SWOT Analysis on Electronic Arts Sports Essay

Background of the Company Electronic Arts (EA) are an international organization that deals with the development, marketing, publishing and distribution of video games all over the world. US census bureau identified electronic arts as software publishers industry. EA is well-established and independent producers of video games and according to the study by Thompson (2007), EA made global market up to $35 billion. In 2005, it was observed that the US made sales up to $7 billion along with the video games made by EA, and this amount was predicted to grow more in order, to set a record. The prediction was made on the analysis that retailers would be purchasing an Xbox 360, Sony’s new play station and Nintendo Wii in bulk. But, unfortunately, the originality of new consoles tapered off and a decline in sale was observed by 2010. There are various factors that contribute to progress the popularity and demands of video games among masses. Likewise, these video games were made, themed and styled to satisfy needs of all age groups specifically youth. Secondly, graphics play an important part in expanding the fame and demand of video games. EA showed a tremendous growth in the global market by meeting the needs of customers and by marketed the items properly, exactly according to the increasing budgets, sale promotions and advertisement levels. The growth of the company is evidenced that from the increased employee requirement and industry size. No matter, up to what extend the company has grown, in the competitive market there are always some opportunities, and threats that based on the company’s strengths and weaknesses (Allen, Blakeman, & DeMaiolo, 2011). This paper serves to provide the SWOT analysis of EA sports video games in order to evaluate that where EA sports stands in the global Manfred, T. (2013, September 26). EA Sports Cancels Its College Football Video Game Amid A Wave Of Lawsuits. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from businessinsider.com: http://www.businessinsider.com/ea-sports-cancels-ncaa-football-videogame-2013

Marketing Coursework on Cadbury Essays

Marketing Coursework on Cadbury Essays Marketing Coursework on Cadbury Essay Marketing Coursework on Cadbury Essay Essay Topic: The Birth Mark Cadbury is a successful company known for its chocolate bars. The market is very competitive and it is becoming more and more difficult to find new products that achieve long term success for the company. I have been given the job as sales and marketing director for Cadbury and I have to develop a new product for the company. Cadbury is a successful company well known for selling chocolate bars. Over the past 10 years Cadburys have produced a wide range of chocolate bars aimed at different target markets, which has had varied degrees of success, both in the uk and abroad. However the market is getting more competitive and it is becoming a lot harder to produce new products for long term success for the company. Cadburys Richard Tapper Cadbury moved to Birmingham from the West Country in the 1790s, his son John Cadbury owned the shop next door to his father and sold tea, coffee, hops, mustard and unlike most cocoa and drinking chocolate which he made himself using a mortar and pestle. Cocoa and drinking chocolate was established in the 1650s and had remained an luxury enjoyed by the high class of the English society. Johns customers were members of the richest families of Birmingham at the time, which could afford to pay for the cocoa. John Cadbury experimented with the cocoa using his mortar and pestle and produced a wide range of cocoa and chocolate drinks. Later on John added sugar and sold his products in a block which was added to hot water or milk. John Cadbury promoted and advertised his products until he rose to being one of the leading tradesman of Birmingham and helped his shop grow. Soon later he became one of the first cocoa and drinking chocolate manufacturers. Benjamin Cadbury the brother of John joined the company and they became the Cadbury brothers of Birmingham. A larger factory in the centre of Birmingham was bought. Taxes on cocoa were dropped which made chocolate available to a wider selection of people so the business boomed however the partnership ended and John retired living his sons, George and Richard to run the business and they became the second Cadbury brothers of Birmingham and were awarded their first Royal Warrant. The brothers discovered process for pressing the cocoa butter from the cocoa beans. This allowed the brothers to sell a new cocoa essence and all sorts of new types of eating chocolate which had never been made before. The business outgrew the bridge street factory so the brothers moved to a Greenfield site which later was called Bournville. The business carried on growing and the brothers started producing milk chocolate for eating which would not be of good quality now but at the time was a revolution and their was big competition with the Swiss and their fancy chocolate. Richard had a sudden death and George became the chairman, Richard and Georges sons became directors and Cadburys growth did not decline. By the 1900s all sorts of chocolate products were being made and Cadbury released their first and biggest selling brand Cadburys Dairy Milk. Cadburys today has factories all over the world and still maintains in being one of the biggest chocolate confectionary companies in the world. Cadbury Products Cadburys brand has a wide consumer base with all ages and types of people buying it. This means that Cadburys Dairy Milk was never really targeted at a specific market. This was because Cadburys Dairy Milk is an old product but its repretation from the past allows it continueing in being one of cadburys leading products. Fuse was launched in 1996 it is packed with lots of snacking ingredients and is aimed at those people whose fast moving lifestyles find them snacking. The target market is the 16 to 30 years the ones who are usually snacking. More than 250 different ingredients were tested in the making of this product. It took 5 years of planning to launch the fuse and cost 10 million pounds. It was mainly made to fill there gap in the developed market. When the fuse bar was launched it was a massive success and rose confectionary goods bought up within the year. Target Markets Most products produced today have aimed their products at a specific group of people like say a drill is targeted at a man who does some DIY or a sewing machine more at older women etc. This is easy enough but when you get further down to something less specific like confectionary goods each different brand but the same thing a chocolate bar still try and target different groups or into different groups for why they are bought. For example Cadbury roses is a product that is not bought for self indulgence or for snacking but more for a gift for someone else. However a regular Cadburys dairy milk would not be bought as a gift but to eat yourself or perhaps share with friends. These little groups are called market segments and these segments are usually where the products are aimed. Marketing Map I have decided to make a marketing map to see where most confectionary brands lie and in which category. These categorys are: * Snacking The chocolate bars you eat when you have no time for a meal or just to quench your hunger for a little while longer. * Gift The Chocolate selections you would buy someone as a gift like on valentines day or for their birthday etc. * Indulgence Something bought for your self-pleasure, maybe bought as a privilege. * Gutfil These are the chocolate bars you would buy to fill yourself up a little. Like you have no time for dinner so you buy a chocolate gutfil bar. * Sharing These are the chocolates you would buy and share out between your friends if you dont want to be selfish. * Casual Indulgence These are the brands, which like indulgence are a bit of a treat. Easy to eat and bought more frequently than indulgence brands. This is my finished result: I have decided that there is a gap in the casual indulgence and Sharing because of the lack of brands in these circles. Both have only 3 products in them however as I tend to buy more casual indulgence brands than sharing brands myself I think I will aim my brand at the casual indulgence section. Market Research Marketing is the identification, anticipation and satisfaction of customer needs and wants at a profit. To decide the best way to market a product first I need to carry out market research. The market research is based upon four factors, which are Price, Product, Promotion and Packaging.

Torts Case of Remoteness Essays

Torts Case of Remoteness Essays Torts Case of Remoteness Paper Torts Case of Remoteness Paper the owners of Sheerlegs Wharf, were carrying out oxy-acetylene welding and cutting. This work was apt to cause pieces or drops of hot metal to fly off and fall in the sea. So when their manager arrived on the morning of 30th October and saw the thick scum of oil round the Wharf he was apprehensive of fire danger and he stopped the work while he took advice. He consulted the manager of Caltex Wharf and after some further consultation he was assured that he was safe to proceed: so he did so, and the repair work was carried on normally until the fire broke out on 1st November. Oil of this character with a flash point of 170op. is extremely difficult to ignite in the open. But we now know that that is not impossible. There is no certainty about how this oil was set alight, but the most probable explanation, accepted by Walsh J. , is that there was floating in the oil-covered water some object supporting a piece of inflammable material, and that a hot piece of metal fell on it when it burned for a sufficient time to ignite the surrounding oil. The findings of the learned trial judge [i. e. in this case – Wagon Mound No 2] are as follows:- (l) Reasonable people in the position of the officers of the Wagon Mound would regard furnace oil as very difficult to ignite upon water. 2) Their personal experience would probably have been that this had very rarely happened. (3) If they had given attention to the risk of fire from the spillage, they would have regarded it as a possibility, but one which could become an actuality only in very exceptional circumstances. (4) They would have considered the chances of the required exceptional circumstances happening whilst the oil remained spread on the har bour waters, as being remote. (5) I find that the occurrence of damage to the plaintiffs property as a result of the spillage, was not reasonably foreseeable by those for whose acts the defendant would be responsible. 6) I find that the spillage of oil was brought about by the careless conduct of persons for whose acts the defendant would be responsible. (7) I find that the spillage of oil was a cause of damage to the property of each of the plaintiffs. (8) Having regard to those findings, and because of finding (5), I hold that the claim of each of the plaintiffs, framed in negligence, fails. †¦. Of the large number of cases cited in argument †¦based purely on negligence, †¦[t]heir Lordships do not intend to examine these cases in detail. It has now been established by the Wagon Mound No. 1 and by Hughes v. Lord Advocate [1963] A. C. 837 that in such cases damages can only be recovered if the injury complained of was not only caused by the alleged negligence but was also an injury of a class or character foreseeable as a possible result of it. †¦In their Lordships judgment the cases point strongly to there being no difference as to the measure of damages between nuisance and negligence but they are not conclusive. So it is desirable to consider the question of principle. NOTE from CS: The reason for this comparison is that the case was also argued in nuisance and the trial judge found there to be liability in nuisance on the basis that nuisance requires only the natural/direct consequence test whereas Wagon Mound No 1 had changed the law of negligence to require the reasonable foreseeability test. So the House of Lords in Wagon Mound No 2 were looking at both the application of the reasonable foreseeability test for negligence to the negligence claim in Wagon Mound 2 and at whether that same test should be the test for remoteness of damage in nuisance. We are not concerned with the nuisance law aspects, but only with the reasoning that discusses what reasonable foreseeability means in general and in particular in the negligence context. ] †¦Comparing nuisance with negligence the main argument for the respondent was that in negligence foreseeability is an essential element in determining liability and therefore it is logical that foreseeability should also be an essential element in determining the amount of damages: but negligence is not an essential element in determining liability for nuisance and therefore it is illogical to bring in foreseeability when determining the amount of damages. It is quite true that negligence is not an essential element in nuisance. Nuisance is a term used to cover a wide variety of tortious acts or omissions and in many negligence in the narrow sense is not essential. An occupier may incur liability for the emission of noxious fumes or noise although he has used the utmost care in building and using his premises. The amount of fumes or noise which he can lawfully emit is a question of degree and he or his advisers may have miscalculated what can be justified. Or he ay deliberately obstruct the highway adjoining his premises to a greater degree than is permissible hoping that no one will object. On the other hand the emission of fumes or noise or the obstruction of the adjoining highway may often be the result of pure negligence on his part: there are many cases (e. g. , Dollman v. Hillman [1941] 1. All E. R. 355) where precisely the same facts will establish liability both in nuisance and in negligence. And although negligence may not be necessary, fault of some kind is almost always necessary and fault generally involves foreseeability, e. . , in cases like Sedleigh-Denfield v. OCallaghan [1940] A. C. 880 the fault is in failing to abate a nuisance of the existence of which the defender is or ought to be aware as likely to cause damage to his neighbour. †¦ [Note from CS: in this paragraph, the Lords find that reasonable foreseeability is also the remoteness test in nuisance. It is retained in this edit so that you can follow the flow of the case, but, again, you are not responsible for nuisance law for the exam problem. It could not be right to discriminate between different cases of nuisance so as to make foreseeability a necessary element in determining damages in those cases where it is a necessary element in determining liability, but not in others. So the choice is between it being a necessary element in all cases of nuisance or in none. In their Lordships judgment the similarities between nuisance and ot her forms of tort to which the Wagon Mound No. 1 applies far outweigh any differences, and they must therefore hold that the judgment appealed from is wrong on this branch of the case. It is not sufficient that the injury suffered by the respondents vessels was the direct result of the nuisance if that injury was in the relevant sense unforeseeable. It is now necessary to turn to the respondents submission that the trial Judge was wrong in holding that damage from fire was not reasonably foreseeable. In Wagon Mound No. 1 the finding on which the Board proceeded was that of the trial Judge: the defendant did not know and could not reasonably be expected to have known that [the oil] was capable of being set afire when spread on water. In the present case the evidence led was substantially different from the evidence led in Wagon Mound No. 1 and the findings of Walsh J. are significantly different. That is not due to there having been any failure by the plaintiffs in Wagon Mound No. 1 in preparing and presenting their case. The plaintiffs there were no doubt embarrassed by a difficulty which does not affect the present plaintiffs. The outbreak of the fire was consequent on the act of the manager of the plaintiffs in Wagon Mound No. 1 in resuming oxy-acetylene welding and cutting while the wharf was surrounded by this oil. So if the plaintiffs in the former case had set out to prove that it was foreseeable by the engineers of the Wagon Mound that this oil could be set alight, they might have had difficulty in parrying the reply that this must also have been foreseeable by their manager. Then there would have been contributory negligence and at that time contributory negligence was a complete defence in New South Wales. The crucial finding of Walsh J. in this case is in finding 5: that the damage was not reasonably foreseeable by those for whose acts the defendant would be responsible. That is not a primary finding of fact but an inference from the other findings, †¦The vital parts of the findings of fact which have already been set out in full are (1) that the officers of the Wagon Mound would regard furnace oil as very difficult to ignite upon water - not that they would regard this as impossible: (2) that their experience would probably have been that this had very rarely happened -not that they would never have heard of a case where it had happened, and (3) that they would have regarded it as a possibility, but one which could become an actuality only in very exceptional circumstances - not, as in Wagon Mound No. , that they could not reasonably be expected to have known that this oil was capable of being set afire when spread on water. The question which must now be determined is whether these differences between the findings in the two cases do or do not lead to different results in law. In Wagon Mound No. 1 the Board were not concerned with degrees of f oreseeability because the finding was that the fire was not foreseeable at all. So Lord Simonds had no cause to amplify the statement that the essential factor in determining liability is whether the damage is of such a kind as the reasonable man should have foreseen (at p. 426). But here the findings show that some risk of fire would have been present to the mind of a reasonable man in the shoes of the ships chief engineer. So the first question must be what is the precise meaning to be attached in this context to the words foreseeable and reasonably foreseeable. [Note from CS: This is where Weinrib’s extract starts at p 80 in his book. Before Bolton v. Stone [1951] A. C. 850 the cases had fallen into two classes: (1) those where, before the event, the risk of its happening would have been regarded as unreal either because the event would have been thought to be physically impossible or because the possibility of its happening would have been regarded as so fantastic or farfetched that no reasonable man would have paid any attention to it -a mere possibi lity which would never occur to the mind of a reasonable man (per Lord Dunedin in Fardon v. Harcourt-Rivington [1932] 146 L. T. 391) or (2) those where there was a real and substantial risk or chance that something like the event which happens might occur, and then the reasonable man would have taken the steps necessary to eliminate the risk. Bolton v. Stone posed a new problem. There a member of a visiting team drove a cricket ball out of the ground onto an unfrequented adjacent public road and it struck and severely injured a lady who happened to be standing in the road. That it might happen that a ball would be driven on to this road could not have been said to be a fantastic or far-fetched possibility: according to the evidence it had happened about six times in 28 years. And it could not have been said to be a far-fetched or fantastic possibility that such a ball would strike someone in the road: people did pass along the road from time to time. So it could not have been said that, on any ordinary meaning of the words, the fact that a ball might strike a person in the road was not foreseeable or reasonably foreseeable it was plainly foreseeable. But the chance of its happening in the foreseeable future was infinitesimal. A mathematician given the data could have worked out that it was only likely to happen once in so many thousand years. The House of Lords held that the risk was so small that in the circumstances a reasonable man would have been justified in disregarding it and taking no steps to eliminate it. But it does not follow that, no matter what the circumstances may be, it is justifiable to neglect a risk of such a small magnitude. A reasonable man would only neglect such a risk if he had some valid reason for doing so: e. g. that it would involve considerable expense to eliminate the risk, He would weigh the risk against the difficulty of eliminating it. If the activity which caused the injury to Miss Stone had been an unlawful activity there can be little doubt but that Bolton v. Stone would have been decided differently. In their Lordships judgment Bolton v. Stone did not alter the general principle that a person must be regarded as negligent if he does not take steps to eliminate a risk which he knows or ought to know is a real risk and not a mere possibility which would never influence the mind of a reasonable man. What that decision did was to recognise and give effect to the qualification that it is justifiable not to take steps to eliminate a real risk if it is small and if the circumstances are such that a reasonable man, careful of the safety of his neighbour, would think it right to neglect it. In the present case there was no justification whatever for discharging the oil into Sydney Harbour. Not only was it an offence to do so but it involved considerable loss financially. If the ships engineer had thought about the matter there could have been no question of balancing the advantages and disadvantages. From every point of view it was both his duty and his interest to stop the discharge immediately. It follows that in their Lordships view the only question is whether a reasonable man having the knowledge and experience to be expected of the chief engineer of the Wagon Mound would have known that there was a real risk of the oil on the water catching fire in some way: if it did, serious damage to ships or other property was not only foreseeable but very likely. Their Lordships do not dissent from the view of the trial Judge that the possibilities of damage must be significant enough in a practical sense to require a reasonable man to guard against them but they think that he may have misdirected himself in saying there does seem to be a real practical difficulty, assuming that some risk of fire damage was foreseeable, but not a high one, in making a factual judgment as to whether this risk was sufficient to attract liability if damage should occur. In this difficult chapter of the law decisions are not infrequently taken to apply to circumstances far removed from the facts which gave rise to them and it would seem that here too much reliance has been placed on some observations in Bolton v. Stone and similar observations in other cases. In their Lordships view a properly qualified and alert chief engineer would have realised there was a real risk here and they do not understand Walsh J. to deny that. But he appears to have held that if a real risk can properly be described as remote it must then be held to be not reasonably foreseeable. That is a possible interpretation of some of the authorities. But this is still an open question and on principle their Lordships cannot accept this view. If a real risk is one which would occur to the mind of a reasonable man in the position of the defendants servant and which he would not brush aside as far-fetched and if the criterion is to be what that reasonable man would have done in the circumstances, then surely he would not neglect such a risk if action to eliminate it presented no difficulty, involved no disadvantage, and required no expense. In the present case the evidence shows that the discharge of so much oil on to the water must have taken a considerable time, and a vigilant ships engineer would have noticed the discharge at an early stage. The findings show that he ought to have known that it is possible to ignite this kind of oil on water. and that the ships engineer probably ought to have known that this had in fact happened before. The most that can be said to justify inaction is that he would have known that this could only happen in very exceptional circumstances. But that does not mean that a reasonable man would dismiss such a risk from his mind and do nothing when it was so easy to prevent it. If it is clear that the reasonable man would have realised or foreseen and prevented the risk then it must follow that the appellants are liable in damages. The learned Judge found this a difficult case: he says that this matter is one upon which different minds would come to different conclusions. Taking a rather different view of the law from that of the learned Judge, their Lordships must hold that the respondents are entitled to succeed on this issue. †¦

Who in your life has been your biggest influence and why Scholarship Essay

Who in your life has been your biggest influence and why - Scholarship Essay Example He motivated me by reminding the real value of education by reminding me thus, â€Å"Dream of going to college is attainable if you put hard work to achieve.† Not only the words but also his deeds proved me what he said is true and genuine. As I am the eldest of 6 brothers, and having the responsibility of looking after them, naturally I thought I may not have the proper chances of pursuing my education. Fortunately, I was the first grandchild who had the chance to go to college and I have never been in trouble at school out of 12 years. I could also obtain A/B Honor roll during my education career with the unique support from my father. My father’s hardworking mentality after divorce to provide us the stable living situations is another factor that influenced me greatly. He goes to work 6 days a week to support all of us. The way he helped the neighbors and even the strangers in need has put a drive in me to help my fellowman whenever I can. Now I have realized that in fluence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something. And I feel the power in me through the magnificent influence of my father who has provided me a lot and made me what I am

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Strategic Human Resource Management - Essay Example Today most of the Organisations are found to be engaged in preparation to ensure their existence. As it was seen in the case of Air National which got privatized by the government of Britain as a result of which the company faced all of the sudden increase in the competitive forces due to other private companies in the airline industry. The company also lost the political strengths and influences which acted as substantial support to Air National (Bratton & Gold, 2001). During this adverse business condition the organization initially worked for its survival but parallel to that it also considered its growth which is achieved through the strategic approaches. To meet the technological challenges raised by the business environment Organisations could adopt approaches of SHRM under which they can develop their workforce by providing substantial training and skill development support (Delbridge, Gratton, & Johnson, 2006).As strategic HRM interventions, organizations should design their recruitment policy in a way that best suits crisis control. Organisations should try and find skilled and competent candidates for critical positions (Anonymous-c, n.d.) so that additional cost of training and development can be saved. The management should also ensure that the employee base it is left with post-downsizing consist of the most competent, efficient and talented employees. As these employees are rich with experience, targeted programs will be sufficient for their need-based training and development.

Inter-Professional Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Inter-Professional Practice - Essay Example I am further hoping to increase my networking skills to enable me to relate better with others and to stay informed in advance. The way I will achieve these goals is by trusting myself more and not holding back when I feel I need to express myself. To develop my assertiveness, I will challenge myself by pursuing risk. To avoid being directed by others, I will have to train myself to be stronger and to stand my ground. This will also allow me to express my opinion more confidently. To avoid internal distractions, I will train myself to focus more on the subject and less on the contextual emotions at play. The risks I will pursue will include taking a more proactive role, not only in groups, but also in classes. This will require and also allow me to push my limits. To improve my networks, I will build a better rapport with group members. I will engage with them at a personal level and establish contacts with them. I am familiar of some of the barriers that I will face that will make it difficult for me to achieve my goals. I am influenced and held back. I tend to become distracted easily and this will interfere with my listening skills. Low levels of confidence in myself will bar my assertiveness endeavours and my desire to network. The barrier to developing self-confidence is in turn a fear of being judged. To overcome being influenced, I will have to assess what caused me to be influenced or held back and prepare myself for similar scenarios in future. I will need to improve my self esteem and overcome other barriers to self-confidence by training myself to pay less attention to judgement by others. Improving my self-confidence will then allow me to become more assertive and to form more networks. To overcome distractions during listening, I plan to train myself to pay attention first during small forums and increase the size with progress. I also plan to eliminate distractions by removing them and reintroducing

Gun politics in the United States Essay Example for Free

Gun politics in the United States Essay To draw up case studies, it is first important to understand its various aspects. For an effective case study, one must first understand the principles of a case. It is important to understand what a case is, the types of cases there are and their purposes. Following this understanding, the methods of analyzing and discussing cases must be explored. After mastering these skills, The three stages of problem, decision and evaluation are vital to the organization of the case study. 4 ? 5 6 7 ? In all case studies we should first explore the brief synopsis of the case and its pedagogical objectives. 8 9 ? In a case method classroom, both the instructor and students must be active in different ways. The art of a case method instructor is to ask the right question at the right time, provide feedback on answers, and sustain a discussion that opens up meanings of the case. If students don’t come to class well-prepared, the case method will fail because the people responsible for making meaning from the case are not equipped to do it. ? 10 ? Case discussions are full of facts and information, but they aren’t shaped into single interpretation, the â€Å"truth†. Instructors don’t announce definitive conclusions or right answers, although they may discriminate between more and less plausible solutions. Students enter and leave the classroom responsible for the outcomes of the discussion. For students, this is a shift from the comfort of authority and single truth to the hard work of personal responsibility and the unease of ambiguity and multiple meanings. ? 11 ? Cases are verbal representation of reality. Real business situations involve uncertainty and don’t present selected and sorted information. ? A case must have 3 characteristics: 1) a significant real world business issue or issues 2) Sufficient information on which to base conclusions 3) No stated conclusions 12 ? Many cases have these complicating properties: 1) Information that includes â€Å"Noise†- false, irrelevant†¦ testimony by characters in the case 2) Unstated information that must be inferred from the information that is stated 3) Nonlinear structure 13 ? A well-written case must have these characteristics. Reader of the case must be able to: 1) Construct conclusion from the information in the text 2) Filter out irrelevant portions of the text. 3) Furnish missing information through inferences. 4) Associate evidence from different parts of the case and integrate it into a conclusion. 14 ? Noise is a characteristic of real situations. Today, we are flooded in information, much of it of little value. Every case, whether it has a large amount of information or very little, requires the reader to make inferences. This can be the most difficult transition from textbooks and lectures. ? If memorization is the primary skill of the lecture model, inference is the primary skill of the case model. Furthermore, cases do not have a linear structure and are not presented in the most logical way. ? 15 ? There are 3 possible approaches to reading the case: 1) Receive it 2) Find it 3) Make it (appropriate for cases) ? â€Å"Receive it† states both subject and its significance (fits a text such as news story) â€Å"Find it† states keys and clues to find the solution (fits a text such as mystery novel) On the first reading of the case, it can seem to be a whole that is less than the sum of its parts. Indeed, the most basic matters of fact are not clearly stated or are stated in multiple ways. Students have to read a case actively (Active Reading) and construct their own meaning based on pedagogical objectives of the case and the theories and concepts already discussed in the class. 16 ? ? ? A case is a text that refuses to explain itself; hence, a meaning needs to be constructed for it. To analyze a case, the contextual factors concerning it must first be studied in order to allow a deeper understanding of the case (Situational analysis) Contextual information helps to limit and narrow the analysis of the case. Courses are often divided up into different modules or themes defined by certain types of situations and, often, concepts, theories, and practices appropriate for these situations. Students should learn how to make a case with relevant information based on the objectives of the case or questions already given by the instructor. 18 ? ? ? The method of analyzing a text is heuristic, meaning that important aspects of the situation in which the case is set must be identified and understood. This is a term used for self-guided learning that employs analysis to help draw conclusions about a situation. 19 ? Analysis has two closely related definitions: to break something up into its constituent parts; and to study the relationships of the parts to the whole. To analyze a case, you therefore need ways of identifying and understanding important aspects of a situation and what they mean to the overall situation. ? Thinking about a case must start before you begin making it. This way, the different questions arising about the case can be answered during the reading process. For example, the framework of a certain concept may guide a product launch decision. Hence, specialized methods are advantageous in achieving well-defined purposes. 20 21 22. 23 The following will provide a starting point for further understanding the different aspects of analyzing a case: ? There are four types of situations which appear repeatedly in case: †º Problems †º Decisions †º Evaluations †º Rules (complicated for beginners) 24 ? The definition of â€Å"problem† as a case situation is quite specific, unlike its other suggestions. Problem is a situation in which there is a significant outcome or performance, and there is no explicit explanation of the outcome or the performance. A problem in a case study is when the outcome or performance is significant yet there is no clear explanation of why it has happened. The causes of these outcomes are important to know so that the situation can be improved. ? 25 ? The outcomes of the cases may be negative. This is as a result of the fact that the change effort of the manager may be self-destructive. This result may arise from weaknesses that are unapparent. For efficient problem analysis, the problem first has to be defined. This is where success can come to be seen as a problem, in its own special meaning. ? ? Next, the problem must be explained by linking the outcome or performance to its root causes. Specialized methods of business disciplines are needed as tools to carry out this analysis. 26 ? Problem analysis begins with a definition of the problem. That seems obvious, yet many cases do not state a problem. As a result, you will first need to realize that a problem does exist. After this, you must define it yourself. Next, you must work out an explanation of the problem. This can be done by linking the outcome or performance to its root causes. This is the main work of problem analysis. To carry it out, you will need to employ the relevant tools, the specialized methods of business disciplines such as Strategy or SCM or operations management. 27 ? Would Barnes Noble have benefited (or been hindered) by its physical organizational structure and management processes in its attempt to strengthen its position as an electronic commerce product/service provider? Defend your arguments. 28 ? Many cases complicate the decision immediately. Many of these are organized around an explicit decision. The decision, however, should not be based on other situations. The existence of an explicit decision is an important distinction, because nearly all business cases involve decision. In many other cases, however, the decisions are implicit and dependant on another situation. The decisions featured in various cases vary greatly in scope, consequence and available data. An executive must decide whether to launch a product, move a plant, pursue a merger, or provide financing for a planned expansion. ? 29 ? Analyzing a decision requires the following, regardless of the dimensions of a decision: †º Decision options †º Decision criteria †º Relevant evidence ? The decision options are often mentioned in the case itself. A stated decision needs to be followed by a statement of the alternative decision options. Finding these or coming up with them can be set as the first goal of the analysis. 30 ? In making a rational decision, the appropriate criteria need to be determined. By thoroughly studying the specifics of the case with the help of specialized methods, the criteria can be derived from the case, as they are not likely to be directly stated. The criteria are then used to develop evidence so as to complete a decision analysis. The decision must be the best option between the evidence and criteria available. In decision analysis, no decision is objectively correct. The goal is to find a decision that creates more benefits than the alternatives, as well as having less severe downsides. 31 ? ? â€Å"If we are to continue outsourcing, and even consider expanding it, why should we keep paying someone else to do what we can do for ourselves? † what are the stimuli behind such a statement to reflect on eBay customer support decision? 32 ? In an evaluation, a judgment is expressed about the worth, value, or effectiveness of a performance, act, or outcome. An outcome can be the subject of an assessment. The analysis of an evaluation can be based on any unit, from an individual to a global region. ? The outcome can be the subject of an assessment. The competitive position of a company, for instance, is the outcome of numerous decisions and performances as well as contingencies such as macroeconomic conditions. 33 ? Evaluations require appropriate criteria for setting the standards for assessing worth, value, or effectiveness. These criteria can be inferred from the particulars of a situation, with the aid of specialized methods. An overall evaluation will express the best option between the evidence and the criteria. Another requirement of an evaluation is that it includes both positive and negative aspects. Both strengths and weaknesses require analyzing. ? ? 34 ? 1. Is it justifiable for a company like Amazon. com to continue investing so much money and effort in a business operation that not only has made a profit for nearly 5 years but was incurring heavier losses? (Refer to the company’s financial statements) 35 ? The key to the analyzing process is active reading in order to make a case, as it is interrogative, purposeful, and iterative, meaning that you make multiple passes through a case and each time reading with various purposes. 37 ? Three factors contribute to active reading: a goal, a point of view, and a hypothesis. Goal of Analysis – Concrete limits must be set in order to derive the desirable information form the case. In addition, a time limit can be used to make the time spent on analyzing the case more productive. the main character. This way, making a decision as a person in that situation will help making conclusions easier. compare and contrast a concrete statement against case evidence. †º Point of View – It is effective to pout oneself in the place of †º Hypotheses – This gives the advantage of being able to 38 ? The process of working on a case has five phases: 1) Situation 2) Questions 3) Hypothesis 4) Proof and action 5) Alternatives 39 The analysis can first be structured as a series of questions and then identifying the situation by reading the first and last sections. The opening or end of a case may present partial or complete descriptions of the problem as well as expressing a tension or conflict vital to the analysis. 40 Knowing the situation allows you to ask questions pertinent to a problem, a decision, or an evaluation. Hence, the stages previously stated can develop the needed understanding to ask the questions in this second phase. Making a content inventory of the case, to locate information that might be used to answer the questions about the situation, can be useful. 41 †º Problem – Who or what is the subject of the problem? What is the problem? Am I trying to account for a failure, a success, or something more ambiguous? What is the significance of the problem to the subject? Who is responsible for the problem and what might he need to know to do something about it? †º Decision – What are the decision options? Do any seem particularly strong or weak? What is at stake of the decision? What are the possible criteria? What might the most important criteria be for this kind of decision? Are any of the criteria explicitly discussed in the case? †º Evaluation – Who or what is being evaluated? Who is responsible for the evaluation? What is at stake? What are the possible criteria? What might the possible criteria be for this sort of evaluation? Are any of the criteria explicitly discussed in the case? 42 ? Instructor may decide to provide situation guidelines and questions regarding the case study for students: 1) Situation 2) Questions 3) Hypothesis 4) Proof and action 5) Alternatives 43. This is the most important phase while working on the case. This involves narrowing the possibilities to the one that seems most plausible. There are different aspects to take into consideration, depending on if you are dealing with a problem, a decision, or an evaluation. Recording your thought process can help the development of this stage. 44 ? Make sure you know the problem that needs to be diagnosed. Consider whether the characteristics of the problem suggest causes. Think about the frameworks that seem most appropriate to the situation. Quickly review the specifics of the frameworks if you are not certain about them. Pursue the diagnosis by looking at case information through the lens of the cause you are most certain about. For each cause, make a separate pass through the case looking for evidence of it. If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, to what case is it most relevant? If you do not have a case relevant to the quantitative evidence, formulate one. Work up as much relevant, high-value quantitative evidence as you can. In a case with a protagonist (central character), consider whether she is a potential cause. If you think she is, work out how she contributes to the problem. Problem 45 Energy = 2/3 consulting + all of technology service Industry = 1/3 consulting + all of certification 46 ? Decision Review the criteria you have come up with so far. Which do you have the most confidence in? Review the decision options. Do any seem especially strong or weak? Apply the criteria that seem to identify the most evidence in the case. Investigate the strongest decision option with the criterion you have the most confidence in. or, if you are reasonably certain about what which is the weakest, see if you can quickly dismiss that option. If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, which criterion is most relevant to it? If you do not have the criterion relevant to the quantitative evidence, formulate one. Work up as much relevant, high-value quantitative evidence as you can. If there are conflicts about the decision between individuals or groups, think about why it is. Look at the decision from the point of view of each of the parties to the conflict. If the protagonist is in a difficult position in relation to the decision, consider why that is. 47 48 49 ? Evaluation Review the criteria you have come up with so far. Which do you have the most confidence in? What are the terms of the evaluation going to be? Do any stand out in the case? Do you already have a sense of the bottom-line evaluation you favor? If you do, what are the reasons for the preference? Pursue those reasons. Start by applying the criterion that seems to identify the most evidence in the case. Investigate the most positive range or the most negative with the criterion you have the most confidence in. Investigate the most positive rating or the most negative with the criterion you have the most confidence in. If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, which criterion is most relevant to it? If you do not have a criterion relevant to the quantitative evidence, formulate one. Work up as much relevant, high-value, quantitative evidence as you can. 50 08 😕 ?†¢  «  » ( )? ?†¢  «  » ( )? ?†¢  «  » ( )? ?†¢  «  » ( )? 😕 ?15? A hypothesis drives a different approach to the case. You will start proving something you have already found out. Evidence supporting the hypothesis can be found in this stage. After this, the evidence can be assessed and a decision option can be drawn up, also finding the actionable content of the decision made. The last phase involves questioning your own hypothesis. This means reading your hypothesis and evidence with a critical eye. In this way, you can be the one who notices the weaknesses in the first place. †º †º Problem – Can the problem be defined differently? Would that make a difference to the diagnosis? Are there any holes in the diagnosis – could there be causes missing? What is the weakest part of the diagnosis? Could an entirely different diagnosis be made? What would it look like? Decision – What is the biggest downside of the recommended decision? How would you manage the downside? What is the strongest evidence against the recommendation? How would a case for the major alternative look? 55 †º Evaluation – Have you been objective and thorough ? If a hypothesis, after all these stages of analyzing and evaluation, fails, looking at alternative ideas can help to come up with another, stronger, hypothesis. This can be made into a useful learning experience for gaining more expertise. Such a case may arise if you perhaps overlooked important information or not used specialized tools effectively. about the evaluation findings that oppose your overall assessment? Think how a different overall evaluation might be proved. Have you accounted for factors that the subject of the evaluation could not control? 56 ? Potential for further discussion 57 ?†¢ 02 0102 ? Deepwater Horizon , 11 ? 71 . 3 002 ? ? .? ?85? ? The variables that influence the path and quality of a case discussion include the instructor, the students, the case, and a host of other possibilities such as the physical setting, the time of day, or the proximity to exams. The only variable that you can control is yourself. Case discussions are the most important part of Industrial Engineering and Business studies classrooms. This method encourages students to apply their learned theories and be able to contribute as part of a group to converse in a business matter. Therefore, skills to communicate and participate are very essential. 60 ? ? A case is a condition explained in which the students attribute with giving their own opinions about it, as well as listening to their peers. It is important for everyone in the case class to contribute in the discussion and comment on it. 61 ? Unfortunately there are some students who do not find it comfortable to participate in the class and feel threatened. This could be due to several reasons. ? The language used in the class might be different from their mother’s tongue and therefore give them the fear of making a mistake in front of their native speaker peers. They might have the fear that they do not have enough knowledge and background about business as others do, and therefore make themselves look silly by making a useless comment and several other reasons, which limits students from participating. Strategies have been used by instructors to overcome these kinds of fears. 62 ? ? Preparing comments and speeches are among the tactics used to overcome fears. Students prepare all their comments and what they want to say before the class and write them down, ready to be said. They will feel comfortable thinking they will have a valuable point to make. This is not always right. A discussion is not predictable, and the preparation might not work very well. The discussion might go into a totally different path in which the prepared points are irrelevant. On the other hand a flexible plan preparation can be helpful. It only causes problems when it is â€Å"over prepared†. ? 63 ? Another tactic is to enter the discussion with a delay, which is after listening to the peers and the professor and trying to make a comment relevant to theirs. This is not a very good way. In fact, it makes it harder to enter a discussion, thinking that only a perfect comment will give him the power to break into the discussion. Therefore the earlier the student starts participating, preferably from the first class, he will feel more comfortable. ? 64 ? Case method exposes risk which is shared by everyone. Risk isn’t purely negative; it is a motivator to do the hard work the case method requires. The most valuable advice about case discussion is to speak up early. Speaking up early not only reduces the nervousness of being in the spotlight It also assists you in setting realistic expectations for yourself. †º Setting a limit on your case preparation has several benefits: it puts a healthy pressure on students to use the time well; and it encourages students to pay attention to how you analyze a case. †º Read the case actively. Reading passively is one of the most important obstacles to efficient analysis. 65 ? In addition, students can try to get to know each other outside the classroom. This reduces their fear and strangeness towards each other. ? They can meet outside the classroom. This will definitely change the environment in the classroom. Building a social network is important to case discussion. Students surrounded by classmates who clearly respect them will probably be at least a little more willing to take risks in discussions. The often subtle but damaging influence of stereotypes about gender, personal appearance, and many other characteristics can be muted when people get to know each other as they are instead of what they are projected to be. A classroom friend can encourage a quiet student to speak up or to take bigger risks with his/her comments 66. Regardless of business seriousness, it is also  helpful to be funny at some points, and make others enjoy the class with a little humor. participation. However it should be accompanied by participating. It is important to listen to everyone carefully and contribute equally, and do not hesitate to talk whenever an idea pops in the mind. †º Listening is the most important factor of 67 †º Take a little time after class to think about the discussion before the memory of it fades away, you’ll capture more of the value of the classroom experience. The short-term benefit is greater clarity about the issues that link on case to another and lends coherence to a course. In long run, these takeaways become your personal bible for leadership. is the product of useful contributions over a period of time, not occasional bravura performance. †º You need to be patient. Effective collaboration 68 ? In conclusion, it is important to first analyze and discuss a case to develop one’s understanding of it. Afterwards, the knowledge gained can be employed to draw up the planning of the casebased essay. Finally, using the guidelines outlined, the different aspects of the case analyzed can be used to write up a well-researched essay. 69 ? Ellet W (2007) The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively About Cases (Boston: Harvard Business School Press) ECCH Case Study Workshop 2010 ? 70 View as multi-pages TOPICS IN THIS DOCUMENT Scientific method, Casebook method, Case study, Qualitative research RELATED DOCUMENTS How to analyse case study How to analyse a case study Step 1: Get a general impression †¢ Which organisations and industries/sectors does it relate to? †¢ Is the organisation doing well or badly and how has it performed in the past? Is it an organisation that has an unbroken record of success or has it fallen on hard times? †¢ Look at the development of the organisation over time. What strategies has it pursued? Which have succeeded and which have failed? 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This is only my interpretation of the program’s strengths 4076 Words | 6 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case Analysis Study Case Study Analysis Paper Prepare a 1,400 to 1,750-word case study analysis paper based on the University of Phoenix Material, â€Å"Case Study for Student Analysis,† located in Week Two of the COMM/215 [pic] page. Below is a detailed description explaining how to prepare a case study analysis paper. ____________________________________________________________ _________________ 4076 Words | 6 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT How to Write a Case Study Write a Case Study Analysis By Karen Schweitzer, About. com Guide See More About: †¢ case studies †¢ case study analysis †¢ mba classes Ads Wetting Balance TestingSolderability Testing Analysis Components -PWB- Assemblywww. standsgroup. com Requisite OrganizationFree research and information from the RO International Institute. www. requisite. org Novi Team BuildingIdealna zabava za 4076 Words | 4 Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Case Study Writing Fromate Writing a case study report Josephine Hook, Research Learning Coordinator Josephine. [emailprotected] edu (Source: www. office. microsoft. com) Outline ? What is a case study? ? Approaching a case study assignment ? The structure of a case study report ? Key elements of a case study report What is a case? A case might be: ? A 4076 Words |