{"id":7319,"date":"2011-06-11T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2011-06-11T17:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=7319"},"modified":"2011-05-25T11:54:13","modified_gmt":"2011-05-25T19:54:13","slug":"why-hbs-developed-the-case-method-and-what-its-like-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/why-hbs-developed-the-case-method-and-what-its-like-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Why HBS Developed the Case Method — and What It’s Like Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve begun your b-school research, you\u2019ve probably heard about the \u201ccase method.\u201d Many business schools (Harvard perhaps best known among them) either base their curriculum on the case method or use it in some courses.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to apply to MBA programs, you should definitely be familiar with this pedagogical approach.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a primer:<\/p>\n

What the case method is:
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The case method takes its name from its use of case studies -- that is, written descriptions of actual business situations. Case studies present real-world business or policy situations without obvious resolutions, as well as contextual information that would help inform an analysis of that situation (ex. financial statements and information about employees, products, markets, etc).<\/p>\n

In case method instruction, MBA students are expected to read selected case studies and come to class prepared to discuss potential strategies or approaches to the business issue at hand. The professor guides the discussion, with the aim of helping the students develop a keener business judgement and a larger arsenal of problem-solving skills. According to HBS<\/a>, students \u201cplace themselves in the role of the decision maker as they read through the situation and identify the problem they are faced with. The next step is to perform the necessary analysis - examining the causes and considering alternative courses or actions to come to a set of recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n

The history of the case method:
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Many credit Harvard with the origins of the case study. According to \u201cMaking the Case,\u201d an article in Harvard Magazine<\/em>, the method actually began with Harvard law school professors in 1870, and didn\u2019t make its way to HBS until 1920, when its new dean (a Harvard Law School graduate) advocated for its use.<\/p>\n

As the Harvard Magazine<\/em> article states, \u201cafter convincing a marketing professor to create the first business casebook, [the dean] then provided funding for a broader program of casewriting, built around real business issues and yet-to-be-made decisions.\u201d Today, many business schools -- including HBS, Ross, Darden, and INSEAD -- publish case studies which are used at MBA programs around the globe.<\/p>\n

Why the case method:
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A common criticism of MBA programs is that they don\u2019t provide students with the real-world experience they need to be effective managers and decision-makers. The development of the case method was in part a way of addressing these concerns, and blurring the lines between the \u201creal world\u201d and the classroom.<\/p>\n

As Darden professor Ken Eaders (an advocate of the case method) says in this Youtube video, Why Cases?<\/a>, what students need is not to read business books. After all, anyone can do that. The case method is unique in that it gives students impromptu, in-the-trenches decision-making and leadership experience -- and helps prepare them for \u201creal life\u201d post MBA.<\/p>\n

The cons of the case method:
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While the case method is a popular b-school approach, most schools incorporate it only partially into their curriculum. Schools that use it for close to 100% of their curriculum, like Harvard and Darden, are the exception rather than the rule.<\/p>\n

Here are some common criticisms of the case method:<\/p>\n