continue to be written as part of quali-tative research studies in an effort to answer exploratoryresearch questions. However, without modifications andrewriting, such cases are not suited to classroom use.Often, a case can also be an extended example or simplya problem dressed up with bells andwhistles. Thus, not every case thatis written is ideal for classroom use.

The case method has its variantsas well. In its early days, the casemethod at Harvard was much likeusing practice cases in law — an op-portunity for the students to practicetheir analytical skills on a great di-versity of problems. Generalizationor distilled learning from the caseswas not stressed upon. With the de-velopment and growth of manage-ment concepts and theories, the casemethod has also morphed. Today,most teachers using the case methodchoose their cases based on the con-cepts they wish to illustrate rather than just the natureof the situation or the type of industry in which the caseis based.

Even amongst those members of the faculty who usecases in a conceptual framework, different teachingapproaches are used. Some teachers do not explicitly‘teach’ a concept, but instead guide the class discussionso as to bring out the concept itself with supportingreading to elucidate the concept. Other teachers give anexplicit lecture or hold a discussion on the concept beforeusing the case to reinforce it. (A variant of this latterapproach is giving a case as a group project for analysisfollowed by a presentation or a report submission.)

In my experience, Indian students prefer the ap-

proach of covering the concept first since that is whatthey are accustomed to or because a significantly higherthan average set of teaching skills is needed to bring outa concept purely through a case discussion. In any case,building a course primarily around cases necessitates ahigh quality of cases, and this is sometimes difficult tocome by particularly if one is looking for cases that comefrom local (social, cultural, and political) contexts.

Inadequacy of the Right Cases

There is a serious shortage of good cases that bring outimportant concepts. In the two fields in which I do mostof my teaching — strategic management and innovation— case writing has not kept pace with managerialchallenges. For example, cases on Indian companies that

deal with (1) the issues involved intaking a software product to the in-ternational market, (2) the strategicmanagement of intellectual propertyrights, and (3) the difficulties inbringing in an innovative mindset toa traditional engineering companyare hard to come by. This problemis further accentuated by the short-age of good cases on well-known com-panies. Such cases are important be-cause they increase authenticity andexcitement and thereby drive stu-dent interest and motivation to pre-pare the case.

I referred above to a good caseand I should explain what I mean.A good case has a strong ‘story line,’

and the decision situation comes alive through thepersona of the CEO and other key decision-makers. Ithas a smooth narrative, relevant quantitative data, anda clear decision-making situation. It has a strong under-lying conceptual base that can be brought out by a skilledcase teacher. Writing ‘good’ cases is not easy becausecase writing is a skill; it comes largely by practice. Ap-prenticeship through working with experienced casewriters is one way of quickly coming up to speed butopportunities for such apprenticeships are rare. Caseworkshops are helpful only if they involve actual casewriting and iterative cycles of feedback and improve-ment.

Another problem is the lack of access to even those

A good case has a strong‘story line,’ and the

decision situation comesalive through the personaof the CEO and other keydecision-makers. It has asmooth narrative, relevantquantitative data, and aclear decision-making

situation. It has a strongunderlying conceptual

base that can be broughtout by a skilled case

teacher.


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cases that are written — there is no Indian case clearinghouse and few institutes have user-friendly mechanismsthat facilitate the identification and purchases of casesby outside faculty.

One reason for the inadequacy of case output inIndia is related to the measurement and incentive sys-tems of our management institutions. The institutionsat the top that are capable of bringing out good cases aretoday trying to establish their intellectual credentials onthe world stage. This means focusing on research pub-lications preferably in top international journals. Thoughthere are a few outlets to publish cases, case writing doesnot fit in with this agenda as published cases are not‘viewed’ in the same light as a research paper in anacademic journal. Why would a faculty member, alreadypressed for time, write a case when economic rationalitysuggests spending more time in company-sponsoredexecutive education or consulting and the promotionalor assessment requirements of the institution demandresearch output? (This struggle is notunique to India — even HBS facessimilar problems particularly be-cause its faculty would like to berecognized by the wider body of aca-demic peers and this means havinga strong research output rather thanwriting cases.)

Another barrier to good casewriting is the absence of corporatecooperation. In a world that is domi-nated by hype and public relationsexercises, few companies are willingto allow anything to be written thatshows them, even remotely, in a badlight. My experience is that even in companies whereIIMA graduates are in positions of authority — thoughthey presumably benefited from the variety of cases theydid during their PGP days and hence understand thevalue of good cases — they are often either unwillingor unable to get the required clearances for interestingcase situations. In this context, I might mention onetechnique that I have found useful in gaining companyaccess — establish your credibility and seriousness firstby writing a first draft of the case based on informationavailable in the public domain and then approach thecompany with your write-up, indicating the gaps andquestions whose answers might help in closing the gaps.

Though this does not overcome the problems of execu-tives having (often unfounded, in my opinion) fearsabout confidentiality, it does help dispel the notion thatthe company might end up wasting time by interactingwith the case writer. On the other side of the spectrum,there are instances of some institutions spewing outcases without having the capability to write good casesand even selling them on the Internet in search of betterratings!

The Future of Cases in ManagementEducation

But, the situation is not totally bleak. In recent times,there have been calls to transform management educa-tion from renowned scholars like Warren Bennis andHenry Mintzberg. They have called for equippingmanagers with the skills and attitudes to lead organi-zations rather than giving them theoretical concepts andskills that have only a limited application. If this trendgathers momentum, the case method will get a fresh

wind. At the same time, we shouldremember that there are alternatemethods of simulating reality. Gamesand computer-based simulations arebecoming popular. And there are alsocalls to develop learning environ-ments that help managers learn fromtheir own experiences rather thantrying to solve some other compa-ny’s cases. The case method, there-fore, has its task cut out.

The challenges faced by the casemethod are aggravated by otherthings happening around us. Read-

ing skills are de-emphasized today. The new generationof managers turns to the Internet (rather than to booksand journals) for their ideas. Getting students to put inthe preparation time required for a thorough prepara-tion of a case was always difficult, but is perhaps evenmore so today with the shorter attention spans of theInternet generation. Schools like HBS manage to over-come this problem thanks to an institutional commit-ment to the case method as well as high marks (40-50%)allocated to class participation in case discussions. In theabsence of adequate student preparation, a case class islike soggy chips and probably worse than having astraightforward lecture. Another issue is that, today,

A barrier to good casewriting is the absence ofcorporate cooperation. Ina world that is dominated

by hype and publicrelations exercises, few

companies are willing toallow anything to be

written that shows them,even remotely, in a bad

light.


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with the growth of the Internet, alternate approaches to‘cracking’ well-known cases can be easily located anddownloaded from the web. This makes the teacher’s jobreally tough.

At IIM, Bangalore (IIMB), to enable recognition ofcases as research output, we have introduced a formalreview process to ensure the quality of cases written.Before a case is registered with the IIMB Centre forDevelopment of Cases and Teaching Aids (and hencecounted as output), we send it (along with a mandatoryteaching note) to two referees, one internal and oneexternal. The case is registered only after the case writershows evidence of having revised the case based on thefeedback received. This process works but is slow andwill need continuing institutional support if it is to besustained.

In the Strategic Management Forum (SMF), a pro-fessional body of academics and practitioners interestedin strategic management, we have launched some ini-tiatives to promote case writing. The SMF annual con-vention has one session (typically half a day) devotedto discussing cases and case leads. From the 2006 con-vention onwards, we plan to give an award for the bestcase presented at the convention. We have started anonline e-group for exchanging feedback and informationabout cases. On the anvil is a book on Indian strategicmanagement cases.

Some of these initiatives will hopefully improveboth the supply and demand of management cases inIndia, and contribute towards a rejuvenation of the casemethod.

application tools for problem solving. Other benefitsincluded training in clearly identifying problems, alter-native solutions, and criteria with which to prioritizeamongst these to the extent of having a contingency plan.However, the effectiveness of learning and knowledge

acquisition depended to a large ex-tent on motivation and the proactiveinitiative of the students themselvesto thoroughly analyse cases in orderto internalize the decision-makingprocess discussed before and live thereal-life dilemmas of the protagonistin the case. The pedagogy was tohelp individual students develop thediagnostic skills, the persuasiveskills, and also acquire the individualstyle of decision-making. To under-stand how much of this has beenachieved at IIMI requires analysis ofthe narrower class level and the broadinstitute level environment.

Learning Experience

Like any other method of delivery, the case method toohad the objective of familiarizing students with theoryand concepts. Grounding in case teaching, in that sense,

The effectiveness oflearning and knowledge

acquisition depended to alarge extent on motivation

and the proactiveinitiative of the studentsthemselves to thoroughlyanalyse cases in order tointernalize the decision-making process and livethe real-life dilemmas of

the protagonist in thecase.

Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIMI) adoptedthe case method as its predominant pedagogical toolwhen it started its PGP in 1998. This method was

modeled on the lines of IIM, Ahmedabad. IIMI reliedon the faculty, staff, and case resources from IIMA inits formative years. Many young fa-culty recruits of IIMI attended IIMA’sFaculty Development Programme.The experience of these facultymembers in transferring the casemethod of teaching and deliverablesto B-schools outside IIMA may throwlight on the replicability of themethod in different environments.

As a beneficiary of case teachingin IIMA, I would like to look at themethod as comprising two funda-mental parts: firstly, the more im-portant intangible knowledge andlearning part and, secondly, the moretangible, physical and technologicalpart. By learning through the case method, students inIIMI had the advantage of dealing with business prob-lems embedded in a context that required a holisticunderstanding of industries and sectors and not as simple

SOME REFLECTIONS ON ADOPTING THE CASE METHOD OF TEACHING

Sumit MitraFaculty, Strategic Management AreaIndian Institute of Management, Indore


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would mean meeting the end objec-tive of teaching how to analyse acase situation by helping to identifythe appropriate framework of analy-sis to use along with a determinationof purpose and method. IIMI has notbeen able to achieve this to the extentdesired primarily due to the lack ofpreparedness of students coming tocase class followed by sub-optimallevels of learning in the class. Inter-actions with students and faculty reveal different rea-sons for the ineffectiveness of case classes. From thestudent’s perspective, the lack of motivation to preparewas either because not much of learning was expectedfrom the case handled by a particular faculty in classor because the scheduling of classes did not give enoughtime to prepare for all the cases in different courses. Thefaculty felt that the lack of reading and hence knowledgeof concepts/frameworks and the poor pre-class prepa-ration of the case by students hampered learning froma course. To probe these issues deeper, both class dy-namics and institute level functioning have to be under-stood.

At IIMI, the common practice of pre-designatedpresentation of cases by small student groups withouta class discussion often failed to bring in the requiredvibrancy and participation that motivate students tolearn. While the faculty failed to encourage learningamong students by sharing ideas and using cogentarguments based on data analysis that tested the appli-cation of theory/framework, themotivation among students to comeprepared for the class was low. Whilesome of the blame for low motiva-tion can be attributed to the classdynamics, the faculty consensus wasthat the level of preparedness of thestudent was so poor with regard tocase facts and poorer still with thetheoretical concept/frameworkgiven as a reading that expectationof the desired maturity of discussionand hence learning from a 70-90minutes class was indeed a tall or-der. For example, while dealing witha case on diversification, if the stu-dent has not gone through the

reading(s) on types of diversifica-tion and the parameters distinguish-ing them, it is difficult to identify thespecific diversification in the caseand hence there is a tendency in thatcase discussion to be prematurelynormative. To overcome some ofthese problems and increase learn-ing in the class itself, the faculty atIIMI have even tried to move awayfrom the conventional approach of

exposition of the theory/concept entirely through casediscussion by attempting to precede a case class witha theory class where the concepts are first discussedthreadbare before applying them to case situations. Themoot question remains: how much of the class couldsubsequently identify and apply the appropriate theoryto a specific case situation?

Institutional Support

Since case learning requires individual and small grouppreparation before class, the general academic environ-ment in the institute is bound to affect the learningprocess. This refers to the effectiveness of existing sys-tems and processes in supporting case-based learningat IIMI. Beginning with an elaborate orientation pro-gramme into case-based learning for fresh students tothe formation of groups for preparation, a continuousevaluation system and concomitant examination andinvigilation system to cater to case-based open book andnotes examination was put in place at IIMI. However,

the effectiveness of delivery mayfalter due to the absence of an appro-priate organizational structure. Or-ganized into seven functional areas,core and elective course delivery isthe responsibility of the respectiveareas in the institute. Areas were rep-resented by their area heads in thePGP Executive Committee which, inthe absence of a separate AcademicCouncil, dealt with both academicand administrative issues of the PGP.Progressively, while the PGP Execu-tive Committee looked into the wideradministrative issues of PGP, thethinking that evolved was to leaveacademic course-related matters

The faculty felt that thelack of reading and hence

knowledge of concepts/frameworks and the poorpre-class preparation of

the case by studentshampered learning from a

course.

Beginning with anelaborate orientation

programme into case-based learning for fresh

students to the formationof groups for preparation,a continuous evaluationsystem and concomitant

examination andinvigilation system to

cater to case-based openbook and notes

examination was put inplace at IIMI.


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within the purview of respective areas with the areashaving the primary responsibility of offering the rele-vant core and elective courses. However, this made itdifficult for a centralized course review to identifyoverlaps and synergies. When the size of the activity issmall like a single PGP section with a few faculty, co-operation across areas in delivering specific topics atindividual faculty level was possible but, as the scaleof activities increased, individual areas became like silos.The need to cooperate across areas with regard to topicsand hence cases to be used further declined once thetheme-based modular approach having cross-functionalofferings around a module was replaced with an area-specific course offering sequenced across six terms of aPGP batch. The theme-based teaching demanded mul-tiple visits for short duration by guestfaculty that became unsustainablewith increasing batch size, multiplesections, and continued dependenceon guest faculty. Subsequently, therewas no structural substitute createdfor the modular course delivery thatwould ensure synergies of learningacross areas. Two systemic fall-outsof this were (a) visiting faculty teach-ing by bunching together of caseclasses over a few days (read week-ends) in an entire term with largegaps in between resulting in discontinuity while stu-dents were unable to prepare and internalize cases whendone back-to-back over few days of the term. This is thepreparation problem mentioned before and (b) repeti-tion of cases and concepts resulting in loss of learningfor the students besides the compression of preparationtime for other cases. Consequently, the students at IIMIdid not get adequate time to prepare for a case, inter-nalize the concepts or reflect on the case after the classthereby affecting the learning objectives.

The effectiveness of case learning as knowledgedissemination goes together with knowledge creation,i.e., research and case writing. This helps the faculty tobe up-to-date with new and emerging areas of know-ledge. How else, for example, could cultural issuespeculiar to India be highlighted in the class? Althoughit remains predominantly an individual effort, in theabsence of a culture and practice of case writing, theexpected institute-level initiative is lacking at IIMI. Asyndicated case writing effort by IIMI involving many

members of the faculty and providing all leads andsupport with the ultimate objective of producing teach-ing cases and publications will help to alleviate thesituation. Similarly, as mentioned above, the effective-ness of case teaching also depends on the skills of teach-ers to act as effective facilitators to group learning throughdiscussions in class by students themselves. IIMI needsinstitute-level effort to impart/upgrade teaching/writ-ing skills of its teachers by organizing and participatingin case workshops that expose the faculty to the finernuances of case writing/teaching, particularly for freshrecruits from diverse backgrounds. For a growing insti-tute like IIMI, the effectiveness of case pedagogy couldmean having senior and experienced faculty handle casesjointly with junior faculty by sitting through the sessions

of each other in order to give usefulfeedback and learn. Acknowledgingthis need, IIMI used to necessarilysend its faculty (particularly new re-cruits) to attend case teaching/fa-culty development programmes inother institutions until the pressuresof an increased teaching load nearlystopped the practice. This period ofgrooming, often called the honey-moon period, is an important com-ponent of a thriving case teachingmanagement programme like the one

at IIMA.

While infrastructural problems like photocopyingfacility, though central to case teaching, can be moreeasily sorted out, more serious issues at IIMI like han-dling large classes without the support of AcademicAssociates (AA) hampered continuous evaluation in theclass besides depriving both the students and the facultyof the benefit of feedback at the end of the class toenhance effectiveness. While the AAs can get trained onthe job, they can, if made available, also assist in researchand course development/upgradation work.

ConclusionTo conclude, I argue that a multi-directional effort toimprove both institute and class level mechanisms tomaximize learning (by inculcating an effective case-basedknowledge delivery process, which enhances the moti-vation level of the students), needs to be comprehen-sively developed and adopted at IIMI. Efforts must alsobe made to look into the aspects ranging from theimproved skills of teachers to better systems and organi-

The effectiveness of caselearning as knowledge

dissemination goestogether with knowledge

creation, i.e., researchand case writing. Thishelps the faculty to be

up-to-date with new andemerging areas of

knowledge.


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Although the case method draws a lot of atten-tion, the form and extent of its use as a peda-gogical tool in business schools is not known.

The case and the method are referred to with differentmeanings ranging from a philosophy of education to theoccasional use of an illustrative caselet.

HBS, which has been the pioneer in the use of thecase method in management educa-tion, has developed this pedagogicaltool as a way of life or as an insti-tutional philosophy that distin-guishes its educational programmes.In this philosophy, both the case andthe method have special meanings.A case is a narrative of selectedaspects of an actual situation facedby a manager in the real world pre-sented in such a way that it interestsand challenges the student. It isneither an example of a precept nora photographic picture of a situa-tion. It builds an issue or a problemfor discussion among learners. Thecase method refers to the use of asequence of cases in a course cur-riculum which enables the studentto get into the heart of the subjectand its practice with all the complexities of the realworld. The course material or curriculum may includetheoretical readings, but the main focus of the courseand class discussion is the case. In this philosophy, thecase method is more than an occasional use in a courseeither as an illustration of the application of theory toa specific situation or as a lively introduction to thesubject.

The teacher and the students can compare and con-trast cases and learn from the implications of the dif-

ferences. Comparison between theory and its practicalapplication in a situation can also be useful. Learningtakes place in an environment of active preparation,involvement, and participation of the learner and pro-motes the development of good judgmental skills incomplex situations. The case method is not treated asa substitute for quantitative models, methods, and analy-

sis. Even quantitative courses, suchas managerial economics, have beentaught through this method. The casemethod does and should use all rele-vant quantitative and analytical toolswhen appropriate. The method ena-bles the learning of how to formulatethe problem in a manner appropri-ate for quantitative techniques andto learn the proper interpretation anduse of the results in the context of thesituational factors of the case. As theprocess of case discussion involvesquestioning and convincing the class,participants also learn communica-tion skills.

Implicit in this line of thinkingis the fact that each company ororganization is unique (having itsown history and people) with its re-

lationships and preferences. The case method has, there-fore, been found particularly useful in subject areas,such as strategic management, where the relevant con-cepts and variables are abstract, difficult to define andmeasure, people-oriented, and the assumptions of thedecision-maker have to be tested with incomplete infor-mation, and where the wrong assumptions and behav-iour can have serious and long-term consequences.Decision-making under such conditions is not only anart, going beyond the application of scientific or quan-

The case method has beenfound particularly useful in

subject areas, such asstrategic management,

where the relevantconcepts and variables areabstract, difficult to define

and measure, people-oriented, and the

assumptions of thedecision-maker have to be

tested with incompleteinformation, and where the

wrong assumptions andbehaviour can have

serious and long-termconsequences.

zation structure for academic matters of PGP, particu-larly in view of discontinuous change from a small-size

modular programme to a large-size functional area-driven PGP academic system.

SECTION III: FUTURES

FUTURE OF THE CASE METHOD

KRS MurthyRetired Faculty, Business Policy AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


118

titative tools, but also a personal synthesis of the situ-ation.

By analysing and discussing a variety of selectedcases set up as a sequence of cases, with supportivereadings, it is expected that the serious student willdevelop his or her own pattern of thinking, analysis, andjudgment that would be useful in practice and allow himor her to take up the leadership of organizations.

For the case writer and instructor, the case methodprovides an opportunity to interact and learn to grapplewith the complexities of the real world rather than beimmersed in the impractical abstractions of theory ormodels. The institution supporting such a philosophybenefits from close industry interaction through the op-portunities it creates for consultingand executive education.

Realizing the full potential ofthe case method is difficult in prac-tice, for the method has its problems.Good, relevant, and current cases arehard to find. It is difficult to coverall the concepts in a course. Manycases do not achieve the desiredresults and have to be dropped. Evengood cases become quickly outdatedand, without sustained case writingeffort, the case method may notachieve the desired impact. Casewriting requires considerable facultytime and resources. It requires closecooperation of the company or theorganization concerned and thewhole-hearted support of the man-agers involved.

From the point of view of the learner also, the casemethod requires considerable preparation time and effort.Without such effort, the learning can be superficial.Learning across students can be uneven with somestudents finding the course directionless and burden-some.

Teaching through cases is also an art just as casewriting is. It presents its own problems as well. Teachingthrough the case method requires a different orientationthan the common information or knowledge transfermode of instruction. Information that is easily transfer-able is either provided in the case itself or in the asso-

ciated readings. The case method of instruction focuseson the construction of knowledge through the applica-tion of general ideas to the specifics of the case, theirsynthesis, and thus, the development of judgmental skills.

Leading case discussions, I feel, is different from theprocess of cross-examination or the dialectic method inSocratic philosophy. The instructor is neither in posses-sion of the universally applicable ‘Truth’ nor is heimpelled by an inner voice to win everyone over to the‘Truth.’ The instructor is a facilitator who creates thelearning conditions in the classroom. If the instructorstarts with Socratic notions and assiduously questionsand cross-examines an individual participant, he can

unnerve and demoralize the wholeclass. The case method would thenbecome inefficient as a pedagogicaltool. The case method is a more open-ended group inquiry to identify theproblem or problems in the case,possible solutions, and their prosand cons. The instructor builds andmaintains the class as a learninggroup which is confident of cross-examining each other in a spirit ofcontributing to and learning fromthe class and the case. The instructoris not the ‘intellectual midwife,’though he may certainly shape thecourse of discussions through hisown questions and contributions. Hedoes not dominate either the discus-sion or the thoughts of the partici-pants. Thus, the instructor has to be

comfortable in the uncertain environment of the classfor the unexpected turns and twists in the discussionsand the outcomes as participants bring to the class theirown unique experiences, skills, and preferences.

Good case teachers are scarce. Their developmentrequires appropriate institutional environments. An-other concern is research. Case-based instruction andcase-based research will synergize effort and supporteach other though both are resource-intensive and re-quire long periods of time for yielding usefulconceptualizations. While such research may carry re-spectability among practitioner groups, it is not so inresearch journals. Faculty visibility in research circlescan become a problem. Perhaps for these and other

Leading case discussionsis different from the

process of cross-examination or thedialectic method in

Socratic philosophy. Theinstructor is neither in

possession of theuniversally applicable

‘Truth’ nor is he impelledby an inner voice to win

everyone over to the‘Truth.’ The instructor is afacilitator who creates thelearning conditions in the

classroom.


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reasons, some research-oriented schools have abandonedtheir own case writing effort and have preferred to usethe cases written by other schools. They do not have anyinstitutional preference towards the case method. Fa-culty members are free to choose the method appropriateto their subjects and research interests. Some with in-dustry orientation may use cases while others who areresearch-oriented may prefer other methods. In India,the curriculum and examination systems of many uni-versity departments and the affiliated colleges rarelyinclude the case method.

In spite of adverse institutional conditions, the casepersists as a useful device. While the extent of its useas developed by HBS is not widespread, the case holdsa fascination among many students and teachers. Manyattach a premium to the case and the case method be-cause of its closeness to practice and the real-worldcontext and its ability to get active involvement of thestudents. The stronger foundations of the case methodin learning theory than the typical lecture method isprobably why there is a persistence and fascination forthe case method.

Another dimension behind the question of persist-ence may be that better research and more efficientpedagogical methods may be found even for complex

and abstract areas such as strategic management. Whilemany operational areas of management are getting struc-tured because of advances in information and commu-nication technology, thus making possible the applica-tion of dynamic, quantitative, and computerized me-thods, competitive and environmental uncertainties areincreasing and open-ended unstructured areas remain.Similar expectations existed even in the 1960s whensystems analysis and quantitative methods were makinginroads into unstructured decision areas. But, the un-structured areas continue despite progress in the rigor-ous structuring of more and more decision areas.

The case method, therefore, will, in my view, con-tinue to draw attention and engagement of both in-structors and students. Its persistence as a school-wideor programme-wide method will not probably grow,especially in India, in tune with the promise or poten-tial of the method. The growing competition among theschools may promote the adoption of the method bysome schools, on an institution-wide or a programme-wide basis, to gain a distinctive position. While thatmay not happen in the immediate future, the case andthe method will continue to have a distinctive and usefulplace among pedagogical tools. In that sense, its futureis assured.

The challenge ofmanagement education indeveloping managers forhigh calibre professionalpractice lies in closing

the distance between theworld of management

reality and the world ofmethodical management

of that reality.

The world of reality which managers have to beconfronting in the course of their professionalpractice is a complex mix of contending and

cooperating actors, factors, andforces. Often, the dynamic complex-ity is experienced as an impenetra-ble cacophony of confused signalswhich is approached with a combi-nation of impressionistic explana-tions, interventions, and actionsdrawing from earlier experiences. Itis this reality which the managersbelieve they can handle better if theyget the advantage of managementeducation by which they hope tomake better sense of the seemingly

‘impenetrable confusion’ by learning to employ morethoughtful and methodical approaches.

The challenge of managementeducation in developing managersfor high calibre professional prac-tice, therefore, lies in closing thedistance between the world of man-agement reality and the world ofmethodical management of that real-ity. Generally speaking, the key tobridging the gap between the phe-nomena and the process of learningabout the phenomena is mediated bya conceptual and methodologicalmapping of the discipline related to

THE METHOD IS THE MESSAGE…

Jerome JosephFaculty, Personnel and Industrial Relations AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


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the field of study, legitimized by formal and informalmechanisms created by purveyors of the discipline. Thereare content demarcation criteria for the inclusion andexclusion of concepts, taxonomies, theories, methods,tools, and techniques to define the ‘line of control’ offunctions and disciplines.

Experience shows that management educators workwith a rather general framework in the creation of content.There is only broad consensus on the input disciplinesand management functions within the frame of referenceof developing a ‘general management’ perspective or‘functional specialists with a general management’ ori-entation or whatever packaging frame may be the fash-ion of the moment. The content itself appears like a hashof disciplines, functions, courses, and modules with eachmicro unit de facto being delivered inan insulated and isolated mannerwith little reference to the inter-connectedness of various inputsacross courses. There is still no frameof reference to determine what iscritical in determining content. Mostof the time this is done through aprocess of ‘benchmarking’ with ar-tificially created and media-sus-tained ‘rated’ institutions whichbecome the standard for imitation ordifferentiation. The only tangible ‘dif-ferentiation’ attempted on the con-tent front is in conjuring up semanticvariations in packaging curriculumstructures and titles of individualcourses. Even after over a hundredyears of formal management educa-tion, there is neither a grand theoryof management education ‘content’nor even a middle range theory ofmanagement ‘practice.’ Legitimization of the content ofmanagement programmes comes not through empiricalcontent mapping, but through the bureaucratic enter-prise of rules, manuals, departments, course commit-tees, procedures, and rulings of what is acceptable andwhat is not. More importance is given to ‘quick fix’interactions with campus recruiters, student feedback,and alumni views than serious and rigorous exercisesinvolving professional educators and thoughtful prac-titioners. Artificially created institutional authority in-formed by ad hocism and opportunism projects itself as

the arbiter of institutional legitimacy and acceptabilityof content inputs. ‘Pecking order’ benchmarking com-bined with ‘institutional-bureaucratic’ regulation ensuresa managed suspension of critical empirical assessmentof what goes into management education content deve-lopment. The resultant casualty is the effort needed forbringing meaning to high intensity learning interactionsthrough empirically constructed content mapping. Thenet consequence is that participants in managementeducation programmes are bombarded with numerousinputs in a rigidly controlled, high-pressure environ-ment sustained by mechanistic testing and gradingprocesses. Participants literally run from one session toanother, one course to another, and from one topic toanother within the hallowed walls of the management

schools’ well-equipped ‘golden cage’of classrooms, especially when theyare going through the compulsorycurriculum in the first half of thePGP. It is left to the participants tointegrate inputs, extract meaning,and store everything for future usein the pursuit of professional prac-tice.

If content is not the primarycutting edge of management educa-tion, what then might be the contri-bution of management education tothe development of professionalmanagers and bridging of the gapbetween the world of reality and theworld of learning? What is it thatmakes young people come in hordesto the portals of schools of manage-ment willing to spend time andmoney? Behind the signs, sounds,and symbols of slick rationalizations,

the honest answer is simple — the answer which everynew entrant into the higher rated management institu-tions gives in the selection interview as well as in theorientation programme on entry into a managementschool — it is because high profile recruiters come flock-ing to the exit gate of the management school. The higherthe profile of recruiters at the exit gate, the more inces-sant the knocking and pounding at the entry gate.

Responses of aspirants during admission interviewsto the question — Why do you want to join our insti-

It is evident that withininstitutions and in

institutional processes,more time, energy, andmoney is spent on the

case method of deliverythan on the content to be

delivered through thecase method.

Legitimization ofmanagement educationappears to come lessfrom an empiricallydetermined content

domain and more froman aggressively marketed

method of contentdelivery.


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tution — are invariably a prompt‘placement’ followed by ‘the casemethod of teaching.’ In 20 years ofinterviewing, one has hardly everheard anyone talk of the uniquenessand quality of content. It is alsoevident that within institutions andin institutional processes, more time,energy, and money is spent on thecase method of delivery than on thecontent to be delivered through thecase method. Legitimization of man-agement education appears to comeless from an empirically determinedcontent domain and more from an aggressively mar-keted method of content delivery.

It can, therefore, be postulated that the phenomenalsuccess of management education over a period of 100years can be attributed more to the dominance of methodover content rather than to the uniqueness of the contentdelivered through the method. This postulate refers tothe total management education experience and not toexceptions like individual offerings and initiatives. Therecould be specific course offerings which are innovativeand unique especially in the electives section wherecontent and method can both generate participant in-terest as reflected in course registration figures.

Experience also shows that in high-intensity learn-ing interactions where method more than content getsimportance, certain conditions are necessary to pull itoff:

• cases which hold a mirror to the dynamic complex-ity of reality

• participants with keen and ana-lytical minds

• great teachers with mastery overthe case method

• an environment whose beliefsystem worships the casemethod and evokes unquestion-ing reverence for it

• a culture which encourages sin-cere preparation whether thecase is relevant, useful, interest-ing or otherwise

• an environment where the

schedule of sessions is sacrosanct,presence of participants in the classday in and day out is ensured vol-untarily and without fail, class par-ticipation is vibrant, substantive,‘graded,’ the skilled instructor func-tions like a master conductor of theproceedings, and the session beginsand ends on time and within theallotted time.

If the above conditions are met,where method independent of con-tent is the key to developing man-

agement practitioners, concepts and techniques do gettransmitted and internalized but, more importantlycertain skills get developed through case-based learningprocesses:

• Case-based problem solving experiences enhanceunderstanding, sensing, thinking, imagining, ana-lysing, visualizing, decision-making, implementa-tion, and review capabilities even as learners inter-act under the skilled guidance of instructors.

• Guided case-based problem solving also enablesindividual learners to be able to share information,present points of view, seek as well as give clari-fication, challenge and be open to being challenged,persuade and be persuaded, negotiate as well asmediate, identify problems as well as search forsolutions, be brutally frank as well as graceful inthe use of language, incorporate others’ viewpointsas well as assert the value of one’s own, formcoalitions of ideas even as one tries to avoid the

formation of cliques and cronyism,and be decisive while trying to takeothers forward with the decision.

• Case-based learning also helpsin sensitizing participants towardsrecognizing the need to blend theprocesses, choices, and actionsemerging from the interactions withoperational, multi-functional, stra-tegic, and multiple stakeholder con-siderations even as one tries to trainoneself not to lose sight of the pre-vailing historical, cultural, ideologi-cal, gender, ethical, and legal sensi-tivities and responsibilities.

Case-based problemsolving experiences

enhance understanding,sensing, thinking,

imagining, analysing,visualizing, decision-

making, implementation,and review capabilities

even as learners interactunder the skilled

guidance of instructors.

Case-based learning alsohelps in sensitizingparticipants towards

recognizing the need toblend the processes,choices, and actionsemerging from theinteractions with

operational, multi-functional, strategic, and

multiple stakeholderconsiderations.


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The management education enterprise built on thecase method is in danger of crumbling because of de-clining participant commitment to this method and itsinstitutional framework. Declining levels of prepara-tion, increasing levels of absenteeism, selective involve-ment in courses and cases depending on notions ofrelevance driven by career choices, minority participa-tion in class discussions with the majority maintainingsilence or indulging in piggy-back riding are some ofthe growing problems. The consequent erosion of theintensity and quality of within-class case analysis andinterpretation leads to an overall drop in the standardsof the learning process.

The result is that the spell castby the case method evaporates andthe participants see behind and be-yond and may experience frustra-tion around what they see as thefuzziness and even the poverty ofcontent. There is neither a coherentcontent to stir the intellect nor is therethe stimulation and the skills whichcome from the case method of teach-ing-learning once it weakens in itsapplication.

Management educators andadministrators can fall into the trapof interpreting this as a ‘disciplinary’issue and move towards tighter controls, stringent di-rectives, stiffer penalties, and stricter grading or evendrop the case method and move towards lectures andpresentations in a knee-jerk reaction further erodinglearning intensity in practice-oriented learning interac-tions.

Since management education will continue to be ahash of disciplines and functions and a ‘grand’ or a‘middle range’ theory of content linked to managementpractice is still a prospect, management educators willhave to lift the method to a different level to continueto stir the imagination and the interest of the partici-pants.

The manager’s world of reality in a techno-glo-balized environment confronted by geo-political contra-dictions and socio-economic volatility has become moredynamic, much more complex, and considerably moreunpredictable. Content mapping in the changed context

will have to take the form of problem-posing and so-lutions-seeking educational mode. Content may have tobe better segmented bringing greater flexibility in courseofferings and packages. The empirical identification ofcontent, specialization-wise segmentation of content,greater flexibility in offerings, and more learner-centricdesigning of content is the key to the resurrection of thecase method to develop capabilities to survive in thecontemporary world of high speed learning and action.The focus of learning content could be in the form ofproblems encountered in managerial functioning withconcepts or theories being introduced in the problem

solving process.

The case method itself in theproblem solving mode has to evolvetowards multi-disciplinary, multi-functional, cross-national team teach-ing. Single functional cases ‘frozen’at given moments of an organiza-tional life can no longer be of interestfor electronically networked learn-ers who know more and can learnfaster. Case reconstruction, caseanalysis, and case teaching could takeplace in a facilitated, team-based, col-legial, dialogic, action learning mode.Cases could be constructed, ana-lysed, and discussed by learner-

facilitator-organizational collaboration even as a learn-ing experience is being delivered through a dynamicinteractive reconstruction, leveraging available technol-ogy. A rethink of the brick-and-mortar classroom para-digm and experimentation with small group learningstructures in a flexible, open learning framework withcarefully defined roles and responsibilities could be thekey to the sublimation of the case method. In this ap-proach, instructors become learning designers, mentors,and coaches and the actual management of learning canbe placed in the hands of autonomous self-managedlearners in control of their own destinies.

The continuance of the case method in the current‘post-mortem’ mode breeds a past and static orientationwhich will lead invariably to even higher levels of teach-ing-learning mortality. The reincarnation of the casemethod hinges on the ability to employ the techniquein a problem-posing discovery mode. Active facilitator-learner collaborative engagement in real-time case re-

The case method itself inthe problem solving mode

has to evolve towardsmulti-disciplinary, multi-functional, cross-national

team teaching. Singlefunctional cases ‘frozen’at given moments of an

organizational life can nolonger be of interest forelectronically networkedlearners who know more

and can learn faster.


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construction, analysis, and generalization leveraging in-formation and communications technology in an actionlearning mode is the key to bringing the world of realitycloser to the world of learning.

The past is in the present as is the future. In this dictum

is the key to the revival of the case method of teaching-learning and also the reaffirmation that the Method canstill be the Message in bridging the gap between theworld of management reality and the world of methodicalmanagement.

Two key questions arise in my mind to seek anappropriate assessment of the future of the casemethod for learning management. What is the

relevance and potential of the case method for learningmanagement? Would the potential be realized and willthe needed facilitators (cases and faculty) be availablefor realizing the potential? My overall assessment is thatthe method has very high potential for the future. However,whether the potential would be re-alized depends on the availability ofsome key facilitators to support themethod. This brief reflection is anattempt to share my thoughts on theissue and the assessment.

Potential of the Case Method

I would like to answer the questionsthrough an understanding of thepotential of the case method to addvalue to (would be) managers andtheir (likely) organizations. I will thentry to delineate the types of learningsneeded to enhance the value addi-tion to managers and organizations.Finally, I will attempt to discuss andassess the potential of the casemethod to provide the types oflearnings needed in the future.

Managers of the Future

Managers essentially decide and implement strategiesand action plans in a given situation to improve the per-formance of the organization and/or the system theywork for. For making improved decisions, they need tounderstand the situation (both internal and external to theorganization) thoroughly so that they can use the problem

solving framework to address the critical issues facing theorganization. The problem solving approach consists ofidentifying decision areas, generating appropriate op-tions, specifying objectives and criteria to assess theoptions, evaluating the options generated, choosing anappropriate one, implementing the decision, and moni-toring the situation. The decisions are made individuallyas well as by teams of managers. Through improved

decision-making, they would notonly attempt to enhance organiza-tional performance but also achievetheir own vision and career goals.

It is becoming increasingly clearthat managers of the future wouldseek careers across organizationseither in one industry or across in-dustries. This would be quite unlikethe managers of the past who soughtcareers in a single organization.

The management learning (edu-cation/training) programmes can beclassified into the following broadcategories with their respective broadparticipant profiles:

• Two-year MBA programmes:Participants in these programmes

come from varied academic backgrounds and mayor may not have experience of working in organi-zations. They are unlikely to have a clear vision ofwhich sector or industry they would like to join forachieving their long-term career goals.

• Post-entry one year MBA programmes: Participantsof these programmes are those who are currentlyworking and who missed a quality MBA education

The problem solvingapproach consists of

identifying decision areas,generating appropriate

options, specifyingobjectives and criteria to

assess the options,evaluating the options

generated and choosingan appropriate one, and

implementing the decisionand monitoring the

situation. The decisionsare made individually as

well as by teams ofmanagers.

THE FUTURE OF THE CASE METHOD FOR LEARNING IN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Abhinandan JainFaculty, Marketing AreaIndian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad


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in the earlier part of their lives. They also are fromdiverse academic backgrounds. They have a betteridea of the sectors they wish to join or the learningthey would like to have.

• Short-to-medium-duration programmes: Partici-pants in these programmes are either on their ownor sponsored by their organizations. They may ormay not have formal management education/train-ing but would have experience of working in organi-zations. These managers have a clearer understand-ing of their learning requirements as only the ap-propriate ones would be sponsored to such pro-grammes.

• In-company short-medium-duration programmes:These programmes are organized by corporations/organizations to align the development and imple-mentation of their strategies across different levelsof the organization. These arealso used to upgrade the capa-bilities of the managers in gen-eral or in specific areas.

The current trends show that thefuture participants of two-year MBAprogrammes are likely to have moreexperience although their academicbackgrounds will continue to bediverse. The current stock of non-MBA managers is so large that thedemand for one year MBAs will con-tinue to rise in foreseeable future. The profile of partici-pants in these programmes will continue to be similarto the current one. Participants of both these types ofprogrammes are likely to finance their studies on theirown and are not likely to be sponsored by organizations.They will look for a management career in the long term.Their objectives, therefore, will be to align their learningobjectives with those desired by leading organizationsemploying managers.

The short-to medium-term programmes for indi-vidual managers will continue to have participants whoare sponsored by their organizations to strengthen thecapabilities of their managers in specific need areas orfor general improvement of their required knowledge,skills, and attitudes.

A recent trend has been the increasing use of cus-tomized in-company programmes by leading organiza-tions for purposes which are similar to short-and me-

dium-duration programmes. In other words, the leadingorganizations will be seen as lead users of managementprogrammes. Participants of the other three categoriesof programmes would, therefore, like to have learningwhich is desired by leading management organizations.And the leading organizations would look for thosetypes of learnings which add value to their stakeholders.

A key conclusion of this section is that participantsof all types of programmes would like to have theirlearning objectives which are aligned to what are valuedby leading management organizations. My assessmentof value addition as desired by organizations in thefuture is provided in the next section.

Requirements of Organizations in the Future

As mentioned above, the key tasks of a manager are tomake decisions and implement them for improved

organizational performance in thecontext of the organization. The or-ganizational context faced by manag-ers is undergoing a fundamental change.In my view, the key dimensions ofchange that are likely to significantlyaffect the managerial task are: thetarget customers, the competition,the technologies available in theexternal environment, and the pro-file of managers in the internal en-vironment.

Future Target Consumers

Economic growth and exposure of consumers to a widevariety of global media, and products, and services willlead to increasing expectations and complex behaviouron the part of existing target segments of the organization.Besides, the pressures of competition and objectives ofthe organization will lead to the addition of new targetsegments (domestic and/or foreign). The organizationwould, therefore, have to devise better ways of sensingdiverse and fast changing customer requirements andbehaviour, design appropriate offers, and deliver andcommunicate the same. This would imply that managerswill need to have a wide range of perspectives andcapabilities individually or in teams responsible for suchtasks. The change would require managers to increas-ingly learn more about all functional areas and how to workin teams of members of diverse backgrounds including spe-cialists and generalists.

The organization would,therefore, have to devise

better ways of sensingdiverse and fast changing

customer requirementsand behaviour, designappropriate offers, and

deliver and communicatethe same.


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Future Competition

It is reasonably clear that the competition in the differentsectors of the economy would be much greater and muchmore complex. Competing organizations in a specificsector would be of different sizes, from different indus-try bases (usually from related industries) having di-verse cultures of their own (domestic as well as foreign),and with their own diverse visions and goals. Organi-zations of the future, therefore, will have to buildmanagerial capabilities to understand and assimilatecompetitive situations from a very wide perspective.They will also need to understand specific competitorsso as to anticipate their competitive moves. By its verynature, the increasing degree of competition will makeit necessary to assess the desired speed to act that isneeded for countering and/or pre-empting competition.The managers of the future, therefore, would need to beequipped with diverse perspectives,deeper knowledge, and a faster actionorientation.

Future Employees

Recent trends in managerial behav-iour strongly indicate that managerswill seek careers across organizationsas explained above. Organizationswill, therefore, have to devise theirmission and objectives which matchor have the capability of matchingwith the vision of the employees andmanagers. These would also need tobe communicated very clearly, par-ticularly to retain and motivate the key employees andmanagers. Managers for their part will need to have thecapability of understanding the vision of the organiza-tion and assess the match with their vision and careerexpectations.

The real value addition to a manager is perceivedto be assuming a higher leadership position within theorganization or outside. The way to acquire a leadershipposition is to demonstrate and lead the team the man-ager is working in through greater knowledge, betterskills, and superior attitudes and action to achieveorganizational objectives.

Therefore, there will be a premium on acquiringmore knowledge, better skills, and attitudes to developthe leadership potential among managers. It would also

mean that communication capabilities both in writtenand in oral form will become increasingly important.

Future Technological Environment

All industries are facing increasing technological changes.Besides, the changes in information technology are likelyto continue to pose significant challenges to all organi-zations. The pace of technological changes which wouldbe of different degrees in different sectors would implythe increasing use of specialists or interaction with outsidespecialists (organizations) to keep up with the changes.

Most internal data and information of organizationsand the external environment would be increasinglydigitized. Increasing use of IT in capturing consumerdata (including the increasing role of retail chains thatgenerate enormous data on consumer purchases) would

generate an increased amount of dataon consumer purchases. Use of cus-tomer relationship processes will addsignificantly to the availability ofdata on purchases, profiles, attitudes,and values of consumers/custom-ers. Internal systems would also bedevised to integrate this data withprimary information collectedthrough other types of research ef-forts. This availability of informa-tion on external and internalstakeholders and systems wouldrequire effective ways of analysingsuch information. Apart from the de-

velopment of new methods for analysing such data andits conversion into information, managers will have towork closely with analysts (and vice versa) to seek an-swers to crucial managerial issues.

IT has been widely acknowledged as the means ofsensing customer requirements and also designing,delivering, and communicating customized offers toconsumers. As IT by itself is likely to be available to allorganizations, an ability to use IT in innovative waysto differentiate organizational offers will be the keyrequirement of successful organizations.

The important implications of this future trend formanagers will be that they would need a higher degreeof innovativeness to understand customer requirementsin order to design, deliver, and communicate custom-

The important implicationsof the technological

development for managerswill be that they wouldneed a higher degree of

innovativeness tounderstand customer

requirements in order todesign, deliver, and

communicate customizedoffers.


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ized offers. Close working of analysts (specialists) andmanagers would demand better understanding of di-verse colleagues with diverse kinds of backgrounds.Once again, effective working in teams will become akey requirement.

Implications for Type of Learning

The previous two sub-sections lead to the followingconclusions on the types of learnings required formanagers by leading organizations:

• in-depth understanding of subject area and identi-fication of issues and methods of solution based onconsiderable data and informa-tion available

• interpersonal and communica-tion ability to work in teams forassessing customer require-ments

• improved ability of working andleading in groups to deviseappropriate offers and designsystems of delivering and com-municating the same to custom-ers. Increasing level of knowl-edge, skills, and appropriateattitudes would be the hallmarkof future learning required bymanagers to add value to them

• improved ability to assess theneed for action and enhance theattitude and the willingness to act.

Likely Value Addition by the Case Method

The case method of learning has been found to beextremely useful in transfering knowledge, developingskills, and forming attitudes. A course or programmedesigned to achieve a mix of these learnings wouldusually have contents spanning a range of contexts,types of decisions (problems), and relevant concepts andskills needed to achieve the objectives of learning. Myexperience suggests that the motivation to learn is greatlyinfluenced by the context and the type of problemsdepicted in cases. Well-designed courses and pro-grammes are likely to continue to serve the learningobjectives of future managers quite well.

However, a key requirement of future organizationsand managers, i.e., integration and use of such learningin actual job situations, is not necessarily directly ad-dressed by the case method. Different types of pro-grammes seem to be attempting to address this issue indifferent ways:

• Entry-level MBA programmes: There seems to bean increasing trend to supplement the case methodwith field projects in different courses/subjects oroffer project-based courses. The field projects helpin learning the relevance of concepts in real-lifeapplications. They also provide a framework for

understanding the relevant situation,posing relevant problems/issues,generating options, choosing theright course of action, and in devis-ing appropriate implementation andreview system. A number of projectsundertaken across courses and/orundergoing project-based coursesprovides the base for helping to framea behaviour pattern vis-à-vis mana-gerial situations.

• Post-entry short-durationmanagement development pro-grammes: Most of the short-durationmanagement development pro-grammes have a sharp focus on learn-ing objectives. However, they sufferfrom not acquiring an adequateability to carry the learnings fromthe programme to the organizational

setting. We have found it useful to put aside areasonable amount of class time and in the writingand submission of a daily/session-wise diary wherethe participants reflect on how the learnings fromthe programme can be translated into their ownsituation and to what extent. This kind of interven-tion in the management development programmeshas the potential to add significant value to theparticipants and their organizations. It may evenextend to designing programmes which have aproject element built into the programme. This couldbe achieved in two ways. First, participants may beasked to bring/collect relevant data/information toundertake a project in the programme. Anotheroption could be a design of the programme with

The case method oflearning has been foundto be extremely useful in

transfering knowledge,developing skills, andforming attitudes. A

course or programmedesigned to achieve amix of these learnings

would usually havecontents spanning a range

of contexts, types ofdecisions (problems), and

relevant concepts andskills needed to achieve

the objectives of learning.


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more than one module where the participants goback and work on a significant decision problem intheir own organization and return to share thelearning with others in a follow-up module.

• In-company programmes: Customized programmesfor specific organizations have tremendous poten-tial for value addition through introduction of aproject module followed by sharing of learningthrough the project, as mentioned above. Our ex-perience shows that this format is acceptable to asignificant proportion of organizations if explainedwell.

The above would seem to be out of place for thepurposes of this reflection. Such indeed is not the case.Introduction of a project componentis very much like a manager tryingto grapple with a significant prob-lem. The collection and organizationof data and information is much likepreparing a live case followed bychoosing a course of action andpreparing an implementation andreview plan. This methodology hasthe greatest potential to add value tothe learning of individual managerand the actual or learning value tothe organization. If followed by adiscussion of the projects by the par-ticipants, the methodology can alsoenrich all the participants of the pro-gramme in a significant manner.

Availability of Facilitators

I am focusing on three facilitators which are essentialto realize the future potential of the case method. Theseare the availability of quality cases, the availability anddesire of instructors for using cases, and the availabilityof case writers.

Availability of Cases

The availability of cases has been improving over thelast few years. The distribution of case material hasimproved significantly with use of IT by the distributors.The development of cases has also been aided consid-erably by information available through the Internet.While the availability of secondary data through theInternet has improved significantly, it is difficult to

authenticate the data and information available aboutcompanies, industries, and countries. A significantproportion of new cases seem to be based on secondaryinformation available through the Internet or other pub-lished sources. Besides doubts about the authenticity ofthe data, these cases do not necessarily reflect the situ-ation as faced by the managers. There is a greater needfor writing field-based cases along with authenticatedsecondary information on important elements of thesituations faced by managers. Only then will the pur-pose of contextualizing the management decision-mak-ing be served by the programmes. An important deter-minant of the use of cases in the future would be theavailability and motivation of instructors to use casesfor the learning programmes.

Availability and Motivation ofInstructors

It is well known that the case discus-sion leader needs a significantamount of time to prepare the caseand customize the discussion toachieve the learning objectives of theparticipants having diverse profiles.More instructors are likely to usecases if they need to put in less effort.This could be achieved partlythrough the availability of teachingnotes for cases. However, the effortlevel does not necessarily go downsignificantly. There is a significant

need on the part of institutions to recognize the effortof using cases in programmes and courses and deviseeffective ways of rewarding case instructors for theirefforts appropriately.

Availability of Case Writers

Most cases are written by academics/instructors. Thereis also a trend towards programme participants andmanagers taking up case writing on their own or incollaboration with academics. The quality of cases canbe improved by organizing the training of academicsand managers (interested in such activity). Collabora-tive efforts by managers who know the situation welland the academics who understand the learning valueof a situation well would go a long way in developingquality cases.

A significant proportion ofnew cases seem to bebased on secondaryinformation available

through the Internet orother published sources.

Besides doubts aboutauthenticity of the data,

these cases do notnecessarily reflect the

situation as faced by themanagers.


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A case writer would be more interested in writingcases if the reward was greater than the cost, namely,net value addition. For managers, the reward would bea secondary issue as their primary rewards come fromtheir major occupation of being a manager. However,they would also possibly need some kind of reward fromboth their own organizations and/or academic andprofessional organizations. Ways need to be found toreward the case writing efforts of managers by industryand academic/professional organizations to encouragethe trend further in order to get a large quantity of cases.

Academicians, for whom case writing and the useof cases are primary activities, are likely to look forrewards which enhance their academic career. Manage-ment journals which publish casesare only a few in number althoughthe number seems to be increasingof late. The opportunities for pub-lishing cases are limited. Besides, theacademic institutions which decidethe rewards for academics do notseem to consider case writing as anactivity equivalent to other researchefforts. In such a situation, improve-ment in the motivation of case writ-ers would require the availability ofmore journals which publish casesand consideration of quality cases asequivalent to other research publica-tions. Academic organizations needto take a lead in this effort.

Conceptually, a well-writtencase requires considerable depth of understanding andknowledge of the situation and relevant information.The effort in data collection of field-based cases requirestime and monetary support. Organizing and presentingthe information is an intellectual task. A case has thepotential to contribute to research by identifying a newmanagerial situation, a new context and develop a newskill or the potential to explore the possibility of a newconcept. It could be more like an exploratory researchin search of new concepts, contexts, problems, andtheories related to the field of applied management. Theonus to prove whether it is so rests with the author ofthe case by providing a teaching note which couldhighlight a significant academic contribution besidesproviding a class strategy and the experiences of past

class strategies used. Thus, case writing is really an activityof (new) search and not merely research.

My assessment is that availability of cases particu-larly based on secondary information will increase infuture through academics. Managers could make a sig-nificant contribution to the writing of quality cases. Thiswould require the identification of key issues faced bymanagers and grounding them in available conceptsthrough collaboration with academics. There seems tobe an increase in the publication of cases which requirethe authors to write teaching notes. This movementneeds to be encouraged particularly by academic organi-zations who use the case method as their dominantmethod of learning. Besides, all management and aca-

demic institutions need to recognizecase writing as a research area andreward case writers for the qualityof their efforts.

Conclusion

On the whole, the case method oflearning adds significant value to thelearners and their (potential) organi-zations. The value lies in learning toassess the situations faced by manag-ers and in learning the use of know-ledge, skills, and attitudes needed touse the problem solving approach toachieve organizational objectives aswell as the objectives of managers.Supplementing the traditional casemethod with field projects will help

in developing the requisite habits of appropriate deci-sion-making. The field projects also have the potentialof making the learning contemporary compared to anexisting case pertaining to a past situation. Through thismethod, the future learning objectives of the organiza-tions are likely to be met very well.

The availability of cases is likely to improve in thefuture. However, the availability of cases based on real-life situations needs to be encouraged through collabo-rative writing by academics and managers. The use ofthe case method purely as a way of learning may addvalue to the instructor by way of appreciation by par-ticipants. Publishing of more journals devoted to caseand case research would add more value to the academ-ics engaged in the writing of cases through the enhance-

A case has the potentialto contribute to research

by identifying a newmanagerial situation, a

new context and developa new skill or the

potential to explore thepossibility of a new

concept. It could be morelike an exploratory

research in search of newconcepts, contexts,

problems, and theoriesrelated to the field ofapplied management.


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ment of their publication record. Further, the academicinstitutions need to develop appropriate reward mecha-nisms for motivating case discussion leaders and casewriters for achieving the potential of the method fororganizations and managers in the future.

To sum up, the potential of the method is very high.However, actualizing the potential would depend on therealization of value addition by the academic organiza-tions and taking appropriate actions to promote the useand writing of quality cases.

The participant playingthe role of the decision-maker must stomach the

demands of the casesituation as though it wasreal and that his or her

own integrity as anexecutive capable of

‘rational decision-making’was at stake. And, the

instructor, for his or herpart, anchors the

discussion by pushing theparticipants to

acknowledge both theintended and unintended

consequences of theirdecisions.

SUMMARY

The participants of the colloquium have broadlyargued that the case method has a future inmanagement education in India provided edu-

cators are sensitive to the changes in the academic andeconomic environment. These changes, however, willbecome threats rather than opportunities unless instruc-tors take corrective action to add value in whatever waysthey can to the method rather than expect the methodto perform magic on its own. In other words, the viabilityof a pedagogical instrument depends on the ethical com-mitment, the knowledge base, and the teaching skills ofits practitioners. And, most impor-tantly, the commitment to the casemethod is not an event; it is a processthat requires constant renewal. Thisprocess of renewal then depends onour ability as instructors to innovateeffectively within the frame of themethod. The modalities and the lo-cus of such innovation, as the con-tributors point out, are many. Theycan range from the recent emergenceof multimedia technology as a formof cultural memory to the need fora greater degree of sensitivity tocultural differences that affect thereceptivity to the method in class-rooms in different parts of the world.In other words, the ‘culture of tech-nology and the technology of cul-ture,’ to invoke a post-modernist for-mulation, not only matter, but areimplicated in each other. Technology and culture are notjust social phenomena but the very framework in whichwe demarcate the space of institutions today.

It is within the political protections and privilegesof these institutional spaces that we attempt the ‘willingsuspension of disbelief’ that is embodied in the casemethod. While the formulation given above was usedoriginally to describe the nature of an audience’s in-

volvement with poetic fictions by Samuel Coleridge, itcaptures quite well the representational function of the casemethod. We cannot go directly to the field but, we wouldnevertheless like to get ‘a feel of the field’ in the class-room. But we cannot get a feel of the field unless thecase is well written. After all, in being forced to occupythe locus of the decision-maker, one cannot, as a par-ticipant in the case discussion, pretend that all this ishappening to someone else. We have to get involvedwithout too many defences. Hence, ‘objective’ know-ledge or ‘theoretical competence’ alone will not save the

day. The participant must be willingto let go; that is, ‘suspend disbelief,’and go with the flow of the discus-sion in the class.

The participant playing the roleof the decision-maker must stomachthe demands of the case situation asthough it was real and that his or herown integrity as an executive capa-ble of ‘rational decision-making’ wasat stake. And, the instructor, for hisor her part, anchors the discussionby pushing the participants to ack-nowledge both the intended and unin-tended consequences of their decisions.It is the emotional labour involvedin this process of anchoring that isgenerally in short supply; hence, theneed for institutional processes thatwill legitimize the expenditure ofclass, faculty, and student time in

the case method. Let us not underestimate the discursiveloops and deceptive lures awaiting the novice and theunprepared who rush to a decision in a case discussion.The case method, however, is not without its dangers;a bad lecture will probably do less harm than an incom-petent case discussion.

And, again, there are also those who are too-clever-by-half and mime ‘class participation’ in order to take


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advantage of the open-endedness ofthe method. For this class of stu-dents, a few extra marks are infi-nitely more important than the vicis-situdes of decision-making. In anycase, since they have no desire to bemanagers or manage anything apartfrom the need to ‘manage the casediscussion’ (as opposed to ‘engagingin case discussion’), they experienceno guilt about sabotaging the classwith their ‘participation.’ This cate-gory of trouble makers representsone of the greatest dangers to thecase method; they are, in HBS par-lance, the ‘hierarchy of smart alecks.’They think that the instructor who refuses to fast-for-ward the discussion to be either foolish or plain senile.This category of participation is by no means synony-mous with students (since the instructor himself is notimmune to this form of pedagogical idiocy in a momentof ignorance, nervousness or identification with thestudent). This problem is being exacerbated as academicinstitutions cave in to inside and outside pressures toincrease student in-take without giving sufficient thoughtto standards. Hence, there is a need to understand therole of institutional theory and practice in the design andimplementation of management programmes using the

case method.Finally, we must recognize that

as instructors, we must cultivate anethical approach to the case methodand not invoke a theological stancewhen we feel threatened by the in-difference of a student for whom weare at best a ‘course requirement,’or, at worst, an ‘exit barrier’ to place-ment that must be negotiated withcynical deftness. Just as we sufferthe ethical compulsion to opennessin classroom discussion using thecase method, we must analogouslycultivate openness in evaluating ourability to do so when given the in-

stitutional space and opportunity. We must be willingto supplement our efforts, whenever necessary, withadditional efforts (as the participants of the colloquiumpoint out) by encouraging field-based projects, cultivat-ing an on-going commitment to interact with industry,deploying gaming and simulation technologies whennecessary, etc. But, amidst our desire to experiment, wemust also remember that insofar as our efforts emergeout of something called the case method, we must (inthe words of John McArthur, a former Dean of HBS)hold fast to the axiom that ‘how we teach, is what weteach.’

As instructors, we mustcultivate an ethical

approach to the casemethod and not invoke atheological stance when

we feel threatened by theindifference of a studentfor whom we are at best

a ‘course requirement,’ or,at worst, an ‘exit barrier’

to placement that must benegotiated with cynical

deftness.

We get new ideas from God every hour of our day whenwe put our trust in Him — but we have to follow thatinspiration up with perspiration — we have to work toprove our faith. Remember that the bee that hangs aroundthe hive never gets any honey.

Albert E Cliffe


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Vikapla Case Method Colloquium

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Transcript of Vikapla Case Method Colloquium