How To Write A Case Study-Draft

University of Technology, Jamaica School of Business Administration International Human Resource Management 2011
What Is a Case Study?
Consider a rubix cube, and you will understand that a case study is a story that has
to be solved. The first thing to remember about writing a case study is that the
case should have a problem to be solved. The case should have enough
information in it that the reader can understand what the problem is. You will are
also being asked to think about the problem you have described and, after thinking
about it, analyze the information, and come up with a proposed solution.
To write an interesting case study, is a bit like writing a detective story. You want
to keep the reader very interested in the situation. A good case is more than just a
description. It is information arranged in such a way that the reader is put in the
same position as you, the case writer was at the beginning when your were faced
with this new situation and was asked to figure out what was going on.
Remember that a description, on the other hand, arranges all the information,
comes to conclusions, tells the reader everything, and the reader really doesn't
have to work very hard. However, when you write a case, there are some hints
that you should keep in mind to keep the reader challenged, will "experience" the
same things you did when you started your investigation, and will have enough
information to come to some answers.
Essentially, there are three basic steps in case writing: research, analysis, and the
actual writing. Although you start with research, bear in mind that even when you
reach the writing stage you may find you need to go back and research even more
information.
Generally the case study may follow this format:
I. Introduction
II. Organization
III. Issue you discovered
IV. Your research (include any articles your examined)
5. Your assessment of this case study
For the purpose of your project you are being asked to provide recommendations for solutions
to the issues you found. Be sure to record all your sources and to cite properly in the text
using the APA format. As part of your research for this assignment you should also include at
least two scholarly articles as references.
Adopted for use from the following sources: www.stanford.edu/group/ncpi/unspecified/.../ISUcasestudy.doc

www.fpi.lu.se/_media/en/research/outline-case-study.doc www.sjsu.edu/faculty/.../SampleOutlineforCaseStudyF'05.doc
www.caa.uidaho.edu/Arch571/CASE%20STUDY%20OUTLINE.doc
How to Write a Case Study
The Research Phase:
1. Library, Organization and Internet research. Has any research

been conducted on this topic before. Find and read the important
articles. For this exercise ensure that you have read a minimum of two
articles. When you do this, you may find there is an existing problem that
needs solving, or you may find that you have to come up an interesting
idea. An example may be your case study is on recruitment, where
organizations have difficulty with background checks and sourcing talent.
Then the case problem would be to figure out how to solve these issues to
get the best candidates.
2. Interview people from the organization. Find knowledgeable people

to interview -- they may be a manager or someone in Human Resources
that can give you accurate information. In addition you could speak to
customers – ask questions that help your understanding of the topic in
question. Try to ask open ended questions so that you do not get a ‘yes’
or ‘no’ answer. The objective of this is to have the person tell you
whatever it is that he or she knows and thinks. You can then add these
facts to your case. Remember you need details to make it interesting to
the reader.
The Analysis Phase:
1. Put all the information in one place. You will collect a lot of
information from
the various sources. Unfortunately, it is not possible to include
everything. So
you will have to sort through the information and arrange it in a fashion
that the
reader can easily understood and that the ‘story’ flows logically.
2. Assign sections of material to different people. The group leader in

conjunction with the group should try to figure out what is really
important, what
is happening, and what the reader would need to know in order to
understand
the situation.
3. Try to formulate the case problem in a few sentences. When you do

this, you may find that you need more information. Once you are
satisfied with
the way you have defined the problem you want your reader to think
about,
break the problem down. Each part should represents a piece of the
puzzle
that needs to be understood before the problem can be solved. It will be
helpful
to spend some time discussing these amongst the group.
For example, suppose:

a. Your organization has a low success rate with expats.
b. There is no formal way selection process that is used.
c. The company is growing at a rapid rate.
Ask yourself “How much information do people reading the case study need to
have in order to be able to discuss the issue(s). Your evidence will come from the
articles and statistics you have gathered, and from the interviews you have
conducted. Once you have broken down the problem into pieces, you can think
about possible answers to each of the pieces. When you have finished this - then
you can think about writing the case study itself.
Writing the Case Study:
1. Describe the problem or case question you want the reader to solve.
In a detective story, the crime happens right at the beginning and the detective
has to put together the information to solve it for the rest of the story. In a case,
you can start by raising a question. You can, for example, quote someone you
interviewed. What your introduction does is it give clues to the reader about what
they should be thinking about.
2. Organize the sections of the case. You will probably need to organize your
information under topics like the following:
a. Introduction to the problem
b. Background on the organization -- where is it, how big, etc. – this part
should be a brief, overall description. Think about having photos, or charts, so that
your readers can really get a feel for what the organization is like. Summarize the
main features of the organization.
3. Other sections of the case.
4. Conclusion. Your case will need a conclusion.
The whole purpose of writing cases and sharing them with others is to share
experience without all of us actually having to be in the same place. The solutions
will vary on perspective.

Sample Outline for Case Study
Note: Each of these roman numerals and letters represent a segment of your paper, not a paragragh.
I. Introduction: Overview of the organization as indicated on the (Tip: You can try to open
with something that will grab your reader’s attention. Look at some of the cases you
have read in other courses.)
II. Issue you discovered
A. Thought provoking discussion of the issue and what problems it causes

1. Challenges for the organization in general
2. Challenges for the department
3. Challenges for the employee(s)
III. Your research
A. Articles you examined which relate to this issue and the findings of those articles.
B. How you feel these findings relate to your case organization and the challenges.
C. Interview(s)
1. What did your interviewee(s) say?
2. How might your findings relate to the issues in the case?
D. Thoughtful discussion of your conclusion(s) about how this issue should be
handled, based upon your findings and your follow-up interview
4. Your assessment of this case study

A. Your recommendations
B. What you learned
C. How this assignment has impacted you and your views on IHRM.
5. References
6. Acknowledgement
7. Appendix


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University of Technology, Jamaica School of Business Administration International Human Resource Management 2011

What Is a Case Study?

Generally the case study may follow this format:

Adopted for use from the following sources: www.stanford.edu/group/ncpi/unspecified/.../ISUcasestudy.doc