Innovative Training Methodologies-III

Case Study Teaching and Writing

April 12th 2015

Anjali Raina
Executive Director, India Research Centre,
Harvard Business School
What is a Case Study?

The students arrive at

Its a Detective Story possible answers

Through guided
Without a conclusion
discussion
Growing Interest in South Asia
Building Intellectual Capital Students Interning in India
~169 case studies* FY08 FY14 :578
68 Research Projects** Indian Faculty Trained in Case Writing and
174 Best of Harvard in India Events covering Case Teaching
11652 attendees across 8 cities**
FY08 FY14 : 719
Executive Education
FY08-FY15: 1823 attendees, 35 programs HBS Faculty Engagement
and 60 scholarships 147 Faculty Visits**

*Data from FY 05 ** Data from FY 06

Case Portfolio : 169 Cases, 68 Research Projects
Some Emerging Trends:
FY 05 - FY 15
Multigenerational Workplace
The Digital Wave
Rural/Urban Transformation
Inclusive Growth Mantra
Infrastructural Development
Hunger for the Good Life
Citizens, Politics and the Revolving Door
Growing Ambitions for Size and Scale

Leadership Challenges
Exploring Indian Managerial Dilemmas of Global Relevance
Urbanization & Sustainability Leadership
Land Acquisition in India: Public Purpose and Private Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
Property Aadhaar: Indias Unique Identification System
King Abdullah Economic City Design: Vision and Design Narayana Hrudayalaya Heart Hospital: Cardiac Case for
Dharavi Developing Asias Largest Slum (A+B) the Poor (B) + Video Supplement
HN Agri Serve : Growing Prosperity
Public Private Partnership Organization Culture
Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Case The Dabbawala System: On Time Delivery, Every Time
Dharavi Developing Asia s Largest Slum (A+B) Mindtree: A Community of Committee
Bardhaman (A+B): Shrachi and the West Bengal Housing Board Tech Mahindra and the Acquisition of Satyam Computers (A)

Base of Pyramid Human Resources

Teamlease: Putting India to Work (II) Legally Naina Lal Kidwai: Investing in Her Country
Pratham Every Child in School and Learning Well Hindustan Unilever Limited
Intuit Inc: Project AgriNova Accentures War for Talent in India

Globalization Crisis Management

Bharti Airtel in Africa Terror at the Taj Bombay: Customer Centric Leadership
Hollywood in India: Protecting Intellectual Property (A+B) Accounting for Catastrophes: BP PLC and Union Carbide
Can Bollywood go Global? Corporation

Technology Marketing & Branding

I Paid a Bribe (Dot) Com Excel Entertainment
eHealthpoint: Health for Rural India Jaipur Literature Festival Beyond the Festival Template
BMVSS: Changing Lives, One Jaipur Limb at a Time Building Brand Infosys
Strategy
Innovation Indias Amul: Keeping up with the Times Finance & Accounting
Tata Nono The People car (A) Coffee War in India: Caf Coffee Day Takes on Axis Bank
Schneider Electric : Becoming the Global the Global Brands Getit
Specialist in Energy Management Indian Railways: Building a Permanent Legacy? State Bank of India: Transformig a State Owned Giant
Aspada Special Economic Zones in India: Public Blackstones Investment in Internet
Purpose and Private Property (A+B) KGFS: A new approach to rural finance

Note: several of the case studies reflect more than one managerial dilemma
Exploring Diverse Industries
Financial Sector : 19 Agribusiness : 8
Aspada: In Search of the Right Structure for Impact Intuit Inc.: Project AgriNova
Investing Jain Irrigation Systems Limited: Inclusive Growth for
Building a High Performance Culture at IDFC India's Farmers
YES BANK: Mainstreaming Development into Indian Indias Amul : Keeping up with the times
Banking HN Agri Serve : Growing Prosperity

Microfinance : 8 Energy : 4
Equitas Microfinance (B): Response to the Andhra Pradesh Crisis Schneider Electric : Becoming the Global Specialist in
BASIX. Energy Management
Ujjivan: A Microfinance Institution at a Crossroads (A) Accounting for Catastrophes: BP PLC and Union Carbide
KGFS: A new approach to rural finance Corporation (A)
The Suzlon Edge
State Owned Enterprise : 5 Healthcare 13
Aadhaar: Indias Unique Identification System eHealthpoint: Healthcare for Rural India
State Bank of India: Transforming a State Owned Giant Cipla 2011
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.: Driving Change Fortis Healthcare (A)
Through Internal Communication

IT : 19 Infrastructure : 8
Tech Mahindra and the Acquisition of Satyam Computers Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor: India's Road to
(A) Prosperity?
Building Brand Infosys Kumbh Mela: India's Pop-up Mega-City
Microsoft IT India Special Economic Zones in India: Public Purpose and
Private Property
Business Model: Hi-Tech Hi-Touch and Affordable

Health Water Housing

Narayana Hrudayalaya Hindustan Unilever: Mahindra & Mahindra:
Heart Hospital: Cardiac 'Pureit' Water Purifier Affordable Housing
Care for the Poor Sarvajal: Water for All
eHealthpoint:
Healthcare for Rural
India
Documenting Business History
History of India Case Series Baker Library
2003 2013 7
cases - Bharti Group
Part of the Business Connecting to
2005 2014 5
History Initiative. Indian Data sources
cases - Mahindra &
Plans to cover 20 Mahindra & Archives
Indian Business specifically with
Leaders. 2002 2010 11 Doordarshan, Film
Completed 8 cases Tata Group Division and
interviews (dob Bloomberg
2005 - 2012 - 4
1924 onwards)
Cases - Infosys Training librarians in
India
2005 2012 2
Cases - HUL
The Case Method in
Professional Education
Presentation Overview

Objectives of Professional Education

01

02 Choice of Pedagogies

03 Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

04
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Objectives of Professional Education

Knowledge
Transmittal of information, concepts, frameworks,
tools, techniques

Development of capabilities with respect to analysis,

Skills
critical thinking/ judgment, decision-making, execution

Professional Development of values, self-awareness, leadership

Identity capabilities, capacity for on-going learning
Leadership
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Choice of Pedagogies

Lectures Active Writing Assignments, Research

Passive
Readings learning: Projects, Problem Sets, On-line
learning Videos tutorials
individual

Active
Case and Non-case Discussions,
learning: Team projects, Simulations
interactive
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method:
Why? Proponents Assume

Importance of all Additional

three levels of Advantages of advantages of Value of student
learning in active (vs. interactive (vs. experience,
professional passive) learning individual) forms insights
education of active learning
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method:
What?
The Case

Typically, a description Ideally, the case Cases often

of an actual situation presents data (vs. designed to present
associated with the analysis) and requires archetypes,
relevant professional students to evaluate illuminate core
field issues and make principles
decisions
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method:
What? The Method

Case analysis may be

purely discussion - Case instructor
Cases may be assigned based or include
alone or supplemented styles range from
writing assignments, highly directive to
with lectures, readings presentations loosely facilitative

Case Method: How?
HBS Model
Pre-class
Students
Careful individual preparation of
case (and supplemental readings),
guided by assignment questions
Discussions in learning teams
Objectives of Professional Education
Choice of Pedagogies
Case Method
Resources on Case Pedagogy
Pre-class
Instructor
Careful preparation of class content
and process, drawing on teaching
note and teaching group if available
Teaching plan includes learning
objectives, discussion segments
(pastures), question plan, board
plan, opening, closing, student call
list

Case Method: How?
HBS Model
In-class
Students
Role: learner and contributor to
collective learning vs. performer
Active listening and participation
Willing to take risks
Objectives of Professional Education
Choice of Pedagogies
Case Method
Resources on Case Pedagogy
In-class
Instructor
Role: guide vs. facilitator; jazz combo
leader vs. orchestra director
Respectful, yet sets high standards
Encourages student-to-student
exchanges vs. pure Socratic dialogue
(instructor-student)
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method: How? Institutional Features

HBS Model

Admissions

Design Features

Grading (MBA program)

Faculty Development and Incentives

 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method: How? Institutional Features

HBS Model

Admissions

Admissions materials emphasize critical role, features of case pedagogy

Applicants reviewed for interest, aptitude in development as professionals and
leaders
Verbal, written skills in English

Design Features

Grading (MBA program)

Faculty Development and Incentives

 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method: How? Institutional Features

HBS Model

Admissions

Design Features

Physical architecture of classroom

Sections, learning teams, cold calls
Class size: 90 in required courses, 25-100 in elective courses
No teaching assistants, but fewer courses/faculty member

Grading (MBA program)

Faculty Development and Incentives

 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method: How? Institutional Features

HBS Model

Admissions

Design Features

Grading (MBA program)

Class participation: 50% of grade

Fixed curve: 20% Excellent, 70% Satisfactory, 10% Low Pass

Faculty Development and Incentives

 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method: How? Institutional Features

HBS Model

Admissions

Design Features

Grading (MBA program)

Faculty Development and Incentives

Training, support in case pedagogy

Resources for case study development
Incorporation of case writing and teaching assessment into promotion process, in
addition to research
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Case Method: Issues

1 Art vs. craft of case teaching

2 Critiques of case method: theory vs. execution

3 High risk/reward trade-off in case method vs. traditional pedagogy

4 Transferability of HBS model

 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

HBS Cases: Locating HBS Cases

Contact:
Vinay Hebbar,
Managing Director Asia Pacific
Harvard Business Publishing
https://hbr.org/store?cm_sp=Left%20Navigation-
_-HBR%20Store-_-LANDING Email id
vhebbar@harvardbusiness.org

https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/pages/home
 Objectives of Professional Education

Choice of Pedagogies

Case Method

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Resources on Case Pedagogy

Christensen Center Website

www.hbs.edu/teachingandlearningcenter/
Harvard Business School Publishing
www.hbsp.harvard.edu/product/participant-centered-learning