Thursday, September 27, 2012

Contextual background in a case study


If you are pursuing a management degree, there is high probability that you would have been asked to conduct a case study. There is a twist in the research format when a case study is being done, since the subject here is an individual sample. A case study is a typical dissertation which focuses on a particular example. To make the readers acquainted with the subject matter, you must include some background information about the ‘case’.

You are the researcher and would have observed the subject from close quarters, spent time studying it, and would know a lot about the case. But, the people who are reading your case study are completely new to the same. So, including these points to facilitate an easy understanding of the case study would be a great idea:
  • The name, location and history of the organization or group that you are studying to tell how the development occurred over the years
  •  Information about the national and international scenario of the industry which you are studying will be beneficial in giving and idea about the recent occurrences which impact the case, as well facilitate some comparison
  • If there is a corporate entity being studied, then the details of day-to-day working will be also mentioned. If it is a social group, then there must be details about the members of the group and their activities
  • The currently accepted theory, being practiced in the organization must be mentioned. General management theory can also play a significant role in defining the working culture and methodologies at a corporate group.

Though the background is important, it must be give only that information which is pertinent to the readers and does some value addition to the study. So, do not go into the minor details. Finally, it’s your discretion that you will have to use to judge the importance of some information.

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