The case method began to be used in education relatively recently, but it is rapidly gaining popularity and demonstrates high efficiency.

The main difference between this method and traditional teaching methods is that the case does not have a uniquely correct solution. Each student can offer the most optimal, in his opinion, way out of the proposed situation. In the case method, the emphasis is not on the result, but on finding solutions and discussing them.

Many students, when faced with cases for the first time, do not know how to approach a task that is different from traditional and familiar tasks. Let's understand what cases are, how to solve them and design them. But first, a little history.

Definition and history

Case – from Latin case – a problem or situation that requires a solution.

The solution to the case is not in textbooks; you should look for it only in your own head. Theory and practice, as we know, go side by side, but at the same time they stand on different banks. Even if you take all the textbooks in the world, they will not contain descriptions of situations that happen in real life.

This is exactly what the wise professors thought about Harvard university V 1924 year. It was simply impossible to train specialists in modern specialties using existing textbooks.

Then the university organized seminars where entrepreneurs and businessmen told students about the real problems that their companies faced. Students had to propose their own solution, which each one chose individually.

This method of training quickly brought results. Thanks to the cases, graduates gained practical experience while still at the university and were well prepared to solve non-standard problems.

If cases have become popular all over the world already in 50 -X years 20 century, then into the education system Russia this method came only after the millennium. Nowadays, case assignments are actively used in education, and it is simply irresponsible to underestimate their benefits.

What goals does the consideration of case situations help to achieve as part of the educational process?

• Development of intellectual abilities;
• the ability to defend one’s position with reason;
• resistance to stress;
• development of communication skills and the ability to work in a team.

Cases exist in almost all fields of knowledge. After all, problematic situations arise and can be modeled in every profession: medicine, law, pedagogy, psychology, business analytics.

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Cases in business

Cases are actively used not only in training, but also in business. To attract new clients, a company can write a case based on a specific situation.

Example: a company is engaged in demolition of buildings. The case posted on the website examines the task of demolishing an old power plant in the city of Tolochin. A potential customer, having read the case, immediately sees how the work happens, what equipment is used, and how real practical problems are solved. In other words, this is a clear demonstration of the service in action.

So the case is a powerful tool promotion of services and products.

Another popular use of cases is using them in interviews. Instead of studying resumes, applicants are asked to go through a case interview and offer solutions to several situations, after which it immediately becomes clear whether the candidate is suitable for the position.

Here is an example of an interview case.

Situation: poet Marina Tsvetaeva was left without work. She can translate from French and German, and has a musical and philological education. You are her agent. What are your actions to successfully help Marina find a job? When solving a situation, you can use data from the biography of the poetess.

As you can see, there really is no clear solution to such a task, but the ways to solve it will allow you to judge such qualities as the ability to negotiate and competently argue.

How to write and design a case

Many people ask themselves the question: how to properly prepare a case? A case is a non-standard task, so when designing it you don’t have to adhere to strict rules. In other words, preparing a case is not as serious a task as preparing a coursework or diploma.

What the case should contain:

1. Title. It is important that the title reflects the essence of the case and gives an advance idea of ​​the situation that will be considered further.
2. Description of the situation. It's like the "given" section in physics problems. To make information easier to perceive, the situation can be divided into points.
3. Search for solutions. Detailed description, analysis of ways to solve the case and choice optimal option way out of the situation. Everything needs to be considered here possible options indicating the expected consequences.
4. Description of the result. This paragraph describes the result of actions to solve the problem. What happened, what happened and why.

It is recommended to choose a font that is comfortable and easy to read. In the design of the case, the use of illustrative materials is encouraged: graphs, diagrams, videos, tables. Cases are often presented in the form of presentations.

Any experience is gained through difficult trial and error. Now you can avoid this by contacting our authors to complete the case. We will not only solve assignments, but also help you prepare a document or case presentation, which will only need to be submitted to the teacher for review. Learn easily and gain new experiences with Zaochnik!

Andrey Alyasov

founder of the National League of Case Studies Changellenge

If you want to work in a well-known company and in a good position (for example, Alfa Bank, EY, KPMG, McKinsey, PwC or Unilever), sooner or later you will face a case interview. Employers use case interviews because during it everything is clearly visible: how you know the industry, how you know how to search for information, what experience you have, what you are like in general.

What is a case interview

A business case is a real situation from the life of a certain company that needs to be analyzed in order to offer your own effective and preferably original way to improve the situation. Moreover, recruiters will expect you to get to the heart of the problem and find the right path as quickly and confidently as possible.

Solving cases can easily unsettle an uninitiated person. It is impossible to prepare for them in one day. I advise you to start training at least three months in advance: spend a week or two studying the theory, searching and reading books, spend another couple of weeks doing mock interviews, and then spend a month or two practicing for interviews in companies that are less interesting to you. All types of selection during which cases are used can be divided into four types.

Online tests based on cases

This is the Problem Solving Test (PST) and its analogues - a kind of correspondence case interview with answer options that allows the recruiter to assess the ability to make decisions and the ability to perceive large amounts of information.

To prepare, you should practice your calculation skills and take a couple of practice tests (on the McKinsey website you can find a document with detailed description Problem Solving Test, BCG has the same example).

Brainteasers

Small problems related to non-standard calculations. For example, the classic one: how many ping-pong balls will fit into a Boeing 787. Greater accuracy is not critical here. The main thing is to demonstrate an atypical approach to solving a problem, logical reasoning, the ability to make decisions in a non-standard situation and quickly do mental math.

The same problem about Boeing and tennis balls can be solved without knowing the exact dimensions of the aircraft and the diameter of the balls. It’s enough to figure everything out well and make all the necessary calculations, and out loud, so that the interviewer can hear you reasoning: “The width of the cabin is, say, six meters, that is, the cross-section radius is three meters, and the area is 3 * 3 * 3.14 - approximately 28 meters. The length of the cabin is 60 meters, which means its volume is approximately equal to 1,700 cubic meters, or 1,700,000,000 cubic centimeters. The radius of a tennis ball is two centimeters, which means the volume is approximately 33 cubic centimeters. It turns out that the cabin can fit about 50,000,000 balls - and let's remove
15%, since there will be empty space between them. I think the answer is 38 million marbles."

You can search for brainteasers on the Internet - collections with some of them roam around the world from year to year. social networks. You also need to start training your mental counting skills. During the interview you will have to think very quickly, they may not give you a calculator, and doing calculations in a column on a piece of paper will look unprofessional. You can use any free minute for training - for example, adding up car numbers in your head when you walk down the street, or solving problems in comfortable mobile applications Elevate type.

Individual cases

Cases of this type are perhaps the most difficult. Here you will have to not only think, calculate, demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and analytical skills. Sometimes the case assignment and related information are given immediately, then the candidate only needs to engage in situational analysis. In other cases, the interviewer gives only the general picture (for example, asks to tell how to increase the profitability of the retail segment of a commercial bank), and you need to find out the details using the right questions.

Mostly such cases are related to the activities of the company. But there are also those who like to give tasks on an abstract topic. The interviewer may depart from the prepared case and give an original one - for example, ask how to increase the competitiveness of the Russian army or the average score on the Unified State Exam in the region, ask to calculate the minimum required population of the country, or suggest thinking about how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Test cases will help you prepare for such a test. Look at examples on the websites of the companies themselves - BCG cases with their analysis can be found. For the most persistent candidates, there are special services (including paid ones) that allow you to train under the guidance of a real consultant - for example, preplounge.com.

Team case

If during the selection process for a company you are invited to an assessment center, be prepared to solve a team case. You will have to analyze the problem together with complete strangers and part-time your competitors. Moreover, they will look not so much at the quality of the decision, but at your ability to work in a team, the ability to lead it to a common decision in a difficult situation and to defend your position with arguments. You need to understand that the team does not need people who silently wait for a common decision, and upstarts who always pull the blanket over themselves.

Please note that different companies are interested in different types: in consulting they are looking for competent team players, in FMCG they are looking for people who are able to show the most creative approach and lead others.

To practice properly, you should submit your resume to as many companies that provide assessment centers as possible, even if you are not interested in working for them. In addition, you can take part in case championships, which in recent years have been held both by the companies themselves and by independent case associations - for example, the National League of Cases Changellenge.

Description: The group is given information in the form of facts based on the actual situation and asked to discuss problems, analyze issues and make recommendations. The case teaches you how to make decisions or practice a new skill based on the analysis of input information. The case is created by the trainer in advance based on information received during the preparation of the training. You can also use ready-made cases. Or adapt ready case according to the needs of the training.

Impact on group dynamics:

Increases: incomprehensible instructions, the presence of the correct answer and searching for it, “pushed” by time,” comparison with others, incorrectly chosen time for the case (when there is no leader), the topic is distant or not clear, a sensitive topic, little time, lack of information.

Reduces: familiar topic, hints, jokes, removing boundaries, multiple solutions.

Number of participants: group of no more than 10 people

How to create a case during a training with the help of participants?

The group is divided into subgroups of 5–10 people.

Step 1 – The group is given a task

Assignment: Describe an incident from your experience regarding this topic. ( For example: a month ago, in our department, such a situation happened…”)

Case requirements:

• must be based on a real situation
• the task (problem) around which the analysis is built is clearly defined. For example, the topic: “Methods of non-material motivation of personnel

The case must contain the following items:

• places, positions and roles of the main characters. For example: director, employee, etc.
• a brief description - only facts - of the main stages in the development of events and the actions of the characters. For example: “You are the new development director at the company. The company enters new market, you have been given a task...The employees react like this”

Step 2 – Groups change descriptions of situations

Assignment: Think over a solution to this situation, write options for solving this situation and justify the chosen actions.

Step 3 - Presentation of solutions and evaluation of solutions by group

So the group that created the case gives feedback according to the proposed solution.

Once, I conducted a training “Creativity in Business” for the Ingosstrakh company. And there I used the case method. Try to solve it too, but without this “Google help”.

Can you solve the case in 1 minute?

So, the case is called “Galleries Lafayette”, and it is based on real events.
At the initial stage of the development of her business, the young entrepreneur did not have enough funds for traditional methods of promoting goods to the market; she took a creative approach to solving problems and achieved her goal in very cheap ways. One day she came to conquer Europe, and the manager of the Parisian Galeries Lafayette refused to buy her products - new perfumes. But she never gave up. When our heroine wanted something, she was very creative in trying to get her way. The woman still found a way to prove to the manager in 5 minutes that her perfume could take its rightful place in the prestigious Lafayette gallery.
What did the woman do? What are your options?

And this is what it did. The lady suddenly opened her purse, took out a large bottle with some yellowish liquid and slammed it onto the floor. After just a few minutes, she couldn’t fight off the questions: “Yes, this is my new perfume,” she repeated, beaming with a smile. “This is Youth Dew, and my name is Estee Lauder.” You've never heard my name"

Examples of cases for training inEmployee management (motivation, mentoring)

Example of a sales case “Customer Profile”

Case No. 1 “Developing ways to influence an employee”

Based on the analysis of the situation, analyze the reasons for the change in Yu. Malevin’s behavior. Develop ways to influence Malevin to change his behavior. Fill out the table “Assessing the causes of behavior”

Description of the situation:

Yu. Malevin has been working at Tri Kita LLC since 2009 as a refrigeration equipment technician. During his work, he was recognized three times for high quality work and regularly paid bonuses at the end of the year. However, over the past year, Yuri Malevin’s relations with his colleagues have become strained. He had never been particularly talkative, but now he demanded that his colleagues stay away from his workplace. Yu. Malevin made it clear that his tools were disappearing and he wanted to protect his workplace. The quality of his work has also deteriorated. About a year ago, the devices he produced were assessed as completely defect-free products. Currently, during random inspection, it turned out that his products require rework in three cases out of a hundred. Thus, the defect rate in his work increased from zero to 3%. Among his colleagues, defects do not exceed 1.5%.

Yu. Malevin's behavior caused concern among the division's leaders. A good worker turned into an average one. What could have caused the change in Yu. Malevin’s behavior?

Using table 2. select from the list possible reasons behavior changes, rate them on a 7-point scale and comment on your ratings.

Table 2. Assessment of reasons for behavior

Comment on each of your ratings.

What can a manager do? Fill out the table. 3

Table 3. Interventions for Behavior Change

Source: “Organizational Behavior” by G. R. Latifullin

Case No. 2 “Employee selection”

Description of the situation: You are the Manager of five gas stations of the Lesnoy Gorod company in the city of N. One of your gas stations is Green Cedar. It has the maximum cross-country ability among your other gas stations. In this regard, the workload on staff is quite large. If your gas station attendants are still retained because they receive good tips in total, then your cashier turnover is quite high. So you are faced with the task of searching and evaluating a candidate for the position of cashier, since you do not have enough of them. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Green Cedar gas station has a mini-market with an open display, so the cashiers have a lot of tasks, and they do not receive tips. In addition, the functionality of cashiers is wider than in other fuel companies, so it can be difficult to find a good candidate.

The functional responsibilities of cashiers of the Lesnoy Gorod company include:

• Customer service at the checkout;
• Acceptance of goods;
• Control of expiration dates of goods;
• Participation in the inventory of goods;
• Execution of sales plan for promotional products;
• Cleaning the premises (floors, shelves, toilets, etc.)

Working conditions: schedule 2/2 month per day from 9 to 21, month per night from 21 to 9 (by
agreements with the gas station manager are possible only during the day or only at night). It is more convenient for you as a manager if the cashier can go out both during the day and at night.

Task: Please think and write a profile of a candidate for the vacancy of a cashier at the Green Cedar gas station in the Lesnoy Gorod company. What characteristics and competencies (knowledge, skills, personality traits) should he have in order to successfully work as a cashier at your gas station?

Case No. 3 “Retail store”

Description of the situation: Seller Petrova A.K. has been working in the department for one year. During her work, she managed to sufficiently master the department’s assortment and establish friendly relations with the team of employees. Calm and balanced in character. He takes his work responsibly and shows a desire to work in the store. However, he does not show initiative in communicating with customers. She responds to questions and requests for help in choosing a product, is friendly, but tries to reduce this communication to a minimum. He is more enthusiastic about arranging goods, maintaining cleanliness and order in the sales area, and therefore potential buyers are often ignored by the seller and leave.

Exercise: think over and compose a motivational conversation with employee Petrova A.K. to take initiative in communicating with customers.

Case No. 4 “Pharmacy”.

Description of the situation: Pharmacist Vasilyeva N.N. has been working in a pharmacy for a long time. She is well versed in the assortment and is active in communicating with customers. Most often he occupies the position of “adviser”. He has his own idea about which drugs are preferable for children, insists on his opinion, and evaluates the buyer’s choice.

Exercise: think over and draw up a motivational conversation with employee N.N. Vasilyeva. to implement its main function - to sell goods based on customer requests.

Case No. 5 “ New employee”

Seller Ilyina M.K., 19 years old. At the company on a probationary period. What I like about my job is the opportunity to communicate with people, I am interested in gaining experience as a salesperson, and I am proactive in working with customers.

Systematically violates the requirements for the seller's appearance (youth style, exposed parts of the body), citing the fact that he does not have the funds to update his wardrobe, citing a low salary.

Exercise: think over and compose a motivational conversation with employee Ilyina M.K. for compliance with standard requirements appearance. Cases for sales training can be

Books

Case- this is a specifically described situation (problem) that occurred in the life of the company, which contains all the information about the problem that has arisen, aimed at solving it: the moment the problem appeared, materials, discussion and organization of tasks, search for a goal, persons involved in solving the problem, the processes involved, and a description of the resulting results.

The case can be compared to a person’s photo album, which contains all the details from his life: birth, learning about the world, growing up, plans for the future, etc. In addition to the person himself, the photo album depicts relatives and close people who, one way or another, influenced his upbringing, development and life in general.

Case teaching was introduced at Harvard about a century ago and is still relevant today. This method has been used in management subjects. The teachers invited people who had achieved considerable success in business to tell in detail the history of the creation of their companies. Based on these stories, teachers came up with problem situations for which students had to find solutions.


This training method is highly effective, and even today HR managers offer candidates applying for a job to take a case study.

Already in 2010, ACM (adaptive case management) technology was introduced, with which you can quickly find best solution any obstacle. People who use ACM use templates to fit a specific situation. That is, they come to the aid of solutions that have already been used previously for similar problems.

In the field of marketing, a case is an effective tool, the proper use of which helps increase sales. It allows you to see the results BEFORE and AFTER.

What is the case diagram?

1. The situation is described in detail.
2. The problem is identified.
3. Tasks are set to overcome it.
4. The process of solving problems and achieving goals is described directly.
5. The final result is presented and compared with the initial indicators.
6. Feedback is provided.

What types of cases are there?

Cases in marketing differ in the form of presentation and the volume of text.

By shape

• Text. The text itself, but it is also possible to add tables, images, animations and graphs.
• Presentation. Text, pictures and other materials are presented in the form of a presentation, which has a more colorful design and special effects.
• Video. This type of case is fraught with the greatest expenses, because it is necessary to write a script for the plot of the video, as well as pay for expensive design and camera work.

By volume

• Brief. No more than 2 thousand characters.
• Average. Approximately 2-6 thousand characters.
• Long. From 7 to 10 thousand characters.

According to numerous studies, it is large stories with a fascinating plot that people like the most.

Why do you need a case in marketing and advertising?

The case contributes to more effective SEO promotion of the site, increasing the need for certain goods or services, as well as increasing interest in them. This tool allows you to demonstrate how a project, service or product works in life and how it helps solve a problem. He gives clear answers to all the client’s questions and concerns and convinces him of the advisability of purchasing the product.

The case, which describes in detail the strategies for creating and implementing projects, and also justifies the cost of services or goods, allows potential buyers to verify the qualifications and professionalism of the company’s employees. So, the case is aimed at:

• show clients the process and stages of work aimed at overcoming difficulties;
• prove to clients the professionalism of the company’s employees, demonstrate successful experience in achieving the goal.
• show that the actions taken by the company produce the desired result.

Companies often create cases for themselves in order to analyze a certain period of work and understand which of the methods used are effective and which are not.

6 rules for writing a successful case study

1. Write an attractive title. This could be a problem headline, for example, “How to quickly make money online?”, or a result headline: “Earned $2,000 online in just 1 month!”
2. Take the problem your client is facing as a starting point. Tell us about the problem and describe in detail how you solved it.
3. Provide visual information in the form of graphs, tables, etc. Show the benefits of your products or services.
4. Write in simple language that is understandable to an incompetent person. No one needs your professional terminology, and few will understand it.
5. Compare the situation BEFORE and AFTER. Tell us about some of the nuances that occurred in the process of solving problems, show the final successful result. Don't forget to provide numbers.
6. Add positive reviews clients who have already used your services or purchased your product.

Conclusion

Through cases, you can talk about the activities of your company, analyze the effectiveness of its work and demonstrate your professionalism to potential clients, as well as convince them that they should choose your products or services.