Analyzing
Strategic
Management
Cases
Chapter Thirteen
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should have a
good understanding of:
LO13.1 How strategic case analysis is used to
simulate real-world experiences.
LO13.2 How analyzing strategic management cases
can help develop the ability to differentiate,
speculate, and integrate when evaluating
complex business problems.
LO13.3 The steps involved in conducting a strategic
management case analysis.
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Learning Objectives (cont.)
LO13.4 How to get the most out of case analysis.
LO13.5 How conflict-inducing discussion
techniques can lead to better decisions.
LO13.6 How to use the strategic insights and
material from each of the 12 previous
chapters in the text to analyze issues posed
by strategic management cases.
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Questions Raised
Why do some firms succeed and others fail?
Why are some companies higher performers
than others?
What information is needed in the strategic
planning process?
How do competing values and beliefs affect
strategic decision making?
What skills and capabilities are needed to
implement a strategy effectively?
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Why Analyze Strategic
Management Cases?
Case analysis
 A method of learning complex strategic
management concepts
 places students in the middle of an
actual situation and challenges them to
figure out what
to do.
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How to Conduct a Case Analysis
Step 1: Become familiar with the material
 Read quickly through the case one time
 Use initial read-through to assess
possible links to strategic concepts
 Read the case again, making notes
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How to Conduct a Case Analysis
Step 1: Become familiar with the material
 Evaluate how strategic concepts might
inform key decisions or suggest
alternative solutions.
 After forming first recommendation,
thumb through the case again to
assess consequences of actions you
propose
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How to Conduct a Case Analysis
Step 2: Identify problems
 Some cases have more than one
problem
 Avoid getting hung up on symptoms
 Articulate the problem
 Some problems are not apparent until
after you do the analysis
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How to Conduct a Case Analysis
Step 3: Conduct strategic analyses
 Determine which strategic issues are
involved
 Use strategic tools to conduct the
analysis
 Test your own assumptions about the
case
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Tools to Conduct Analysis
Five forces
Contingency
analysis
Value-chain
analysis
frameworks
Financial ratio
analysis
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Financial Ratio Analysis
Financial ratio analysis
 Method of evaluating a company’s
performance and financial wellbeing
through ratios of accounting values,
including short-term solvency, longterm solvency, asset utilization,
profitability, and market value ratios.
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How to Conduct a Case Analysis
Step 4: Propose
alternative solutions
 Develop a list of
options first without
judging them
 Evaluate
alternatives
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How to Conduct a Case Analysis
Step 5: Make recommendations
 Make a set of recommendations that
your analysis supports
 Describe exactly what needs to be
done
 Explain why this course of action will
solve the problem
 Include suggestions for how best to
implement the proposed solution
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Preparing an Oral Case Presentation
Organize your thoughts
Emphasize strategic analysis
Be logical and consistent
Defend your position
Share presentation responsibilities
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Preparing a Written Case Analysis
Exhibit 13.3
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