Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Each paper must be no longer than 15 pages - not including the title, table of contents, executive summary, references, and appendices pages. All papers must be done using a word processor. All papers must be double spaced, have one-inch margins, and use 12-point Times New Roman font. All papers must be properly referenced using APA style.
You must define the present problem, generate possible courses of action; complete a detailed analysis, develop decision criteria and matrix; make a decision or recommendation, including a plan of action that you believe will lead to a satisfactory outcome, and justify your choices through references to theory and practice. More information regarding how to analyze and present a Case will be discussed at length in-class.

There are a number of methods useful in analyzing and writing a case study. The following is based on the case analysis template, which will be distributed in class, and it should be noted that this is just one suggested method. Consider the following questions and tasks:
Ø    Who or what is the case going to focus on? Describe the person(s) and organization. What key information do you need to provide?
Ø    What appears to be the central issue, task or problem that currently needs to be addressed?
Ø    Why has the issue or concern arisen and what degree of impact might it have?
Ø    When does the organization or leader have to make a decision?
Ø    How does the focus of your case study fit within the course framework?  To what theoretical concepts, technology, or practical examples does it relate? 

Direct quotations from any source -- print or electronic -- should not comprise more than 2% of the text of your paper and must be properly referenced. Cutting and pasting without attribution is academically dishonest and is plagiarism and can result in you failing both the paper and the course. All papers will be run through Grammarly to check both the grammar and plagiarism thus I would encourage you also run your paper through Grammarly prior to submitting it so that you can address any necessary change a-priori.

The paper should consider the following -- but is not limited to -- the following elements: (Note: This is simply a list of potential ideas to motivate your thinking and it is not a fixed outline or list of questions to be answered directly!).
Ø    Who are you – what role have you assumed in the case?
Ø    If relevant and/or necessary (but only if relevant and/or necessary) briefly introduce and describe the organization, its history of operations and business outcomes over identified periods of its existence. Depending on where it has been in the organizational life cycle at different periods, what strategies did it undertake to grow and/or change the business? How successful were these?
Ø    Analyze how the organization is structured (type of structure) and governed (its board and senior management), with a critique of whether this structure and governance approach fit its mission and strategy now.
Ø    What has been the performance of the organization over time, with particular emphasis on the past five years? What have been its revenues and profits (or surpluses)? Have any of the performance indicators been affected by changes in products or services by the organization, or by other strategic changes by the organization or in its external operating environment? Have similar factors affected their principal competitors?
Ø    In terms of its operations today, conduct a detailed analysis – e.g. SWOT, Porter’s five-forces + complimentary, Financial, and PESTEL, etc. including a description of the organization’s directional strategies, and why have they chosen these? Also identify the advantages and limitations of your analysis?
Ø    What are the organization’s marketing, financial, and research & development strategies? Do these fit well with its operations strategy?
Ø    Identify and develop the relevant decision criteria (which if possible should be quantified) that you employed in order to guide your choice of alternatives.
Ø    Identify 3 or 4 feasible alternatives (may not be limited to those put forward in the case).
Ø    How would you assess and rate the organization’s leadership? Do the persons in leadership at the management or board level appear to have the appropriate skills and experience for the challenges the organization now faces? What is your evidence for your opinion?
Ø    Has the organization engaged in joint ventures or strategic alliances, or value-chain partnerships? What has been the effect of these?
Ø    How does the organization measure its own performance? Do its documents and reports indicate the methods or benchmarks and external measures to which they subject the organization?
Ø    What is your recommendation – which should follow a discussion of the pros and cons of each of your alternatives (relative to the decision criteria).
Ø    What changes, if any, would you suggest to their strategy or structure in order for them to be more successful in fulfilling their mission now and in the future? When and how should these be implemented? Your recommendations and timelines should be displayed in a GANTT or PERT-type chart and discussed in-class. You must provide supporting evidence for your arguments.
Ø    If necessary provide a contingency plan.
Your paper must include a proper Title Page, Executive Summary, and Table of Contents. Figures and Tables must be numbered and labeled and sourced, both in the text and any appendices. To repeat, you are not limited to the above items (you should include other items you believe may be of importance to understanding the organization and its strategies). You must also relate this information to key ideas and frameworks covered in your text.

The written cases will be graded (by your instructor) using three criteria: First and foremost, they will be graded to the extent they address the case goal/purpose/issue(s)/problem(s). Secondly, they will be graded based on professionalism, grammar, style and proper formatting. Lastly, your paper/report will be graded based on the degree to which it conveys a comprehensive and logical story that identifies and resolves the issue(s)/problem(s) identified. See the course outline for a detailed marking rubric and format.

We will be devoting a considerable amount of class-time working through a template/model for analyzing and presenting both your oral and written paper and presentation.