The document provides a 6-step model for written case analysis: 1) Identify the problem(s) by comparing the actual situation to desired standards. 2) Determine the underlying causes of the problem by examining internal and external factors over time. 3) Select evaluation criteria to assess alternative solutions. 4) Develop at least three alternative solutions considering advantages and disadvantages. 5) Choose the best alternative and justify the selection. 6) Specify implementation steps including responsibilities, timeline, and follow-up procedures. The document also cautions against common pitfalls like prematurely concluding the problem or solution without thorough analysis.

1. Written Case Analysis Model
Step 1. Problem Identification. The first step in your written
analysis is to explicitly identify the major problem(s) in the
case in one or two clear and precise sentences. For example,
"The major problem in this case is a 15 percent increase in
employee turnover compared to last year's rate." Herbert Simon,
who received a Nobel Prize for his work on management
decision making, has defined a problem as "a deviation from a
standard." In other words, one way to identify a problem is to
compare some desired state or objective with the actual
situation. A problem or series of problems may prevent the
organization from reaching its objectives or goals. A key point
here is that in order to define a problem, there must be some
type of standard for comparison. Possible standards include the
organization's stated objectives or goals, objectives or goals of
competing organizations, or standards based on normative
prescriptions from human resource management theory.
It is important to remember that problems reside in the present.
The problem is here and now!
Step 2. Identify the Causes of the Problem. Before proposing
alternative solutions, the decision maker must have a clear
understanding of the underlying causes of the problem. HRM
problems are usually embedded in a larger context. This means
the decision maker must examine internal and external
environmental factors over time to isolate causal factors. Causes
of problems tend to be historical in nature. To formulate a solid
understanding of the specific causes, you should search for root
causes and use relevant course concepts and theories to better
define them. The "question syndrome" approach may be
beneficial here: Why did the problem occur? When did it begin?
Where does it occur? Where doesn't it occur? What effective
HRM practices should the organization be using? What has the
organization failed to do? What are the antecedents of the
problem? Posing these questions will help you to probe beyond

2. the symptoms to the root causes of the problem.
The process of identifying the causes of a problem is very much
like hypothesis testing. You should set forth possible causes and
then test them against the facts in the case. In writing this
section, it is important to present a plausible discussion of the
causes so as to convince the reader that your analysis is correct.
Step 3. Select Criteria. Your decision criteria serve to allow
you the opportunity to evaluate each of your alternatives using
the same measures. Many of the criteria that you will utilize in
making HR decisions are qualitative in nature. There is a short
list presented in your packet. In reality, all of these come into
play. But importance to any problem will be different, which
will require you to prioritize these for each different case. We
will prioritize this list and use the most important three for each
set of alternatives.
Step 4. Alternative
Solution
s. This step involves developing alternative solutions and
evaluating their contributions to resolving the problem(s)
identified. Proposed alternatives should be consistent with the
problem(s) and cause(s) identified. You should attempt to
develop at least three possible alternatives. For many cases, you
may be able to propose more than three. List each of your
alternatives and the advantages and disadvantages associated
with each. Keep the following criteria in mind as you evaluate
your alternatives: time constraints, feasibility, cost,
contribution to meeting the organization's objectives, and

3. possible negative side effects. Developing a list of good
alternatives involves creativity and avoiding preconceived
attitudes and assumptions. It may be useful to brainstorm
possible solutions before weighing their advantages and
disadvantages.
Step 5. Select the Best Alternative. Indicate the alternative you
have chosen to solve the problem. It is important here to justify
why you chose a particular solution and why it will best resolve
the problem(s).
Step 6. Implementation Steps. Now that you have a solution,
you must develop appropriate action plans to implement it. In
this section of your written analysis, you want to specify, as
much as possible, what should be done, by whom, when, where,
and in what sequence. For example: Who should implement the
decision? To whom should it be communicated? What actions
need to be taken now? What actions need to be taken later? If
you recommend that the organization revise its performance
appraisal process, give as much detail as possible on the content
of the revisions. Finally, in this section you should also indicate
follow-up procedures to monitor the implementation of your
solution to ensure that the intended actions are taken and that
the problem is corrected.
While these steps have been presented in linear fashion, case

4. analysis does not involve linear thinking. You will probably
find yourself thinking about all of the parts of the analysis
simultaneously. This is perfectly normal and underscores the
complexity of decision making. To present a clear written
analysis, however, it is important to write up your report in the
analytical form just described. As you gain experience with the
case method, you will end the course with a better
understanding of both your problem solving ability and
effective human resource management practices.
Pitfalls in Analysis
Amateurs at case analysis often encounter the pitfall of jumping
to a conclusion, which in effect bypasses analysis. For example,
a student may readily observe some overt behavior, quickly
identify it as objectionable and, therefore, assume it is a basic
problem. Later, with some dismay, the student may discover
that the prescribed action had no effect on the "problem" and
that the objectionable behavior was only a symptom and not the
actual problem. It might be helpful at this point to assess your
decision making style. Complete the following assessment.
Decision-Making Styles
There are various decision-making styles, including reflexive,
consistent, and reflective. To determine your decision-making
style, answer the questions in the following SelfAssessment. .
Select the answer (1 to 3) that best describes how you make

5. decisions.
A: Overall I'm ____________ to act.
1. quick2. moderate3. slow
B. I spend __________ amount of time making important
decisions as/than I do making less
important decisions.
1. about the same2. a greater3, a much greater
C. When making decisions, I ________ go with my first
thought.
1. usually2. occasionally3. rarely
D. When making decisions, I'm ________ concerned about
making errors.
1. rarely2. occasionally3. often
E. When making decisions, I ________ recheck my work.
1. rarely2. occasionally3. usually
E When making decisions, I gather ________ information.
1. little2. some3. lots of
G. When making decisions, I consider ________ alternative
actions.

6. 1. few2. some3. lots of
H. When making a decision, I usually make it ________ before
the deadline.
1. long2. somewhat3. just
I. After making a decision, I ________ look for other
alternatives, wishing I had waited.
1, rarely2. occasionally3, usually
J. I ________ regret having made a decision.
1. rarely2. occasionally3. often
To determine your style, add the numbers that represent your
answers to the 10 questions. The total will be between 10 and
30. Place an X on the continuum at the point that represents
your score.
ReflexiveConsistentReflective
I0_______________16________________23________________
30
A score of 10 to 16 indicates a reflexive style; 17 to 23
indicates a consistent style; and 24 to 30 indicates a reflective
style. You have determined your preferred personal decision-
making style. Groups also have a preferred decision-making

7. style, based on how their members make decisions. Changing
the I to we, you could answer the 10 questions to refer to a
group rather than to yourself.
Reflexive StyleA reflexive decision maker likes to make quick
decisions ("to shoot from the hip"), without taking the time to
get all the information that may be needed and without
considering all alternatives. On the positive side, reflexive
decision makers are decisive; they do not procrastinate. On the
negative side, making quick decisions can lead to waste and
duplication when a decision is not the best possible alternative.
The reflexive decision maker may be viewed by employees as a
poor manager if he or she is consistently making bad decisions.
If you use a reflexive style, you may want to slow down and
spend more time gathering information and analyzing
alternatives. Following the steps in the decision-making model
can help you develop your skills.
Reflective StyleA reflective decision maker likes to take plenty
of time to make decisions, taking into account considerable
information and an analysis of several alternatives. On the
positive side, the reflective type does not make decisions that
are rushed. On the negative side, tic or she may procrastinate
and waste valuable time and other resources. The reflective
decision maker may he viewed as wishy-washy and indecisive.
If you use a reflective style, you may want to speed up your
decision making. As Andrew Brentson once said, "Take time to

8. deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking
and go on."
Another common mistake is for students to reject a case because
they think there is insufficient information. All desirable or
useful information is seldom available for analyzing and
resolving actual problems in real organizations. Consequently,
managers must do the best they can with the information
available to them. Furthermore, the main issue in solving the
problems of many organizations is to determine what additional
and relevant information is available or can be obtained before
adequate analysis can be made and appropriate action taken. If
additional information is available, the manager must decide
whether it is worth getting, whether it is meaningful and
relevant, and whether it can be secured in time to be useful.
Thus, an apparent lack of information in cases is actually a
reflection of reality that students must learn to accept and
overcome.
Students occasionally search for the "right" answer or solutions
to cases and sometimes they ask their instructor what actually
happened in a case. Although some answers or solutions are
better than others, there are no "right" answers or solutions.
What actually happened in a case is usually irrelevant-the focus
of case study should be on the process of analysis, the diagnosis
of problems, and the prescription of remedial action rather than

9. on the discovery of answers or results. Many of the cases and
incidents in this packet were in the process of being studied and
resolved at the time the pieces were written. Consequently, the
real life outcomes were not always available. Although some of
the cases will include what happened, no case is intended to
illustrate either right or wrong, effective or ineffective solutions
to human resource management problems.
CASE WRITING TIP
Create a file in MS Word (or whatever word processing program
that you use) that looks like this:
Problem
Causes/ Issues
Criteria

10. Alternatives
· Alt 1
· Alt 2
· Alt 3
Analysis
Pros and Cons of Alt 1
Pros and Cons of Alt 2
Pros and Cons of Alt 3
Select / Implement
References
Save this under a file name like casefile or whatever. Just save
it in your case folder. Then each time it comes to writing a new
case study, pull up the file, rename it as the current case (
case1, case2, etc. - Do this so that if the machine autosaves,
your master will not be overwritten!) and fill in all the spaces.
Define the problem, etc. You will ensure that all pertinent areas
are touched upon in your case study.

11. The Problem
“There is nothing worse than the right answer to the wrong
question” - Winston Churchill
And the same can be said of problem identification.
Misidentify the problem and when the smoke clears……. You
still have the same pesky problem to deal with again. All you
have done is expend valuable and finite resources. And what do
you have to show?
The Dictionary definition of a problem is “a question proposed
for solution; a matter that is perplexing or difficult.” The
definition of a cause is“a person or thing that brings about an
effect or result.” These are clearly different. What happens if
we solve a cause? Have we solved our problem? What happens
if we identify a cause as our problem? Will we be able to arrive
at the most efficient response?
*** One important thing to remember- PROBLEMS ARE IN

12. THE PRESENT, not the past or the future!! So define it that
way, in that tense.
A point of importance here is that people recognize and
assimilate information using different senses. Some people
need to read information, some people need to hear information
to understand it, and some people need to visualize data to
process and understand it.
For visual learners, one tool to help with problem identification
is called The FACT Map. To utilize this tool:
1) Isolate each fact in your scenario. Write these on a sheet of
paper, chalkboard, etc. For ease of viewing, draw a circle or
rectangle around each fact.
IMPORTANT - DO NOT INCLUDE ASSUMPTIONS!!!
2) Go to a fact. Compare this fact with each of the other facts
by asking “ Did Fact 1 cause Fact 2 to happen?” If NO, switch
the two and ask “Did Fact 2 cause Fact 1 to happen?” If you
can say YES to either, draw a line between the two facts and
point an arrow away from the causal fact toward the other.
3) Repeat until you have paired and compared all the facts.
4) Your problem will be dealing with the fact:
a) the arrows point toward
b) where “the arrows end”
(If there are two facts, you may be confronted with multiple
problems. Try and consolidate. If not possible, prioritize and

13. solve one at a time.)
c) if there are no connecting arrows, look for the central fact.
PROBLEM LEVELS and