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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Case-Based Teaching & Learning Initiative

Teaching cases & active learning resources for public health education, the case study handbook, revised edition: a student's guide.

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Using our case library

Access to cases.

Many of our cases are available for sale through Harvard Business Publishing in the Harvard T.H. Chan case collection . Others are free to download through this website .

Cases in this collection may be used free of charge by Harvard Chan course instructors in their teaching. Contact Allison Bodznick , Harvard Chan Case Library administrator, for access.

Access to teaching notes

Teaching notes are available as supporting material to many of the cases in the Harvard Chan Case Library. Teaching notes provide an overview of the case and suggested discussion questions, as well as a roadmap for using the case in the classroom.

Access to teaching notes is limited to course instructors only.

Teaching notes for cases available through Harvard Business Publishing may be downloaded after registering for an Educator account .
To request teaching notes for cases that are available for free through this website, look for the "Teaching note available for faculty/instructors " link accompanying the abstract for the case you are interested in; you'll be asked to complete a brief survey verifying your affiliation as an instructor.

Using the Harvard Business Publishing site

Faculty and instructors with university affiliations can register for Educator access on the Harvard Business Publishing website, where many of our cases are available . An Educator account provides access to teaching notes, full-text review copies of cases, articles, simulations, course planning tools, and discounted pricing for your students.

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What is the Case Study Method?

Overview Dropdown up

Overview dropdown down, celebrating 100 years of the case method at hbs.

The 2021-2022 academic year marks the 100-year anniversary of the introduction of the case method at Harvard Business School. Today, the HBS case method is employed in the HBS MBA program, in Executive Education programs, and in dozens of other business schools around the world. As Dean Srikant Datar's says, the case method has withstood the test of time.

Case Discussion Preparation Details Expand All Collapse All

In self-reflection in self-reflection dropdown down, in a small group setting in a small group setting dropdown down, in the classroom in the classroom dropdown down, beyond the classroom beyond the classroom dropdown down, how the case method creates value dropdown up, how the case method creates value dropdown down, in self-reflection, in a small group setting, in the classroom, beyond the classroom.

How Cases Unfold In the Classroom

How cases unfold in the classroom dropdown up, how cases unfold in the classroom dropdown down, preparation guidelines expand all collapse all, read the professor's assignment or discussion questions read the professor's assignment or discussion questions dropdown down, read the first few paragraphs and then skim the case read the first few paragraphs and then skim the case dropdown down, reread the case, underline text, and make margin notes reread the case, underline text, and make margin notes dropdown down, note the key problems on a pad of paper and go through the case again note the key problems on a pad of paper and go through the case again dropdown down, how to prepare for case discussions dropdown up, how to prepare for case discussions dropdown down, read the professor's assignment or discussion questions, read the first few paragraphs and then skim the case, reread the case, underline text, and make margin notes, note the key problems on a pad of paper and go through the case again, case study best practices expand all collapse all, prepare prepare dropdown down, discuss discuss dropdown down, participate participate dropdown down, relate relate dropdown down, apply apply dropdown down, note note dropdown down, understand understand dropdown down, case study best practices dropdown up, case study best practices dropdown down, participate, what can i expect on the first day dropdown down.

Most programs begin with registration, followed by an opening session and a dinner. If your travel plans necessitate late arrival, please be sure to notify us so that alternate registration arrangements can be made for you. Please note the following about registration:

HBS campus programs – Registration takes place in the Chao Center.

India programs – Registration takes place outside the classroom.

Other off-campus programs – Registration takes place in the designated facility.

What happens in class if nobody talks? Dropdown down

Professors are here to push everyone to learn, but not to embarrass anyone. If the class is quiet, they'll often ask a participant with experience in the industry in which the case is set to speak first. This is done well in advance so that person can come to class prepared to share. Trust the process. The more open you are, the more willing you’ll be to engage, and the more alive the classroom will become.

Does everyone take part in "role-playing"? Dropdown down

Professors often encourage participants to take opposing sides and then debate the issues, often taking the perspective of the case protagonists or key decision makers in the case.

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How to Write a Great Business Case

Explore more.

Case Teaching

C ase studies are powerful teaching tools. “When you have a good case, and students who are well prepared to learn and to teach each other, you get some magical moments that students will never forget,” says James L. Heskett, UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, emeritus, at Harvard Business School (HBS). “They will remember the lessons they learn in that class discussion and apply them 20 years later.”

Yet, for many educators who want to pen their own case, the act of writing a great business case seldom comes easily or naturally. For starters, it’s time consuming. Case writers can spend substantial time visiting companies, securing a willing site, conducting interviews, observing operations, collecting data, reviewing notes, writing the case, revising the narrative, ensuring that teaching points come through, and then getting executives to approve the finished product.

The question, then, becomes: Where do you begin? How do you approach case writing? How do you decide which company to use as the subject of the case? And what distinguishes a well-written case from a mediocre one?

We asked three expert HBS case writers—who collectively have written and supported hundreds of cases—to share their insights on how to write a great business case study that will inspire passionate classroom discussion and transmit key educational concepts.

Insights from James L. Heskett

UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Keep your eyes open for a great business issue.

“I’m always on the prowl for new case material. Whenever I’m reading or consulting, I look for interesting people doing interesting things and facing interesting challenges. For instance, I was reading a magazine and came across a story about how Shouldice Hospital treated patients undergoing surgery to fix inguinal hernias—how patients would get up from the operating table and walk away on the arm of the surgeon.

6 QUALITIES OF GREAT CASE WRITERS

Comfort with ambiguity, since cases may have more than one “right” answer

Command of the topic or subject at hand

Ability to relate to the case protagonists

Enthusiasm for the case teaching method

Capacity for finding the drama in a business situation and making it feel personal to students

Build relationships with executives.

“When writing a case, it’s helpful to start as high in the organization as possible. It helps assure mid-level managers that they can share the information you need with an outsider. It also helps when it comes to getting the case cleared for use. Serving on corporate boards can help in building relationships with senior executives, but there are other ways to make those connections. For instance, you can approach speakers at business conferences if you think their presentations could form the basis for a good business case. If you want to write about a company where you don’t have any personal connections, you can always check with your colleagues to see if any of them have a personal relationship with the CEO or sit on a board where they could introduce you to the right person who would be able to facilitate the case. My colleagues and I make a lot of these introductions for each other.”

“If you make the case into a crossword puzzle that takes five hours to solve, it’s not really fair to the students and will most likely cause them to lose focus.” James L. Heskett

Skip the curveballs and focus on key issues.

“Cases don’t have to be obvious. As a pedagogical objective, you might want students to look beyond a superficial issue to say this is the underlying topic that we need to address, and these are the questions we need to pose. Still, I think it’s unhelpful if cases contain real curveballs where ‘unlocking’ the case depends on finding some small piece of information hidden in an exhibit. Give students a break! They may have to read and digest three cases per day, so they probably won’t be able to devote more than a couple of hours to each one. If you make the case into a crossword puzzle that takes five hours to solve, it’s not really fair to the students and will most likely cause them to lose focus.”

Build a discussion plan while writing the case.

“In case method teaching, the teacher is not in complete control. Students teach each other and learn from each other. On any given day, there will likely be somebody in the room who knows more about the company featured in the case than the professor does. So a professor can’t walk into the classroom and expect to impose a lesson plan that goes in a strict linear way from A to B to C to D. The case ought to be written to allow students to jump from A to D and then come back later to B if that’s how the discussion plays out. At the same time, the case should be structured so that the instructor can collect student comments on a board, organizing them as a coherent set of related ideas, and then deliver a 5-to-10-minute summary that communicates whatever essential concepts the case has covered. This summation can be a very powerful teaching and learning experience.”

Focus on quality over quantity.

“Cases don’t have to be too long. Some good cases are only two or three pages. Students may give more scrutiny to these brief cases than they would a 20-page case.”

Advice from Benson P. Shapiro

Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Take out the chaff in advance.

“You don’t want students to spend too much time separating the wheat from the chaff. If a case has 12 pages of text and 10 pages of exhibits, even the smartest MBA students will likely lose interest. Writers who try to capture a situation from every angle and in every detail end up with sprawling narratives that usually do not make a good case. When writing cases, you need to set good, strong boundaries. Avoid superfluous, flowery, or poetic material that may contain interesting anecdotes or factoids, but that could distract readers from the case’s core topics. Include only those important and useful details that can help students make decisions and understand key issues that the case explores.”

Work in layers and metaphors—subtly.

“The best cases work on multiple levels. A case should focus on a specific situation—for example, whether or not to introduce a certain product. But it should also serve as a metaphor for broader issues in the background: How do we think about introducing new products? Are we introducing enough products? Are new product introductions a source of competitive advantage in our industry? How should we organize and manage new product development? You want the case to encourage students to think broadly about the various cultural, financial, and strategic impacts that managerial decisions have on a company.”

“Writers who try to capture a situation from every angle and in every detail end up with sprawling narratives that usually do not make a good case.” Benson P. Shapiro

Encourage emotional engagement.

“Case writing is an interesting literary form—it needs to be very engaging, but also educational. Great cases revolve around points of contention on which intelligent people can hold different points of view: What should you do? Why? How do you get it done? Ideally, students should have to choose between two very attractive alternatives or two terrible alternatives. The best cases involve questions that get students emotionally engaged so that they really care about choices and outcomes. When you see students physically leaning forward and following what their peers are saying, you know that they have a visceral feel for the importance of the subject. When you hear them debating after class— You were out in left field! You missed what was really important here! —that’s how you can tell you succeeded in developing a great case.”

Lessons from Carin-Isabel Knoop

Executive Director of the Case Research & Writing Group, Harvard Business School

Don’t forget the classroom component.

“Cases are deliberately incomplete documents. What a case writer leaves out of a case is often just as important as what he or she puts into it. Cases are designed to be completed through classroom instruction and discussion. While drafting the case, try to develop the classroom process in parallel. Work on the assignment questions and classroom content. Keep in mind that the case should be able to adapt to your classroom and course needs.”

Hone your elevator pitch.

“Before getting started, always have clear, succinct learning objectives in mind. Don’t start developing the case until you are able to summarize these objectives in less than five minutes.”

Case writing is a relationship, not a transaction.

When choosing a case site, be clear with executives that you are developing a teaching tool and that you will require their time and candor—and eventually their data. Put them at ease, and manage the authorization process, right from the start. Indicate that quotes will be cleared before publication and there will be time for individual review. During the creation process, ask their advice. This creates a process of engagement and helps bring home that this is a pedagogical tool, not gotcha journalism. At HBS, we oftentimes invite someone from the company to attend class. Finally, once the case is done, stay in touch with your case protagonists. They will move to other organizations and spread the good word about their experience with case writing.

Invite disagreement in case discussions.

“The case study method is based on participant-centered learning. The students all start from the same base of 11 (or however many) pages in the case, but they bring different knowledge and experiences into the classroom. So they can take the same facts and disagree about what course of action to pursue. We want students to behave like decision makers, and it can be painful to make decisions. Some critics deride the case teaching method as being unrealistic, but someone who just lectures about marketing doesn’t help students realize how difficult it is to choose between two plausible options to meet the same marketing objectives. For students, a big part of the education process is learning from discussions with classmates who think differently and advocate for different solutions. Witnessing a robust case discussion reminds us of the potential for collective learning to emerge from contrasting views.”

“Faculty don’t just write cases for teaching purposes, they write them to learn.” Carin-Isabel Knoop

The Case Writing Process Is a Worthy Effort

Researching, writing, and publishing cases is well worth the time and effort. “The case research and writing process is important for faculty development,” Knoop adds. “While developing field cases, faculty go to site visits and meet with decision makers. The case writing process helps connect scholars to practitioners and practitioners to the academic world. Faculty case writers get to explore and test how their academic theories work in practice. So faculty don’t just write cases for teaching purposes, they write them to learn. The case method is an integral part of faculty development.”

There’s another big bonus to becoming a case writer, especially for younger educators. “Young business instructors face a credibility gap with their students,” says Heskett. “It’s not uncommon to have MBA students in a class who have more experience than the instructor on a particular subject. Once you go into the field and write a case, you will know more about that subject than anyone else in the class. A primary way for professors to establish their credibility on a topic is to have written the case the class is discussing that day.”

James L. Heskett is UPS Foundation Professor of Business Logistics, emeritus, at Harvard Business School. He completed his Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and has been a faculty member at The Ohio State University as well as president of Logistics Systems, Inc. Since 2000, he has authored a blog on Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge website .

Benson P. Shapiro is the Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, emeritus, at Harvard Business School where he taught full time from 1970 to 1997. Since 1997, Shapiro has concentrated his professional time on consulting, giving speeches, serving on boards, and writing. He continues to teach at Harvard and has taught in many executive programs and has chaired the Sustainable Marketing Leadership for Mid-Sized Firms Program.

Carin-Isabel Knoop is the executive director of the Case Research & Writing Group at Harvard Business School. She is also coauthor of Compassionate Management of Mental Health in the Modern Workplace .

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The Case Study Handbook: A Student's Guide

William ellet.

Revision includes study guides and new insight for students

The business case study is a powerful learning tool. This practical guide provides students with a potent approach to:

Recognize case situations and apply appropriate tools to solve problems, make decisions, or develop evaluations
Quickly establish a base of knowledge about a case
Write persuasive case-based essays
Talk about cases effectively in class

The Case Study Handbook comes with downloadable study guides for analyzing and writing about different types of cases, whether they require a decision, an evaluation, or problem diagnosis.

Individual chapters are available in PDF for purchase or to assign in a class.

Downloadable Study Guides

About the author.

William Ellet has worked with MBA students for over thirty years. He has taught at Harvard Business School, Brandeis University, George Washington University, and the University of Miami. He has facilitated case teaching seminars for Harvard Business Publishing and as a consultant in China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Brazil. His publications include an online course (Management Communication), this book, cases, and a video, all published by Harvard Business School or Harvard Business Publishing.

With cases, you need to change how you read and, ultimately, how you think. Cases are a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces arranged in a confusing pattern. You need to take the pieces and fit them into a pattern that helps you understand the main issue and think about the optimal ways to address it. You need to be comfortable with less than perfect information and an irreducible level of uncertainty. You need to be able to filter the noise of irrelevant or relatively unimportant information. You need to focus on key tasks that allow you to put pieces together in a meaningful pattern, which in turn will give you a better understanding of the main issue and put you in a position to make impactful recommendations. The Case Reading Process Read the first and last sections of the case. What do they tell you about the core scenario of the case? These sections typically give you the clues needed to identify the core scenario. Take a quick look at the other sections and the exhibits to determine what information the case contains. The purpose is to learn what information is in the case and where. Avoid reading sections slowly and trying to memorize the content. Stop! Now is the time to think rather than read. What is the core scenario of the case? What does the main character have to do? What is the major uncertainty? Identify the core scenario by asking the 2 questions. Once you are reasonably certain of the core scenario—decision, evaluation, or problem diagnosis—you can use the relevant framework to ask the questions in the next step. Those questions will give you a specific agenda for productively exploring the case. What do you need to know to accomplish what the main character has to do or to resolve the major uncertainty? List the things you need to know about the situation. Don’t worry about being wrong. This is probably the most important step of the entire process. If you don’t know what you’re looking for in the case, you won’t find it. The right core scenario framework will prompt you to list things that you need to explore. For example, for a decision scenario case, you should think about the best criteria the main character can use to make the decision. To determine criteria, think about quantitative and qualitative tools you’ve learned that can help you. Go through the case, skim sections, and mark places or takes notes about where you find information that corresponds to the list of things you need to know. You’re ready for a deep dive into the case. Carefully read and analyze the information you’ve identified that is relevant to the things you need to know. As you proceed in your analysis, ask, How does what I’m learning help me understand the main issue? The most efficient and least confusing way to read and analyze is to peel the onion—to study one issue at a time. For instance, let’s say that a decision has financial and marketing criteria. Analyzing the financial issues separately from marketing is far less confusing than trying to switch back and forth. As your analysis moves from issue to issue, you may discover gaps in your knowledge and have to add items to your list of what you need to know. Your ultimate goal is to arrive at a position or conclusion about the case’s main issue, backed by evidence from the case. Remember, there are usually no objectively right answers to a case. The best answer is the one with the strongest evidence backing it. As you learn more, ask, How does what I know help me understand the main issue? When you are preparing a case for class discussion, consider alternative positions. Finally, take some time to think about actions that support your position. What actions does your position support or require? In the real world, analysis is often followed by action. A decision obviously has to be implemented. Usually the entire point of a problem diagnosis is to target action that will solve the problem. And even evaluation has an important action component: sustaining the strengths and shoring up the weaknesses that it has revealed.

Organizational Development

The Case Study Handbook, Revised Edition: A Student's Guide

The Case Study Handbook, Revised Edition: A Student's Guide ^ 10208

Want to buy more than 1 copy? Contact: [email protected]

Product Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2018

If you're enrolled in an MBA or executive education program, you've probably encountered a powerful learning tool: the business case. But if you're like many people, you may find interpreting and writing about cases mystifying and time-consuming. In "The Case Study Handbook, Revised Edition," William Ellet presents a potent new approach for efficiently analyzing, discussing, and writing about cases. Early chapters show how to classify cases according to the analytical task they require (making a decision, performing an evaluation, or diagnosing a problem) and quickly establish a base of knowledge about a case. Strategies and templates, in addition to several sample Harvard Business School cases, help you apply the author's framework. Later in the book, Ellet shows how to write persuasive case-analytical essays based on the process laid out earlier. Examples of effective writing further reinforce the methods. The book also includes a chapter on how to talk about cases more effectively in class. Any current or prospective MBA or executive education student needs this guide.

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The History of the Case Study at Harvard Business School

faculty and student engaged in a classroom case discussion

28 Feb 2017

Many first-time HBS Online participants are surprised to learn that, often, the professor is not at the center of their learning experience. Instead of long faculty lectures, the HBS Online learning model centers on smaller, more digestible pieces of content that require participants to interact with each other, test concepts, and learn from real-world examples.

Often, the professor fades into the background and lets the focus shift to interviews with executives, industry leaders, and small business owners. Some students might be left thinking, "Wait, where did that professor go? Why am I learning about a grocery store in Harvard Square?"

In the words of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy , “Don’t panic.” These interviews, or cases, feature leaders at companies of all sizes and provide valuable examples of business concepts in action. This case study method forms the backbone of the Harvard Business School curriculum.

Back in the 1920s, HBS professors decided to develop and experiment with innovative and unique business instruction methods. As the first school in the world to design a signature, distinctive program in business, later to be called the MBA, there was a need for a teaching method that would benefit this novel approach.

HBS professors selected and took a few pages to summarize recent events, momentous challenges, strategic planning, and important decisions undertaken by major companies and organizations. The idea was, and remains to this day, that through direct contact with a real-world case, students will think independently about those facts, discuss and compare their perspectives and findings with their peers, and eventually discover a new concept on their own.

Central to the case method is the idea that students are not provided the "answer" or resolution to the problem at hand. Instead, just like a board member, CEO, or manager, the student is forced to analyze a situation and find solutions without full knowledge of all methods and facts. Without excluding more traditional aspects, such as interaction with professors and textbooks, the case method provides the student with the opportunity to think and act like managers.

Since 1924, the case method has been the most widely applied and successful teaching instrument to come out of HBS, and it is used today in almost all MBA and Executive Education courses there, as well as in hundreds of other top business schools around the world. The application of the case method is so extensive that HBS students will often choose to rely on cases, instead of textbooks or other material, for their research. Large corporations use the case method as well to approach their own challenges, while competing universities create their own versions for their students.

This is what the case method does—it puts students straight into the game, and ensures they acquire not just skills and abstract knowledge, but also a solid understanding of the outside world.

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About the Author

Case collection: Harvard Business Publishing

About Harvard Business Publishing

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) is the leading provider of teaching materials for management education.

HBP was founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvard University, reporting into Harvard Business School. HBP's mission is to improve the practice of management in a changing world. This mission influences how they approach what they do and what they believe is important.

With approximately 450 employees, primarily based in Boston, with offices in New York City, India, Singapore, Qatar and the United Kingdom, HBP serves as a bridge between academia and enterprises around the globe through its publications and multiple platforms for content delivery, and its reach into three markets: academic, corporate, and individual managers. HBP has a conventional governance structure comprising a Board of Directors , an internal Executive Committee , and Business Unit Directors.

About the collection

The Case Centre distributes a comprehensive range of materials including the complete collection of more than 7,500 Harvard Business School case studies, teaching notes, background notes, case videos, and a selection of software ancillaries.

Also included are:

Brief Cases that are rigorous and compact with five-eight pages and three-four exhibits
case studies that are popular for undergraduate-level courses
executive education cases that provide rich yet efficient learning for managers at every level.

Additional top quality HBP teaching materials available from The Case Centre include:

articles from the Harvard Business Review and other top management journals
case method books from the Harvard Business School Press
over 2,000 individual chapters from popular Harvard Business School Press books
newsletter articles from Harvard Management Update, Strategy & Innovation, Negotiation, and Balanced Scorecard Report
Core Curriculum Readings that cover the foundational concepts, theories, and frameworks that business students must learn. Authored by faculty at Harvard Business School, each Reading includes a teaching note, related course materials, and exhibit slides. Many include test banks, practice questions, video clips, and Interactive Illustrations to enhance student comprehension of specific topics.

HBP also offer a number of free cases. Browse here

Collection contact

For any queries related to the Harvard Business Publishing collection, please visit:

Travis Stewart e [email protected]

Browse the full collection Browse prize-winning cases

Available from the case centre.

The HBP collection of over 16,000 cases, and their accompanying instructor materials, software and videos, 7,000 management articles and 2,000 individual book chapters are available from The Case Centre.

See what's available

There are restrictions on the distribution of some items. To see any restrictions login to our site (or register if you've not already done so) and use our online search to find the item you're interested in. Any restrictions will be shown alongside the product.

Materials from Harvard Business Publishing are not available to customers at corporate organisations or at organisations in China.

www.hbsp.harvard.edu/educators

Top ten bestselling cases

Browse the top ten bestselling cases from Harvard Business Publishing in 2023.

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Learning with cases can be a challenging experience.

Our interactive study guide takes students through the process, providing practical tips, tricks and tools.

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What to Know About the HBS Case Study Method

Discover the ins and outs of the HBS Case Study Method with our comprehensive article.

Posted January 30, 2024

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The HBS Case Study Method is a renowned teaching technique used in business education . It has gained popularity for its ability to develop critical thinking skills and foster decision-making abilities. This method involves analyzing real-life business scenarios and discussing possible solutions to the problems presented. In this article, we will explore the origins, key principles, structure, critiques, and the future of the HBS Case Study Method.

Understanding the HBS Case Study Method

The HBS Case Study Method is a renowned educational approach that has its roots in the case study method developed by Christopher Columbus Langdell at Harvard Law School in the late 19th century. This method revolutionized legal education by emphasizing the importance of studying actual court cases to understand the principles of law. Building upon this foundation, Harvard Business School (HBS) adopted and adapted the case study method in the early 20th century, making it an integral part of the business curriculum.

The HBS Case Study Method is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of decision-making in a business context. By focusing on real-life business cases, students are exposed to the challenges and intricacies of the corporate world, preparing them for future leadership roles.

The Origins of the HBS Case Study Method

The HBS Case Study Method owes its existence to the pioneering work of Christopher Columbus Langdell. As a professor at Harvard Law School , Langdell recognized the limitations of traditional legal education, which relied heavily on lectures and textbooks. He believed that students needed a more practical and immersive learning experience to truly grasp the intricacies of the law.

Inspired by the scientific method, Langdell introduced the case study method, which required students to analyze and discuss actual court cases. By examining the facts, arguments, and decisions of these cases, students were able to develop a deeper understanding of legal principles and their real-world applications.

The success of Langdell's approach in transforming legal education caught the attention of Harvard Business School. Recognizing the potential of the case study method to enhance business education, HBS adopted and adapted it to suit the unique challenges and dynamics of the business world.

5 Key Principles of the HBS Case Study Method

The HBS Case Study Method is built on several key principles that contribute to its effectiveness in educating future business leaders:

Active learning: Unlike traditional lecture-based approaches, the HBS Case Study Method encourages active learning. Students are actively engaged with the case, analyzing the information provided, and participating in discussions with their peers. This hands-on approach fosters critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to make informed decisions.
Real-world relevance: The cases presented in the HBS Case Study Method reflect real-life business situations. By examining these cases, students can apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, bridging the gap between theory and practice. This emphasis on real-world relevance prepares students for the challenges they will face in their future careers.
Multiple perspectives: The HBS Case Study Method encourages students to explore various viewpoints and consider different approaches to problem-solving. By examining a case from multiple angles, students develop a broader understanding of complex business issues and learn to appreciate diverse perspectives.
Collaborative learning: Group discussions and teamwork are essential components of the HBS Case Study Method. Through collaborative learning, students learn to effectively communicate their ideas, actively listen to others, and work together to find innovative solutions. This collaborative approach mirrors the dynamics of the business world, where teamwork and effective communication are crucial for success.
Experiential learning: The HBS Case Study Method provides students with an immersive learning experience. By analyzing and discussing real-life business cases, students are able to simulate the challenges faced by business leaders. This experiential learning approach allows students to develop practical skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making, in a safe and supportive environment.

The Role of the HBS Case Study Method in Business Education

Enhancing critical thinking skills.

One of the primary objectives of the HBS Case Study Method is to enhance critical thinking skills. By analyzing complex business scenarios, students learn how to identify key issues, evaluate alternative solutions, and make informed decisions. The method encourages students to think critically, consider different perspectives, and justify their reasoning.

This approach prepares students for the unpredictable nature of the business world, where decision-making often requires evaluating information from multiple sources and considering potential risks and opportunities.

Fostering Decision-Making Abilities

The HBS Case Study Method also plays a crucial role in fostering decision-making abilities. As students analyze and discuss real-life cases , they develop the skills needed to make sound decisions in ambiguous and uncertain situations. The method challenges students to weigh the pros and cons, assess the potential impacts of different choices, and make well-reasoned decisions based on limited information.

By immersing themselves in these decision-making exercises, students gain confidence in their abilities to handle complex business challenges and develop a systematic approach to problem-solving.

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What are the 2 Structures of an HBS Case Study?

Problem statement.

Each HBS case study begins with a problem statement that presents a specific business challenge. This problem statement sets the stage for the analysis and discussion that follow.

The problem statement is carefully crafted to ensure that students have enough information to understand the situation but also face some degree of ambiguity, simulating the real-world decision-making process.

Analysis and Discussion

After reading the case and understanding the problem statement, students engage in a rigorous analysis and discussion. This stage involves individual reflection and group discussions, where students share their insights and propose potential solutions.

During the analysis and discussion phase, students are encouraged to explore various perspectives, challenge assumptions, and consider the ethical implications of their proposed solutions. This process helps develop a deeper understanding of the complex factors and trade-offs involved in making business decisions.

Critiques and Controversies of the HBS Case Study Method

The pros and cons.

While the HBS Case Study Method has many advantages, it is not without its critics. Some argue that the method's heavy reliance on case studies can lead to a narrow focus on individual cases and may not provide a comprehensive understanding of broader business principles.

Additionally, critics argue that the method's emphasis on class discussions can create a bias towards extroverted students who excel in oral presentations, potentially disadvantaging introverted students who may have valuable insights but prefer written communication.

Addressing the Criticisms

In response to these criticisms, proponents of the HBS Case Study Method emphasize the importance of supplementing case studies with other teaching methods, such as lectures and simulations. They also highlight the need for inclusive classroom environments that encourage participation from all students, regardless of their communication preferences.

Moreover, ongoing research and innovation within the field of business education continue to refine the HBS Case Study Method, addressing these critiques and leveraging technology to enhance the learning experience for all students.

The Future of the HBS Case Study Method

Innovations and adaptations.

The HBS Case Study Method continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of business education. Educators are exploring new ways to incorporate technology, such as online platforms and virtual reality simulations, to create more interactive and immersive learning experiences.

Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on incorporating diverse case studies that reflect a wider range of industries, regions, and cultural perspectives. This approach ensures that students develop a global mindset and are better prepared to navigate the complexities of a diverse business environment.

The Impact of Technology on the HBS Case Study Method

Technology has the potential to revolutionize the HBS Case Study Method. Online discussion forums and collaborative platforms enable students from different geographical locations to engage in meaningful discussions and learn from each other's experiences.

Advancements in data analytics also provide opportunities to incorporate real-time data into case studies, enabling students to make evidence-based decisions and understand the impact of various factors on business outcomes. In conclusion, the HBS Case Study Method is a highly effective approach to business education, emphasizing critical thinking, decision-making, and real-world relevance. While there are critiques and controversies surrounding the method, ongoing innovations and adaptations continue to strengthen its impact and prepare students for the challenges of the future. As technology advances, the HBS Case Study Method will undoubtedly evolve, ensuring its continued relevance in shaping the next generation of business leaders.

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HBS Citation Guide

Guidelines for citing sources for written work at HBS.

This guide describes citation conventions for HBS students to use when writing research papers.

Citation Type

Harvard Business School →
Christensen Center →

Teaching by the Case Method

Preparing to Teach
Leading in the Classroom
Providing Assessment & Feedback
Sample Class

Case Method in Practice

Chris Christensen described case method teaching as "the art of managing uncertainty"—a process in which the instructor serves as "planner, host, moderator, devil's advocate, fellow-student, and judge," all in search of solutions to real-world problems and challenges.

Unlike lectures, case method classes unfold without a detailed script. Successful instructors simultaneously manage content and process, and they must prepare rigorously for both. Case method teachers learn to balance planning and spontaneity. In practice, they pursue opportunities and "teachable moments" that emerge throughout the discussion, and deftly guide students toward discovery and learning on multiple levels. The principles and techniques are developed, Christensen says, "through collaboration and cooperation with friends and colleagues, and through self-observation and reflection."

This section of the Christensen Center website explores the Case Method in Practice along the following dimensions:

Providing Assessment and Feedback

Each subsection provides perspectives and guidance through a written overview, supplemented by video commentary from experienced case method instructors. Where relevant, links are included to downloadable documents produced by the Christensen Center or Harvard Business School Publishing. References for further reading are provided as well.

An additional subsection, entitled Resources, appears at the end. It combines references from throughout the Case Method in Practice section with additional information on published materials and websites that may be of interest to prospective, new, and experienced case method instructors.

Note: We would like to thank Harvard Business School Publishing for permission to incorporate the video clips that appear in the Case Method in Practice section of our website. The clips are drawn from video excerpts included in Participant-Centered Learning and the Case Method: A DVD Case Teaching Tool (HBSP, 2003).

Christensen Center Tip Sheets

Characteristics of Effective Case Method Teaching
Elements of Effective Class Preparation
Guidelines for Effective Observation of Case Instructors
In-Class Assessment of Discussion-Based Teaching
Questions for Class Discussions
Teaching Quantitative Material
Strategies and Tactics for Sensitive Topics

Curriculum Innovation

The case method has evolved so students may act as decision-makers in new engaging formats:

Game Simulations

Multimedia cases, ideo: human-centered service design.

Harvard Business School →

How a Trivial Pursuit Became a Significant Case

Photo courtesy of Bob Reiss

It was 1983, and Bob Reiss (MBA 1956) was looking for a new game to play. A Brooklyn native and former basketball star at Columbia University who had become a successful entrepreneur in the toy-and-game industry, Reiss was impressed by the feverish public response north of the border to the 1980 Canadian board game, Trivial Pursuit, which was only just then being introduced in America. Reiss realized that other sorts of trivia games could be big sellers, too. With no introduction or insider connections—in what Reiss calls "a six-sentence cold-call letter that led to a $3 million profit venture in eight months"—he proposed a trivia game about television's shows, history, and personalities to the publisher of TV Guide magazine.

TV Guide liked Reiss's idea, and with the magazine providing the game's content (questions and answers), Reiss began deftly negotiating licensing and royalty agreements. One key move involved persuading TV Guide , in exchange for increased royalties from additional sales, to carry free ads for stores that would sell the game. Drawing on his trusted contacts in the game industry and beyond, Reiss scrambled to assemble resources beyond his current control to pull the project together. He successfully raced to get TV Guide 's TV Game distributed to both high-end and discount retailers (priced accordingly) in time for Christmas 1984—and just ahead of market saturation and flagging demand for trivia games. The total cost of designing and launching the TV Game was $50,000; revenues were $7.3 million.

All this and more is detailed in a 1985 HBS case study , "R&R"—the name of Reiss's company—which was supervised by Professor Howard Stevenson (and prepared by Research Assistant José-Carlos Jarillo Mossi). "The R&R case is all about building a venture via bootstrapping and a little cash," explains Reiss. "I think it's remained relevant over the years because it's a simple, compelling story that shows, if you are nimble and creative, how risk can be mitigated and that necessary resources can be accessed through partnerships, collaborations, and sharing pieces of the pie." Moving quickly in a short-opportunity window is another lesson of the case, says Reiss, who also cites the critical importance of the sales function, something seldom taught at business schools, he notes.

The case is still taught today at HBS and more than 100 schools around the world, including some 40 percent outside the United States. Now in its 28th year, "R&R" is part of Harvard Business Publishing's Premier Case Collection, which includes cases that are nominated by HBS faculty because they are popular and/or eminently teachable—and therefore often among HBP's all-time best-sellers. The case played another important role as well. In the early 1980s, Reiss had read about Professor Howard Stevenson's efforts, at Dean John McArthur's behest, to figure out what academic approach HBS should take toward the still-nebulous (and slightly suspect at that point) concept and practice known as entrepreneurship. Reiss phoned Stevenson and arranged a visit. The two men discussed the R&R deal, which Reiss was then winding up, and Stevenson asked Reiss if he could write a case about it.

Notes Stevenson, "Bob helped me articulate the fact that entrepreneurship is not risk-taking. He put together a world of people where everybody did what they did naturally. In fact, taking on Bob's risk actually diversified, and therefore lowered, risk for the others. Bob stood in the middle and orchestrated something and made a lot of money without anybody taking dangerous risks." The case was a breakthrough for Stevenson and helped him formulate his now-famous discipline-defining description of entrepreneurship as "the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources currently controlled."

After a career during which he founded 16 companies, Reiss now resides in Delray Beach, Florida, as a self-described "KR" person—kind of retired, that is—who keeps busy writing and blogging ( http://www.bootstrapping101.com/ ), when he's not making "R&R" guest appearances in classrooms around the world.

As it happens, it was the case method that drew Reiss to HBS. It's "where I really got into learning," he says, citing Professor Milt Brown's marketing course as especially enjoyable. So it's only fitting that Reiss himself would become a protagonist of case studies: he's also featured in a second HBS case, about Valdawn, a watch company he started. Indeed, some 30 years after the day Reiss first dropped in on Howard Stevenson, his "living example" has become a textbook case, a classic account of entrepreneurship in action.

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