Preparing an Effective Case Analysis
Case studies
Introduction A summary of the case analysis process C-2 Preparing an effective case analysis – the full story C-5 Case 1 Hearing with the aid of implanted technology: The case of Cochlear™, an Australian high-technology leader C-19 Case 2 The Australian retail wars: Coles Myer and Woolworths battle for brand value C-26 Case 3 eBay.com: Profitably managing growth from start-up to 2000 C-32 Case 4 Gillette and the men’s wet-shaving market C-50 Case 5 Gunns and the greens: Governance issues in Tasmania C-70 Case 6 Growth at Hubbard’s Foods? C-79 Case 7 Incat Tasmania’s race for international success: Blue-riband strategies C-89 Case 8 The Golden Arches in India: A case of strategic adaptation C-95 Case 9 Monsanto: Better living through genetic engineering? C-106 Case 10 Nucor Corporation and the US steel industry C-121 Case 11 Philip Condit and the Boeing 777: From design and development to production and sales C-152 Case 12 Resene Paints C-168 Case 13 Sony Corporation: The vision of tomorrow C-184
Introduction
A summary of the case analysis process
Dallas Hanson
University of Tasmania
Case analysis is an essential part of a strategic management course and is also perhaps the most entertaining part of such a course. The ‘full story’ that follows this summary gives you considerable detail about how to go about a case analysis, but for now here is a brief account. Before we start, a word about attitude: make it a real exercise; you have a set of historical facts and use a rigorous system to work out what strategies should be followed. All the cases are about real companies, and one of the entertaining bits of the analysis process is to compare what you have said they should do with what they really have done. So, it is best not to check the Net to see current strategies until you have completed your analysis. What follows is one analytical system, a fairly tight one that you may want to adapt according to how much time you have and the style of
Introduction A summary of the case analysis process C-2 Preparing an effective case analysis – the full story C-5 Case 1 Hearing with the aid of implanted technology: The case of Cochlear™, an Australian high-technology leader C-19 Case 2 The Australian retail wars: Coles Myer and Woolworths battle for brand value C-26 Case 3 eBay.com: Profitably managing growth from start-up to 2000 C-32 Case 4 Gillette and the men’s wet-shaving market C-50 Case 5 Gunns and the greens: Governance issues in Tasmania C-70 Case 6 Growth at Hubbard’s Foods? C-79 Case 7 Incat Tasmania’s race for international success: Blue-riband strategies C-89 Case 8 The Golden Arches in India: A case of strategic adaptation C-95 Case 9 Monsanto: Better living through genetic engineering? C-106 Case 10 Nucor Corporation and the US steel industry C-121 Case 11 Philip Condit and the Boeing 777: From design and development to production and sales C-152 Case 12 Resene Paints C-168 Case 13 Sony Corporation: The vision of tomorrow C-184
Introduction
A summary of the case analysis process
Dallas Hanson
University of Tasmania
Case analysis is an essential part of a strategic management course and is also perhaps the most entertaining part of such a course. The ‘full story’ that follows this summary gives you considerable detail about how to go about a case analysis, but for now here is a brief account. Before we start, a word about attitude: make it a real exercise; you have a set of historical facts and use a rigorous system to work out what strategies should be followed. All the cases are about real companies, and one of the entertaining bits of the analysis process is to compare what you have said they should do with what they really have done. So, it is best not to check the Net to see current strategies until you have completed your analysis. What follows is one analytical system, a fairly tight one that you may want to adapt according to how much time you have and the style of
References: Exhibit 3 Financial information, 1998–2001 $21 297 245 23.05% 7.7% $608 829 10.26% N/A $240 114 17.4% Source: Triple Bottom Line (TBL) report, 2000/01.