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How the HBS Case Method Works

How the Case Method Works

• Read and analyze the case. Each case is a 10-20 page document written from the viewpoint of a real person leading a real organization. In addition to background information on the situation, each case ends in a key decision to be made. Your job is to sift through the information, incomplete by design, and decide what you would do.
• Discuss the case. Each morning, you’ll bring your ideas to a small team of classmates from diverse professional backgrounds, your discussion group, to share your findings and listen to theirs. Together, you begin to see the case from different perspectives, better preparing you for class.
• Engage in class. Be prepared to change the way you think as you debate with classmates the best path forward for this organization. The highly engaged conversation is facilitated by the faculty member, but it’s driven by your classmates’ comments and experiences. HBS brings together amazingly talented people from diverse backgrounds and puts that experience front and center. Students do the majority of the talking (and lots of active listening), and your job is to better understand the decision at hand, what you would do in the case protagonist’s shoes, and why. You will not leave a class thinking about the case the same way you thought about it coming in! In addition to learning more about many businesses, in the case method you will develop communication, listening, analysis, and leadership skills. It is a truly dynamic and immersive learning environment.
• Reflect. The case method prepares you to be in leadership positions where you will face time-sensitive decisions with limited information. Reflecting on each class discussion will prepare you to face these situations in your future roles.

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MBA Case Studies From Top Business Schools

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Many business schools use the case method to teach MBA students how to analyze business problems and develop solutions from a leadership perspective. The case method involves presenting students with case studies , also known as cases, that document a real-life business situation or imagined business scenario.

Cases typically present a problem, issue, or challenge that must be addressed or solved for a business to prosper. For example, a case might present a problem like:

• ABC Company needs to increase sales substantially over the next several years to attract potential buyers.
• U-Rent-Stuff wants to expand but is not sure whether they want to own the locations or franchise them.
• Ralphie's BBQ, a two-person company that makes spices for BBQ products, needs to figure out how to increase production from 1,000 bottles a month to 10,000 bottles a month.

As a business student. you are asked to read the case, analyze the problems that are presented, evaluate underlying issues, and present solutions that address the problem that was presented. Your analysis should include a realistic solution as well as an explanation as to why this solution is the best fit for the problem and the organization's goal. Your reasoning should be supported with evidence that has been gathered through outside research. Finally, your analysis should include specific strategies for accomplishing the solution you have proposed. 

Where to Find MBA Case Studies

The following business schools publish either abstracts or full MBA case studies online. Some of these case studies are free. Others can be downloaded and purchased for a small fee. 

• Harvard Business School Cases - Harvard offers thousands of case studies on every business topic imaginable.
• Darden Business Case Studies - Thousands of MBA case studies from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.
• Stanford Case Studies - A searchable database of MBA case studies from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
• Babson College Case Studies - A large collection of business case studies from the Babson faculty.
• IMD Case Studies - 50 years of case studies from the IMD faculty and research staff.

Using Case Studies

Familiarizing yourself with case studies is a good way to prepare for business school. This will help you familiarize yourself with various components of a case study and allow you to practice putting yourself in the role of a business owner or manager. As you are reading through cases, you should learn how to identify relevant facts and key problems. Be sure to take notes so that you have a list of items and potential solutions that can be researched when you are done reading the case. As you are developing your solutions, make a list of pros and cons for each solution, and above all, make sure the solutions are realistic.

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A century of MBA case studies: exacting examples from business life

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Andrew Jack

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

In 1921, Harvard Business School produced its first, single-page mimeographed case study for students (view here and bottom) , about the practical dilemmas faced by managers at the General Shoe Company. Intended to prompt class discussions, the case method has since been adopted by schools around the world as a core part of teaching.

Today, Harvard , Ivey Business School in Canada and The Case Centre are leaders among 50 producers and distributors of thousands of cases, of which millions of copies are sold annually. They are written by a growing number of institutions, in formats including video, describing challenges on an ever broader range of issues, geographies and protagonists.

Below is an abstract of one of Harvard’s most recent cases, on the African media company EbonyLife.

One unusually quiet morning in Lagos, Nigeria in December 2020, Mosunmola “Mo” Abudu, founder and chief executive of EbonyLife Media and one of Africa’s biggest names in the business, brought her laptop to work on the rooftop patio of EbonyLife Place, the company’s flagship lifestyle and entertainment resort.

Founded by Abudu in 2012 with a mission to bring high-quality African stories to the world, EbonyLife was the company behind many of Nigeria’s biggest movies and television shows. It began with a linear TV channel on the Africa-wide direct broadcast satellite service DStv. By 2020, it had produced more than 5,000 hours of TV content and Nigeria’s top-three highest grossing movies.

With a desire for greater control over production and following the end of its relationship with DStv, EbonyLife launched EbonyLife ON (EL ON), an on-demand streaming service. However, it struggled to grow the number of EL ON subscribers.

Global MBA Ranking 2022

Find out which schools are in our ranking of MBA degrees . Learn how the table was compiled and read the rest of our coverage at  www.ft.com/mba .

Abudu started to think about whether she should continue fighting to grow EL ON. Should EbonyLife focus instead on co-production deals with international media distributors such as Netflix, Sony and AMC? Abudu, who had been in the media business for nearly 20 years, needed to make this significant decision for EbonyLife.

Her interest in the media and entertainment industry emerged from a desire to correct harmful stereotypes about Africa. Born in London to Nigerian parents, she grew up in the UK and Nigeria. Drawn to African stories, she wanted to address the fact that there was so much the world did not know about Africa. “I think somewhere deeply buried in my subconscious was a need to tell Africa’s story,” she says.

Growing up in the UK, she routinely encountered misconceptions about Africa and was surprised by how they persisted when she was an adult. “The same questions I was being asked in England [40 years ago],” she says, “are the same questions my children were being asked when they went to school in England.” Questions like, “Do you guys live in trees?”

In July 2020, following its exit from DStv, EbonyLife publicly announced EL ON, with plans to make the platform its main distribution channel. While EbonyLife had already created extensive programming, “a lot of that content was consumed on a daily basis and had a very minimal shelf life”, Abudu explains.

She began to explore the new opportunity of co-productions with global partners that would eventually be distributed through Nigerian TV channels. She signed a multi-title co-production deal with Netflix to make several movies and TV series. Partnering with such companies reduced the upfront financial risks of production. But it was difficult to assess the size of the global audience “ Nollywood ” (Nigeria’s Hollywood) films gained because of the reluctance of the international platforms to share viewership data. Also, Nollywood producers could not interact directly with these viewers. As a result, it was difficult for them to learn who had viewed the content and what aspects of the stories the audience had enjoyed, and then use this insight to plan their future productions.

Beyond producing content, EbonyLife sought to build its own media and entertainment ecosystem. It helped grow the pipeline of local talent through a creative academy that enabled students to attend classes free of charge, funded by the Lagos state government. Abudu also believed EbonyLife could grow further by investing more in its audience’s experiences. In December 2019 in Lagos, she opened the multi-purpose resort EbonyLife Place, which included two restaurants, a boutique hotel, five movie theatres, meeting rooms and a larger multipurpose function hall.

A year later, Abudu was at EbonyLife Place to plan for its relaunch after the lifting of pandemic restrictions. However, she faced other pressing concerns. She reflected on her options around how EbonyLife would distribute its content. Was it too early to make judgments about EL ON? What changes should EbonyLife make to EL ON? Equally, she considered the alternative: could she realistically build a sustainable media business just on international partnerships with streaming services? Was there a scenario in which she could keep EL ON operational while pursuing these international partnerships? After two decades in the industry, pivots were no longer quick or painless. Abudu wondered which option she should pursue. 

The above is an adapted abstract of Harvard Business School’s teaching case study EbonyLife Media, written by Andy Wu, Feng Zhu, Wale Lawal and Pippa Tubman Armerding

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Here are the top 13 case studies every MBA student should know

• MBA students should expect to read case studies, or real-world examples of why businesses succeed or fail. 
• The case-reading practice in business school was originally pioneered at Harvard, where the MBA curriculum requires students to read up to 500 cases during their two-year program.
• Other business schools eventually adopted the Harvard case method, preparing students for future leadership challenges. 
• Business Insider has compiled a list of the most influential cases recommended by business school professors. 
• One of the cases include how Apple's name change in 2007 allowed the company to redirect its focus from solely Macintosh computers to the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch, and streaming services. Today, computer sales only account for a tenth of the company's $1 trillion market capitalization . 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

If you attend business school , you can expect to read a lot of case studies. Professors love them because they offer real-world examples of why businesses succeed and fail. 

The case method teaching practice was originally pioneered at Harvard Business School (HBS), where the MBA curriculum requires that students read up to 500 cases during their two-year program. The Harvard case method soon spread across business schools as professors sought to prepare their students with leadership and decision-making challenges in the workplace.

There are some classic cases that every business student should know — like why Apple changed its name.

Business Insider has compiled the most influential cases here, with recommendations from business school professors across the nation and abroad.

Max Nisen contributed to an earlier version of this post. 

Why Apple changed its name

Case: Apple Inc., 2008

Key takeaway: Sometimes you can't take a rival head on.

What happened? Three decades after its founding, Apple Computers changed its name and became Apple Inc. in 2007. That reflected the company's shifted focus from its iconic Mac computers toward other digital products like the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch, and media streaming services. Apple's widened niche led to skyrocketing sales and spiked share prices, putting the Cupertino company on a trajectory to become the first US publicly traded company with a $1 trillion market capitalization in 2018, Business Insider reported . Now, the Macintosh computer only accounts for a tenth of the company's business. Rather than beating rival Windows for more shares in the computer market, Apple reinvented itself and redefined the realm of digital devices. 

Thanks to Dr. Aaron Chatterji , Professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, for his suggestions.  

How Lululemon kept its cult

Case: Leadership, Culture, and Transition at lululemon

Key takeaway: Figure out how to bring the founders into a strategy rather than alienating them. 

What happened?  On December 11, Lululemon announced its third-quarter fiscal results . Between August to November, the retail company generated $33 million, increasing its net revenue to $916 million in 2019. Much of the 21-year-old brand's transformation is credited to former CEO Christine Day , who leveraged her experience in expanding the Starbucks brand worldwide to align with Lululemon's model. 

Day replaced founder Dennis "Chip" Wilson in 2008, and she stepped into her role facing many problems: Outperforming stores, hefty investments in low-demand locations, and poor workflow between teams. 

She convinced the founders to attend management programs at Harvard and Stanford so they could better understand how the company must change. Day nearly tripled her team from having 2,683 employees in 2008 to 6,383 in 2013, all while she redesigned the company's structure, according to Pitchbook data . In five years time, she turned Lululemon into an athleisure powerhouse. 

Day stepped down as CEO in 2013 after a series of quality control issues with the clothing, Business Insider reported . She is now the chief executive at Luvo , a frozen food company. 

Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Chatman , the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management  at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, for her suggestions.

How Cisco bounced back

Case: Cisco Systems: Developing A Human Capital Strategy

Key takeaway: Invest in developing leaders in your team

What happened? Cisco is one of the most acquisitive companies in tech. It buys about 10 companies a year, including a $2.6 billion acquisition of Acacia and $380 million purchase of chip company Leaba in 2019, Business Insider reported . 

During the Dot Com Bubble in the 1990s, Cisco's first priority was to scale, bringing in up to 1,000 new employees each month by buying smaller firms. Between 1991 and 2011, Cisco bought more than 140 companies, Business Insider reported . 

But scaling a startup is much more than just increasing headcount. When the Dot Com Bubble burst, then-CEO John T. Chambers realized he had to redirect his focus by developing leaders within the team and build on his company rather than buying more teams through acquisitions.

The company introduced "Cisco University," a training program to promote a versatile workforce. Within three years, the company was listed as one of the top companies where employees are most likely to become leaders. Today, Cisco has a learning network that offers various kinds of classes, certifications, and webinar programs around the world. 

Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Chatman , the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, for her suggestions.

How USA Today reinvented itself

Case: USA Today: Pursuing The Network Strategy

Key takeaway: Sometimes the old guard can't handle a new reality.

What happened? Like many print publications in the early 2000s, USA Today was facing falling circulation of its business amid the rise of digital news. Tom Curley, the company's CEO at the time, saw the need to better integrate his company with internet and broadcasting platforms. His management team and staff were resistant, claiming insurmountable divides in culture and work style. Curley made the case that it was essential for the future of the business, and eventually replaced five of seven senior managers as part of the change. Nevertheless, this case emphasizes that what the company needed at the time wasn't a complete staff change: It needed a new business strategy and more integration as the company was transitioning into its electronic version. 

As of 2018, USA Today sites have nearly 97.4 million unique visitors and 1.2 billion page views, according to the company's website . It has become an award-winning digital news platform. 

Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Chatman , the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, for her suggestions. 

How Dreyer's survived a disaster

Case: Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream

Key takeaway: Don't try to spin bad news or mislead workers.

What happened? Before rising to become one of the most popular ice cream brands in the US, Dreyer's had to overcome a company restructure.

In the late 1990s, Ben & Jerry's signed a distribution agreement with Häagen-Dazs and ended its partnership with Dreyer's, The Wall Street Journal reported . Despite still having contracts with Healthy Choice and Nestlé, Dreyer's was dealing with a variety of problems including high input prices and collapsing sales of a low-fat product line.

The company's executives flew all over the country and met with every employee to discuss the restructuring plan. They wanted to preserve the company's culture of openness and accountability. Dreyer's continued to invest in leadership programs, and the company was able to bounce back within a couple of years through consistency and effective communication with its workers. 

Dreyer's continued to experience fluctuating sales in the 2000s, which led the company to merge with Nestlé through a $2.4 billion deal in 2002, The New York Times reported .  

How ethical decisions are different abroad

Case: Merck Sharp & Dohme Argentina, Inc.

Key takeaway: Staying committed to the ethical precepts

What happened? 2019 was a good year for US drug giant Merck & Co. Since it debuted the cancer drug Keytruda, the company's stocks has jumped almost 40% in the past year, giving it a market value of nearly $220 billion, Business Insider reported. 

One way to ensure Merck's increasing sales is if it was on the government's healthcare roster, and when managing director Antonio Mosquera joined the company's Argentine subsidiary, he was faced with an ethical dilemma.

Mosquera was tasked with transforming Merck into a more modern and professional business organization. During the selection process of a highly competitive internship, he had to choose between two candidates, one of whom was the son of a high ranking official in the Argentine healthcare system. 

It was implied that hiring the student would ensure that Merck's drugs would be included on the government's list, which would increase sales. It was a conflict between Mosquera's desire to reform, and the realities of doing business in a changing country.

Mosquera ended up picking the student who wasn't of high government prestige. 

Thanks to Dr. Timothy Vogus , Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Professor of Management at Vanderbilt's Owen School of Management, for his suggestions. 

Why Cirque du Soleil moved outside its comfort zone

Case: Cirque du Soleil - The High-Wire Act Of Building Sustainable Partnerships  

Key takeaway: Sometimes you have to move past an old partnership in order to grow.

What happened? Cirque du Soleil had a mutually beneficial and very profitable partnership with the MGM Mirage casinos. The casino made capital investments in theaters for the company's unique shows, and the shows brought in high-spending clients. Faced with opportunities in Asia and the Middle East, CEO Daniel Lamarre had to figure out how to create different partnerships.  

Thanks to Dr. Aaron Chatterji , Professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business for his suggestions. 

Why Airborne Express lost the delivery race

Case: Airborne Express

Key takeaway: Specialization can compete with economies of scale, but only up to a certain point. 

What happened? Airborne Express, a smaller mailing competitor to giants like FedEx and UPS, managed to significantly grow revenues despite its size. Part of that came on the heels of a strike at UPS, and the company took advantage of that. Airborne found a way to specialize in order to stay in the market along with big corporations like FedEx and UPS. 

They targeted high volume business customers, shipped primarily to large metropolitan areas, aggressively cut costs, and adopted new technology after FedEx and UPS. Ultimately, that strategy wasn't sustainable, and the company was acquired by DHL in 2003. 

Thanks to Dr. Gautam Ahuja , Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University's Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, for his suggestions.

Why Nucor Steel took a company-sized gamble

Case: Nucor at a Crossroads  

Key takeaway: Operations expertise has limits; new investment determines its scale. 

What happened? In 1986, Nucor's CEO Kenneth Iverson had to make a critical decision on whether or not to adopt a new steel casting technology that would allow the company to gain significant first-mover advantage and reduce costs in the long run. However, the company would have to make a huge investment, and technology back then was unproven.

In 1989, Nucor followed through with its ambition to build the world's first steel-making mill in Indiana. The company remains an industry giant, announcing a $250 million micromill set to be the first steel plant to run on wind energy in the US, CNBC reported . 

Thanks to Dr. Aaron Chatterji , Professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business for his suggestions.

How bad communication nearly ruined a manager

Case: Erik Peterson (A)

Key takeaway: The importance of being proactive in defining one's role and engaging in managing up to get the support you need

What happened? The case follows a recent MBA graduate who became the general manager at a subsidiary of a large cell phone company in the late '80s. Erik Peterson's group was in the process of building up to offer cell phone service in parts of New Hampshire and Vermont. The project was behind schedule, and Peterson had offered a plan to meet a revised target reviewed by headquarters.

Peterson had trouble with his immediate superior. He did not know who he had to report to, which created problems on both ends while he was attempting to complete a significant reorganization and had problems with his chief engineer. Because of the lack of support, Peterson had to go it alone in many ways.

Eventually, the company was restructured and Peterson's role became more clear.

Thanks to Dr. Timothy Vogus , Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Professor of Management at Vanderbilt's Owen School of Management for his suggestions. 

When a West Point coach learned how to build a team

Case: Army Crew Team

Key takeaway: There are many different factors to consider when putting together a team. 

What happened?: Colonel Stas Preczewski, the coach of the Army Crew Team for the US Military Academy at West Point, was managing two teams of junior and varsity rowers. He previously picked teams solely based on physical endurance and individual performance. Though the strongest players were all in varsity, the junior team was consistently beating varsity in races throughout an entire season. 

Preczewski eventually realized that the varsity team wasn't winning races because the players didn't know how to work well together. Despite being the strongest rowers, the team neglected a key element of the sport — rowing takes teamwork and a great amount of collaboration.  

Thanks to Dr. Emily Michelle David , assistant professor of management at China Europe International Business School for her suggestions for Harvard Business Publishing Education. 

When a Warren Buffet made his biggest deal

Case: Warren E Buffett, 2015

Key takeaway: The art of investing 

What happened?: In 2015, Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and CEO Warren Buffett made a $37 billion acquisition of Precision Castparts Corporation (PCP), an aerospace-parts supplier company. This case is often viewed as an introductory course for business students to understand finance and capital markets. It also examines Buffett's approach to successful investing, as well as his strategy behind building sustainable growth for the company. 

Thanks to Dr. Robert F. Bruner , professor of business administration at Darden School of Business at University of Virginia, for his suggestions for Harvard Business Publishing Education. 

When a major manufacturing company kept costs low – and took care of its employees

Case: Lincoln Electric Co., 1975

Key takeaway:  Businesses can offer value to customers while treating workers and shareholders generously.  

What happened?:  This case study covers the unique business strategy of Lincoln Electric, one of the biggest manufacturing and welding companies in the world. The company built its products at a lower cost than its competitors, but also rewarded employees well with high bonuses and job security. 

Though the case study is from several decades ago, it offers a glimpse into how a company's organizational strategy can lead to strategic success. 

Thanks to Karen Schnarr, assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, for her suggestion for Harvard Business Publishing Education.

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Here are the top 10 case studies every MBA student should know

REUTERS / Brian Snyder

Business schools adopted the Harvard case method.

• MBA students should expect to read case studies, or real-world examples of why businesses succeed or fail.
• The case-reading practice in business schools was originally pioneered at Harvard, where the MBA curriculum requires students to read up to 500 cases during their two-year program. Other business schools eventually adopted the Harvard case method, preparing students for future leadership challenges.
• Business Insider has compiled a list of the most influential cases recommended by business school professors.
• One of the cases include how Apple's name change in 2007 allowed the company to redirect its focus from solely Macintosh computers to the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch, and streaming services. Today, computer sales only account for a tenth of the company's $1 trillion market capitalization, Business Insider reported .
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

If you attend business school , you can expect to read a lot of case studies. Professors love them because they offer real-world examples of why businesses succeed and fail.

The case method teaching practice was originally pioneered at Harvard Business School (HBS), where the MBA curriculum requires that students read up to 500 cases during their two-year program. The Harvard case method soon spread across business schools as professors sought to prepare their students with leadership and decision-making challenges in the workplace.

There are some classic cases that every business student should know - like why Apple changed its name and how Ryanair beat two industry giants.

Business Insider has compiled the most influential cases here, with recommendations from business school professors across the nation and abroad.

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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 Professor of Business Administration, Distinguished University Service Professor, and former dean of Harvard Business School.

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This listing contains abstracts and ordering information for case studies written and published by faculty at Stanford GSB.

Publicly available cases in this collection are distributed by Harvard Business Publishing and The Case Centre .

Stanford case studies with diverse protagonists, along with case studies that build “equity fluency” by focusing on DEI-related issues and opportunities are listed in the Case Compendium developed by the Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership at the Berkeley Haas School of Business.

CEO Crisis in Napa: Laila Tarraf

Intersections in paradise: economics and sustainability in palau, 2024, udemy: the founding story, adobe in 2023: transforming marketing through digital experience.

Adobe, founded in 1982, set out to develop software that would enable high-fidelity digital printing and publishing. A decade later, Adobe PDF quickly became the industry standard for preserving and sharing digital document formatting, fonts, images, and…

GoodLeap, spearheaded by Hayes Barnard, emerges as a pioneering financing platform offering comprehensive solutions for sustainable living, including solar loans, home purchasing, refinancing, and improvement loans. Barnard, with a robust background at…

Seconds to Save Lives with Viz.ai

Ajaib: building a high-growth southeast asian fintech venture, eyes on the prize: eyewa’s mena journey, hijra: building an islamic challenger bank.

Dima Djani founded Hijra in late 2018 to provide digitally-enabled financial services to businesses and consumers who followed Islamic finance principles. Islamic finance prohibited the use of usury (interest), mandated that all transactions been linked…

Polpharma Group: Transformation Through Innovation

When Markus Sieger was appointed CEO of Polpharma Group in 2016, he found himself at the helm of a company that would be deemed successful by virtually any metric. Polpharma Group included Poland’s leading pharmaceutical company and leading drug…

Stanford Health Care

• Dean Jonathan Levin

This Managing Growing Enterprises (MGE) case presents a multifaceted examination of leadership challenges in the academic sector, encompassing issues of faculty negotiation, student-faculty relations, crisis management, and institutional response to…

ClearMetal, a supply chain software-as-a-service startup, exemplifies the challenges of innovating in the global container shipping industry. Under CEO Adam Compain, the company developed a solution to reduce the costly repositioning of empty shipping…

Board Dynamics at Defy, Inc.: When is the Right Time to Raise the Next Round?

Defy, Inc. developed individual safety software solutions for highly automated aircraft operation through its FlySafe modular platform. Defy’s cofounders saw great potential in flying drones to solve the last-mile problem in deliveries. In addition to…

Founders Fund: Every Moment Happens Once

Nuveen and ecozen solutions: valuing a private equity impact investment.

In December 2021, Rekha Unnithan, CFA, received a cold outreach from Devendra Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Ecozen Solutions (“Ecozen”), an agriculture-focused cleantech business based in Pune, a major technology and manufacturing hub in India. Founded in…

APA Technologies

APA Technologies, a startup in the trucking industry, faced a significant challenge with its innovative product, the Tyro - an automatic tire inflation device. Founders Brad Miller and Jeffrey Howell, Stanford mechanical engineering students, developed…

APA Technologies (A): Just When We Were Hitting Our Stride

Apa technologies (b): no good deed goes unpunished, apa technologies (c): a potential partnership, apa technologies (d): reveal, senaca east africa (a): a family security business grapples with expansion.

Senaca East Africa, aka Sentry & Patrols, is a Kenya-based security guard firm founded in 2002 by John Kipkorir, a longtime member of the Kenyan police. At the time, there were only a few well-known Kenyan-owned security companies, and crime was rising…

Jason Scott: Creating a Dream Job to Find and Fund Entrepreneurs Across the Globe

Jason Scott’s superpower had always been his ability to connect people and ideas across industries, sectors, and geographies. After graduating from Stanford GSB, he pursued his professional North Star of finding the best entrepreneurs in the world and…

Impact Engine: Measuring Impact Across Investment Stages

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20 Best Business Case Studies That Every MBA Student Must Know!

Table of content: 

Marvel entertainment - a remarkable turnaround, tesla's successful transition to sustainable business practices.

• Toyota's JIT Revolution

Tata Nano - Making of the People's Car

Ola versus uber: the survival war, patanjali - ayurvedic brand disrupting the indian fmcg industry, pepsi's crisis management and innovative strategies.

• Vodafone Idea Merger 

Titan’s Leap into Online Business

• Impact of Blockchain Technology on Traditional Industries 

Unacademy: A Case Study on Digital Transformation in Education

• Impact of Technology on Healthcare Delivery and Patient Outcomes

Case Studies For Further Reading

Summing up....

MBA Case studies are an inseparable part of business schools curriculum . It is the accumulated real-life experiences developed into a study method that help students to understand real business situations . Case studies supplemented with class discussions develop critical thinking faculties which help in building a better strategy and approaching an issue. Here are the top 20 MBA case studies that every management student should be acquainted with. Let’s get started.

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Marvel Entertainment, a renowned American entertainment company, faced near-collapse in the late 1990s due to financial difficulties and mismanagement. The company's missteps in diversifying into various non-core businesses, such as trading cards and toys, further exacerbated their financial woes. As a result, Marvel was on the brink of bankruptcy, with its stock price plummeting and its brand losing its appeal among consumers.

Strategic Restructuring : To address the dire situation, Marvel implemented a comprehensive restructuring plan. Firstly, they focused on their core business of publishing comic books and decided to divest non-core assets, including their toy division. This allowed them to streamline operations and reduce costs significantly. Additionally, Marvel renegotiated licensing agreements to regain control over their intellectual property rights, which had previously been licensed out to other companies.

Revitalizing the Brand : Marvel recognized the need to revitalize their brand and reconnect with their target audience. They embarked on a strategy of creating compelling storylines and introducing new characters that resonated with readers. This approach led to the launch of successful comic book series such as 'Ultimate Spider-Man' and 'The Avengers', which helped reignite interest in Marvel's characters and stories.

Expanding into Film and Television : One of the pivotal factors in Marvel's turnaround was their foray into the film and television industry. Recognizing the potential of their vast library of characters, Marvel formed its own film production studio, Marvel Studios. Overall, Marvel's expansion into film and television played a crucial role in their remarkable turnaround . By creating a shared cinematic universe and exploring different storytelling mediums, Marvel was able to captivate audiences and establish themselves as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

Marvel Studios revolutionized the way superhero movies were made by creating a shared cinematic universe. Their success not only revitalized the company but also paved the way for other studios to follow suit and create their own interconnected universes.

Tesla, founded in 2003 by Elon Musk, has emerged as a prominent player in the automotive industry through its successful transition to sustainable business practices. This case study examines how Tesla has effectively implemented sustainable strategies, positioning itself as a leader in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy solutions. Recognizing the urgent need for sustainable alternatives , Tesla set out to revolutionize the transportation sector by focusing on electric mobility.

Transition to Electric Vehicles : Tesla's transition to sustainable business practices began with the launch of its first electric vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, in 2008. This groundbreaking model showcased the potential of EVs, offering high performance and zero tailpipe emissions . By leveraging advanced battery technology and innovative design, Tesla successfully addressed the limitations of early EVs, such as limited range and high costs.

Investment in Research and Development : To further solidify its position as a leader in sustainable transportation, Tesla heavily invested in research and development (R&D). The company continuously improved its battery technology, resulting in increased energy density and longer driving ranges for its vehicles. Additionally, Tesla focused on enhancing charging infrastructure by deploying Supercharger stations globally, enabling convenient long-distance travel for EV owners.

Vertical Integration and Supply Chain Sustainability : Tesla's commitment to sustainability extended beyond its products. The company embraced vertical integration by establishing its Gigafactories, which produce batteries and electric drivetrains in-house. This approach not only ensured quality control but also reduced reliance on external suppliers, thereby minimizing environmental impacts associated with transportation and logistics.

Renewable Energy Solutions : Recognizing the interconnectedness of transportation and energy systems, Tesla expanded its focus to renewable energy solutions. In 2016, the company acquired SolarCity, a leading solar energy provider. Tesla's acquisition of SolarCity in 2016 marked a significant step towards the company's successful transition to sustainable business practices. This strategic move allowed Tesla to offer integrated solar and energy storage solutions, further solidifying its position as a leader in the sustainable energy sector.

Tesla's successful transition to sustainable business practices can be attributed to its focus on renewable energy solutions. The acquisition of SolarCity allowed Tesla to offer integrated solar and energy storage solutions, helping it become a strong player in the E-vehicle market . 

Toyota's JIT revolution

Toyota's Just-in-Time (JIT) revolution is a remarkable case study that revolutionized the manufacturing industry. This MBA case study will delve into the key elements of Toyota's JIT system, its implementation, and the impact it had on the company's success.

Toyota faced significant challenges in the 1950s, including limited resources and fierce competition. To overcome these obstacles, the company adopted the JIT philosophy , aiming to eliminate waste, reduce inventory, and enhance efficiency.

Implementation : Toyota's JIT system focused on reducing inventory levels by establishing a pull-based production system. This involved producing only what was needed, when it was needed, and in the required quantity. The company collaborated closely with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of parts, reducing the need for excess inventory.

Impact : The implementation of JIT revolutionized Toyota's operations. It enabled the company to reduce lead times, improve quality control, and increase overall productivity . By eliminating waste and optimizing production processes, Toyota achieved cost savings and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Lessons Learned : Toyota's JIT revolution offers valuable lessons for MBA students and business professionals. It highlights the importance of lean manufacturing principles , effective supply chain management, and continuous improvement. The case study demonstrates how a strategic focus on efficiency and waste reduction can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage.

The Tata Nano, also known as 'The People's Car', was launched by the Indian automaker Tata Motors in 2009. It was envisioned as an affordable and compact vehicle that would provide mobility to the masses in India. However, despite its initial hype and expectations, the Tata Nano faced numerous challenges and setbacks, making it an interesting case study for MBA students.

Tata Motors, a subsidiary of the Tata Group, aimed to create a car that would revolutionize the Indian automobile market. The Nano was designed to be the world's cheapest car , priced at around USD 2500. It was positioned as a safer and more comfortable alternative to motorcycles and three-wheelers, which were the primary means of transportation for many Indian families.

Marketing Strategy : Tata Motors adopted an innovative marketing strategy to promote the Nano. They focused on creating awareness and generating interest through various channels , including online campaigns, roadshows, and tie-ups with microfinance institutions. The company aimed to tap into the aspirations of the lower-middle-class segment and create a strong emotional connection with potential buyers.

Challenges and Setbacks : Despite its initial success in generating buzz and attracting bookings, the Tata Nano faced several challenges that hindered Nano's manufacturing process, growth, and market penetration. Some of the key challenges were safety concerns, production issues, competition , etc.

Overcoming Challenges : Tata overcame the challenges through a combination of cost-cutting measures, efficient supply chain management (vendor parks, reducing logistics costs), strategic decision-making regarding plant location, marketing efforts to change perceptions, and addressing safety concerns. The company addressed the safety concerns by making design modifications, conducting extensive safety tests, and meeting safety regulations. Tata invested in safety features and communicated these measures to the public to build confidence in the Nano's safety. Thus, despite facing obstacles, Nano demonstrated the importance of adaptability and innovation in bringing an affordable and innovative product to market.

Ola , founded in 2010, was the first ride-hailing platform in India and quickly gained popularity due to its affordable pricing and extensive network. Uber , a global giant, entered the Indian market in 2013, bringing its technology-driven approach and strong brand recognition . The entry of Uber presented a significant challenge to Ola's dominance, leading to intense competition between the two players.

Strategies : Both Ola and Uber have employed various strategies to gain a competitive edge in the Indian market. Ola focused on building a strong network of drivers by offering attractive incentives and benefits. They also invested heavily in marketing and promotions to establish themselves as the preferred choice for customers.

On the other hand, Uber leveraged its global presence and technological expertise to provide a seamless user experience. They introduced innovative features like upfront pricing, cashless payments, and in-app navigation to differentiate themselves from Ola.

Pricing Models : Pricing has been a crucial aspect of the competition between Ola and Uber. Ola initially adopted a dynamic pricing model , where fares fluctuated based on demand and supply . This approach allowed Ola to maximize revenue during peak hours but also led to customer dissatisfaction due to surge pricing.

In contrast, Uber introduced upfront pricing , providing customers with transparency and certainty regarding fares. This pricing model appealed to customers and helped Uber gain a competitive advantage.

Regulatory Challenges : Operating in India's ride-hailing market posed significant regulatory challenges for both Ola and Uber. The government introduced various regulations to ensure passenger safety, driver welfare, and fair competition. Ola and Uber had to comply with these regulations, including obtaining licenses.

Lessons : OLA and Uber engaged in fierce competition in the Indian market, with OLA gaining an early lead due to localization efforts and strategic partnerships. Despite Uber's global presence, OLA's focused approach and understanding of local dynamics allowed it to maintain a strong brand presence in the competitive Indian ride-hailing sector. Having said this, Uber brought innovation and a seamless user experience to India's ride-hailing sector . Its international appeal and technological prowess challenged OLA, fostering healthy competition and pushing both companies to enhance their services for Indian consumers.

Patanjali, an Indian brand established in 2006 by Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, has rapidly emerged as a major player in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. With its focus on Ayurvedic and natural products, Patanjali has disrupted the market dominated by multinational giants.

Branding and Marketing Strategy : Patanjali's success can be attributed to its effective branding and marketing strategies. The brand positioned itself as a 'swadeshi' (indigenous) alternative to multinational brands, appealing to the patriotic sentiments of Indian consumers. Patanjali's advertisements featuring Baba Ramdev and its focus on natural ingredients resonated with health-conscious consumers.

Disruptive Pricing : Patanjali disrupted the FMCG market by offering quality products at competitive prices. By eliminating middlemen and focusing on cost-effective production methods , the brand was able to provide affordable alternatives to consumers.

With its strong marketing strategies and disruptive pricing , Patanjali rapidly expanded outreach, leveraging Baba Ramdev's vast network of yoga centers and retail outlets. The brand also adopted an aggressive distribution strategy by partnering with modern retail chains and e-commerce platforms, ensuring its products were easily accessible to consumers across India and thus becoming a trusted name in the market.

In 1993, PepsiCo faced a major crisis when reports emerged of consumers finding syringes and needles in cans of Diet Pepsi. This incident, known as the ‘Pepsi syringe scare’ , caused widespread panic and led to a decline in consumer trust and sales. The crisis posed a significant challenge for PepsiCo, requiring swift action and innovative strategies to regain consumer confidence.

Rapid Response : Recognizing the urgency of the situation, PepsiCo swiftly responded to the crisis by launching a comprehensive investigation into the reported incidents. The company collaborated with law enforcement agencies, medical experts, and suppliers to identify the source of contamination and implement immediate corrective measures.

Transparent Communication : To rebuild trust with consumers, PepsiCo prioritized transparent communication throughout the crisis. The company provided regular updates on the investigation's progress , ensuring that accurate information was disseminated to the public. By being open and honest, PepsiCo aimed to dispel rumors and restore confidence in its products.

Collaboration with Stakeholders : PepsiCo actively engaged with various stakeholders , including government agencies, industry experts, and consumer advocacy groups. The company sought their input and collaborated on developing enhanced safety measures and quality control protocols. This collaborative approach helped PepsiCo demonstrate its commitment to consumer safety and regain credibility.

Product Innovation : As part of its crisis management strategy, PepsiCo introduced innovative packaging solutions to address consumer concerns about product tampering. The company developed tamper-evident seals and redesigned its cans to incorporate additional protective layers. These innovations reassured consumers that PepsiCo was taking proactive steps to prevent future incidents.

Marketing Campaigns : Pepsi's crisis management strategies were not limited to addressing the immediate concerns surrounding the syringe scare. The company also focused on long-term initiatives to rebuild its reputation and strengthen its position in the market.

Throughout the crisis and beyond, Pepsi remained committed to continuous improvement. The company implemented rigorous quality control measures, enhanced safety protocols, and invested in advanced technology to prevent future incidents.

Vodafone Idea Merger - Game-Changing Move Towards Significant Growth

The Vodafone Idea merger, which took place in 2018, is a remarkable example of an unexpected merger that led to significant growth for both companies involved. This case study will analyze the success factors behind this merger and shed light on the strategic decisions that contributed to its success.

Strategic Rationale : The merger between Vodafone and Idea was driven by several key factors. Firstly, it allowed both companies to c ombine their resources, infrastructure, and customer base , resulting in a stronger market position. By pooling their assets and expertise, they could leverage economies of scale and enhance operational efficiency. Furthermore, the merger enabled Vodafone and Idea to create a robust network infrastructure capable of handling the increasing demand for data services.

Synergies and Integration : The successful integration of Vodafone and Idea was a critical factor in achieving significant growth. The companies focused on capturing synergies by aligning their operations, combining their technology platforms, and streamlining their processes. This integration allowed them to optimize costs, eliminate duplications, and enhance overall efficiency.

Lessons : The merger between Vodafone and Idea showcased the importance of leveraging the complementary strengths of both companies. The merger also highlighted the potential for synergy creation. By bringing together the resources, capabilities, and market presence of both companies, Vodafone Idea Limited was able to achieve cost savings, improve operational efficiency, and enhance its overall competitiveness. In 2018, Vodafone Idea unveiled its brand new identity ‘Vi’ which marked the completion of the integration of the 2 companies.

Titan Company Limited, a renowned Indian consumer goods company, has been a market leader in the watch industry for several decades. However, with the advent of e-commerce and changing consumer preferences, the company recognized the need to transform its business model and embrace the online marketplace. This case study explores Titan's successful journey towards becoming an online enterprise and highlights the strategic initiatives that propelled its growth in the digital space.

Strategic Shift : Founded in 1984 as a joint venture between the Tata Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, Titan initially focused on manufacturing and selling watches. Recognizing the potential of online retail, Titan embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation strategy. The company invested heavily in technology infrastructure and talent acquisition to build a robust e-commerce platform that offered a seamless shopping experience to its customers. Additionally, Titan forged strategic partnerships with leading e-commerce players, enabling it to leverage their vast customer base and reach.

Product Innovation : One of the key drivers of Titan's success in the online space was its focus on product innovation. The company introduced a wide range of trendy and affordable watches, jewelry, and eyewear specifically designed to cater to the preferences of online shoppers. By leveraging data analytics and consumer insights, Titan was able to identify emerging trends and develop products that resonated with its target audience.

Digital Marketing : To create brand awareness and drive traffic to its online platform, Titan adopted a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. The company utilized social media channels, search engine optimization techniques, and influencer marketing campaigns to engage with its target audience effectively. Titan also implemented various strategies to enhance the user experience on its online platform.

Loyalty Program : To encourage repeat purchases, Titan introduced a loyalty program for its online customers. This program offered exclusive discounts, rewards, and personalized recommendations based on each customer's preferences and purchase history. By incentivizing customer loyalty, Titan was able to build a strong base of repeat buyers and increase customer lifetime value.

Overall, Titan's leap into the online business was a resounding success. Through strategic digital marketing, enhanced user experience, a loyalty program, efficient operations, and a diverse product range, the company was able to establish itself as a prominent player in the e-commerce industry.

I mpact of Blockchain Technology on Traditional Industries (Finance & Supply Chain Management)

Blockchain technology, initially introduced as the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, has evolved into a powerful tool with the potential to revolutionize traditional industries.

Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt the financial industry by offering secure and transparent transactions without the need for intermediaries. The case study examines how blockchain can streamline payment processes, reduce transaction costs, and enhance financial inclusion.

Ripple is a prime example of how blockchain technology has streamlined the payment process in the financial industry. Ripple's blockchain-based payment protocol allows for fast, secure, and low-cost cross-border transactions.

Traditionally, international payments can take several days to complete and involve multiple intermediaries, resulting in high transaction fees. However, Ripple's technology enables near-instantaneous settlement and eliminates the need for intermediarie s, significantly reducing both the time and cost associated with cross-border payments. This has immense implications for businesses and individuals who rely on international transactions, as it allows for faster, more efficient, and cost-effective transfers of funds.

Supply Chain Management

The adoption of blockchain technology in supply chain management can enhance transparency, traceability, and efficiency across the entire value chain. This case study investigates how blockchain can mitigate issues such as counterfeiting, fraud, and supply chain disruptions.

One example of how blockchain technology has benefited traditional industries is in the case of Maersk. Maersk , a global shipping company, has successfully implemented blockchain technology in its supply chain management processes.

With the use of blockchain, Maersk is able to ensure the authenticity of its products throughout the supply chain. By recording every transaction and movement of goods on the blockchain, the company can verify the origin and history of each product, making it difficult for counterfeit products to enter the market. This not only protects consumers from purchasing fake goods but also safeguards the reputation of Maersk as a trusted brand.

Furthermore, blockchain technology has enabled Maersk to optimize its inventory management . By having real-time visibility of inventory levels and movements, the company can accurately track and manage its stock, reducing the risk of overstocking or understocking.

In terms of logistics, blockchain has provided Maersk with enhanced transparency and traceability . Through the use of smart contracts and digital records on the blockchain, the company can easily track the movement of goods from one location to another.

Overall, Maersk's adoption of blockchain technology has brought significant benefits to the company in terms of ensuring product authenticity, optimizing inventory management, and improving logistics.

Unacademy was founded in 2015 by Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, and Hemesh Singh as a YouTube channel providing free educational content. Over time, it evolved into a comprehensive online learning platform offering courses for various competitive exams in India, such as UPSC, SSC, and banking. Unacademy's mission is to make quality education accessible to all by leveraging technology and empowering educators.

Digital Transformation Initiatives : Unacademy's digital transformation initiatives have played a pivotal role in reshaping the education landscape in India. The company has embraced innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data analytics, to enhance the learning experience for students.

Personalized Learning : Unacademy's platform utilizes AI and ML algorithms to personalize the learning journey for each student. By analyzing user behavior and performance data, the platform recommends relevant courses and study material tailored to individual needs. This personalized approach has significantly improved student engagement and outcomes.

Live Classes and Interactive Sessions : Unacademy offers live classes conducted by experienced educators, allowing students to interact with them in real-time. These interactive sessions foster active learning, enabling students to clarify doubts, participate in discussions, and receive personalized guidance. The use of technology has made education more engaging and accessible.

Gamification and Competition : Unacademy gamifies the learning experience by incorporating quizzes, challenges, and leaderboards. This gamification strategy motivates students to actively participate, compete with peers, and earn rewards, making the learning process enjoyable and immersive. The use of technology has transformed education into a fun and competitive endeavor.

In conclusion, by providing accessible and affordable online learning resources, Unacademy has democratized education and empowered millions of learners. Their success showcases the immense potential of technology to bridge educational gaps and transform traditional learning methods.

Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Healthcare Delivery and Patient Outcomes

In recent years, the healthcare industry has witnessed a significant transformation due to the rapid advancements in technology. From electronic health records (EHRs) to telemedicine, these technological innovations have had a profound impact on healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. This case study aims to analyze the various ways in which technology has revolutionized healthcare, exploring its benefits, challenges, and future implications.

Integration of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) : One of the most notable advancements in healthcare technology is the widespread adoption of electronic health records. EHRs have streamlined the documentation process, enabling healthcare providers to access patient information easily and securely. This has led to improved care coordination, reduced medical errors, and enhanced patient safety.

Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring : The advent of telemedicine has revolutionized healthcare delivery, particularly in remote or underserved areas. Telemedicine allows patients to consult with healthcare providers virtually, eliminating the need for physical visits. This not only improves access to care but also reduces healthcare costs and enhances patient convenience . Moreover, remote patient monitoring technologies enable healthcare professionals to remotely monitor patients' vital signs and health conditions, leading to early detection of potential issues and proactive intervention.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning : The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms has significantly impacted healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. AI-powered systems can analyze vast amounts of medical data, assisting in accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and predicting patient outcomes. Machine learning algorithms can identify patterns in patient data, enabling personalized treatment plans and early detection of diseases.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Wearable Devices : The key benefit of IoT and wearable devices in healthcare is the ability to collect real-time data. These devices can continuously monitor various health parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels. This data can be transmitted wirelessly to healthcare providers, allowing them to closely monitor patients' conditions remotely. By having access to real-time data, healthcare professionals can detect any abnormalities or changes in patients' health status promptly and take necessary actions, potentially preventing complications or emergencies.

In conclusion, technology has had a significant impact on healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. It has improved efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of healthcare services. From electronic health records to telemedicine, technology has revolutionized the way healthcare is delivered, leading to better patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality.

If you enjoyed reading the above MBA case studies, here are some more tales that you might love to explore:

Enron Scandal

The Enron scandal was one of the biggest corporate frauds in history. It involved the manipulation of financial statements to hide debt and inflate profits, leading to the bankruptcy of the energy company in 2001. The scandal exposed the unethical practices of Enron executives and led to increased scrutiny of corporate governance.

Starbucks crowdsourcing success story

This is an excellent case taught in IT focusing on the impact that an effective social media strategy can have on a company. Starbucks created a crowdsourcing platform called 'My Starbucks Idea' in the March of 2008 with the aim to engage with its customers. The objective was to let the customers create products and services for the company. They can go to the platform and share their idea. The idea if viable will be implemented by Starbucks. In this way, the company can get data about customer preferences and leverage it to refine itself.

3M Corporation HR Policy

3M Corporation's HR policy is a case study in employee empowerment and innovation. With a focus on autonomy and creativity, 3M encourages the 15% Rule , allowing employees to spend a significant portion of their time on personal projects, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning within the organization.There are many other philosophies as well like the 30 percent rule, Dual Ladder career path, Seed capital, etc, that are keeping the employees motivated and making the company earn good profits.

Adhaar Number Implementation (2009)

Launched in 2009, Aadhaar is India's innovative identification project. It assigns a unique 12-digit number to residents, streamlining access to services. Despite controversy over privacy, it significantly enhances governance, financial inclusion, and social benefits distribution. The large-scale implementation reflects the evolving landscape of identity management in the digital age.

Air India Turnaround

In 2019, Air India underwent a turnaround initiative to address financial woes and operational inefficiencies. The case study delves into strategic decisions, cost-cutting measures, and attempts to enhance operational efficiency. It portrays the challenges faced by the airline industry and the complex journey of revitalizing a national carrier in a competitive market.

Flipkart-Walmart Deal (2018)

The Flipkart-Walmart Deal refers to Walmart's acquisition of Flipkart, a leading e-commerce company in India, in 2018. This deal marked Walmart's entry into the Indian e-commerce market and showcased the growing importance of global business collaborations in the country's rapidly expanding digital economy.

Microsoft's Acquisition of LinkedIn

Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016 was a significant move that brought together two major players in the tech industry. The USD 26.2 billion deal allowed Microsoft to tap into LinkedIn's vast professional network and data, while LinkedIn gained access to Microsoft's resources and technology. This acquisition aimed to enhance Microsoft's presence in the business and professional networking space.

Indian IT Indsusty’s Response to Great Resignation

From activating the Non-Compete Clause to employee benefits, study how Indian IT firms navigated through the Great Resignation phase. The case study also highlights the indispensable role of HR department in dealing with such scenarios.

Through these actual business situations, we learn a plethora of things such as brand management , business administration, acquisition strategy, etc. without bearing any actual risks and potential losses as in real life. This facilitates quick thinking and gives students good knowledge about what a challenging experience can be.

You might also be interested in reading:

• How Is CRED Becoming The New “Marketing ka Gunda”?
• MBA curriculum overhaul needed to ensure employability, say academicians
• How Upstox's Magical Marketing Strategy Earned It A Spot As One Of The IPL 2021's Lead Sponsors?
• Australia's Richest Woman Who Owns $40 Billion Company Once Sold Scarves| Melanie Perkins, Co-founder, Canva Shares Entrepreneurship Lessons
• The Inspirational Story of Balvant Parekh | The Man Behind Building an INR 7000+ Crore Empire

I am a biotechnologist-turned-content writer and try to add an element of science in my writings wherever possible. Apart from writing, I like to cook, read and travel.

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Top 40 Case Studies of 2022-23

A case about a unique partnership to bring public toilet facilities to Indian slums earned the top spot in the 2022-23 Top 40 Yale case studies round up.

Delving into the complex project management landscape of a partnership between governments, designers, academic, and NGOs in India, the Project Sammaan case study jumped to the #1 spot this year from #30 in 2021 based largely on its strong sales to academic institutions.

Cases on the uses of debt and equity at Hertz that took the top two spots last year continued their strong showing this year at #2 and #3.

Surprisingly, the abridged version of the Toyota 2010 case leapt from #40 in last year’s roundup to #4; perennial favorite Coffee 2016 took #5 and cases involving search funds, private equity, and Cadbury, another perennial favorite, rounded out the top 10.

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

Other year-end data for 2022-23 showed that:

• 26K case users from 156 countries and all 50 U.S. states interacted with 191 Yale cases.
• Over fifty percent of case users came from outside the U.S. with India, Tanzania, and the Philippines making up the bulk.
• 22 cases on the list are "raw" and 18 "cooked."
• The top 40 cases were supervised by 21 different Yale SOM current and former faculty members, several supervising multiple cases.

All of the 2022-23 Top 40 cases are available for purchase from the Yale Management Media store .

And the Top 40 cases for 2022-23 are:

1 Project Sammaan

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

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

4 Toyota 2010 (Abridged)

5 Coffee 2016

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

7 Gardner Denver

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

10 Suwanee Lumber Company (B)

11 Marina Bay Sands

12 IBM Corporate Service Corps

13 Shake Shack IPO

14 Children's Premier

15 Hirtle Callaghan & Co

16 Volkswagen

18 Commonfund ESG

19 Alternative Meat Industry

20 Mastercard

21 Palm Oil 2016

22 Design at the Mayo Clinic

23 Mercy Corps

24 Mike Erwin: An accidental social entrepreneur

25 DonorsChoose.org

28 The Alibaba Group

29 Giant Bicycle: Bike-Sharing in Taipei

30 American Greetings

31 Air Canada

32 Achievement First

33 Tesla in Germany

34 Nielsen: How Will the Company Maintain Its Commitments to Multiple Stakeholder Groups?

35 Climate Change Capital

36 2011 Debt Limit Crisis: How Should the Fed Respond?

37 The Future of Malls: Was Decline Inevitable?

39 Herman Miller

40 AXA: Creating the New CR Metrics

Case Study Method: 6 MBA programs that are good at it

What is the case study method?

The narrative format of the case-study method allows students to think like CXO on the multidimensional nature of the problem. The points and counterpoints put forward by peers widen the scope of the discussion. Professors ensure that the discussion remains relevant. Before the class, students are required to do additional research, make calculated assumptions, and analyze the 20-30 page long case studies that cover a broad range of contexts and sources, from financials, economic factors, media coverage, and interviews of business leaders. Even before the case study, the small study group will challenge the assumptions, further fine-tuning the argument.

Pioneering the method, Harvard Business School forms the upper tier, with 80% of its curriculum still based on the case method. Darden School of Business, INSEAD, Berkeley Haas, IESE, and Ivey are also in the same league of case-intensive curriculums.

Yale School of Management stands out for its unique spin on case studies by bringing real-world chaos into the study. By using RAW cases – with inconclusive data, market conditions, and trends, Yale MBA students had to make decisions with uncertainty, just like in real life. The high percentage of Consulting placements at Yale could be the direct impact of such a unique experiment.

Schools that are only focussing on Case Study Method as their primary teaching methodology has some disadvantages as we have pointed out in our analysis of Case Study Method vs Experiential Learning . With that caveat, let us look at schools that have pioneered and refined the Case Study Method.

1) Harvard MBA Program

At Harvard Business School, 500 cases are taught throughout the 2-year MBA program with 55% of them globally-oriented to encompass the most current and diverse business problems.

What Makes Harvard Cases Unique

• Depth and Range of the cases • Pre-Class Discussions • Engaging discussions from diverse backgrounds • Strong class (high achievers) and their corresponding perspective

Over 80% of the classes in HBS MBA is taught with his method. By the time a student passes out, he would have analyzed almost two thousand cases, covering hundreds of businesses.  The cases cover various aspects of a business:  Marketing, strategy, leadership, technology and negotiation. Most schools have followed the lead of HBS and have customized their MBA programs accordingly.

2) Darden MBA

Darden is reputed to have among the world’s best collection of multi-disciplinary cases. The school’s strength is in encouraging discussion and debate while reinforcing the learning of the case study where other perspectives come into play.

What Makes Darden Cases Unique

• Class discussions • Active and spontaneous learning • On-spot improvement and review of arguments • Iterative learning through student teams and class

Second, to Harvard Business School, 6 of the top 10 case studies sold in the world came from INSEAD .

Known as 'The Business School for the World', Insead has a collection of cases that is unmatched in the wide variety of countries and cultures it is based on. It focuses on a wide geographical area, covering countries as diverse as India, Kenya, Ukraine, Costa Rica and China. This helps students develop a global perspective about business strategies and decisions.

What Makes INSEAD Cases Unique

• Geographical diversity • 80 new case studies annually

4) Yale School of Management

Yale’s RAW case method has evolved a step further than Harvard’s case study method. Utilizing the merits of modern technology, the RAW case method encourages non-linear thinking. It enables students to select and synthesize information, gauging the depth of the research they wish to conduct.

What Makes Yale Cases Unique

• Real-time news and information • Non-linear learning • Synthesize information from a variety of channels • Co-taught by faculty from different disciplines

The case method is utilized in the curriculum on a regular basis, strengthening their student’s foundation in core management skills

What Makes IVEY Cases Unique

•  Regular practice of the case method •  Iterative learning through student teams and during class

IESE has the upper hand in tech-driven case studies and in presenting cases that could be adopted anywhere in the world regardless of the culture or geography

What Makes IESE Cases Unique

• Present serious dilemmas. • Universal appeal • General management focus

Although a much better methodology than lecture-based teaching, the Case Study method has the danger of generalization and accidentally incorporating implicit biases based on the author’s worldview. The discussions need to be rewarded for deeper questions that could tilt the balance against the primary assumptions of the case.

Uncertainty and Risks factored into the engagements like Yale’s Raw case approach should be a standard. Additionally, MBAs must be taught to question the origin and context of the information they are consuming.

Despite the weaknesses, an approach like the case-study method that brings the fear of cold calling and grades that are highly dependent on the answers in the class has no alternatives to build a fully engaged class.

Read: Experiential Learning, which would be the next biggest advancement in management education .

Winning MBA Essay Guide  = Harvard + Stanford + Wharton + Columbia + Booth + MIT + Kellogg + Darden + Yale + NYU Stern + Haas + Ross + Duke Fuqua + INSEAD + LBS + Tuck  Essay Tips and 245+ Sample Essays + Leadership Narratives + Editing Techniques + Storytelling Tips + Video Essay Scripts + Curriculum Analysis of each MBA program for the Why MBA Question

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Stanford MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) 

• Sample Why Stanford MBA Essay (Consulting)(396 words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA Essay (Tech Entrepreneur) (389 words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Career Switching (Finance to Green Energy Consulting) (388 Words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Career Switching (Private Equity to Operations) (384 Words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Career Switching (Industry and Function – Oil & Gas to Consulting in Operations) (389 Words)    
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Career Switching (Design Engineer in Automobiles to Managing the Products of the Future) (391 Words)    
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Career Switching (Accounting to Private Equity) (395 Words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Dual Degree (MBA and Public Policy) (380 Words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA: Dual Degree (Investment Banking to Venture Capital) (393 Words)     
• Sample Why Stanford MBA:  NASA Missions to Mitigating Risks of Global Flooding (393 Words)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (613 Words)(Balance in Life)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (645 Words)(Veterans PTSD and Healing)    
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (649 Words)(Vulnerability and Learning)    
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (642 Words)(Education and Investment)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (602 Words)(Freedom and Commitment)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (646 Words)(Savor Every Moment and Be Present)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (632 Words)(Power of Restlessness)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (619 Words)( The Slums, A Tragedy and the Search for a Systemic Solution)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (640 Words)(Privilege to Serving the Most Vulnerable)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (Generative AI, Bias, and Safety) (649 Words)     
• Sample Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (Truth from Interpreting Right, Left, and Centre Narratives) (648 Words)    
• Sample Stanford MBA Positive IMPACT Optional Essay (Flexible Hours for Working Mothers)(200 Words)    
• Sample Stanford MBA Positive IMPACT Optional Essay (Cross-Functional Collaboration to Mitigate a Toxic Culture) (192 Words)    
• Sample Stanford MBA Positive IMPACT Optional Essay (Introduced Analytics for monitoring performance) (200 Words)   

Download Stanford MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (24 Sample Essays)

Harvard MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – The Power of Community (Private Equity Applicant) (781 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Entrepreneurship as an Identity and supporting minority Entrepreneurs (664 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Following Passion and consciously challenging oneself (711 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Life Starts at No (618 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Establishing a Cooperative and Transforming Rural Telecom (695 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Small Business Values during COVID crisis (852 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Military and the search for IMPACT (826 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Numbers to Healthcare Entrepreneurship (820 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – The American Dream and Harvard’s Peers (662 Words)    
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay - Volunteering (Marketing in Volunteering) (Mental Health Awareness) (758 Words)    
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay - Stoic Disregard for Setbacks and value of Freedom (636 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Consulting vs. the Power of Data (535 Words)    
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Guilt of working in the Oil & Gas Industry (592 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Breaking Away from Family Business (607 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Trauma, Healing and Finding Authentic Self (843 Words)    
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Crypto As a Tool for Good (687 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Finding Creative Solution in Scarcity (834 Words)    
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Passion vs. Talent (882 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Starting Over Again (861 Words)     
• Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Gaming for Good (840 Words)    

Download Harvard MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (20 Sample Essays)

Chicago Booth MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Booth Goals Essay #1: Oil & Gas to Consulting (474 Words)   
• Sample Booth Goals Essay #2: Social IMPACT to Marketing (469 Words)   
• Sample Booth Goals Essay #3: Accounting to Entrepreneurship (490 Words)   
• Sample Booth Goals Essay #4: Technology (Programming to Product Development) (493 Words)   
• Sample Booth Goals Essay #5: Media Sales to Consulting (Food and Beverages Industry) (522 Words)   
• Sample Booth Goals Essay #6: Economic Development to IMPACT investing (586 Words)   
• Sample Booth Tell Us who you are:Father’s Restaurant Business and Leadership (451 Words)
• Sample Booth Tell Us who you are: Teaching and Scientific Temperament as a Virtue (654 Words)   
• Sample Booth Tell Us who you are: Learning from Tragedy (610 Words)   
• Sample Booth Tell Us who you are: Risk Taking and Learning (Reimagining the Food Supply Chain)(628 Words)   
• Sample Booth Tell Us who you are: Nature or Nurture (Hunting and Conservationism) (497 Words)   
• Sample Booth Tell Us who you are: Single Parent and Entrepreneurship (631 Words)

Download Chicago Booth MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (12 Sample Essays)

Columbia MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Columbia Goals Essay 1: Enterprise Technology to Consumer Marketing (495 Words)
• Sample Columbia Goals Essay 2: Healthcare (Finance to Consulting) (499 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Goals Essay 3: FinTech (Product Manager to Strategy) (473 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Goals Essay 4: IMPACT Investing (Accounting to IMPACT Investing) (447 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Goals Essay 5: Digital Strategy – Media Technology (Journalism to Media Tech) (454 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Goals Essay 6: Scaling Boutique Investment Management Firm (492 Words)    
• Sample Columbia PPIL Essay: Onboarding a non-traditional Candidate (243 Words)    
• Sample Columbia PPIL Essay: Changing Biases in the Algorithm (244 Words)    
• Sample Columbia PPIL Essay: Improving Women’s Success Potential (Oil & Gas Industry) (245 Words)    
• Sample Columbia PPIL Essay: Recommending Unionization (Railway Project) (250 Words)    
• Sample Columbia PPIL Essay: Recommending Social Media Controls (Liberal Applicant with Conservative peers) (247 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Fit Essay: Value from NYC (246 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Fit Essay: Auto Manufacturer (Family Business – Value from EIR) (249 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Fit Essay: Unique Insights from Mentors (250 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Fit Essay: Strategic Direction for a Once in a lifetime Opportunity (249 Words)    
• Sample Columbia Fit Essay: Real Estate Development with ESG Goals and Columbia EIR’s Expertise (242 Words)    
• Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #1 (Tech Entrepreneur) (286 Words)
• Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #2 (Father) (275 Words)    
• Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #3 (Mother) (279 Words)    
• Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #4 (Math Teacher) (289 Words)    
• Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #5 (Co-Founder) (285 Words)   

Download Columbia MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (21 Sample Essays)

Wharton MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 1: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Consulting to Finance) (493 words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 2: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (VC to Consulting (Healthcare))(477 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 3: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Business Development to Finance (Non-Profit in Energy))(495 Words)
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 4: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Digital Marketing to Marketing Strategy) (498 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 5: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? General Management (Consulting – Building a Strong Management Fundamentals and International Perspective)(498 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 6: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? IMPACT Investing (Experience Outside Govt. Organizations)(490 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 7: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Incubation & Angel Investing to Venture Capital) (471 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 8: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Tech Entrepreneur to Product Manager with Strong Business Fundamentals) (497 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 9: Math Tutoring and Experimental music’s value for the Wharton Community (388 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 10: Non-Profit – Obesity Epidemic and Healthy Lifestyle at Wharton (398 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 11: Non-Profit – Energy-Efficient Offices for Start-ups and value of Design Thinking in the Wharton Community (392 Words)
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 12: Non-Profit (Personalized Education for Low-Income Students) (397 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 13: Process Innovation in Investment Banking (360 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 14: Radical Solution for the Hispanic Community in Philadelphia (400 Words)    
• Sample Wharton MBA Essay 15: Climate Change – Shaming to Inclusive Strategy with Empathy (392 Words)  

Download Wharton MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (15 Sample Essays)

MIT Sloan MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Cover Letter – Technology to Consulting (284 Words)
• Sample Cover Letter – Healthcare Entrepreneurship (297 Words)
• Sample Cover Letter – Consulting to Technology (298 Words)
• Sample Cover Letter – Wealth Management to FinTech (299 Words)
• Sample Cover Letter – Manufacturing to Consulting (Retail) (299 Words)
• Sample Cover Letter – Strategy to Consulting (297 Words)
• Sample Video Statement – Technology Consultant with the ambition to transform Education (161 Words)
• Sample Video Statement - Accounting Professional with a unique patent (142 Words)
• Sample Video Statement – Oil & Gas Professional with a passion for Flying and Exploration(152 Words)
• Sample MIT World Shaped Who You Are Essay – Homeschooling (248 Words)    
• Sample MIT World Shaped Who You Are Essay – War Trauma (242 Words)    
• Sample MIT World Shaped Who You Are Essay – Military Upbringing (242 Words)    

Download MIT MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (12 Sample Cover Letters and Essays)

Haas MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Start-up in Cryptocurrency) (291 Words)    
• Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Design as a tool for Change) (296 Words)    
• Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Flying and AI in Healthcare)(299 Words)    
• Sample Haas What Makes you Feel Alive (Learning, Failing and Prototyping)(289 Words)    
• Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Affordable Education and Satellite Technology) (271 Words)    
• Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Future-Proofing the Underprivileged) (Climate Change) (299 Words)    
• Sample Haas Career Goals Essay (Technology Consulting to Strategy) (284 Words)    
• Sample Haas Career Goals Essay (Product Management to Venture Capital in AI) (293 Words)    
• Sample Haas Career Goals Essay (Corporate Finance to Consulting) (292 Words)    
• Sample Berkeley Haas Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Team Building – Technology) (Questioning Status Quo & Beyond Yourself) (277 Words)
• Sample Berkeley Haas Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Student Always) (Adaptability, IMPACT Oriented and Intellectual Curiosity) (276 Words)    
• Sample Berkeley Haas Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Beyond Yourself) (Adaptability, IMPACT Oriented and Intellectual Curiosity) (247 Words)    
• Sample Berkeley Haas Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Confidence Without Attitude) (Adaptability, and IMPACT Oriented) (287 Words)    50
• Sample Berkeley Haas Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Question the Status Quo) (Adaptability, Leveraging Power for Good and Impact-Oriented) (216 Words)    
• Sample Berkeley Haas Embody Four Defining Principles Video Essay (Beyond Yourself) (Adaptability and Leveraging Power for Good) (294 Words)
• Sample Haas MBA Essay on DEI  (Building Inclusive Teams to Address Domestic Violence Among Native Americans)  (300 Words)    
• Sample Haas MBA Essay on DEI  (Silicon Valley and Black Entrepreneurs) (295 Words)    
• Sample Haas MBA Essay on DEI (DEI in Design) (298 Words)   

Download Haas MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (18 Sample Essays)

Yale SOM MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Business Development (Mobile Phone Start-Up)(474 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Investment Banking  and Teaching (499 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Consulting and Listening (413 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Technology and Commitment to Learning (438 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Marketing (489 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Entrepreneurship (497 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: IMPACT Investing (479 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Oil & Gas to Clean Energy (Consulting) (435 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Commitment MBA Essay: Angel Investing and Rural Entrepreneurship (490 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Community MBA Essay: Mental Health and Fitness Community(498 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Community MBA Essay: Neighborhood as a Community (496 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Community MBA Essay: Library as a Community Space (489 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Significant Challenge MBA Essay: Scarcity to Growth Mindset (486 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Significant Challenge MBA Essay: COVID-19 Vaccine Development (498 Words)    
• Sample Yale SOM Significant Challenge MBA Essay: Leadership in Startup to Leadership in Fortune 500  (496 Words)   

Download Yale MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (15 Sample Essays)

Ross MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)   Prompt 1: I want people to know that I    

• Sample MBA Essay: Finance Professional who was a former member of a rock band (89 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Marketing Professional with a hidden talent to do Impression (80 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Life Philosophy through the prism of an Entrepreneurial failure (88 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Overcoming the Fear of Speaking in front of an Audience (97 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Communicating Inconvenient Truth (99 Words)    

Prompt 2: I made a difference when I    

• Sample MBA Essay: Consulting for a Pharma Giant (Made a Difference) (97 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Three-Level Sanitation Campaign (95 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Water Conservation Kit (84 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay:  Book Donation and Its IMPACT (91 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay:  Parental Leave and Flexible Time (96 Words)    

Prompt 3: I was aware that I was different when    

• Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Leadership and Culture) (91 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Technology Project and Last-minute change) (91 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Making Business metrics relevant to a Creative team) (83 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Feedback seeking) (81 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Challenging Established Way of Thinking) (100 Words)    

Prompt 1: I am out of my comfort zone when    

• Sample MBA Essay: Out of my comfort zone(extra-curricular) (85 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Out of my comfort zone (Daily Science Show) (100 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Simplifying Operations for Manufacturing (extra-curricular) (88 Words)    

Prompt 2: I was humbled when    

• Sample MBA Essay: Losing client (96 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Misreading Market Conditions (88 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: Strategic Planning vs. Tactical Dominance in Chess (93 Words)    

Prompt 3: I was challenged when    

• Sample MBA Essay: I was challenged when (Change in Scope) (100 Words)    
• Sample MBA Essay: I was challenged when (Team Failed) (98 Words)    

Pick One Thing from your Resume and Tell us More

• Sample Essay – Pick One Thing from your resume and tell us more (Consulting for Small Business During COVID) (100 Words)
• Sample Essay – Pick One Thing from your resume and tell us more (Negotiating Design Changes – Cross-functional and Global communication) (100 Words)    
• Sample Essay – Pick One Thing from your resume and tell us more (Entrepreneurship) (100 Words)    
• Sample Essay – Pick One Thing from your resume and tell us more (Event Organization – During COVID) (99 Words)    
• Sample Essay – Pick One Thing from your resume and tell us more (First Job – Career Switcher BA in English to Investment Management) (100 Words)

Short-Term Goals Essay

• Sample Essay – Short-term Goals and why the goal is the right choice for you (Private Investment as a Tool for Change) (150 Words)    
• Sample Essay – Short-term Goals and why the goal is the right choice for you (Education to Consulting) (150 Words)    
• Sample Essay – Short-term Goals and why the goal is the right choice for you (Software Development to Sales to Marketing) (148 Words)  

  Download Ross MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (31 Sample Essays)

  Darden MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Darden MBA Essay – About you Not in Resume (100 Words) (Near Death Experience)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – About you Not in Resume  (100 Words) (Passion and Networking)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – About you Not in Resume (100 Words) (Persistence)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – About you Not in Resume (95 Words) (Climate Change – A Uniting theme)
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – About you Not in Resume (96 Words) (Science Fiction)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – Inclusive Leadership (Revamping Recruitment Process) (298 Words)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – Inclusive Leadership (Obesity and Hunger) (Rural America) (272 Words)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – Inclusive Leadership (Decoding Vaccine Hesitation) (298 Words)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – Inclusive Leadership (Team Diversity)(297 Words)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – Inclusive Leadership (Interpreting a foreign culture) (258 Words)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay – Leadership (First Leadership Lesson) (289 Words)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal and align long-term vision (197 words) (Technology to Consulting and Boutique Consulting)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal and align long-term vision (200 words)  (Product Management and CEO)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal and align long-term vision (200 words) (Investment Banking to Private Equity)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal and align long-term vision (199 words)  (Strategy Consulting – Change in Industry)    
• Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal and align long-term vision (197 words) (Operations to Corporate Finance)    
• Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (47 Words) (Uganda)    
• Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (49 Words) (Sweden)    
• Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (48 Words) (China)    
• Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (49 Words) (Israel)    
• Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (50 Words) (Germany)    

  Download Darden MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (21 Sample Essays)

Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Duke Fuqua Post-MBA Career Goals (90 Words) (Product Marketing for FinTech start-up)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Post-MBA Career Goals (98 Words)(Financial Consulting to Management Consulting)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Post-MBA Career Goals (100 Words) (IB to Entrepreneurship)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Post-MBA Career Goals (95 Words) (ML to Marketing)  
• Sample Duke Fuqua Post-MBA Career Goals (100 Words) (Healthcare to Retail)   
• 25 Random Things: Chinese Female Engineer     
• 25 Random Things: Indian Product Manager with Strong Community Engagement
• Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (Consulting) (Max 1 Page) (279 Words)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (Max 1 Page) (Education Club) (295 Words)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (Performance-Based Micropayments) (Max 1 Page) (256 Words)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (Transforming Grant Making for a Family Foundation) (Max 1 Page) (300 Words)    
• Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (Addressing Bias in Patient Experience) (Max 1 Page) (299 Words)  

  Download Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (12 Sample Essays)

NYU Stern MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample NYU Stern Essay: Short-Term Career Goals (150 Words) (Finance)    
• Sample NYU Stern Essay: Short-Term Career Goals (146 Words) (Consulting)    
• Sample NYU Stern Essay: Short-term Career Goals (148 Words)(Product Management)    
• Sample NYU Stern Essay: Short-Term Career Goals (149 Words)(Marketing Consulting – Fortune 500 New Media Companies)    
• Sample NYU Stern Essay: Short-Term Career Goals (150 Words)(Retail Family Business to Luxury)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Dare It (Finance Candidate – Immigrant Family) (350 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Dare It (Communication Gap Around Mandate to Return to Office – Investment Banker) (347 Words)  
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Dream It (Consultant – Understanding long-term Goal and Personal Fears) (334 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Dream It (EdTech Non-Profit Serving Cincinnati) (349 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Drive It (Entrepreneurial Thinking – Fortune 500 Company)(340 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Drive It (Sports Injury to Media Startup)(348 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Empower It (Healthy Eating for SNAP beneficiaries)(347 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Empower It (FinTech and Behavioral Metrics in Non-Profit)(346 Words)
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Manifest It (Helping Junior Bankers Manage Mental & Physical Health) (338 Words)    
• Sample NYU Stern Change Essay: Manifest It (Addressing Homelessness Among Teenagers in Baltimore) (346 Words)  

Download NYU Stern MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (15 Sample Essays + 6 Visual Essay Examples)

Kellogg MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Essay 1: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and Skills Used (Marketing) (425 Words)    
• Sample Essay 2: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and Skills Used (Technology) (450 Words)    
• Sample Essay 3: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and Skills Used (Non-Profit) (441 Words)    
• Sample Essay 4: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and Skills Used (Product Manager) (437 Words)    
• Sample Essay 5: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and Skills Used (Addressing IMPLICIT Biases IN VC Community) (447 Words)    
• Sample Essay 6: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and what you learned (Leadership in Digitization) (447 Words)
• Sample Essay #1: Diverse Leaders. Enrich Kellogg Community Essay? (Inclusive Hiring) (440 Words)    
• Sample Essay #2: Diverse Leaders. Enrich Kellogg Community Essay? (Courage and Changing a Corrupt Culture) (440 Words)    
• Sample Essay #3: Diverse Leaders. Enrich Kellogg Community Essay? (Empathetic Intervention and Consulting) (440 Words)    
• Sample Essay #4: Diverse Leaders. Enrich Kellogg Community Essay? (Creative Leadership and Technology) (440 Words)    
• Sample Essay #5: Diverse Leaders. Enrich Kellogg Community Essay? (Open Mindedness - Team Management and Sales Call) (440 Words)    

Download Kellogg MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (11 Sample Essays)

Tuck MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Why Tuck MBA Essay One: Oil & Gas to Sustainability (288 Words)    
• Sample Why Tuck MBA Essay Two: Marketing to Branding (284 Words)    
• Sample Why Tuck MBA Essay Three: Investment Banking to Consulting (263 Words)    
• Sample Why Tuck MBA Essay Four: VC to Consulting (291 Words)    
• Sample Why Tuck MBA Essay Five: Technology to Research to General Management (281 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Who you are Essay One: YouTube Channel and Creative Video Editing (287 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Who you are Essay Two: Early Education and Storytelling (297 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Who you are Essay Three: Music as a Healer (294 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Who you are Essay Four: Breaking AI’s Filter Bubble (289 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Who you are Essay Five: Transforming Culture to Empower Women Professionals (295 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Meaningfully contributed sense of inclusion - YouTube Competitor (291 Words)   
• Sample Tuck Meaningfully contributed sense of inclusion - Ethical Mistake (Second chance) (299 Words)    
• Sample Tuck Meaningfully contributed sense of inclusion - Deal Novice in Billion $ Transaction (293 Words)    
• S ample Tuck Meaningfully contributed sense of inclusion - Xenophobia (279 Words)   
• Sample Tuck Meaningfully contributed sense of inclusion - Overcoming personal Challenges of a teammate as a Manager (282 Words)   

Download Tuck MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (15 Sample Essays)

INSEAD MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Essay 1: Summarize Current job Nature of work Major Responsibilities (200 Words)    
• Sample Essay 2: Next Position if Remain in Same Company (198 Words)
• Sample Essay 3: Description of your Career since Graduating University (183 Words)    
• Sample Essay 4: Short-Term and Long-Term Career Aspiration (Technology to Consulting) (200 Words)    
• Sample Essay 5: Candid Description, Strengths & Weaknesses (Marketing Lead) (500 Words)    
• Sample Essay 6: Candid Description, Strengths & Weaknesses (Consulting to Product Development) (491 Words)    
• Sample Essay 7: Achievements and Failures (399 Words) (Technology Consultant)    
• Sample Essay 8: Achievement and Failure (397 Words) (International Relations) (Negotiations)    
• Sample Essay 9: Achievement and Failure (395 Words) (Woman and Non-Traditional background in IB)    
• Sample Essay 10: Achievement and Failure (394 Words) (VC)    
• Sample Essay 11: Extra-Curricular and How enriched you are (274 Words) (Hiking and Vlogging)    
• Sample Essay 12: Extra-Curricular and How enriched you are (296 Words) (Improv Acting)    
• Sample Essay 13: Extra-Curricular and How enriched you are (292 Words) (NASA and Scientific Thinking)    
• Sample Essay 14: Extra-Curricular and How enriched you are (299 Words) (M&A and Orchestra)    
• Sample INSEAD Video Essay 15 – What do you know about INSEAD MBA (183 Words)    
• Sample INSEAD Video Essay 16 – Response to Team’s Underperformance (176 Words)    
• Sample INSEAD Video Essay 17 – Work well with a person with differing opinion (169 Words)    
• Sample INSEAD Video Essay 18 – Success for me in a Career (158 Words)    
• Sample INSEAD Video Essay 19 – Unethical Leadership (194 Words)     

Download INSEAD MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (19 Sample Essays)

Cambridge MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay 1: Goals (467 Words) (Technology to Finance)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay 2: Goals (499 Words) (Sales to Consulting)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay 3: Goals (429 Words) (Technology)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Difficult Decision – Learn and Changed as a Result(188 words) (Marketing)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay - Difficult Decision – Looking Beyond Data (199 words) (Reducing Open Defecation and the complexity of cultural beliefs)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay - Difficult Decision – Choosing Crypto over Investment Banking (199 words)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Teamwork and lessons learned (195 words) (Leading a Dysfunctional team)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Teamwork and lessons learned (199 words) (Exposure to International Culture)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Teamwork and lessons learned (197 words) (Not Recognizing Strategic Objective)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Advice to 18-year old Self (196 words) (Avoid Alcohol)
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Advice to 18-year old Self (187 words) (Creative Career to Banking)   
• Sample Cambridge MBA Essay – Advice to 18-year old Self (200 words) (Friends and Purpose)

Download Cambridge MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (12 Sample Essays)

  London Business School MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class)

• Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals  (489 Words)(Technology to Consulting)
• Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (493 Words)(Hospitality to Consulting)
• Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals  (500 Words)(Government/Non-Profit to Technology)
• Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals  (495 Words)(Medical Doctor to Investment Banking)
• Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals  (458 Words)(Wealth Management to Product Management)
• Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals  (488 Words)(Risk Management to Operations)

Download LBS MBA Essay Guide (2024 Entering Class) (6 Sample Essays)

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Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program develops leaders who make a difference in the world.

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Combine an international MBA with a deep dive into management science. A special opportunity for partner and affiliate schools only.

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Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

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An interdisciplinary program that combines engineering, management, and design, leading to a master’s degree in engineering and management.

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This 20-month MBA program equips experienced executives to enhance their impact on their organizations and the world.

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Teaching Resources Library

Case studies.

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.

Case Studies By Category

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How to Read MBA Case Studies Quickly The Case Study method, popularized by the Harvard Business School, is a common feature across all B-schools. For you as a marketer and a B-school student, it becomes important to befriend case studies right away. In this discussion, I will reveal important aspects of case studies and how to read MBA case studies quickly and efficiently.

The Case Study Method initially popularized by Harvard Business School is now a dominant feature in the curriculum of all business schools, worldwide. And the fact is they are all over your curriculum too. Probably that's why you want to know how to read MBA case studies quickly.

If you are looking to get into a management course or are currently in a management program, my advice to you is - fall in love with Case Studies already! 

They are going to be around you day and night. And the best way to fall in love or to make that love last is to first befriend it.

In this discussion, I will reveal important aspects of case studies and how to read MBA case studies quickly and efficiently. Let’s begin.

What is a Case Study?

Before answering how to read MBA case studies we need to first understand what is a case study .

A Case Study is a document of real-life business scenario or an imagined business scenario. The case study will present to you a problem, issue, conflict, report or impending decision-making that needs to be addressed, solved or analyzed for a business.

As you would know, the Harvard Case Study method is the most widely accepted pedagogy for MBA teaching and training. In fact, a good number of cases in your B-school would be Harvard published cases.

Won't you be interested to learn first-hand from the Harvard Business School about what their case study method is? During my MBA, I was lucky enough to come across this video which shares an insight on what this pedagogy entails for the students.

I urge you to go through this video. This isn't just a description of what the case study method is, but more importantly this is a sneak peak into what is the classroom experience for an MBA student. There would definitely be massive takeaways.

MBA Case Studies - Not Completely Unknown

While it might look to be a big deal, but most of you who have cracked a competitive exam like the CAT, GMAT, XAT or the others of the like have already dealt with a case study like creature before. 

An MBA case study may also be looked at as an amalgamation of Reading Comprehension (RC) and Data Interpretation (DI) type of questions.

Yes, the RC and DI sections that you practiced for CAT. A case study may at times resemble an RC set alone and at time may seem like a cross-over between RC and DI set when charts and graphs are given.

I guess now you know why you are tested on Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation in CAT? These sections check your reading skills, ability to interpret data given to you, evaluate alternatives and make a right decision; which, are all important and required in your management studies and your management career.  

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Why are MBA Case Studies Important?

A case study is designed to make you step into a manager’s shoes and think like one. What if you are the manager, how would you solve this problem.

Solving a case study would make you explore your analytical , reasoning , leadership and decision-making skills and most importantly make you trust your educated instincts.

Case study method helps you to go a long way in applying your theoretical knowledge and its practical application in a very dynamic and a VUCA world. VUCA, as you may know, is an acronym based on leadership theories that stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.

As a Manager (or a management student) you should be able to provide realistic solutions to the problems presented in a case study. You should be able to explain and justify your decision.

Application of such critical faculties while solving a case study makes it an important feature in the curriculum of an aspiring manager. With each case, you need to change how read and perceive the information and, ultimately, how you think

With the importance of case studies explained, next, is a very important question - How do you solve a case study?

How to Solve MBA Case Studies? 

There is no one way to solve a case study. Once you start solving an MBA case study you will have your own take on it. However, listed below are general guidelines that, more or less, remain the same and are effective in solving an MBA case study:

• Place yourself in the role of a leader/manager or as the Harvard Business School likes to call it – Protagonist
• Identify the problem that you face as a protagonist 
• Examine the causes for the problems and the issues that are there. Don't worry, you might find conclusive evidences for them. But just form your hypothesis.
• Create alternatives or possible courses of actions that are within the purview of the organization’s goals and objectives
• Get back to your hypothesis and assumptions and choose a course of action that is the most favorable. You most likely will need data from the exhibits to decide on one strategy. 
• Put it to vote. Discuss. Brainstorm. Identify possible trade-offs for each alternative
• Suggest a final alternative and justify it
• Discuss the case study with fellow students, professors, colleagues, and note all interesting/new/innovative solutions that others have to offer
• Enjoy the learning and process

Want a step-by-step framework to analyse Marketing Case Studies?

This guide on How to Analyse Marketing Case Studies tells you the methods to tackle a case. What I suggest in the book is an elaborate explanation of how you can present your case study analysis most effectively, in just 5 slides.

But, How to Read MBA Case Studies Quickly?

To the above question I would also like to add “and efficiently”. How to read MBA case studies quickly and efficiently?

I would suggest two ways reading MBA case studies quickly:

• Reading the case study thoroughly when you need to really understand and present it
• Reading the case study super -quickly when you are super -pressed for time

Here's a little thumb rule that you should follow while picking the right method to read your case study.

Just to not spoil you with a slightly lesser honest way of reading cases, I would first be talking about what the correct approach of reading an MBA case study should be.

Reading an MBA Case Study Thoroughly [Honest Method]

     Here is my standard method of reading MBA case studies efficiently and quickly:

• Before the case is given to you, you would know where it fits into the curriculum . Marketing, Finance, Operations etc.
• You would also know the topics that you have covered or are about to start in the next discussion. This will definitely give you an idea of what you need to do.
• For me, reading a case study for is a 2-3 round affair . And that what makes it quicker, because you are not committed to reading it with full attention in one shot. That's just too much pressure.
• In the first read, which should be a super-speed round , read the sub-headings, read each and every line but extremely brazenly – in speed. No regressing at all. Identify the core scenario of the case and what it is that you are required to do.
• You will experience that there are mostly two kinds of case studies that you will encounter:
• Where you have to take decision as a protagonist or a team leader
• Where no decision making is required, you have to only discuss and analyse the case at hand
• Identify the key players or stakeholders and identify key issues/problems
• Keep your pencil or pen handy . You will be taking notes while solving a case study. Underlining, highlighting would help to reduce the time spent in writing.
• Slow down on statements which have some ‘quotes’ from any of the characters or a line which has numbers . These are things to be read properly and even noted down if required.
• Skim through the discussion questions. Write relevant pointers for each question that you would have picked up from the case’s preliminary reading. Run the scenario in your brain and raise questions as to what happened and why it happened and most importantly what needs to be done.
• Form two or three hypotheses based on your reading. Create a situation analysis, what-ifs, and try to fit the data and the facts in each of them. This could require the 2 nd  and 3 rd  rounds of reading to cull-out that data
• Go back to the case - this could be your 2 nd read and look for any data that you may have missed. Fill the gaps in your hypothesis . This is where you need to find data from the exhibits.
• Go for a 3 rd read if some data is still missing or if you have realized that your initial hypotheses aren't shaping up well an you need to form new ones. Some would prefer to do the 2 nd  or 3 rd  read question-wise while others may prefer analyzing the case as a whole
• Now start working on the solving these problems with the data collected

Other way to solve a case is to first read the discussion questions carefully. Then, read the case keeping the questions in mind as a guide to what’s important in the case and what can be ignored.

Now that you know how to read an MBA case study in the most proper way, I am sharing with you a way to read MBA case studies quickly when you are super-pressed for time.

Let me tell you that, this strategy may give you a broad understanding of the case study to do some sort of class participation. But it will not give you enough knowledge which allows you to present the case with its full details.

Reading an MBA Case Study Quickly [ Partially Honest Method]

I would not be calling a dishonest method. Instead, I am calling it the 'partially honest method' for the reason that I am giving you a benefit of doubt - that while you truly wanted to analyse it and do a meaningful class participation, you happen to be pressed for time.

• The first step would be to quickly flip the pages and get a feel of the case. The headings , sub-headings and words which are in bold will be of help.
• Go to the last page and read the last paragraph . This  could be titled as 'Conclusion' in the case study. It could also be titled something else as per the context of the case or their simply may be no heading on this last paragraph.
• Get back to the first page and completely read the introduction paragraph. This would help you understand who is the 'protagonist' of the case.
• From the next heading onward, start reading the first two sentences and the last two sentences of each sub-section/sub-heading.
• By now, you would know three things about the case; the protagonist, the context and what needs to be done by you on behalf of the protagonist
• The next step is where the dishonesty comes in. This is where we go and look for a case summary over the internet.
• Most of the cases that you will encounter will be Harvard Business School (HBS) Cases. The copies of cases handout to you are also available on the HBS website for sale, along with their synopsis.
• Read up the summary and quickly fill up the gaps that you may have in your understanding. In quite a few cases, you may find the summary on other websites.

A big DON'T in any case is this - most of the cases are already solved by students of other B-schools and their presentations are already available on Slideshare or other places. 

Do not read these. These would go ahead and 'analyse' the case for you. This would end up making you rigid in your thought process and the class discussion will also not be as fruitful.

Some Examples of MBA Case Studies

MBA case study could be on number of topics.

• A Marketing case study example could be about competitive strategy, pricing, entering a new market, ad campaign, target audience, positioning, etc.
• A Finance case study could be about adopting new accounting policies, evaluating cash flows, debt equity mix balance of the company, etc.
• A Human Resource Management case study could focus on adopting new appraisal format, conflict between employees and management, union conflict, employee benefits etc.
• An Operations case study may include warehousing issues, effective inventory management, improving supply chain management, evaluating raw material suppliers etc.
• A Strategic case study is where you would be presented with problems/issues spanning more than one topic or domain.

Is the solution always going to be foolproof?

No, remember it is a VUCA world. Today’s approach may be cause doom tomorrow. You need to be in tandem with the market trends and give your pinch of innovative thinking.

Will there always be a solution and a conclusion?

No. Just like this article, most of the case studies will not have a conclusion or a single solution. Such cases are more about understanding what happened and why it happened.

Author of this post

Amandeep is devout student and learner of Marketing Trends and Business Strategies. Aman is an MBA in Marketing from the 2015-17 batch. She has spent the better part of her education and subsequent work experience, in gauging, learning and honing the skills that are important for the businesses to remain relevant among competition. To that end, this blog encapsulates the best business and marketing practices for professionals.

Amandeep Kaur Jakhar

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Case Study Method: Why & how the best business schools use it

The case study method, popularised by Harvard Business School has been adopted by almost all the top MBA programs in the world. For your bachelors degree (engineering, commerce, science, etc), the teaching was almost fully dependent on the lecture method. In contrast, management colleges spend less than half of the time on lectures.

Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA rules with around 50% and for the Harvard MBA, this number drops to under 5% (read the table below for details). Case studies, on the other hand, have been enjoying the limelight in B-schools for ages (Harvard HBS professors spend 80% of their time on case studies) and that’s not going to change soon.

If you are applying to B-schools, you’d better make yourself familiar with the concept of case studies. Read up on a few case study examples and try your hand at cracking them.

All about Management Case Studies

In short, case studies are a miniature version of a business situation used in MBA programs to facilitate learning.

The percentage of case study dependency ranges from 20% to 80% in the top business schools in the world. It gets varying degrees of support from the other methods of teaching – lectures, group assignments, experiential learning (internships, real world assignments would fall in this category).

How the best business schools use Case Studies

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek | Poets & Quants

Case Study format

Typically a case study presents a vague sounding management problem for a specific business. Often it may be an issue that the top brass of the company (CEO, CFO level) is facing.

This is followed by a whole lot of objective and subjective data. This could include a brief history of the company on which the case study example is based, the financial data (balance sheet, profit and loss account). There could also be a whole lot of supporting data about the size of the company (for example, thenumber of employees, locations, products).

Often, at the first glance the sheer volume of data might be overwhelming. The challenge for you, is to cut through the data and filter out the information that’s relevant for the case.

Examples of Case Studies

A case study on marketing could focus on entering a new market, or tackling the influx of cheaper competing services, or working on the optimal pricing for the existing products of a consumer goods company.

Finance case study examples could talk about evaluating the cash flow status for a company and defining a strategy to improve the accounts receivable (AR) policies, or you might be thinking about the best mix of debt and equity for the company.

Case studies on operations may include improving the efficiency of a manufacturing unit, working on the right mix of inventory and finished goods, or the decision to re-engineer the supply chain management system and reduce the dependency of global raw materials.

The fun starts when you move to strategy case studies, where the problems and the potential solutions can span across domains from finance to marketing and everything in between.

Want to check out some real case studies and examples from the best business schools?

Here’s a list of free and paid case studies from: Harvard | Stanford | London Business School | IMD | Darden

Harvard Business School Case Study

If you are curious to get a peek into how the best in the business use the case study to facilitate management learning, check out this video.

The professor in the video might seem to have consumed a few extra cups of coffee before the session. But apart from being energetic, it does help if the professor has the ability to get the class energised and engaged.

Active participation during case studies is highly encouraged and most students do. Why so? Coz class participation in case studies counts towards grading. If Coffee Anna is happy with what you say, you get extra points.

The flipside is that this may seem like torture for introverts and folks who don’t like their voices echoing in the class with a few hundred pair of eyes dissecting their every move, waiting to pounce in with a counter-argument.

Love it or hate it, if you are preparing to join bschool, get mentally and intellectually ready to grill and be grilled. And this is the easy part. Doing business in the real world gets tougher.

Over to you now. What is the one top reason why you’d like or dislike it?

Also read: – Case interview sample question and answer tips – Mergers & Acquisitions – written by Marc Cosentino (Author – Case in Point) – Case competitions benefits and preparation tips

Mini-MBA | Start here | Success stories | Reality check | Knowledgebase | Scholarships | Services Serious about higher ed? Follow us:                

4 thoughts on “Case Study Method: Why & how the best business schools use it”

Hi Sameer, 1. How were the % calculated or sourced from, for the “case study method” %, and the other method %s ? 2. Why do some of the schools’ % contributions not add up to 100%, eg. Stanford? 3. Could you please include or point me to % based breakup of pedagogy similarly, of ISB and the IIMs ? (e.g. ISB and IIM-A use case study – and I’d like to know, how much) Thanks, HNP

@hnp: As mentioned just below the table, these were sourced from a survey done by Poets & Quants. Some schools have additional ways of grading students that haven’t been included in these 4 columns. That’s why they don’t add up to 100% We don’t have similar data for the Indian bschools. If you happen to find it anywhere it’ll be great if you could come back here and share.

how can i get case studies for practice

Case-in-point by Marc Cosentino is a great resource.

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How an MBA Degree Can Help You Become a Management Consultant

An MBA is a major advantage when competing for management consulting jobs, experts say.

An MBA and Management Consulting

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Management consultants can help businesses in a variety of ways, including boosting performance, improving processes and increasing revenue.

Key Takeaways:

• Many businesses consider an MBA a basic requirement for management consultants.
• MBA recipients generally have an advantage over non-MBA management consultants.
• Significant industry experience along with an MBA opens more doors.

Many leading companies hire management consultants when they need support to improve business strategy, independent expertise to tackle a pivotal challenge, or special guidance on decision-making or streamlining processes.

MBA programs equip students for management consulting roles and develop skills in business management, productivity, supply chain management, leadership, data interpretation, communication and marketing. Without that degree, management consulting experts say, it's hard to gain traction in the industry.

“Having an MBA is expected when looking for a position as a management consultant – it's almost like a base-level requirement," says Stacey A. Gordon, founder and principal consultant at Rework the Work in California. While not every management consultant has an MBA, she says, "it definitely helps with being recognized as somebody who has the requisite intellect and problem-solving skills for the job."

Management consulting is a lucrative and fast-growing profession, with management consultants in the U.S. earning a median annual salary of almost $100,000 in 2023 and a projected employment growth rate of 10% through 2032 – much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What Does a Management Consultant Do?

Management consultants help businesses boost performance, improve processes and increase revenue. Experts say those with MBAs play an important role in advising corporations on strategic decisions, process improvements and operational efficiency.

Scott Edinburgh, founder of Personal MBA Coach and a management consultant for 16 years, says when companies take pitches from consulting firms for a project, those with top MBA grads on their teams have an advantage.

Most management consultants are attached to firms, but some with prior management consulting experience will work independently to help organizations achieve their goals, Edinburgh says. “You spend a lot more time running the business when you work independently, versus doing the client work.”

Gordon says it's hard to get your foot in the door as an independent consultant. “Operating independent of a firm wouldn’t be as challenging if you have significant industry expertise," she says. "But without the experience, having only the MBA won't get you very far."

How to Become a Management Consultant

Edinburgh, who earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business , says consulting firms often hire directly from bachelor’s programs and business schools. MBA programs are a good source of high-quality talent from a variety of backgrounds – people trained to think analytically.

He adds that graduates should take advantage of consulting companies' recruiting events. "Do everything you can to put yourself in front of the employer. Find friends and networks that would get you in front of the right people.”

Aspiring management consultants should also focus on learning fundamentals like econometric principles, assessing profitability, managing processes and analyzing situations, Edinburgh says. An internship, a required component of some MBA programs, can help build that knowledge base and skills set.

Along with polishing your resume, experts suggest preparing for selection tests and case interviews. Many management consulting firms require applicants to pass case interviews designed to test complex problem-solving and demonstrate an ability to use abstract data to make decisions.

Edinburgh also encourages aspiring management consultants to demonstrate understanding of economic trends and generally be a knowledgeable business professional.

“It is not required to be an expert on any particular topic, but I usually recommend reading some business periodicals before an interview because you never know what your interviewer may bring up," he says.

How an MBA Affects Consulting Job Prospects

Edinburgh says MBA-holders are sought after because they have studied strategy and negotiation and have developed valuable practical skills through the case-study approach business schools take to solve problems.

“You are analyzing a problem rather than solving a math question. You are going over all the considerations," he says. "It is similar to the way consulting firms might solve problems for clients.”

An MBA also helps prepare graduates to work with people of many backgrounds and personalities, because they study with people from all walks of life. "That helps prepare you for the consulting world, where you make group decisions and solve problems together,” Edinburgh says.

Gordon, who earned her MBA from Pepperdine University in California, says MBA programs emphasize collaboration and prepare students by covering accounting, finance, marketing and law.

"You are hitting on all the aspects of running a business and what that takes," she says. "It’s helpful, too, because you recognize what your strengths are in those spaces.”

Gordon says while an MBA isn't always necessary for a consulting career, “if you don’t have that higher education and background, then you’re probably not going to be looked at (the same) as somebody else who has it. It’s going to be much harder for you to move forward without it. It’s not only about getting a job at a firm, but also gaining the respect from the clients that you work with.”

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Practice Case Studies: Short

• In a public sector company, the workers are very lazy and do not do their allotted jobs in the stipulated time. The vice-president calls the manager and questions him about the situation. The manger says that the workers are bored with their jobs and their salary is not adequate. He is not willing to take a decision. What should the V.P. do? Who is at fault? Devise a solution.
• A software company was entering a new area of MIS. This company had a good reputation in the software areas. The company won a contract for MIS for a pharmaceutical company. The project was scheduled for completion in one year. But after 8 months a large part of the project was incomplete. Not completing the project on schedule will bring loss of face and litigation for the company. What should be the company do?

• Mr. A works in a multinational firm where he is Senior Manager (Production). Recently, Ms. B was appointed Vice President of the company, with Mr. A reporting to Ms. B. Due to some problem in the production line, Ms. B requests a late evening meeting with Mr. A. When Mr. A goes for the meeting, Ms. B makes some inappropriate advances on him. Mr. A promptly reports the matter to company HR manager. The HR manager finds it hard to believe Mr. A's story and along with Ms. B, accuses him of inappropriate conduct. The matter has leaked to the press and is causing bad publicity for the company. What should the company do?
• A person with software skills gets a job in a hardware firm, on a temporary basis. He is not doing well and is feared to be sacked within one year. His boss gives him letters of recommendation to apply elsewhere. At the end of the year, when is to be thrown out, he files a case against the firm, showing the recommendation letters. How will the company come out of this mess?

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• Mr. X has a distinguished academic record and excels in sports and other extra-curricular activities since childhood. He joined ABC as salesman. In the company it was noticed he was conceited and his interaction with other people was not exactly cordial. He was indifferent to suggestions from superiors and subordinates. However, he was a star performer as salesmen and always crossed targets, in the time he had spent with the company. The company needs a new regional sales manager to improve the performance of a loss-making region, should they appoint him?
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• Solved Case Studies
• The M.D.'s driver had been with the company for 25 years. He was very good at his job. One day he took the car home after dropping the M.D. late at night. While driving him, he accidentally kills a girl crossing the road. Although it was not his mistake, the court punishes him. The personnel officer in the company recommends dismissal. What should the company do? Retain him or fire him?
• A restaurant owner is currently setting up a new restaurant. For the restroom, he has three options: paper towels, roller towels and hot air dryers. Dryers have an initial cost of Rs. 500 each and monthly service charges of Rs. 100. Paper towels cost 5 paisa and the number of paper towels used varies directly with the number of customers. Toweling rolls cost Rs. 5 per roll and will be changed daily. Which option should the owner go for considering this is going to be a posh restaurant?
• Mr. A buys a two-storied house which already has two tenants residing in it. The tenants refuse to vacate the premises even after notices and reminders. On court's order, the ground floor is vacated to enable Mr. A to shift to his new house. However, the tenants on upper floor have made life a living hell for Mr. A. The upper floor tenants have secured a stay order in the case. Mr. A's lawyers, in connivance with the tenants, have suggested him to reach for a out-of-court settlement by paying hefty amount to the tenants. Mr. A is unable to pay such a huge amount. What should Mr. A do?
• John was the personnel executive of a reputed bank and had been working there for 15 years. During this period he had developed a good rapport with the subordinates. The subordinates commonly sought his help for their personal problems. Frank was a clerk and had been working with the bank for the past 20 years. One day, Frank went to John and confessed to him an event of his past. He said that when he was a teenager, he was caught stealing and had been sentenced to prison for 2 years. But he escaped from the prison, when 6 months were left. This had been a secret since, but he often had nightmares and he asked John to help him. John expelled Frank from the bank and handed him over the police. When the Vice-President came to know about John's actions, he sacked John on the grounds that he had breached the faith of the employee. John wrote a letter to the President explaining that he was not a priest and so cannot be expected to remain confidential. Since Frank was a runaway convict he had done his social duty by handing him over to the police. Moreover, it was company's policy not to employ any ex-convicts. Since all his actions were justified, he should be reinstated. What should the president do?
• Illingworth is a engineer in forging division of BAB, an engineering company. He has been working in the organization for the last 6 years and has been consistently rated as one of the most innovative employees of the organization. Illingworth came out with a proposal to import 2 forges from Germany which could save a lot of money and increase productivity of the organization. The management gives an in principle approval. Illingworth goes ahead and orders for the import. At the close of financial year, Mr. Rarely the chairman gets to know that the financial position of the company is not sound and that he has to curtail unnecessary expenditure. Mr. Rarely calls Illingworth and says that the management is not supporting his project which is going to cost the company 4.5 Cr. Illingworth is held responsible for the decision to import the forges. What happens to the project initiated by Illingworth?
• Litson, a textile company is relocated from Murray to Fairley due to high labour costs. It Advertises for posts at the new location and gets around 500 applications out which 260 were selected. Three other companies in the same region lose their competent employees to Litson. They accuse Litson of foul practices. One of the three companies which have lost its employees to Litson is a customer of Litson and accounts for 18% of the market share of Litson's products. This company threatens to cancel all its orders to Litson, if he doesn't restrain from poaching people from the company. What should Litson do?
• Co. A is the manufacturer of large jet engines in the U.S. with a 40% market share. The major purchasers of jet engines are the commercial airlines. There is one major U.S. competitor and a potential Japanese competitor who will not be able to enter the industry for another 10 years. The. U.S competitor's prices are below Co. A's but it delivers the engines in 3 months while Co. A does it in 2 months. Co. A is going into losses. What should the higher management do?
• A South India based food retailer is looking to expand into North India. The retailer has 15% market share in South India, with three major competitors having 10-12% shares each. The rest of industry is fragmented amongst smaller players. Two of the competitors already have operations in North India. Our company has no experience of retailing in North India and a minimal knowledge of the region. Should the company open stores in North India too?
• A lady by the name of Lata has been working in an insurance company for the last 5 years, joins a fast moving consumer goods company. She is a very bright prospect and does outstandingly well in her training period of one year and her colleagues during that period also vouch for that fact. After one year of training, she is given charge of a small territory in which she does very well and is again praised by her colleagues and supervisors alike. She is then given charge of a much larger territory after a few months. Her supervisor after a time complains to the senior management that Lata has not been good at her job and is finding it difficult to handle her customers. Even the person in charge of overseeing Lata's training personally, reports that she is not performing well. Lata in turn complains that her job is going on perfectly well and if there are any complaints it's because she is being victimized in the male dominated atmosphere. The matter is then reported to the head office. What should head office do?
• M. Soft is a software co. established 6 years ago by PCC (a construction firm). PCC cannot give a very high salary as it would not be consistent with their other business. The ultimate aim of MSoft is to enter the export market but in 6 years they do well in the domestic market. MSoft decides to hire a firm SYSQS to start a training program and to improve their business operations. SYSQS does a good job and MSoft starts to reap the benefits in the form of several prestigious projects. MSoft employs 15 new people. Then in the middle of a crucial project, two senior executives leave for better remuneration. What should the GM of MSoft do?
• A fertilizer company, Pizza and Urea, is located near a village, Payamudirsholai on the banks of river Pamba. One day, the villagers find fish dying due to fluid waste from the fertilizer plant. The community makes a representation to the Govt. through their local MLA and fishing being the main source of income for these villagers, Govt. issues an order whereby the fertilizer company is to be closed down and they also have to pay compensation to the villagers, while the fertilizer company's contention is that it is not due to their fault. The company manages to get a stay order on the govt. ruling from the High Court. While, the social activists go to Supreme Court and hope for justice, common villagers suffer due to the death of fish. Suggest a solution to the problem in the case.

• Chemco is a subsidiary of an engineering company with a turnover of Rs 75 Crores and a 15% bottom line. It initiated implementation of an enterprise wide integrated software and systems solution and hired the best consultant - Dramco. The scheduled budget was Rs. 2.5 crores and time frame was 2 years. At the end of 2 yrs, a committee was formed to review the implementation part. The MD found that the project was only 40% complete and facing serious cost and time overruns. The top management blames the consultant and the plant level managers and workers for the delay. On the other hand, the consultant blames top management. Identify the problem and discuss the course of action.
• A bindaas group of eight Dil Hai University students plan to go on a motorbike expedition to the nearby hill station, Smile, on a three day break. On the way to the hill station, they have to go through a village hamlet. One of the two vehicles, which were cruising ahead of the other two, runs over a village kid and flees from the spot. Meanwhile, elders in the village come to know about the incident and decide to search for the culprits. For the students this is the only route to get back to their home town. The group has four girls whose safety had to be taken care of. If you are the members of this bindaas group, what would you do?
• Over the past few years, a retail bank has moved from 10 branches in one state to 100 branches in 8 states. All the branches are operated autonomously and the company as a whole is losing money. Specifically, the branches in four of the backward areas are losing money. But, government regulations state that it must have some branches in backward areas too. In the past, the bank has tried to mandate cost reductions and had formed committees with representatives from each branch, but to no avail. What should the bank do now?
• There is a private rail company 'Aage Nahin Jayenge'. Its trains aren't running on time. So, there is lot of criticism in newspapers. The manager appoints a person as in-charge of a 'Punctuality Cell' and gives him all the powers and asks him to deliver the results. The person tries to coordinate everything. Drivers who don't run the train on time are asked to report to the manager. But the drivers and station masters say that it’s not their fault. The tracks are bad and motor engines used are quite old. What is the manager supposed to do?
• Gwalior Rooyi is to setting up a textile plant in a Nivunakinapalli, which doesn't have too many skilled workers. When this plant starts recruiting, they end up with people already employed in the (only) 3 other existing industries. They are accused of “buying” out people and threatened with loss of market share due to losing out on present customers.
• A major airline with a reservation system is thinking about working with a software developer to add a feature to its system which can track fraud by travel agents. The primary fraud perpetrated by travel agents is backdating of tickets, e.g. issuing 14 day advance purchase ticket 10 days before the actual flight. How should the airline evaluate whether they should add this feature or not?
• A student gets admission to a premier engineering college securing a very high rank in the entrance test. However, his performance in the first year is very bad and he fails in two subjects. Simultaneously, a rumor starts floating around in the engineering college that this student cheated in the entrance test to secure very good marks. This loss of repute for the examination procedures is putting pressure on the Principal to quell the issue. However, some students are demanding a high level enquiry, which would lead to a high drop in institute's reputation. What should the Principal of the engineering college do?
• New Media is an Internet Service Provider that has had two continuous years of high profits. However, this quarter, the profits have fallen by 50%. What can be the possible causes for this? As a group, work out an action plan to save the company based on the causes of decline in profits.

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Chandigarh University signs agreement with Harvard University for an online MBA programme

Chandigarh University students will be taught by faculty of Harvard Business School Online for a semester.

Careers360 Connect | May 10, 2024 | 01:31 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Chandigarh University has signed an agreement with Harvard Business School (HBS) to launch an online collaborative business management program (MBA) that will equip prospective business students with global exposure and perspective.

The chancellor of Chandigarh University , Satnam Singh Sandhu, signed the agreement with Kristen Maynard, managing director of business operations and strategic alliances at Harvard Business School (HBS) online, Harvard University. This signing ceremony took place at Harvard University and was attended by Chandigarh University's pro chancellor, Himani Sood, among others.

Course materials exchange

As part of the collaboration, Chandigarh University students will be taught by faculty of Harvard Business School Online for a semester. Additionally, HBS Online faculty will share their course materials and other educational resources with Chandigarh University students during this period.

Placement prospects

Chandigarh University students will be evaluated and graded alongside Harvard Business School Online students and are likely to secure placements in global companies as a result of this partnership.

Global exposure and real-world case studies

Chandigarh University students will also receive exposure to global perspectives through Harvard Business School Online's real business case studies. These case studies will enable students to comprehend the complexities of international business management. This collaborative initiative ensures that Chandigarh University students undergo the same quality learning experience as HBS Online campus students.

Benefits of Chandigarh University, HBS Online collaboration

Students will get the following benefits under this collaboration

• Expert Harvard faculty: Receive education from Harvard Business School's faculty.
• Comprehensive MBA curriculum: Explore various business topics and specializations like logistics and supply chain management, retail management, digital marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship.
• Global perspective and cultural competency: Gain insights into global business environments and cultural diversity.
• Practical case studies: Participate in experiential case studies from Harvard, providing practical business insights.
• Active engagement: Engage in regular activities, projects, and simulations to apply learned concepts effectively.
• Access to HBS resources: Access educational materials directly from Harvard Business School Online.
• Networking opportunities: Connect with industry professionals globally for collaboration and growth.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by the Chandigarh University and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative

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