Comm 101 Tutorial

Comm 101 Tutorial

Section 101

Week 4

Week 4

Agenda

Week 4

Case based learning - Why

• Apply tools and concepts to real-world scenarios

• Engage critical thinking skills• Fantastic learning tool for students• Reinforce the connection between analysis

and recommendations/solutions

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Case SkillsLieber Biz Plan Questions Discussion

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Case based learning - How

• Issues, Analysis, Recommendations• Approach• Prioritizing• Framing your response

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Issues, Analysis, Recommendations 1. Issues: important problems, decisions or issues.2. Analysis: analysis of underlying causes of issues, and

alternative actions considered, selectively supported by relevant concepts and frameworks as you learn them.

3. Recommendations: a set of clear recommendations, supported by your analysis.

• Because cases are complex, yet the memos (or class discussion opportunity) brief, you will face the challenge and discipline of organizing your thinking well and writing/talking concisely.


Week 4

Stages of learning in cases

• Individual Preparation• Small group discussion• Large group (class) discussion• After case personal reflection

t

L

Ind.

SG

LG


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Approaching a Case

• Skim the case quickly to “get a feel”

• Look to see if a specific decision point is identified (typically in the first or last paragraph)

• Then, read the case carefully and make notes (but do not take too long)

• Can you identify the issues?• How are they linked?


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The Case Preparation stagesA) Identify IssuesB) AnalysisC) Alternative GenerationD) Decision CriteriaE) Alternative AssessmentF) RecommendationG) Action & ImplementationH) Assumptions


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• Importance & Urgency of Issues• Cause & effect diagram (fishbone)• SWOT framework• Comparative data • Financial analysis

Your list will grow as you progress through your degree


Prioritizing Issues

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Prioritizing Issues

Fishbone analysis: cause & effect

Urgency/importance quadrant


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Decision Criteria

– What decision criteria could you use to screen alternative options?

– Hint: list under qualitative and quantitative• Provide examples relevant to the practice case• $ Return, aligns with strategy, etc.


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Framing your response

• Know your audience – report/memo• What are the issues?• “What” course of action should be taken.– Without this you risk listing lots of items but

failing to commit to one• “Why” reflects your evidence, directly fromthe case and distilled from your analysis• “How” is the implementation plan


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• Memo– Not everything from your prep will fit in the

memo constraints– Check each set of instructions– Be selective in what you choose to present– Develop your own style and “voice”– Learn from exemplars


Framing your response

Week 4

Recap of case fundamentals

• Make a decision based on the informationat hand– Issues– Analysis– Alternative solutions– Recommendation• Persuasion and argument in support of theDecision

– “my analysis shows” beats “I think.”


Week 4

Student Myths

• MYTH: I have an advantage because I know this company

You will only learn the keys to success if you can “abstract” away from the case-this means getting beyond the detail or specific situation to recognize and deal with the broader principles

Also, your knowledge may post-date the case!


Week 4

More Student Myths• MYTH: I will have an advantage if I go to the

company’s web site and spend a lot of time doing research on this company

• In fact, you may be wasting your time. All the information you need for the assignment is in the case.


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Conclusion• There is no single right answer to a case

• With practice you can become good at tackling– New industries– Complex data– Ambiguity– Building your “toolkit” and making good tool selections– And characterize problems and opportunities

• PROCESSING the situation via– ISSUES– ANALYSIS– RECOMMENDATIONS


Week 4

Lieber Case

• What are we being asked to do?

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LieberBiz Plan Questions DiscussionCase Skills

Week 4

Lieber Case

• What are we being asked to do?

• Evaluate whether or not we can afford to drop our price by 20%

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Lieber Case

• How do we do that?

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Week 4

Lieber Case

• How do we do that?

• We are going to look at the profit we make off of each unit sold and check to see if it covers our fixed operating costs

• Let’s look at the numbers

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Week 4

Lieber Case

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Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003 Worksheet

Exit Presentation and double-click object

Week 4

Lieber Case

• Questions?

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Week 4

Business Plan Assignment

• Each team selects one business plan– No duplicates – register on form through

assignment guidelines pdf

• Identify elements of a business plan – do not analyze the business plan

• Note the assignment specs on the pdf

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Questions DiscussionCase Skills

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Business Plan Assignment - Rules

• Maximum 1000 words– Include word count

• Don’t submit late

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• You are NOT analyzing the business plan

• Just show your knowledge and comprehension of the business plan

• Access Bloom’s taxonomy to ensure you are not over-analyzing

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• Questions?

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DiscussionCase Skills

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Discussion

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Case Skills

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Discussion

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Case Skills

Comm 101 Tutorial

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