1. Written Case Assignments

When preparing a written case analysis it is important to be thoroughly familiar with the case. This means that you should read the case for both general impressions and for specific facts. In writing a case analysis you are required to provide evidence from the case to support your assessments. Only data taken from the case may be used in supporting your answers. No outside sources may be used.

Each written assignment has a specific purpose. They are designed to help you develop skills at sifting through lots of data about a company and its industry, and finding that information which can help you understand why the company is or is not successful. Once you understand what drives company’s performance, only then can you see what needs to be done to correct strategic deficiencies and ensure future success.

Information on written case assignments

· Use single-spaced, 1” margins, Times New Roman, 12-point font with a maximum of 2 pages per assignment.

· Do not overuse bullet points. Elaborate and support your answers.

· Location of Cases. All cases are found in the course pack, which must be purchased separately as an e-book. The questions for each case are found under the Case Assignments tab in the Connect Course Page.

· Stay in the time frame of the case. Written assignments should present the situation as it exists at the time of the case, i.e., only use the information and data available from the case, not what you know now about the company. No outside research is necessary.

· No pre-review. Instructors will not review cases prior to submission.

· Grading includes quality of argument as well as consistency with answer key. There are right answers to most of the questions. Thus, this is not about your opinion but your accurate use of the frameworks and concepts presented in the class. That is, look at the case analyses as a practical test of your ability to use concepts to analyze and understand a complex situation. In addition, having the right answer but with a poor argument or incomplete evidence will also reduce your grade.

· Answer the questions provided. In your answer, include both the logic you used and evidence from the case to support your answer. Number your answers to correspond to the question you are answering.

· Cases are done individually. Duplicate cases will be considered cheating (see “Academic Dishonesty” below).

· Late assignments (Case Studies ONLY) carry a penalty of 20% for each day the assignment is late. An assignment is late if it is not received by 11:59 PM EDT on the day the assignment is due. Drop boxes close at 11:59 PM of the due date.