Better World Books and the Triple Bottom Line Case Study Analysis & Solution

Better World Books and the Triple Bottom Line Case Study Analysis & Solution

Case Study Analysis & Solution

There are 10 essential steps that could help analyze and find a solution to the Case Study. This paper mentions each of these steps and what should be done under them to arrive at a solution.

Step 1 – Reading the Fundamentals of Communication by the Harvard Business Review

There exists an article by the Harvard Business Review; known as the ‘Fundamentals of Communication’. It is important that one goes through this article, which will help in understanding the basics of investigative reading. Developing an understanding of investigative reading is important as it helps readers develop a clear map in their minds when reading through a case study. A roadmap is sketched in the minds of the readers prior to even starting to read the case study. Such a clear map would not be developed if one does not read the ‘Fundamentals of Communication’. Also, a structured learning process would not exist, which would result in one overseeing minor details and in the worst case one would come up with the wrong conclusions. The article also helps in coming up with the initial ideas to solve the case study, as the article mentions some aspects, which may or may not be covered in the case study. This first step, therefore, serves as a preparatory step in helping the reader develop a direction when going through the case study.

Step 2 – Read the whole of the Case

The next step is to read through the case study and gather information from it. In order to conduct a good case study analysis and come up with practical solutions, one must definitely look for particular types of information, and develop an information map. Such information should be highlighted or noted when reading through the case study. A separate description map should be made, which will later help the reader when one needs to go back and collect further information. Within the information, one must look for the central problem or issue within the case study. This issue can be in the introduction/background of the case study or towards its end. Another information that is important is of understanding the main players in the case study. One must understand the motivations and priorities of these main players. Then one must refine the major issue that the main players are facing and find its relation to the HBR fundamentals article. Finally, all of the information collected should be evaluated in the light of the core ideas of the Harvard Case Study Analysis.

Step 3 – Case Study Analysis

The objectives of the case and the detailed information contained in it are not clearly understood. With this being done, it is now time to proceed towards the analysis part of the case study. This could be done in an effective manner by following these steps:

• The history of the company should be looked at, which is usually provided at the starting of the case often in the background paragraph. This can be used in developing a growth path, the company’s vision, mission and its strategic objectives. This history also serves another purpose other than providing the background on the company; to lay down the scope within which a solution to the case can be determined.
• Most of the HBR case studies have instances mentioned from the personal perspective of managers and employees of the company. These are present to make the situation feel real. In analyzing a case study, one could use these personal accounts of employees to gain an understanding of the culture of the organization and what the priorities and inhibitions of its people are.
• Lastly, one should understand the timing of events in the case. This can be effectively done by developing a timeline of the main issues and of the events in the case study. Such a timeline helps in providing one with clues as to what the next steps in the company’s journey would be. This also helps in providing an understanding of the progressive challenges faced by the company in the case.

Step 4 – Conducting a SWOT analysis

Once the case is analyzed, the company’s history and issues are understood, and a timeline is developed, the following should be done:

• Narrow down the focus to the central problem and then towards two, three, four or five other related issues that exist within the case study.
• Carry out a SWOT analysis of the company: . A SWOT analysis is a tool used in strategic management in order to list down the internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats faced by a company.
• Apart from clearly stating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to the strategic managers, the SWOT analysis also helps them in formulating strategies using each of these to advantage.
• The SWOT analysis also helps in determining the priority in which problems should be solved.
• To further improve on the analysis, one could do a Weighted SWOT analysis of , where weights are given to each of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, based on their relative importance.

Step 5 – Conducting a Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis / Strategic Analysis of Industry

There are some business managers that are often seen to easily pinpoint one issue within the case that they are trying to solve, and they use this point in order to conduct an analysis and come up with a solution. These managers are able to do this because of their good understanding of the business environment, developing an understanding of which is the next step. Business environments are mostly complex, and therefore, the solutions need to be holistic in nature such that they keep in minds such environments. In order to come up with such solutions, it is necessary to develop an understanding of the external business environment of the company, apart from the company itself. But how will this be done? This is where the use of the Porter’s Five Forces model comes. This is a strategic tool used in strategic management that helps one understand the relative power of five forces within any industry. These five forces are essential key players in the industry. By gaining insights regarding such industry dynamics, one could come up with practical solutions that are compatible with the industry dynamics of .

Step 6 – Conducting a PESTEL, PEST / STEP Analysis

The relative power of the key players within an industry are not the only factors from the external environment that affect a business. There are other macro environmental factors that also have an influence on the company. These can be understood by using a strategic tool known as the PESTEL analysis. PESTEL stands from Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal, which are essentially the macro-environmental factors that influence business. A list of factors, which can have a significant impact on the business and drive its growth, within each of these are listed down. The PESTEL analysis also helps in clearly identifying a company’s source of competitive advantage and also what its Core Competencies are.

Step 7 – Organize and Prioritize the Analysis conducted into the Case Study Solution

By now an understanding of the various aspects of the case study is developed, and analysis is completed using various strategic tools. This should now be preceded with the organization of the solution of the case study on the basis of its requirements. This can be done using the mentioned strategy, which will help in organizing the findings and suggestions to the issues in the case:

• Start with the corporate level strategy of the company. This essentially means organizing your solutions such that they address how the strategic objectives of the company can be achieved. This involves developing the company’s vision, mission and strategic objectives based on the analysis. These define how the solution will help the company in achieving its strategic goals.
• The individual business units are looked at, and solutions are organized for these. This involves providing recommendations for individual business units rather than the whole company. For example, if a case study is from the perspective of a marketing manager. Then the solutions organized will be such that they address the marketing strategy of the company. These recommendations will have a scope that is just limited to a single business unit, but however, these recommendations should not be such that they go against the overall strategy of the company. For example, a business unit cannot be recommended to focus on differentiation when the overall strategy of the company is to focus on low costs.
• A case study may be such that it focusses on an individual. In this case, solutions are needed to be organized for that relevant employee/ manager/executive/ leader etc.

Step 8 – Laying down the implementation framework

The solution to the case study does not end at identifying the main issues, the key players and recommending solutions for the company, business unit or individual. Recommendations are of no use if these do not include the implementation roadmap to bring these to act practically. A good implementation framework is what distinguishes an average case solution from a highly regarded case study solution. An implementation framework is essential, the step by step processes on how to practically bring the solutions to action.

After having laying down an implementation framework, one would have successfully developed an understanding of the case in detail, clearly understood the HBR case study fundamentals, and developed an analysis on the basis of the HBR case study fundamentals. Lastly one would have demonstrated an ability to rank recommendations in priority depending on their likelihood of success. An implementation framework also helps in removing out the non-actionable recommendations from the recommendations identified before. An implementation framework will help lay down the final solutions to the case study.

Step 9 – Take a Break

Yes, that’s right! You should now take a break. Go out, grab a coffee, take a walk, play sports, watch TV or do whatever you like. The objective here is to carry out an activity that helps you refresh your mind. With having worked out on a rigorous process of coming up with a solution, your brain now needs a rest. This is important in order to have a clear mind in the next step. One must, however, keep in mind that the activities should not be such that they take too much time or make one forget about the case.

Step 10 – Critical Analysis of the whole of the case solution.

This step involves reading the case all over again, and its solution too. This is required as when one is reading, analyzing and writing solutions for the first time; one may overlook minor detail that is important. These missing details can be incorporated into the solutions in order to make them better. The evaluation also involves looking at the sentence structure and grammar of the writing. This is important as the presentation of solutions play an important role. The solution may be interpreted differently by one and differently by the audience. It is, therefore, important that the meaning of the solution is clearly communicated through proper English; sentence structure and grammar. One must also recheck the numbers, if any, in the case study. The solutions in themselves should be questioned as to if they are the best. Any limitations to the solutions or any place that they lack within should be identified. These solutions should then be modified to make them better. An important suggestion here is that one must not rush through this process. People think that the case study has been solved, and therefore, devote less time to this final stage. However, this last stage is equally important, and one must devote equal time and effort to it.

After completing these 10 essential steps, the case study analysis and solution would be completely analyzed and solved.