Past, present and future of cases
| Category | Past (1920) | Present (2020) | Future (Beyond 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedagogical objective | Developed to provide practical training in analyzing factual business problems to make sound business decisions. Focus is on developing the power of thinking and not the acquisition of facts | Continued emphasis on providing practical training in critical thinking and decision-making. The case method is considered to be well suited for higher-order cognitive skills categories of analysis, synthesis and evaluation as ascribed in Bloom’s Taxonomy | Complexities in technologies, dynamic external environments and shifting sociocultural values and attitudes provide stronger motivation for emphasizing critical thinking and decision-making skills. Students need to have the capability to analyze novel situations, develop innovative solutions and to critically evaluate those solutions. “Case studies could play an important role in critically engaging students with the global challenges we face in building a more inclusive, ethical and sustainable society: encouraging students not to think about what managers and organizations in the case did, but how they and other stakeholders, might have defined problems otherwise and thought and acted differently.” (Bridgman et al., 2016). This type of thinking will have increased value in business going forward |
| Research methodology | Based on real organizations either through research work or business publications | Based on real organizations either through field or library research. Broader research sources are readily available due to internet and social media | Technological innovations, increased interest in access to information and accountability, the propensity of real organizations to provide greater access to information about their operations |
| Organization of the case | Basic statement of key facts typically from the company’s perspective. Few cases have a protagonist or decision-maker featured. Case length varies from three sentences to 30 or more pages. Cases typically end with questions for students to consider | Cases have evolved to place greater interest in engaging students. Typical components include a “hook,” company history, industry background, situation details, exhibits, closing hook. Many cases include a protagonist and feature direct quotes providing the protagonist’s perspective on the case situation. This permits students to consider the psychological aspects of business decisions. Case length varies from 1,000 words or less to 15–25 pages. The current trend is toward shorter cases. Cases typically do not conclude with questions for students to consider. These questions are moved to the Instructor’s Manual so that adopting instructors have maximum flexibility in teaching the case | Student engagement continues to be an issue. Students cannot participate in case of discussions if they have not read the case Multimedia and technological innovations may provide the means for making cases more compelling for students. “Online case materials can include color photographs, embedded video clips or other multimedia materials that enrich and enliven the case for visual learners. Video interviews with case protagonists can reveal more about her personality, priorities and interests than we might get from reading a printed quote. Dynamic maps and interactive graphics allow students to dig deeper into case data to develop essential insights into case issues” (Purkayastha, 2020). Cases of the future may depart from the written format of text and tables to use rich multimedia materials to bring students that much was closer to reality (Garvin, 2003) |
| Instructor materials | Originally not provided, simplistic “key” including a synopsis, significance of the case and author’s conclusions. Provided only to adopting instructors. Considered inappropriate to provide case information in the “key” that was not available to students Considered essential for effective teaching of cases by instructors lacking real-world business experience | Instructor’s Manual (IM) or Teaching Note (TN) is required for all cases published in journals. Components typically include a synopsis, target audience, learning objectives, discussion questions and answers, theory discussion, teaching strategy, optional epilogue. The IM/TN is considered by AACSB International to be the scholarly contribution of cases. Most journals peer-review the IM or TN. Reviewers often identify information provided in the IM/TN that should be moved to the case itself | The continued importance of IM/TN in the reflection of trends in increased teaching by practitioners and adjunct professors. Continued emphasis on the research contribution of cases and IM/TN for AACSB institutions. Increased emphasis on the teaching strategy section including the expansion of this section to include aspects related to online teaching of cases |
| Pedagogical Methodology | The instructor served as a moderator or facilitator to stimulate student thinking and to encourage further discussion. Questions were asked to keep the discussion active and purposeful, but the instructor had to prepare for deviations from previous discussions of the same case. Effective use of the case method required the instructor to take a guiding role rather than a leading role in case discussion | The case discussion has not changed much, as the case method was first implemented. Instructors are advised to be the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage.” Online case teaching has resulted in active experimentation to develop the best approaches to replicating in-person case discussions in an asynchronous or synchronous environment | Continued exploration of creative and innovative approaches to facilitating case discussion for both in-person and remote learning. Technological innovations may be transformative in bringing students even closer to the reality of the business situation |
| Category | Past (1920) | Present (2020) | Future (Beyond 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedagogical objective | Developed to provide practical training in analyzing factual business problems to make sound business decisions. Focus is on developing the power of thinking and not the acquisition of facts | Continued emphasis on providing practical training in critical thinking and decision-making. The case method is considered to be well suited for higher-order cognitive skills categories of analysis, synthesis and evaluation as ascribed in Bloom’s Taxonomy | Complexities in technologies, dynamic external environments and shifting sociocultural values and attitudes provide stronger motivation for emphasizing critical thinking and decision-making skills. Students need to have the capability to analyze novel situations, develop innovative solutions and to critically evaluate those solutions. “Case studies could play an important role in critically engaging students with the global challenges we face in building a more inclusive, ethical and sustainable society: encouraging students not to think about what managers and organizations in the case did, but how they and other stakeholders, might have defined problems otherwise and thought and acted differently.” ( |
| Research methodology | Based on real organizations either through research work or business publications | Based on real organizations either through field or library research. Broader research sources are readily available due to internet and social media | Technological innovations, increased interest in access to information and accountability, the propensity of real organizations to provide greater access to information about their operations |
| Organization of the case | Basic statement of key facts typically from the company’s perspective. Few cases have a protagonist or decision-maker featured. Case length varies from three sentences to 30 or more pages. Cases typically end with questions for students to consider | Cases have evolved to place greater interest in engaging students. Typical components include a “hook,” company history, industry background, situation details, exhibits, closing hook. Many cases include a protagonist and feature direct quotes providing the protagonist’s perspective on the case situation. This permits students to consider the psychological aspects of business decisions. Case length varies from 1,000 words or less to 15–25 pages. The current trend is toward shorter cases. Cases typically do not conclude with questions for students to consider. These questions are moved to the Instructor’s Manual so that adopting instructors have maximum flexibility in teaching the case | Student engagement continues to be an issue. Students cannot participate in case of discussions if they have not read the case |
| Instructor materials | Originally not provided, simplistic “key” including a synopsis, significance of the case and author’s conclusions. Provided only to adopting instructors. Considered inappropriate to provide case information in the “key” that was not available to students | Instructor’s Manual (IM) or Teaching Note (TN) is required for all cases published in journals. Components typically include a synopsis, target audience, learning objectives, discussion questions and answers, theory discussion, teaching strategy, optional epilogue. The IM/TN is considered by AACSB International to be the scholarly contribution of cases. Most journals peer-review the IM or TN. Reviewers often identify information provided in the IM/TN that should be moved to the case itself | The continued importance of IM/TN in the reflection of trends in increased teaching by practitioners and adjunct professors. Continued emphasis on the research contribution of cases and IM/TN for AACSB institutions. Increased emphasis on the teaching strategy section including the expansion of this section to include aspects related to online teaching of cases |
| Pedagogical Methodology | The instructor served as a moderator or facilitator to stimulate student thinking and to encourage further discussion. Questions were asked to keep the discussion active and purposeful, but the instructor had to prepare for deviations from previous discussions of the same case. Effective use of the case method required the instructor to take a guiding role rather than a leading role in case discussion | The case discussion has not changed much, as the case method was first implemented. Instructors are advised to be the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on the stage.” Online case teaching has resulted in active experimentation to develop the best approaches to replicating in-person case discussions in an asynchronous or synchronous environment | Continued exploration of creative and innovative approaches to facilitating case discussion for both in-person and remote learning. Technological innovations may be transformative in bringing students even closer to the reality of the business situation |
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