MEDOTOLOGIA DE CASOS

The Case Method in Marketing Management1

The mere act of listening to wise statements and sound advice does little for anyone. In the process of learning, the learner's dynamic cooperation is required. Such cooperation in students does not arise automatically, however, it has to be provided for and continually encouraged.2

Cases offer a chance to participate in real-life business problems and to make decisions actually faced by managers. A case is a “slice-of-life” from an organization that requires a thorough and painstaking analysis to arrive at a solution that you think best solves the problem.

Cases come in all shapes and sizes, but you will find that most fit into one of two general types. The evaluation type case describes what a company has done; the principal purpose of the analysis is to evaluate the soundness of what management has already done. In the problem case, management faces a specific problem, such as deciding whether or not to enter a new market. This type of case calls for the development of alternative solutions and recommendation of the preferred alternative. The decision making process is, hence, one of choosing among alternative courses of action, based upon a set of criteria, in order to attain a goal or set of goals. Most cases in the core marketing course are of the problem type. Some cases comprise elements of both pure types.

Some cases deal with consumer products (e.g., automobiles, coffee); some deal with services (e.g., hotels and hospitals); some deal with industrial products (e.g., metal working fluid, transformers); some deal with profit-seeking enterprises and others with public or not-for-profit agencies. Each case conveys a great deal of information about the company, the industry and the market. The purpose of case analysis, however, is not to present facts, but to engage you in the active process of recognizing and solving managerial problems.

In effect, you become the “actor” or manager

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