**Disclaimer: This blog only reflects the author’s understanding and views on Case Method and shall not be construed as any extensive literature on the subject matter. Moreover, this blog shall not be treated as any form of criticism for the Case Method but rather a critique acknowledging the limitations of the method.
Today, if you brainstorm or imagine a new mobile application or use case, perhaps there is already an app lurking on the App Store. Similarly, if you conceptualize a management theory or figure out a business case worthy scenario, most probably, there is already a paper or case on Harvard Business Publishing. And it serves best for the intellectually curious to deep dive into the case or subject matter, whereas, mere enthusiasts can continue to watch opinion meddled YouTube videos that scratch the surface.
Typically a business school candidate reads half a dozen cases every week along with management literature that explain or solve the scenario in the business case. This is perhaps the best available method to build the neuron network for future business managers. As previously explained in Case Method, Priming the Mind of Managers, this approach helps develop the grey matter – similar to the design school of thought that believes that design cannot be taught but only imbibed through practice.
Moreover, I believe that business school candidates being subjected to numerous case discussions and case competitions is somewhat similar to med-school candidates the numerous autopsies prior to live practice. A surgery is much more intense, as the outcome decides someone’s fate; whereas, most important outcome of an autopsy is a forensic report. Although much different, such practice trains candidates for the real world practice.
The human anatomy is quite stable as even minor mutation requires centuries. Hence, medicos may not encounter overwhelming surprises while locating and assessing a kidney or lung. However, the situation in businesses is different, as unlike the stable anatomy of human body, organizational strategies, structures, cultures, and practices vary drastically. Hence, regression, looking at the past to predict the future, is perhaps not the best method to assess and build the future of businesses.
When facing a real business challenge, merely understanding the applicability of management theory and applying it in the current context is not the ideal situation. This may be the approach for professionals such as project managers, accountants, and legal practitioners, as these professions are about the application of codes and standards in given context. This does require judgement, which stems from experience, to devise the best possible application, they do not have to be creative. In fact when accountants get creative, it ends in some sort of fraud.
However, managers in leadership roles that create or drive strategy need not only to develop pattern recognition from management cases and literature but also to cultivate judgement based on situational context and latest information. Although you can take cues for the symptoms used to identify and assess the situation, the solutions require a fresh thought process rather than mere references of previously successful strategies in similar challenges.
This is also one of the unlearning challenges and caution for CEOs, who often take cues from past. Though there are many such instances, One particular example that I can recall is when JC Penny hired the retail wizard from Apple to revamp their company, the strategies that worked in the past for Apple were a significant diversion for JCP from the roots and values that drove success.
Hence, as far as my opinion is concerned, business cases are good to read for developing the grey matter but shall not be treated as a toolkit to business strategy. Though in academia, such excellent referencing toolkit can earn you awards for a well triangulated research, strategy built on such referencing may not be the home-run shot.
PS: Even the selection of tools and techniques from management theory entails certain judgement. For instance, which one to pick: Business Canvas or Lean Canvas? while devising product strategy from P&L perspective.
Feature Image Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash
Savvy Munshi 