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Effective Decision-Making: A Case Study

Effective decision-making:, leading an organization through timely and impactful action.

Senior leaders at a top New England insurance provider need to develop the skills and behaviors for better, faster decision-making. This virtually delivered program spans four half-day sessions and includes individual assignments, facilitator-led presentations, and simulation decision-making. Over the past two months, this program touched over 100 leaders, providing them with actionable models and frameworks to use back on the job.

For one of New England’s most iconic insurers, senior leaders are challenged to make timely, effective decisions. These leaders face decisions on three levels: ones they translate to their teams, ones they make themselves, and ones they influence. But in a quickly changing, highly regulated market, risk aversion can lead to slow and ineffective decisions. How can senior leaders practice in a safe environment the quick, yet informed, decision-making necessary for the job while simultaneously learning new models and techniques — and without the learning experience burdening their precious time?

The Effective Decision-Making program was artfully designed to immerse senior leaders in 16 hours of hands-on experience, including reflection and feedback activities, applicable exercises, supporting content, and participation in a business simulation to practice the core content of the program. Participants work together in small groups to complete these activities within a limited time frame, replicating the work environment in which these leaders must succeed. Continuous reflection and group discussion around results create real-time learning for leaders. Application exercises then facilitate the simulation experience and their work back on the job. The program employs a variety of learning methodologies, including:

• Individual assignments that incorporate content and frameworks designed to develop effective decision-making skills.
• Guided reflection activities to encourage self-awareness and commitments for action.
• Large group conversations — live discussions focused on peer input around key learning points.
• Small group activities, including virtual role plays designed to build critical interpersonal and leadership skills.
• A dynamic business simulation in which participants are charged with translating, making, and influencing difficult decisions.
• Facilitator-led discussions and presentations.

Learning Objectives

Participants develop and improve skills to:

• Cultivate a leadership mindset that empowers, inspires, and challenges others.
• Translate decisions for stronger team alignment and performance.
• Make better decisions under pressure.
• Influence individuals across the organization.
• Better understand how one’s leadership actions impact business results

Design Highlights

Program agenda.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, this program was delivered virtually. However, this didn't preclude the need to give leaders an opportunity to connect with, and learn from, one another. In response to those needs, Insight Experience developed a fully remote, yet highly interactive, offering delivered over four half-day sessions.

Interactive Virtual Learning Format

Effective Decision-Making was designed to promote both individual and group activities and reflection. Participants access the program via a video-conferencing platform that allows them to work together both in large and small groups. Learning content and group discussions are done as one large group, enabling consistency in learning and opportunities to hear from all participants. The business simulation decision-making and reflection activities are conducted in small groups, allowing teams to develop deeper connections and conversations.

Simulation Overview

Participants assume the role of a General Manager for InfoMaster, a message management provider. Their leadership challenge as the GM is to translate the broader IIC organizational goals into strategy for their business, support that strategy though the development of organizational capabilities and product offerings, manage multiple divisions and stakeholders, and consider their contribution and responsibility to the broader organization of which they are a part. 

Success in the simulation is based on how well teams:

• Understand and translate organizational strategy into goals and plans for their business unit.
• Align organizational initiatives and product development with broader strategies.
• Develop employee capabilities required to execute strategic goals.
• Hold stakeholders accountable to commitments and results.
• Communicate with stakeholders and involve others in plans and decision-making.
• Develop their network and their influence within IIC to help support initiatives for the organization

History and Results

Effective Decision-Making was developed in 2020 as an experience for senior-level leaders. After a successful pilot, the program was then rolled out to two more cohorts in 2021 and 2022. The senior-level leaders who participated in the program then requested we offer the same program to their direct reports. After some small adjustments to make the program more appropriate for director-level leaders, the program was launched in 2022 for approximately 100 directors.

Here is what some participants have said about this program:

• “ One of the better programs we've done here at [our organization]. Pace was very quick but content was excellent and approach made it fun .”
• “ Loved the content and the flow. Very nicely organized and managed. Thank you! ”
• “ Really enjoyed the collaborative nature of the simulation.”
• “ It was wonderful and I felt it is a great opportunity. Learnt and reinforced leadership training and what it would take to be successful.”
• “One of the best I've experienced — especially appreciated how the reality of [our organization] was incorporated and it was with similarly situated peers.”
• “This program was great! It gave good insight into how to enhance my skills as leader by adopting the leadership mindset.”
• “Loved the fast pace, having a sim group that had various backgrounds in the company and seeing the results of our decisions at the corporate level.”
• “Great program — I love the concepts highlighted during these sessions.”

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12 Steps to Create a Business Case Study That Converts

Learn how to make a case study presentation. Know how to write and structure it, and measure its business value. Plus examples & samples.

Dominika Krukowska

10 minute read

Short answer

What are the steps to create a case study.

• Determine a customer use case
• Go over existing clients that meet the use case
• Reach out to the clients that you know are happy with your solution
• Set success criteria or KPIs
• Set measurements
• Set time period for observation
• Conduct post interview to assess results
• Get data from client - or process data you own
• Write case study based on interview and data
• Design case study
• Get client’s approval
• Distribute case study

Most case studies inform rather than engage. They earn yawns rather than trust.

A great product or service is only half the battle; the other half is telling its story effectively.

The problem is most case studies are written to inform instead of telling a story. They are dry as a biscuit in the sun. Throwing numbers and company info at prospects won’t make them care, let alone trust you.

Unfortunately most companies don’t realize they're sitting on a gold mine of compelling narratives - their customer success stories.

Not sharing these tales results in missed opportunities, lower brand credibility, and, ultimately, fewer conversions.

Let me take you on a short guide on how to turn your client victories into captivating business case studies that constantly bring you loyal customers.

Let’s see how to uncover your case study material, how to write irresistible success stories, and how to track their engagement and business impact.

Let’s get started!

How to prepare for creating a case study?

Every customer success story is a marketing powerhouse just waiting for you to unlock its potential.

12 steps for creating impactful case studies:

1. Determine a customer use case

Begin by highlighting a problem that your product or service solved for a customer. This scenario should resonate with potential customers facing similar challenges, ensuring your case study feels relevant and impactful to your target audience.

2. Go over existing clients that meet the use case

Once you've defined the use case, scan your existing client list for a standout example. You're looking for someone who's experienced tangible success with your solution, ideally in a way that's inspiring, unexpected, or dramatic.

3. Reach out to the clients that you know are happy with your solution

When you've found a good match, get in touch. Clients who are genuinely delighted with your service will typically be eager to share their experience, and their enthusiasm can give your case study real authenticity and appeal.

Approaching clients with a request to participate in a case study is not trivial. It requires mutual trust and a good working relationship.

Knowing this full well, our CEO Itai Amoza had this tip to give you:

“Always be grateful to your clients. They are doing you a big favor and you shouldn't take this for granted. Aside from thanking them, offering perks like a discount, a bigger package, or even just exposing their brands to your customers can make them feel you really appreciate they have taken the time to do this with you. "

—Itai Amoza, Storydoc Founder and CEO

4. Set success criteria or KPIs

Before diving into the creation process, define what success looks like. Setting clear KPIs will provide concrete, measurable outcomes to demonstrate the effectiveness of your solution.

5. Set measurements

How will you quantify success? Will it be revenue growth? Customer retention ? Decide on the metrics that best align with your defined KPIs and use case.

6. Set time period for observation

Choose a timeframe that's long enough to demonstrate meaningful results, but not so long that the end of your case study feels disconnected from its start. This period should be relevant to your chosen metrics and reasonable within your industry.

7. Conduct post interview to assess results

Once your observation period is over, interview the client to gather their personal insights and feedback. Their perspective can add depth to your data, providing a richer, more complete picture of their experience.

8. Get data from client - or process data you own

Get relevant data from the client or use your own data to validate your story. Remember, this is not just about showcasing positive numbers, but about demonstrating real, meaningful impact on the client’s business.

9. Write the case study based on interview and data

Create a compelling narrative that weaves together your client’s voice, your data, and your solution. Use clear, relatable language to make your case study accessible and engaging.

10. Design the case study

Pay close attention to visual presentation. Use images, graphs, or infographics to make your data digestible and your narrative visually engaging. A well-made case study design can captivate audiences who might not engage with a text-heavy document.

11. Get client’s approval

Before you distribute your case study, make sure your client is happy with how their story is told. Their approval not only maintains a positive relationship, but also validates the truth of your case study.

12. Distribute the case study

Now it’s time to share your case study! Use platforms like LinkedIn and email to reach potential customers with similar profiles.

If you rely a lot on case studies to oil your sales prospecting cascades, don’t miss out on Storydoc’s case study creator . It lets you make amazing, easily shareable and trackable interactive case studies.

But beyond that it makes your distribution and tracking a breeze by connecting with your CRM and letting you send, track, and personalize your case studies directly from there.

Here's what our Salesforce integration looks like:

How to write an impactful case study

A customer success story is much more than a recital of benefits and features. It's the narrative of a journey a customer embarked upon with your product or service, overcoming challenges, and reaching their goals along the way.

Contrary to popular belief, these narratives aren't always about monetary gains. Surprisingly, a Gartner study found that only 13% of case studies showcased clear return on investment (ROI) figures.

Instead, these narratives capture the value and positive impact your offerings have on customers.

They play a dual role: for prospects , they showcase real-life instances of your solution at work, aiding informed purchasing decisions. For existing customers , they act as testimonials, validating their choice and accelerating their learning curve.

However, crafting an impactful customer success story that resonates with prospects is an art few have mastered. Research by Gartner reveals that over 90% of case studies miss the mark.

4-step guide for writing compelling customer success stories

This short guide is based on Gartner's content framework . You can dig deeper into the ins and outs by reading our full guide on how to write a case study .

1. Take an audience-centric approach

First, identify your target audience. Understand their challenges and desires, then find potent stories that address these issues in an engaging manner.

Use tools like customer reviews, sales team insights, surveys, and industry trends to comprehend your audience's concerns and needs.

2. Have a clear storyline

Your story should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Starting with the customer's problem, then detailing your solution's implementation, and concluding with the positive results achieved.

The spotlight should be on the customer's journey and the value they derived, rather than just your product's features.

Here's our recommended storyline structure:

3. Include relatable elements

Stories that form a personal connection are the most effective. Make your story more relatable by identifying story elements that mirror your prospects' circumstances and demonstrating how your solution can help resolve these issues.

4. Show data-driven results

Use quantifiable metrics like increased sales, improved efficiency, or reduced costs to demonstrate your product's efficacy. Comparing these results with industry standards can further emphasize your product's impact.

Including such data in your customer success stories can significantly reinforce your offering's credibility.

Tips and best practices for creating a case study

Crafting an effective business case study requires more than just laying out the facts. It's about strategically weaving together your narrative to engage, convince, and convert your audience.

Below are some tips and best practices to guide you in creating a business case study.

1. Start with a strong hook

Just like the opening scene of a blockbuster movie, your business case study should begin with a strong hook to instantly capture your audience’s attention.

This could be a compelling quote from the client, a surprising statistic, or a provocative question related to the problem you’re addressing.

Here's an example of an intro slide:

2. Use visuals to support your content

An image can save the need to say a thousand words. Use graphs, charts, infographics, or photographs to supplement your text and bring more clarity with less words.

This not only makes your customer success story more engaging but also makes it easier for readers to quickly grasp the key points.

3. Provide an interactive experience

Making your case study interactive will increase its engagement. Consider embedding interactive elements such as videos, calculators, or clickable tabs to enrich the reader's experience.

All this is easily available to you when creating a case study with Storydoc.

Here are some examples of interactive components you can use:

4. Make it easy for readers to share your case studies

In the age of digital content, sharing should be as effortless as a click. And this is where Storydoc shines. Unlike static downloadable docs, Storydoc allows your readers to easily share your case studies using social buttons and an email form.

Making this process as simple and hassle-free as possible increases the possibility of your case studies getting shared with the world.

Here's a short guide on how to share your presentations with Storydoc:

5. Deliver critical messages directly from clients

Include quotes from the client that highlight the benefits and impact of your solution. Authentic testimonials can significantly enhance your case study's credibility and persuasive power.

Here’s an example I like of a testimonial slide:

6. Be fanatical about clear and concise writing

Avoid industry jargon and keep your language simple and straightforward. The aim is to communicate your customer success story clearly and concisely, making it easy to understand and follow by all readers, regardless of their background.

7. Include a Call to Action (CTA)

Lastly, always include a CTA at the end of your business case study.

This could prompt the reader to contact your sales team, learn more about your product, download a free trial, or any other action that progresses them through your sales funnel.

Here’s how one of our clients added a calendar to book a meeting as their CTA:

How to measure case study business value?

Creating a compelling case study is just half of the equation. To truly harness its power, it's crucial to track and measure its performance effectively.

But if you’re using PDFs or PowerPoints for your case studies you’re flying blind. And if you house your case studies on your website you need to set up custom events on Google Analytics 4 or another third party tracking tool.

If you want out-of-the-box tracking and analytics you have Storydoc. You get practical and timely insights into your case study engagement and conversion from the first second it’s published.

Simply send your decks and Storydoc will track every touchpoint , filling your analytics dashboard with real-time customer data.

Here's some of the tracking you get:

1. Engagement metrics

These reveal how users are interacting with your case study. Key metrics include the number of views, time spent on the page, scroll depth, reading completion, and interactions with interactive elements.

High engagement indicates that your customer success story is resonating with your audience.

2. Conversion metrics

Your case study should have a clear call-to-action (CTA), such as booking a demo, signing up, or downloading a resource.

The number of users who take this action is your conversion rate. A high conversion rate suggests that your case study is persuasive and compelling enough to drive action.

3. Lead generation

If your case study is gated (i.e., requires users to fill out a form to access), you can track how many leads it generates. The quality of these leads—how well they align with your target audience—is equally, if not more, important.

Check out this demo of Storydoc analytics dashboard:

How to design a business case study?

Your case study design is an integral part of the narrative , and a powerful tool that can either underscore your findings or undermine them. As such, it requires careful consideration and strategic decision-making.

Here are 3 common case study design approaches:

1) Design for a website

Creating a case study directly on your website? Now that's an exciting prospect.

Imagine bringing your case study to life with interactive features, painting vivid stories with data visualization tools, and creating an immersive experience for your audience. The sky's the limit with what you can do.

But here's the problem: it's no walk in the park. This approach needs you to roll up your sleeves and manage this project. It will involve your product marketing team, design team, and developers. No way around it.

It’s like guiding a delivery truck to your destination through confusing alleyways. You know how to get there, but telling it to someone else on the phone and on a tight schedule makes it super frustrating.

2) Design for PDFs

PDFs is a common way to design and distribute case studies. They allow you a free canvas for arranging your content according to your exact vision. But there's a catch…

PDFs offer a horrible reading experience. They were originally meant for print so they were built for one fixed (an A4 paper). That’s not how people consume content in the digital age.

Sure you get full control over visuals and typography, but your audience will hate it. They will struggle to read it on their computer. And on their phone? No way.

Bad content experience is the reason we built Storydoc. So don’t kill engagement with PDF case studies. There’s a better way.

3) Design with Storydoc

Storydoc is an intuitive drag-and-drop case study designer tool powered by AI. You’ll turn hours of design into minutes with smart slides and templates built based on what works in the real world and guided by AI.

You won't need to fuss over code or design intricacies; instead, you can focus on what truly matters - the content of your case study.

It’s a simple and magical way to design captivating content with a powerful narrative at its heart.

You don’t just want your case study to inform, do you? You want it to engage, build trust, and convert prospects to clients. That’s what Storydoc does for you.

Grab a case study template

Starting a business case study from scratch can be daunting, like staring at a blank canvas waiting for inspiration to strike.

But, you can bypass the initial jitters by simply using case study templates .

These templates have been designed for engagement based on real-world insights from over 100K presentation sessions and tried-and-tested for any device. They also come with built-in tracking and analytics.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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BigData oriented to business decision making: a real case study in constructel

• S.I. : WorldCIST’20
• Published: 04 May 2021
• Volume 28 , pages 271–291, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

• Anthony Martins 1 ,
• Maryam Abbasi 2 ,
• Pedro Martins 1 &
• Filipe Sá 1  

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3 Citations

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Analyze and understand how to combine data warehouse with business intelligence tools, and other useful information or tools to visualize KPIs are critical factors in achieving the goal of raising competencies and business results of an organization The main objective of this paper is to present the development of a BI platform, using DW tools to create graphs and detailed reports for the Constructel company. The development of this work was thought and developed in stages, starting with the analysis of the theme, analyzing the literature review to support the case study; used tools; requirements gathering; architectural design; and ending with the development and implementation of a platform with dashboards and reports for the organization’s management. With the availability of this platform, it is intended that business managers will be able to identify solutions and anomalies in a more insightful and faster way, thus allowing to improve productivity and business quality, without neglecting the satisfaction of the organization’ internal employees, greater flexibility and availability so that managers can deal with other situations that are more technical and linked to the business itself.

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Acknowledgements

“This work is funded by National Funds through the FCT Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, within the scope of the project Ref UIDB/05583/2020. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Research Centre in Digital Services (CISeD), the Polytechnic of Viseu for their support.”

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Anthony Martins, Pedro Martins & Filipe Sá

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Maryam Abbasi

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Correspondence to Filipe Sá .

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Martins, A., Abbasi, M., Martins, P. et al. BigData oriented to business decision making: a real case study in constructel. Comput Math Organ Theory 28 , 271–291 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10588-021-09330-3

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Accepted : 20 April 2021

Published : 04 May 2021

Issue Date : September 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10588-021-09330-3

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The teaching business case studies available here are narratives that facilitate class discussion about a particular business or management issue. Teaching cases are meant to spur debate among students rather than promote a particular point of view or steer students in a specific direction.  Some of the case studies in this collection highlight the decision-making process in a business or management setting. Other cases are descriptive or demonstrative in nature, showcasing something that has happened or is happening in a particular business or management environment. Whether decision-based or demonstrative, case studies give students the chance to be in the shoes of a protagonist. With the help of context and detailed data, students can analyze what they would and would not do in a particular situation, why, and how.

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Business Case Studies

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Free Case Studies from the Internet

• Citing Sources
• Case Studies from the New York Times These case studies offer readers the opportunity to think along with a small-business owner who has confronted an interesting challenge. In each article, you can watch the owner assess his or her options and then make a decision -- and then you can click on the related blog post to see how other owners analyze the situation. You can also join the discussion and leave your own comments.
• MIT Sloan School of Management/Learning Edge Case Studies Some of the case studies featured highlight the decision-making process in a business or management setting. Other cases are descriptive or demonstrative in nature, showcasing something that has happened or is happening in a particular business or management environment. Whether decision based or demonstrative, teaching cases give students the chance to be in the shoes of a protagonist. With the help of context and detailed data, students can analyze what they would and would not do in a particular situation, why, and how.
• Free Cases from the Case Centre As part of The Case Centre’s commitment to promoting the case method and supporting case teachers, we offer a growing range of free cases produced by a number of prominent schools and organisations across the globe. You must register to access cases.
• Free Business Case Studies from the UK List of free case studies from Business Case Studies organised by Topic. Choose your sub topic by clicking the arrowed links below your selected business studies topic heading.
• Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics During the period 1987-94 Arthur Andersen funded a $5 million joint project with 525 universities to raise awareness of ethical issues in business. This collection of 90 case studies is one product of that effort.
• Acadia Institute of Case Studies The Acadia Institute of Case Studies (AICS) has developed a series of case studies that can help prepare the entrepreneur and would-be entrepreneur for the realities facing the small business operator. These case studies are intended to help students learn problem-solving and decision-making skills, sometimes under complex and difficult circumstances.
• Free Cases from the Ivey School at University of Western Ontario Ivey is renowned for its Case-Method of Learning and is a top publisher of business cases worldwide (second only to Harvard).
• Free Cases from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Find case studies and scenarios on a variety of fields in applied ethics.
• Highlight Cases/Case Studies: Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at U. New Mexico Online library of "simple, straightforward business cases focused on principle-based ethics."
• Oikos International Cases Currently consists of over 80 peer-reviewed cases on sustainability in management and entrepreneurship.
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development Case Studies WBCSD is a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world.
• Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership Free Case Studies (CLEO) from Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations The CLEO Collection of Free Case Studies of employee owned companies. Discover and use these full-text downloadable case studies in your courses and scholarship. Case studies facilitate classroom discussion and enable students to grapple with real-world scenarios.
• Merlot-Free Business Cases This is a collection of free cases in a wide variety of business disciplines. The MERLOT system provides access to curated online learning and support materials and content creation tools, led by an international community of educators, learners and researchers.
• Ethics Unwrapped from U. of Texas Ethics Unwrapped is a free educational program that combines the latest ethics research with top experts and creative zing to make learning easy, memorable, and fun. This accessible, research-based resource is used around the world by more than 1,700 colleges and universities, in hundreds of businesses and organizations, and by tens of thousands of ethics learners.
• Enduring Legacies Native Cases The Enduring Legacies Native Cases Initiative develops culturally relevant curriculum and teaching resources in the form of case studies on key issues in Indian Country.
• Portland State University: Social Innovation & Social Entrepreneurship A collection of award-winning cases on social entrepreneurship and sustainability written by Portland State University faculty, staff, and students. Email Jacen Greene ([email protected]) for teaching notes or questions on usage. Many of these cases are available to use for free in educational settings.
• Free Cases from INSEAD Publishing INSEAD.edu is one of the leading universities in the world in the field of business and management. The link is to 90 free cases.
• The Ethical Leadership Case Study Collection from U. of Toronto The Ted Rogers Leadership Centre’s Case Collection, developed in collaboration with experienced teaching faculty, seasoned executives, and alumni, provides instructors with real-life decision-making scenarios to help hone students’ critical-thinking skills and their understanding of what good leaders do.

Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2021

Two cases about Hertz claimed top spots in 2021's Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies

Two cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz claimed top spots in the CRDT’s (Case Research and Development Team) 2021 top 40 review of cases.

Hertz (A) took the top spot. The case details the financial structure of the rental car company through the end of 2019. Hertz (B), which ranked third in CRDT’s list, describes the company’s struggles during the early part of the COVID pandemic and its eventual need to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

The success of the Hertz cases was unprecedented for the top 40 list. Usually, cases take a number of years to gain popularity, but the Hertz cases claimed top spots in their first year of release. Hertz (A) also became the first ‘cooked’ case to top the annual review, as all of the other winners had been web-based ‘raw’ cases.

Besides introducing students to the complicated financing required to maintain an enormous fleet of cars, the Hertz cases also expanded the diversity of case protagonists. Kathyrn Marinello was the CEO of Hertz during this period and the CFO, Jamere Jackson is black.

Sandwiched between the two Hertz cases, Coffee 2016, a perennial best seller, finished second. “Glory, Glory, Man United!” a case about an English football team’s IPO made a surprise move to number four.  Cases on search fund boards, the future of malls,  Norway’s Sovereign Wealth fund, Prodigy Finance, the Mayo Clinic, and Cadbury rounded out the top ten.

Other year-end data for 2021 showed:

• Online “raw” case usage remained steady as compared to 2020 with over 35K users from 170 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacting with 196 cases.
• Fifty four percent of raw case users came from outside the U.S..
• The Yale School of Management (SOM) case study directory pages received over 160K page views from 177 countries with approximately a third originating in India followed by the U.S. and the Philippines.
• Twenty-six of the cases in the list are raw cases.
• A third of the cases feature a woman protagonist.
• Orders for Yale SOM case studies increased by almost 50% compared to 2020.
• The top 40 cases were supervised by 19 different Yale SOM faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

CRDT compiled the Top 40 list by combining data from its case store, Google Analytics, and other measures of interest and adoption.

All of this year’s Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases studies of 2021 are:

1.   Hertz Global Holdings (A): Uses of Debt and Equity

2.   Coffee 2016

3.   Hertz Global Holdings (B): Uses of Debt and Equity 2020

4.   Glory, Glory Man United!

5.   Search Fund Company Boards: How CEOs Can Build Boards to Help Them Thrive

6.   The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

7.   Strategy for Norway's Pension Fund Global

8.   Prodigy Finance

9.   Design at Mayo

10. Cadbury

11. City Hospital Emergency Room

13. Volkswagen

14. Marina Bay Sands

15. Shake Shack IPO

16. Mastercard

17. Netflix

18. Ant Financial

19. AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

20. IBM Corporate Service Corps

21. Business Leadership in South Africa's 1994 Reforms

22. Alternative Meat Industry

23. Children's Premier

24. Khalil Tawil and Umi (A)

25. Palm Oil 2016

26. Teach For All: Designing a Global Network

27. What's Next? Search Fund Entrepreneurs Reflect on Life After Exit

28. Searching for a Search Fund Structure: A Student Takes a Tour of Various Options

30. Project Sammaan

31. Commonfund ESG

32. Polaroid

33. Connecticut Green Bank 2018: After the Raid

34. FieldFresh Foods

35. The Alibaba Group

36. 360 State Street: Real Options

37. Herman Miller

38. AgBiome

39. Nathan Cummings Foundation

40. Toyota 2010

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5 Benefits of Learning Through the Case Study Method

• 28 Nov 2023

While several factors make HBS Online unique —including a global Community and real-world outcomes —active learning through the case study method rises to the top.

In a 2023 City Square Associates survey, 74 percent of HBS Online learners who also took a course from another provider said HBS Online’s case method and real-world examples were better by comparison.

Here’s a primer on the case method, five benefits you could gain, and how to experience it for yourself.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is the Harvard Business School Case Study Method?

The case study method , or case method , is a learning technique in which you’re presented with a real-world business challenge and asked how you’d solve it. After working through it yourself and with peers, you’re told how the scenario played out.

HBS pioneered the case method in 1922. Shortly before, in 1921, the first case was written.

“How do you go into an ambiguous situation and get to the bottom of it?” says HBS Professor Jan Rivkin, former senior associate dean and chair of HBS's master of business administration (MBA) program, in a video about the case method . “That skill—the skill of figuring out a course of inquiry to choose a course of action—that skill is as relevant today as it was in 1921.”

Originally developed for the in-person MBA classroom, HBS Online adapted the case method into an engaging, interactive online learning experience in 2014.

In HBS Online courses , you learn about each case from the business professional who experienced it. After reviewing their videos, you’re prompted to take their perspective and explain how you’d handle their situation.

You then get to read peers’ responses, “star” them, and comment to further the discussion. Afterward, you learn how the professional handled it and their key takeaways.

HBS Online’s adaptation of the case method incorporates the famed HBS “cold call,” in which you’re called on at random to make a decision without time to prepare.

“Learning came to life!” said Sheneka Balogun , chief administration officer and chief of staff at LeMoyne-Owen College, of her experience taking the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program . “The videos from the professors, the interactive cold calls where you were randomly selected to participate, and the case studies that enhanced and often captured the essence of objectives and learning goals were all embedded in each module. This made learning fun, engaging, and student-friendly.”

If you’re considering taking a course that leverages the case study method, here are five benefits you could experience.

5 Benefits of Learning Through Case Studies

1. take new perspectives.

The case method prompts you to consider a scenario from another person’s perspective. To work through the situation and come up with a solution, you must consider their circumstances, limitations, risk tolerance, stakeholders, resources, and potential consequences to assess how to respond.

Taking on new perspectives not only can help you navigate your own challenges but also others’. Putting yourself in someone else’s situation to understand their motivations and needs can go a long way when collaborating with stakeholders.

2. Hone Your Decision-Making Skills

Another skill you can build is the ability to make decisions effectively . The case study method forces you to use limited information to decide how to handle a problem—just like in the real world.

Throughout your career, you’ll need to make difficult decisions with incomplete or imperfect information—and sometimes, you won’t feel qualified to do so. Learning through the case method allows you to practice this skill in a low-stakes environment. When facing a real challenge, you’ll be better prepared to think quickly, collaborate with others, and present and defend your solution.

3. Become More Open-Minded

As you collaborate with peers on responses, it becomes clear that not everyone solves problems the same way. Exposing yourself to various approaches and perspectives can help you become a more open-minded professional.

When you’re part of a diverse group of learners from around the world, your experiences, cultures, and backgrounds contribute to a range of opinions on each case.

On the HBS Online course platform, you’re prompted to view and comment on others’ responses, and discussion is encouraged. This practice of considering others’ perspectives can make you more receptive in your career.

“You’d be surprised at how much you can learn from your peers,” said Ratnaditya Jonnalagadda , a software engineer who took CORe.

In addition to interacting with peers in the course platform, Jonnalagadda was part of the HBS Online Community , where he networked with other professionals and continued discussions sparked by course content.

“You get to understand your peers better, and students share examples of businesses implementing a concept from a module you just learned,” Jonnalagadda said. “It’s a very good way to cement the concepts in one's mind.”

4. Enhance Your Curiosity

One byproduct of taking on different perspectives is that it enables you to picture yourself in various roles, industries, and business functions.

“Each case offers an opportunity for students to see what resonates with them, what excites them, what bores them, which role they could imagine inhabiting in their careers,” says former HBS Dean Nitin Nohria in the Harvard Business Review . “Cases stimulate curiosity about the range of opportunities in the world and the many ways that students can make a difference as leaders.”

Through the case method, you can “try on” roles you may not have considered and feel more prepared to change or advance your career .

5. Build Your Self-Confidence

Finally, learning through the case study method can build your confidence. Each time you assume a business leader’s perspective, aim to solve a new challenge, and express and defend your opinions and decisions to peers, you prepare to do the same in your career.

According to a 2022 City Square Associates survey , 84 percent of HBS Online learners report feeling more confident making business decisions after taking a course.

“Self-confidence is difficult to teach or coach, but the case study method seems to instill it in people,” Nohria says in the Harvard Business Review . “There may well be other ways of learning these meta-skills, such as the repeated experience gained through practice or guidance from a gifted coach. However, under the direction of a masterful teacher, the case method can engage students and help them develop powerful meta-skills like no other form of teaching.”

How to Experience the Case Study Method

If the case method seems like a good fit for your learning style, experience it for yourself by taking an HBS Online course. Offerings span seven subject areas, including:

• Business essentials
• Leadership and management
• Entrepreneurship and innovation
• Finance and accounting
• Business in society

No matter which course or credential program you choose, you’ll examine case studies from real business professionals, work through their challenges alongside peers, and gain valuable insights to apply to your career.

Are you interested in discovering how HBS Online can help advance your career? Explore our course catalog and download our free guide —complete with interactive workbook sections—to determine if online learning is right for you and which course to take.

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Decision-Making Exercise (A)

By: David A. Garvin, Michael A. Roberto

Provides questionnaires so students can compare their experiences with different decison-making processes. Students read "Growing Pains," a Harvard Business Review (HBR) case study, and then work in…

• Length: 5 page(s)
• Publication Date: Aug 16, 1996
• Discipline: General Management
• Product #: 397031-PDF-ENG

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Provides questionnaires so students can compare their experiences with different decison-making processes. Students read "Growing Pains," a Harvard Business Review (HBR) case study, and then work in teams to come up with recommendations using a consensus approach to decison making. The next day using Decision-Making Exercise (B) and (C) and "Case of the Unhealthy Hospital," another HBR case study, and working in the same teams, use either a dialectical inquiry or devil's advocacy approach to decision making.

Learning Objectives

To introduce students to different types of decision-making processes, approaches to conflict, and ways that general managers can effectively direct and shape decision making.

Aug 16, 1996 (Revised: Feb 23, 2000)

Discipline:

General Management

Harvard Business School

397031-PDF-ENG

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What the Case Study Method Really Teaches

• Nitin Nohria

Seven meta-skills that stick even if the cases fade from memory.

It’s been 100 years since Harvard Business School began using the case study method. Beyond teaching specific subject matter, the case study method excels in instilling meta-skills in students. This article explains the importance of seven such skills: preparation, discernment, bias recognition, judgement, collaboration, curiosity, and self-confidence.

During my decade as dean of Harvard Business School, I spent hundreds of hours talking with our alumni. To enliven these conversations, I relied on a favorite question: “What was the most important thing you learned from your time in our MBA program?”

• Nitin Nohria is the George F. Baker Jr. Professor at Harvard Business School and the former dean of HBS.

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• Business Ethics Cases
• Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
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• Business Ethics
• Business Ethics Resources

Find ethics case studies on bribery, sourcing, intellectual property, downsizing, and other topics in business ethics, corporate governance, and ethical leadership. (For permission to reprint articles, submit requests to [email protected] .)

In this business ethics case study, Swedish multinational company IKEA faced accusations relating to child labor abuses in the rug industry in Pakistan which posed a serious challenge for the company and its supply chain management goals.

A dog may be humanity’s best friend. But that may not always be the case in the workplace.

A recent college graduate works in the finance and analytics department of a large publicly traded software company and discovers an alarming discrepancy in sales records, raising concerns about the company’s commitment to truthful reporting to investors. 

What responsibility does an employee have when information they obtained in confidence from a coworker friend may be in conflict with the needs of the company or raises legal and ethical questions.

A manager at a prominent multinational company is ethically challenged by a thin line between opportunity for economic expansion in a deeply underserved community, awareness of child labor practices, and cultural relativism.

A volunteer providing service in the Dominican Republic discovered that the non-profit he had partnered with was exchanging his donor money on the black market, prompting him to navigate a series of complex decisions with significant ethical implications.

The CFO of a family business faces difficult decisions about how to proceed when the COVID-19 pandemic changes the business revenue models, and one family shareholder wants a full buyout.

An employee at an after-school learning institution must balance a decision to accept or decline an offered gift, while considering the cultural norms of the client, upholding the best interests of all stakeholders, and following the operational rules of his employer. 

A senior vice president for a Fortune 500 savings and loan company is tasked with the crucial responsibility of representing the buyer in a multi-million dollar loan purchase deal and faces several ethical challenges from his counterpart representing the seller.

Extensive teaching note based on interviews with Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz. The teaching note can be used to explore issues around whistleblowing, leadership, the blocks to ethical behavior inside organizations, and board governance.

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McCombs School of Business

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Case Studies

More than 70 cases pair ethics concepts with real world situations. From journalism, performing arts, and scientific research to sports, law, and business, these case studies explore current and historic ethical dilemmas, their motivating biases, and their consequences. Each case includes discussion questions, related videos, and a bibliography.

A Million Little Pieces

James Frey’s popular memoir stirred controversy and media attention after it was revealed to contain numerous exaggerations and fabrications.

Abramoff: Lobbying Congress

Super-lobbyist Abramoff was caught in a scheme to lobby against his own clients. Was a corrupt individual or a corrupt system – or both – to blame?

Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices

Is tech company Apple, Inc. ethically obligated to oversee the questionable working conditions of other companies further down their supply chain?

Approaching the Presidency: Roosevelt & Taft

Some presidents view their responsibilities in strictly legal terms, others according to duty. Roosevelt and Taft took two extreme approaches.

Appropriating “Hope”

Fairey’s portrait of Barack Obama raised debate over the extent to which an artist can use and modify another’s artistic work, yet still call it one’s own.

Arctic Offshore Drilling

Competing groups frame the debate over oil drilling off Alaska’s coast in varying ways depending on their environmental and economic interests.

Banning Burkas: Freedom or Discrimination?

The French law banning women from wearing burkas in public sparked debate about discrimination and freedom of religion.

Birthing Vaccine Skepticism

Wakefield published an article riddled with inaccuracies and conflicts of interest that created significant vaccine hesitancy regarding the MMR vaccine.

Blurred Lines of Copyright

Marvin Gaye’s Estate won a lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for the hit song “Blurred Lines,” which had a similar feel to one of his songs.

Bullfighting: Art or Not?

Bullfighting has been a prominent cultural and artistic event for centuries, but in recent decades it has faced increasing criticism for animal rights’ abuse.

Buying Green: Consumer Behavior

Do purchasing green products, such as organic foods and electric cars, give consumers the moral license to indulge in unethical behavior?

Cadavers in Car Safety Research

Engineers at Heidelberg University insist that the use of human cadavers in car safety research is ethical because their research can save lives.

Cardinals’ Computer Hacking

St. Louis Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa hacked into the Houston Astros’ webmail system, leading to legal repercussions and a lifetime ban from MLB.

Cheating: Atlanta’s School Scandal

Teachers and administrators at Parks Middle School adjust struggling students’ test scores in an effort to save their school from closure.

Cheating: Sign-Stealing in MLB

The Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme rocked the baseball world, leading to a game-changing MLB investigation and fallout.

Cheating: UNC’s Academic Fraud

UNC’s academic fraud scandal uncovered an 18-year scheme of unchecked coursework and fraudulent classes that enabled student-athletes to play sports.

Cheney v. U.S. District Court

A controversial case focuses on Justice Scalia’s personal friendship with Vice President Cheney and the possible conflict of interest it poses to the case.

Christina Fallin: “Appropriate Culturation?”

After Fallin posted a picture of herself wearing a Plain’s headdress on social media, uproar emerged over cultural appropriation and Fallin’s intentions.

Climate Change & the Paris Deal

While climate change poses many abstract problems, the actions (or inactions) of today’s populations will have tangible effects on future generations.

Cover-Up on Campus

While the Baylor University football team was winning on the field, university officials failed to take action when allegations of sexual assault by student athletes emerged.

Covering Female Athletes

Sports Illustrated stirs controversy when their cover photo of an Olympic skier seems to focus more on her physical appearance than her athletic abilities.

Covering Yourself? Journalists and the Bowl Championship

Can news outlets covering the Bowl Championship Series fairly report sports news if their own polls were used to create the news?

Cyber Harassment

After a student defames a middle school teacher on social media, the teacher confronts the student in class and posts a video of the confrontation online.

Defending Freedom of Tweets?

Running back Rashard Mendenhall receives backlash from fans after criticizing the celebration of the assassination of Osama Bin Laden in a tweet.

Dennis Kozlowski: Living Large

Dennis Kozlowski was an effective leader for Tyco in his first few years as CEO, but eventually faced criminal charges over his use of company assets.

Digital Downloads

File-sharing program Napster sparked debate over the legal and ethical dimensions of downloading unauthorized copies of copyrighted music.

Dr. V’s Magical Putter

Journalist Caleb Hannan outed Dr. V as a trans woman, sparking debate over the ethics of Hannan’s reporting, as well its role in Dr. V’s suicide.

East Germany’s Doping Machine

From 1968 to the late 1980s, East Germany (GDR) doped some 9,000 athletes to gain success in international athletic competitions despite being aware of the unfortunate side effects.

Ebola & American Intervention

Did the dispatch of U.S. military units to Liberia to aid in humanitarian relief during the Ebola epidemic help or hinder the process?

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?

Was Edward Snowden’s release of confidential government documents ethically justifiable?

Ethical Pitfalls in Action

Why do good people do bad things? Behavioral ethics is the science of moral decision-making, which explores why and how people make the ethical (and unethical) decisions that they do.

Ethical Use of Home DNA Testing

The rising popularity of at-home DNA testing kits raises questions about privacy and consumer rights.

Flying the Confederate Flag

A heated debate ensues over whether or not the Confederate flag should be removed from the South Carolina State House grounds.

Freedom of Speech on Campus

In the wake of racially motivated offenses, student protests sparked debate over the roles of free speech, deliberation, and tolerance on campus.

Freedom vs. Duty in Clinical Social Work

What should social workers do when their personal values come in conflict with the clients they are meant to serve?

Full Disclosure: Manipulating Donors

When an intern witnesses a donor making a large gift to a non-profit organization under misleading circumstances, she struggles with what to do.

Gaming the System: The VA Scandal

The Veterans Administration’s incentives were meant to spur more efficient and productive healthcare, but not all administrators complied as intended.

German Police Battalion 101

During the Holocaust, ordinary Germans became willing killers even though they could have opted out from murdering their Jewish neighbors.

Head Injuries & American Football

Many studies have linked traumatic brain injuries and related conditions to American football, creating controversy around the safety of the sport.

Head Injuries & the NFL

American football is a rough and dangerous game and its impact on the players’ brain health has sparked a hotly contested debate.

Healthcare Obligations: Personal vs. Institutional

A medical doctor must make a difficult decision when informing patients of the effectiveness of flu shots while upholding institutional recommendations.

High Stakes Testing

In the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, parents, teachers, and school administrators take different positions on how to assess student achievement.

In-FUR-mercials: Advertising & Adoption

When the Lied Animal Shelter faces a spike in animal intake, an advertising agency uses its moral imagination to increase pet adoptions.

Krogh & the Watergate Scandal

Egil Krogh was a young lawyer working for the Nixon Administration whose ethics faded from view when asked to play a part in the Watergate break-in.

Limbaugh on Drug Addiction

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh argued that drug abuse was a choice, not a disease. He later became addicted to painkillers.

U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte’s “over-exaggeration” of an incident at the 2016 Rio Olympics led to very real consequences.

Meet Me at Starbucks

Two black men were arrested after an employee called the police on them, prompting Starbucks to implement “racial-bias” training across all its stores.

Myanmar Amber

Buying amber could potentially fund an ethnic civil war, but refraining allows collectors to acquire important specimens that could be used for research.

Negotiating Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy lawyer Gellene successfully represented a mining company during a major reorganization, but failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Pao & Gender Bias

Ellen Pao stirred debate in the venture capital and tech industries when she filed a lawsuit against her employer on grounds of gender discrimination.

Pardoning Nixon

One month after Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency, Gerald Ford made the controversial decision to issue Nixon a full pardon.

Patient Autonomy & Informed Consent

Nursing staff and family members struggle with informed consent when taking care of a patient who has been deemed legally incompetent.

Prenatal Diagnosis & Parental Choice

Debate has emerged over the ethics of prenatal diagnosis and reproductive freedom in instances where testing has revealed genetic abnormalities.

Reporting on Robin Williams

After Robin Williams took his own life, news media covered the story in great detail, leading many to argue that such reporting violated the family’s privacy.

Responding to Child Migration

An influx of children migrants posed logistical and ethical dilemmas for U.S. authorities while intensifying ongoing debate about immigration.

Retracting Research: The Case of Chandok v. Klessig

A researcher makes the difficult decision to retract a published, peer-reviewed article after the original research results cannot be reproduced.

Sacking Social Media in College Sports

In the wake of questionable social media use by college athletes, the head coach at University of South Carolina bans his players from using Twitter.

Selling Enron

Following the deregulation of electricity markets in California, private energy company Enron profited greatly, but at a dire cost.

Snyder v. Phelps

Freedom of speech was put on trial in a case involving the Westboro Baptist Church and their protesting at the funeral of U.S. Marine Matthew Snyder.

Something Fishy at the Paralympics

Rampant cheating has plagued the Paralympics over the years, compromising the credibility and sportsmanship of Paralympian athletes.

Sports Blogs: The Wild West of Sports Journalism?

Deadspin pays an anonymous source for information related to NFL star Brett Favre, sparking debate over the ethics of “checkbook journalism.”

Stangl & the Holocaust

Franz Stangl was the most effective Nazi administrator in Poland, killing nearly one million Jews at Treblinka, but he claimed he was simply following orders.

Teaching Blackface: A Lesson on Stereotypes

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Wells Fargo and Moral Emotions

In a settlement with regulators, Wells Fargo Bank admitted that it had created as many as two million accounts for customers without their permission.

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Banking & Capital Markets

The bank of the future will integrate disruptive technologies with an ecosystem of partners to transform their business and achieve growth.

Disruption is creating opportunities and challenges for global banks. While the risk and regulatory protection agenda remains a major focus, banks must also address financial performance and heightened customer and investor expectations, as they reshape and optimize operational and business models to deliver sustainable returns. Innovation and business-led transformation will be critical for future growth. To remain competitive and relevant, every bank must embrace disruption and strategically build a better ecosystem — not a bigger bank.

Our worldwide team of industry-focused assurance, tax, transaction and consulting professionals integrates sector knowledge and technical experience. We work with clients to navigate digital innovation, new business models and ecosystem partnerships, helping banks become the nimble, responsive organizations that customers demand.

Five priorities for harnessing the power of GenAI in banking</p> "> Five priorities for harnessing the power of GenAI in banking

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The Banking & Capital Markets team

Enjoys traveling with family, and coaching his daughters’ basketball and soccer teams. Enjoys running and playing basketball and golf.

Lee Ann Lednik

People-focused leader committed to building trust and transparency amid increasing complexity. Passionate working mom of three. Aspiring photographer. Avid sports fan.

David Kadio-Morokro

Passionate about technology, innovation, and leading EY people to solve clients’ most challenging problems.

Heidi Boyle

Passionate about helping people thrive in the workplace and creating a sense of belonging for all. Writer. Musician. Cooking enthusiast.

Seasoned financial services professional. Resides in Massachusetts with her husband and three children.

Kellen Maia de Sá

Collaborator and problem-solver with the desire to do the right thing. Leads efforts to help financial services clients with the disruption and impact of COVID-19.

Terry Cardew

Builds trust by helping banks solve business issues and stay competitive. Devoted husband. Father of six. Avid skier. NY Giants and Yankees fan. Supporter of The Fresh Air Fund and Lynne’s Kids.

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