EXPLORING THE RELEVANCE AND EFFICACY OF THE CASE METHOD 100

YEARS LATER
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/the-centennial-of-the-business-case-part-1

Part 1 of Our 5-Part Series: The Centennial of the Business Case

by the HBP Editors

April 14, 2021

It’s 1921. At the General Shoe Company, employees in the company’s manufacturing plant are routinely
stopping work up to 45 minutes before quitting time. It’s not for lack of business—the company has
more orders than it can fill. So, what then, is the issue?

After summarizing this situation, General Shoe Company—the first published business case, one page in
length—concludes with two questions for the reader:

What factors should be developed in the investigation on the part of management?

What are the general policies in accordance with which these conditions should be remedied?[1]

In other words, what’s going on here, and what should managers do to fix it?

“It’s kind of like a detective story. Something has gone deeply wrong in this factory,
and your job as chief executive is to figure out whodunnit—but even before that,
figure out what you’re going to ask and of whom.”

Jan Rivkin, Harvard Business School professor

Source: “Celebrating General Shoe Company, the Inaugural HBS Case,” Harvard
Business School, April 12,
2019, https://www.hbs.edu/about/video.aspx?v=1_0486ljh3.
Cases have changed considerably since General Shoe Company was published. Today, most are much
longer than one page. Most include a variety of data and exhibits that are derived from extensive field
and secondary research. Many have teaching notes and other supplementary materials such as
spreadsheets and data sets. Some contain audio, video, or even virtual reality components.

These cases also reflect a world very different from that of 1921. Many organizations depicted in cases
compete nationally or even globally in uncertain, changing, and highly competitive environments. They
must innovate frequently, manage complex supply chains and multiple regulatory regimes, and motivate
and retain an increasingly diverse range of employees.

Yet, as we approach the centennial of General Shoe Company, there are also important commonalities
between cases from 1921 and 2021. Then as now, most cases describe an actual decision-making
situation that managers have faced. Then as now, most cases place the reader in the proverbial shoes of
these managers and ask them to use the information provided in the case to decide what they their

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company should do. And then, as now, cases do not provide “the answer” to the challenge at hand—
they rely on ensuing discussion and knowledge-sharing among students for the learning to unfold.

Where It All Began

The authors of the earliest business cases drew inspiration from the use of edited cases of court
decisions to teach law students. Yet, these authors also argued that business education required
materials and teaching methods different from those used in law schools. They believed that, unlike law,
business had no “practices and precedents” [2] upon which students could always rely. Like case authors
today, they thus wanted to develop materials that would help students learn to define and solve ill-
defined managerial problems under time constraints, uncertainty, and ever-changing conditions.

Business Cases in 2021

Today, about 15 million business cases are sold annually to students. Over 50 business schools
worldwide now have case collections. Thousands of new cases are written and released every year.
These data suggest that even as cases have and will continue to change, the case method has enduring
appeal and influence.

Where We Go from Here

In this centennial series, we will highlight how the case method can transform both students and faculty.
To do so, we will examine what case-method teaching entails and hear directly from numerous faculty
who will share their own personal stories and perspectives of teaching cases. In addition, we will
consider potential future directions for cases and the implications of this evolution for the case method.

Finally, we want you to tell us about your experiences with cases. What about case
teaching or writing has been rewarding? What’s been difficult? What have your favorite
cases been and why? We want to incorporate your insights into our future coverage of cases. We look
forward to hearing from you.

[1] Clinton Biddle, General Shoe Company. Boston: Harvard Business School, 1921.

[2] Wallace B. Donham, “Business Teaching by the Case System,” The American Economic Review 12
(March 1922): 53–65.

THE HEART OF THE CASE METHOD

Part 2: Students as Stakeholders in Their Own Learning Success

by the HBP Editors

April 14, 2021

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/the-heart-of-the-case-method-centennial-part-2

2
What is the case method? How and why is it transformative? How does it facilitate the moments that
both faculty and students remember many years later? What shift in mindset does case-method
teaching require from educators?

The case method is about more than using business cases as a content source or encouraging students
to participate in class. Yes, these elements are important. But the case method’s heart lies in its
perspective on how students learn, which is quite different from pedagogies that privilege the
instructor’s role in imparting wisdom to their students.

To analyze how case-method teaching works, we examine how it looks for both students and
instructors. It is valuable to assess first what the case method requires from students and how their
efforts benefit them. Doing so suggests what successful case discussions look like. It also sheds light
on what the case method requires from instructors, which we’ll explore later in the series.

Students’ Role in Case-Method Teaching

Student preparation is essential for case discussions to succeed. This is somewhat of an obvious
statement, yes, but student preparation takes on deeper meaning when case-method teaching is
involved. Because case discussions frequently flip the balance of who is talking—from the instructor
talking 80 percent and students talking 20 percent to 20 percent and 80 percent, respectively—students
are majority owners in a case discussion’s success.

Student preparation for a case discussion should be active. Students who passively read what they are
assigned will have little to add to a case discussion beyond reciting basic facts. Just as managers are
constantly engaging with and making sense of their circumstances, students begin learning actively only
when they step into the shoes of the case protagonists and ask the following:

• To decide what to do, what information do I need?

• What information is in the case?
• How can I assemble this information along with my other knowledge to develop new
insights regarding my decision?
• What capabilities and resources do I have for influencing this situation?

“Students are majority owners in a case discussion’s success.”

Students who prepare in this way benefit directly and indirectly. Directly, they understand more about
the cases they read, the concepts they apply, and the course they are in. The indirect benefit, however,
is subtler, greater, and more durable: like the protagonists of the cases they read, they learn to make
decisions under uncertainty and begin to develop the courage to act upon these decisions through
ongoing practice.

Learning Through Others: The Social Side of Case Preparation

If these were the only benefits provided by case-method teaching, they would already be enough to
recommend its use. The most important gains, however, flow from and build on students’ preparation
and reflect the intensely social nature of case-method discussion. This social component ideally has two
synergistic elements.

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First, students who augment their preparation by meeting in study groups benefit greatly from the
opportunity to test their understanding of a case against the perceptions of others, particularly of those
who are different from themselves. Exchanges in these settings enable students to practice honing their
arguments and listening to and persuading others. Just as often, they give students opportunities to
change their minds as their peers present their own interpretations, just as managers must often do
when they listen to their colleagues.

Source: "Inside the Case Method: The Entrepreneurial Manager," Harvard Business
School, December 13, 2012, https://www.hbs.edu/about/video.aspx?v=1_tbljt2xl.
Second, these study groups prepare students for the many directions that the subsequent class
discussion can go. Having already worked through the case and accounted for others’ feedback
increases students’ flexibility in adjusting to the flow of discussion and building on or attempting to
shape it. Even reticent students may become more willing to test their insights in a large group, to “face
their fear while they’re here,” as HBS professor Robert White notes in the following video.

Source: “Discover the Case Method,” Harvard Business School, May 8,

2019, https://www.hbs.edu/mba/blog/post/discover-the-case-method-facebook-
live.

Source: “Take a Seat in the Harvard MBA Case Classroom,” Harvard Business
School, May 28,
2020, https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/videos/Pages/details.aspx?item=25.

Because Wisdom Can’t Be Told

The late HBS professor E. Raymond Corey noted that “real learning is never at arm’s length.” [1] Such
learning demands engagement. Students with the best insights have learned through practice how to
connect information from page two of a case with a quote from page eight and with data from case
Exhibit 3 before class even begins.

During discussions, they are then able to listen actively to their peers, analyze an array of discrepant
information surfaced by the group, and recognize moments when their own perspectives were
insufficient. Thoughtful participation teaches students to think on their feet, to present their ideas
concisely, and to listen to insights that differ from their own—critical skills that will serve them well in
the future.

Source: “Take a Seat in the Harvard MBA Case Classroom,” Harvard Business
School, May 28,
2020, https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/videos/Pages/details.aspx?item=25.
Over many case discussions, these students learn to reflect on how to make better decisions and
improve their own processes for doing so. This wisdom, in the words of the late HBS professor Charles I.
Gragg, cannot be told [2]; the active learning it entails cannot be passively obtained.

4
Source: “Take a Seat in the Harvard MBA Case Classroom,” Harvard Business
School, May 28,
2020, https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/videos/Pages/details.aspx?item=25.

[1] Raymond E. Corey, "Case Method Teaching." HBS No. 581-058 (Boston:
Harvard Business School Publishing, 1980).

[2] Charles I. Gragg, “Because Wisdom Can’t be Told.” HBS No. 451-005 (Boston:
Harvard Business School Publishing, 1951) pp. 2–3.

THE ART OF THE CASE METHOD

Part 3: Exploring the Instructor’s Choreographic Role in Case -Method Teaching
by the HBP Editors

April 14, 2021

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/the-art-of-the-case-method-centennial-part-3

Understanding how students can benefit from case discussions offers insight into what case-method
instructors can do to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. The work instructors do behind the
scenes to create the context for students’ learning and engagement is just as important as what they do
during class. By following the guidance shared and explored here, case-method instructors can enhance
students’ willingness to follow this path and to step outside of their comfort zones.

This effort begins with focusing on students’ needs. As the late HBS professor David A.
Garvin noted, “There is a difference between teaching a case and teaching a class. Teaching a case is
independent of who is in the room. . . . Teaching a class tries to link the material with the people who
are there.” [1]

A case-method instructor thus begins considering how to teach by asking questions that extend beyond
the objectives for a class session or even a course:

• Who are my students?

• What are their experiences?
• What do they know already?
• What do they need to know?

The answers to these questions depend both on students’ backgrounds and on what courses they have
already taken. Case-method instructors who teach later in a program’s required curriculum should
account for what their students have already learned and build on this base. In addition, instructors may
want to examine students’ profiles so that they understand what experiences these individuals have had
and how they might draw on those experiences during discussions.

“By managing and leading discussions, case-method instructors offer a template for
students to learn how to manage and lead others.”

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Case-method instructors can also increase their familiarity with students by talking to them before and
after class. Insights gleaned from these moments can influence decisions about how to begin class
discussions and how to move them forward. They can also help instructors understand what students
found engaging, boring, or confusing; which students respond best to various approaches; and how to
think about linking themes across class sessions.

Beyond the direct learning these conversations provide, such preparation signals instructors’ dedication.
Students will be more engaged when they believe that their instructors are “all in” by building “bonds of
trust that . . . facilitate learning and growth.”[2]

The Case Method in Action

Though case discussions can unfold in countless ways, they tend to follow a loose choreography.

The Opening
When a case discussion starts, the instructor often begins by asking a student to lay out the key facts
and issues in the case. This request—known as a cold call when students do not know in advance
whether they will be asked to participate, or a warm call when the student called upon receives prior
notice—raises the stakes. Students do not want to lose face in front of their peers. The cold (or warm)
call gives students an extra incentive to prepare on their own. It also emphasizes that students’ insights
will set the stage for what follows. It thus reinforces that students are majority owners in a class
discussion’s success. View this example from a class being taught by Harvard Business School professor
Thomas Eisenmann:

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Source: “Inside the Case Method: The Entrepreneurial Manager,” Harvard Business
School, December 13, 2012, https://www.hbs.edu/about/video.aspx?v=1_tbljt2xl.

The Dance
Once the first student called upon to kick things off finishes laying out the case facts, the instructor
typically opens the floor to hear from other students who have raised their hands to offer their
thoughts. At this point, the role played by student participation during the ensuing discussion changes
the instructor’s role dramatically. Instead of being an authoritative “sage on the stage,” the instructor,
as HBS professor V. Kasturi Rangan suggests, becomes a choreographer.[3]

They lead “students through the . . . issues in the case without necessarily pre-judging the correctness of
their students’ contributions . . . ensuring that different but relevant points of view are aired out and
that faulty ones are identified and understood for their weaknesses and flaws.”

Such guidance is directed less toward reaching a specific conclusion or following the right path to it. It
focuses instead on questions that unearth facts, probe insights, and build on past examples and
principles by eliciting relevant comparisons and contrasts to the situation being considered.[4]

Source: “Inside the Case Method: The Entrepreneurial Manager,” Harvard Business
School, December 13, 2012, https://www.hbs.edu/about/video.aspx?v=1_tbljt2xl.

The Dialogue
Consistent with the social component of case discussions, instructors also nudge students to engage in
dialogue with their classmates. Rather than answering students’ observations directly and having one-
on-one exchanges with many students, instructors move away from being the authority and place
students in this role by asking them to integrate the preceding insights and to persuade their classmates.

Source: “Inside the Case Method: The Entrepreneurial Manager,” Harvard Business
School, December 13, 2012, https://www.hbs.edu/about/video.aspx?v=1_tbljt2xl.
In short, by managing and leading discussions, case method instructors offer a template for students to
learn how to manage and lead others.

What Expert Case Teachers Do

Once instructors have become versed in the basics of case discussion, how do they achieve even greater
mastery?

They Reflect and Refine

Expert case teachers are keenly attentive to their own role in the ebb and flow of class. For instance, an
instructor might ask, How can I wrap up one topic of conversation and move to the next when a
discussion is especially lively? What techniques can I use to encourage students to take different
positions about a complex decision—and help ensure that they consider all the information presented in
the case?

7
Source: “Take a Seat in the Harvard MBA Case Classroom,” Harvard Business
School, May 28,
2020, https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/videos/Pages/details.aspx?item=25.

They Understand the Importance of Psychological Safety

Effective case method teachers are attentive to what they are thinking and feeling as they interact with
students. They notice how their own states affect class discussions. By focusing on their emotions and
the behaviors that may arise from them, teachers can better manage and channel them in ways that
enhance their success in the classroom. [5]

These instructors focus even more on what their students are thinking and feeling during case
discussions. They understand that creating a climate of psychological safety both inside and outside the
classroom is paramount. They know, for instance, that many students feel anxious about speaking in
large classes and making mistakes in front of their peers. They recognize that there are better and worse
ways to respond to erroneous and inappropriate comments.

Source: “Discover the Case Method,” Harvard Business School, May 8,

2019, https://www.hbs.edu/mba/blog/post/discover-the-case-method-facebook-
live.
They also give each comment its due. Whether writing students’ observations on the board, asking other
students for their reactions, or even simply echoing what a student said, case-method instructors can
increase psychological safety by showing students they have been heard and giving them a forum for
testing their ideas.[6]

They Invite Disagreement—and Honor Its Value

A related element of psychological safety in case discussions involves setting norms so that students
can learn how to disagree agreeably. The variety of information in cases invites diverse comments about
which facts are most relevant to resolving the situation at hand. Fostering an environment in which the
goal is a dialogue that acknowledges inconsistencies and tradeoffs, rather than merely winning an
argument, makes students more comfortable in challenging their peers’ assumptions, thus ensuring a
richer learning experience. It also hones their ability as future leaders to work through opposing
perspectives and make difficult choices under uncertainty.

A Worthy Investment
Case-method teaching involves effort, especially for the novice. Yet the more important work involves
the change in mindset this approach requires. For faculty who are accustomed to more traditional
pedagogical approaches, giving students heightened responsibility may feel risky. What happens, for
instance, if students do not respond to higher expectations? What happens if the discussion makes
students uncomfortable?

Nonetheless, there is a tangible payoff for those who commit to it: classroom energy and engagement
are higher and student learning increases tremendously.

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[1] David A. Garvin, “Know Your Students,” HBS Christensen Center for Teaching
and Learning, https://www.hbs.edu/teaching/case-method/preparing-to-
teach/Pages/knowing-your-students.aspx#popup, accessed April 2021.

[2] Thomas J. DeLong, “Why Your Students Need to Know You’re All In: Moving
Beyond Knowledge Transactions to Learning Covenants,” Inspiring Minds by
Harvard Business Publishing Education, https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-
minds/why-your-students-need-to-know-youre-all-in, accessed April 2, 2021.

[3] V Kasturi Rangan, “Choreographing a Class.” HBS No. 595-074 (Boston: Harvard
Business School Publishing, 1995).

[4] E. Raymond Corey, “Case Method Teaching.” HBS No. 581-058 (Boston:
Harvard Business School Publishing, 1980).

[5] See Thomas J. DeLong, Teaching by Heart: One Professor’s Journey to

Inspire (Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2020).

[6] One qualification to this point involves comments that are derogatory to a class of
individuals. For insights on how to address such comments, see Alexandra
Sedlovskaya’s article “How to Lead Uncomfortable Class Discussions.”

TALES FROM THE TRENCHES

Part 4: Faculty Reflect on the Challenges and Opportunities of Case Teaching

by the HBP Editors

April 14, 2021

We reached out to numerous educators at different schools and asked them to share their perspectives
on the case method. Though there were similarities in educators’ responses, the differences reflect the
variety of circumstances in which faculty members use cases. The institutions where our interviewees
teach vary in their emphasis on case-method teaching and the infrastructure they provide to support it.

Overall, however, the similarities in perspectives were more prominent. Our interviewees emphasized
the case method’s unique power to engage and deepen active learning for both learners and educators.
We consider these themes below as we explore faculty responses to six key questions.

The Initial Draw to Cases

We first asked interviewees to describe their experience with case teaching and how they started
teaching with cases. Most of our respondents had some experience with cases when they were
students, noting how much they enjoyed them and the experiences that they facilitated.

9
Associate Professor Ryan Buell, for instance, referred to when he realized as a student how engaging
and transformational cases could be long before he began teaching them. Professorial Lecturer
Meredith Burnett came to value case studies when she began teaching because of their ability to help
students analyze issues that were relevant to their current or future careers, and for enabling her to dive
into the challenges these issues posed for organizations. Professor Joshua Margolis noted how seeing an
expert case teacher in action helped bring cases to life during an MBA class he took as a doctoral
student.

At institutions where the case method is emphasized, our interviewees’ experiences with cases
overlapped substantially with their time teaching in these programs. Sometimes, however, the decision
to use cases was driven in part by pragmatism, as Associate Professor Leon Prieto suggested in his
response about using cases so that his students would find his classes more meaningful.

What Cases Do Well

For our second question, regarding what our interviewees believe cases do especially well, responses
revolved around two broadly related themes. The first emphasizes how cases bring concepts to life. The
second highlights how case teaching enhances peer learning.

One theme, reflected by Associate Professors Simone Phipps and Karin Schnarr, emphasized the ability
of cases to bring abstract concepts to life, give examples that make these concepts relevant to students,
and help students apply them. Schnarr’s observations about the value of psychological safety and the
challenges of decision-making with imperfect information also echoed themes discussed earlier in this
series. Further, as Professor William Kerr noted, cases then teach students how to approach decision-
making situations.

Associate Professor Bora Ozkan and Assistant Professor Ting Zhang focused on the social aspect of case
discussions. Ozkan noted how case teaching facilitates peer learning. Zhang’s insights suggested how
stepping into a protagonist’s shoes not only makes the abstract more concrete but also enables learners
to be more receptive to learning from their peers.

The Challenge of Cases

Our third question, “What have you seen as the biggest challenge in teaching and learning with the case
method?” evoked a wide variety of replies.

Professor Amy Edmondson highlighted the necessity of preparation by everyone involved—teachers and
students—for case discussions to succeed.

Another thread of insight, suggested by Professor Willy Shih, highlights the initial challenge of getting
students comfortable with case-method discussion and offers some methods for overcoming it. That is
not surprising, given how accustomed many students are to classes that rely more on lectures.

As Professor Kerr noted, case discussions also present the more general challenge of building and
sustaining energy during class. Even when students are comfortable with case discussions, they may find
some cases less engaging. It is essential to help students learn how to “dig in” with a case and unearth
its riches.

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Kerr’s second observation, regarding the right level of abstraction for a case discussion, is related to his
point about digging in. It is important to learn the nuances of a specific case; decision-makers must
know the details to make informed choices. Yet case discussions must also induce common principles
that are more broadly applicable. This balance can be difficult to achieve.

Dean Srikant Datar highlighted the gaps among knowing and doing and being as another challenge of
case teaching. Gaining the conceptual and contextual insights that Kerr referenced is important, but
learning how to implement these insights into an action plan and develop your personal strengths are
just as essential to being a successful leader. Finding ways to enhance such skills may be a goal that
future cases strive to achieve.

Further, the unstructured nature of case discussions poses both opportunities and challenges. Professor
Tsedal Neeley observed that one challenge of case teaching is the possibility of being unable to control
the conversation in the same way a lecturer can and the risks of having a discussion go off the rails. Yet,
as Neeley also noted, such moments can offer powerful learning.

Finally, Associate Professor Buell’s discussion of vulnerability in the classroom highlighted the
psychological challenges that case teaching can bring for both students and teachers. As he noted,
lectures are a much more comfortable format for everyone. They certainly do not pose the challenges
our interviewees highlighted. Yet the learning that can come from accepting and trying to overcome that
vulnerability in working through a case together offers experiences like no other and complements the
types of situations that Neeley discussed.

Advice for New Case Users

Our fourth question, “What advice would you give to someone teaching or learning with the case
method for the first time?” also evoked different but related themes. Our interviewees focused on both
students and faculty.

On the student side, Dean Datar noted the importance of leaning into active learning by participating in
the conversation. He suggested that, for students, waiting to offer the perfect insight is the enemy of
offering a “good enough” comment that gets them engaged and makes them part of the conversation.
Associate Professor Prieto’s suggestion about the importance of peer learning extends upon Dean
Datar’s insight because students who meet to discuss cases before class can create safe space in which
they can discover how to lean into active learning.

Professor Jan Rivkin’s response bridged between the student and faculty sides. As part three of this
series suggests, investing in one’s students enhances their engagement. Yet this investment, as
Rivkin noted, also benefits faculty inside and outside the classroom.

The second common theme in these responses revolved around learning to manage diversity of thought
during discussions. As Associate Professor Phipps noted, it is important for case teachers to prepare for
such variation. To this point, Professor Margolis and Assistant Professor Zhang emphasized the value of
learning patience and trusting students. Margolis observed, “You have to trust that your students, who
are coming in prepared, who are thoughtful, who are listening to each other, will get to the key insights
and the key lessons that you hope to elicit.” To this point, Zhang suggests that even unexpected
moments offer “opportunities for additional learning and growth.”

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Case teachers should also remember that success in the classroom takes time to achieve. Margolis’s
advice noted the distinctiveness of case teaching from lecture-based pedagogies: “It takes time to
master the craft of case-method teaching. It is so different from many of our reflexes as faculty: to
download our knowledge and to share our excitement about certain findings.”

Similarly, Professor Joseph Fuller argued that the nature of these differences centers on the “inverse
learning model” that case discussions entail. That is, instead of learning through studying—the
conventional mode of learning—with the case method, “you do your preparation in order to learn.” This
model necessarily shifts the nature of discussions away from an orderly process in which students
passively absorb wisdom from teachers. As the instructor, you must let the discussion come to you and
think about how to continue provoking the right questions as the conversation unfolds.

The Future of Cases

Our fifth question, “How should future cases evolve?” [1] generally received more convergent responses
regarding increased diversity of case protagonists and enhanced interactivity. We also received a couple
of unique insights. One of the latter came from Professor Shih, who alluded to the conflict between the
desire of most companies to be depicted positively in cases that are written about them and the
learning that can be gained from studying failure and ambiguity.

Professor Rivkin’s comments echoed those of numerous other interviewees when he suggested how
important it is for future cases to feature more diverse protagonists. Representing this full array of
diversity is important not just for underrepresented populations, Rivkin argued, but also for all students
to realize that talent can come from anywhere. Further, such cases can enable future leaders to both
navigate the potential conflict that can arise among a diverse workforce and to make the most of their
differences.

The other common response to this question centered on the ways future cases can be more
interactive. Professor Margolis, for instance, noted the potential to make cases media rich, including the
possibility of video-only cases “where the case unfolds before your eyes in class.”

Part of this enhanced interactivity in future cases will likely involve more immersive experiences.
Professorial Lecturer Meredith Burnett highlighted the possibility of making cases more gamified to
enhance students’ decision-making experiences. Associate Professor Ozkan, who is leading the
development of cases that use virtual reality (VR) at Temple University, noted the power of VR to
immerse students in the world of a general manager.

Building on the theme of heightened interactivity, Professor Fuller noted the potential of future cases to
change how time is treated in cases. What if, he suggested, students are given the same flow of financial
information about a company’s earnings and “do their analysis of the stock just as a stock trader does”?
Having some cases proceed “at the pace and cadence of actual decisions” with all the attendant
complexity that decision-makers must sort through will go a long way toward immersing students in the
reality of business life.

Final Thoughts: A Commitment to Cases

When we asked our interviewees if they had any final thoughts, many built on their responses to our
prior questions.

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Associate Professor Schnarr’s comments about how powerful and engaging cases are for both faculty
and students echoed several other answers we received.

We also heard insights that spoke both to case teaching in general and to what case teaching has taught
us during this last extraordinary year. To that end, we felt inspired by Professor Neeley’s reminder that
case teaching is both an art and a science that at its best helps case teachers “become the instrument
that brings learning alive.”

Echoing Associate Professor Buell, we hope all our readers can become such instruments in enhancing
well-being for all: “Writing the next chapter for the next normal will require more people who are
trained in the collaborative problem-solving process that’s at the heart of the case method. I think this
means that this method of teaching and learning will become even more vital in the years ahead.”

We would also love to hear from you. What have your experiences with case teaching been?
What has challenged and inspired you? What advice would you give to prospective or experienced case
teachers?

THE FUTURE OF CASE TEACHING

Part 5: Where Do We Go from Here?

by the HBP Editors

April 14, 2021

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/the-future-of-case-teaching-centennial-part-5

Up to this point in our series, we have examined how case-method teaching is distinct from other
pedagogies, and considered why this mode of learning has thrived since General Shoe Company was
published. Here, we turn to what the future will bring.

Cases written in 2121 will likely differ from cases published in 2021 almost as much as these cases differ
from General Shoe Company. Yet, future cases will also share some core features of cases from today
and the last century. In his comments on General Shoe, Harvard Business School Professor Jan Rivkin
argues that these features keep the case method relevant:

“The experiences that engage students, the experiences that force them to think critically, to sort out
important from unimportant facts, to think for themselves, listen to others, explain their views to
others, make a decision—those experiences will continue to deliver powerful learning. What I love
about General Shoe is that it allows students to practice a core skill for general managers. How do you
go into an ambiguous situation and get to the bottom of it? That skill, the skill of figuring out a course of
inquiry, to choose a course of action, that skill is as relevant today as it was in 1921.”

Conversely, we acknowledge the ongoing skepticism about the case method’s value. Cases have been
accused of “leaving students with false confidence about what they know.” [1] Some view cases’ ability
to teach technical skills as limited. [2] Others contend that cases give insufficient attention to

13
perspectives such as those of organized laborers and underrepresented populations or to moral
values.[3]

We thus conclude this series by considering approaches to the case method and developments in cases
that we believe will enable them to engage and transform future learners.

The Case for Connection

We begin by considering what makes cases great. Why do students remember some cases 20
years later? Why do faculty regard certain cases as their favorites?

We argue that the most memorable cases help students feel more connected to the case protagonists
or others who are affected by the protagonists’ actions. When students feel the prospect of connection,
they are more willing to use their imaginations, to bridge the gap between their own circumstances and
those presented in the case, and to step into another’s shoes. Cases that decrease this gap help increase
the possibility of connection. Such cases may present situations in which the stakes for protagonists and
their organizations are so clear that students can easily identify with them. In addition, cases often
present stories that vividly illustrate the relevance of abstract concepts. For instance, the Lincoln
Electric Co. case has been popular for almost 50 years despite being set in an industry (arc welding)
that few students know about. It does so because it focuses on an aggressive pay-for-performance
program for production workers that often pays far larger bonuses than such employees typically earn.
The implementation of this program, which resembles the incentive systems used in the jobs that many
students aspire to, in an atypical setting helps students think more carefully about such programs and
the employment policies that support them.

Another method to increase this connection involves using innovative formats to tell familiar stories in
new ways. Students are more engaged when their assignments are varied. They appreciate
breaks from the standard case format and often value assignments that feel more aligned with other
narrative forms. For instance, cases such as iPremier (A): Denial of Service Attack that have
been written or adapted as graphic novels have proven to be popular because they make conceptual
frameworks come to life through active pacing and vivid illustrations.

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Source: Robert D. Austin and Jeremy C. Short. iPremier (A): Denial of Service Attack (Graphic Novel
Version). HBS No. 609092 (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2009).

For students who want a break from reading, audio and video cases can foster connection by allowing
students to listen to and see case protagonists, hear their passion, and step inside their world to
understand decision-making situations from their perspective.

Hearing directly from a founder who works nonstop to keep her company afloat can pack an emotional
punch that reading the same words on a page does not. The following audio clip, for example, affords
students the chance to hear directly from Farmgirl Flowers founder Christina Stembel about what it’s
really going to take to keep her business strong and growing.

Source: FOMO Sapiens/Patrick J. McGinnis and John Lafkas. Disrupting the

Flower Industry, a Podcase with Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers. HBP No.
7193 (Boston: Harvard Business Publishing, 2020).
Similarly, seeing video clips of the owner, employees, and customers of a popular diner can help viewers
understand the challenges a restaurant must consider in deciding how to serve its customers.

Source: Ryan W. Buell. Breakfast at the Paramount. HBS No. 617702 (Boston:
Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017).

AI and VR’s Potential to Help Students Interact with Cases

Future cases may also capitalize on advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning by
enabling students to interact—and hence connect—with cases in ways they cannot now. Consider the
insights that could occur when students “interview” the chatbot-powered team members of an
organization’s task force before class to understand what they were thinking and how the relationships
among them affected the choices they made.

Similarly, virtual reality (VR) may let students become the case protagonist and interact with other case
participants; they can make decisions in real time and experience the results of those decisions. This
technology may also reduce students’ preparation time even as it enables them to immerse themselves
in case experiences and thereby understand the complexity and ambiguity that managers face.

“For students who want a break from reading, audio and video cases can foster
connection by allowing students to listen to and see case protagonists, hear their
passion, and step inside their world to understand decision-making situations from
their perspective.”

Showcasing the Value of Diversity

We also expect future cases will account for and celebrate the increasing diversity of individuals in
organizations and society. There are both moral and practical reasons for this recognition. First, we deny
our common humanity when we marginalize—and hence disconnect—groups of individuals because of
their ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, physical ability, or any reason

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not germane to the work involved. Second, cases that highlight the importance of diversity demonstrate
the tremendous individual, organizational, and social value that can be created when interpersonal
challenges are managed successfully. As the authors of “Why Tomorrow’s Leaders Need to Be
Part of Diverse Student Teams Today” observe:
“People who work in diverse teams tend to do a better job considering multiple stakeholder
perspectives and using a broader lens when solving problems. They are more mindful of their own
biases and willing to consider other perspectives. As a result, they may be able to reach better outcomes
by developing more informed, thoughtful, and innovative solutions.”

“When students feel the prospect of connection, they are more willing to use their
imaginations, to bridge the gap between their own circumstances and those
presented in the case, and to step into another’s shoes.”

The case method is especially well suited to help students see the value of diversity. Colleen
Ammerman, director of the Gender Initiative at Harvard Business School notes:
“[Cases] are designed to help students examine how to approach a business problem or opportunity,
and to imagine themselves as leaders who will encounter similar issues in the future. Cases also send a
broader message about what leadership looks like. When the leader archetype is very narrowly defined,
it not only hinders the ability of students who don’t share those characteristics to identify with the
protagonist, it also reinforces stereotypes about who ‘real leaders’ are.”

Future cases that feature diverse protagonists will thus help all students engage and connect in a world
that is becoming more pluralistic and complex.

From Cases to the Real World and Back

The final and perhaps most important connection that future cases should increase
involves the one between cases themselves and the world that they portray.
Even the most challenging and compelling cases deliberately capture only a fraction of the real world’s
complexity. Cases typically present issues, provide data, and contain clear introductions and conclusions,
while little in the real world is packaged so neatly. These simplifications make student analyses and case
discussions more manageable, but they also increase the distance between knowledge acquisition and
knowledge application. Business graduates who enter the workforce may be rudely surprised when they
begin their first project, only to find that they must define the issues to be solved, determine what data
to collect and how to obtain them, and decide what the appropriate measures of success are.

We believe future cases should help students bridge this gap. This recommendation acknowledges the
value of classic cases, which will continue to provide much of the analytical scaffolding students still
need. Yet we also urge case authors to incorporate more real-world complexity into cases by, for
instance, making the challenges of problem definition, data collection, and organizational politics within
cases more explicit. Some versions of this effort may even entail students’ co-creation or refinement of
case content in the form of a brief field study. Courses that use the structure of case-method discussion
while giving students the opportunity to make sense of situations that defy easy summaries or

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resolution will help them become more reflective in acknowledging the tradeoffs and decisions they will
need to make during their careers.

More generally, we expect future cases—in whatever forms they take—will continue
to equip students to lead organizations and improve the world around them.

Further Reading and Viewing

Interested readers who wish to explore the “how to” of case method teaching in greater depth can find
a wealth of information from Harvard Business School’s Christensen Center for
Teaching and Learning.
The following HBS case materials, referenced in this article, may also be of interest:

▪ E. Raymond Corey, “Case Method Teaching,” HBS No. 581-058.

▪ Charles I. Gragg, “Because Wisdom Can’t be Told,” HBS No. 451-005.
▪ V Kasturi Rangan, “Choreographing a Case Class,” HBS No. 595-074.

Interested readers can find a wealth of information from the following articles, which include numerous
videos:

▪ “How to Teach Any Business Case Study Online,” Inspiring Minds by Harvard Business
Publishing Education, accessed April 2, 2021.
▪ Christopher A. Bartlett et al., “10 Business Case Studies to Teach Online,” Inspiring
Minds by Harvard Business Publishing Education, accessed April 2, 2021.
▪ Robert D. Austin et al., “7 Favorite Business Case Studies to Teach—and Why,” Inspiring
Minds by Harvard Business Publishing Education, accessed April 2, 2021.

[1] Steven M. Shugan, “Editorial: Save Research—Abandon the Case Method of

Teaching,” Marketing Science 25 (2006): 109–115.

[2] Andrew Jack, “Why Harvard’s case studies are under fire,” Financial Times,
October 29, 2018, https://www.ft.com/content/0b1aeb22-d765-11e8-a854-
33d6f82e62f8, accessed September 17, 2020.

[3] Todd Bridgman, Stephen Cummings, and Colm McLaughlin, “Re-stating the
Case: How Revisiting the Development of the Case Method Can Help Us Think
Differently about the Future of the Business School,” Academy of Management
Learning and Education, 15 (2016), 724–741.

Note: We gratefully acknowledge all the faculty members who generously contributed
their time and expertise in recording the videos that made this article
possible: Meredith Burnett, Professorial Lecturer at the Kogod School of Business at

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American University; Ryan W. Buell, Finnegan Family Associate Professor of
Business Administration at Harvard Business School; Srikant M. Datar, George F.
Baker Professor of Administration and Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Business
School; Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at
Harvard Business School; Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at
Harvard Business School; William R. Kerr, Dmitri V. D’Arbeloff, Class of 1955
Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School; Joshua D.
Margolis, James Dinan and Elizabeth Miller Professor of Business Administration at
Harvard Business School; Tsedal Neeley, Naylor Fitzhugh Professor of Business
Administration at Harvard Business School; Bora Ozkan, Associate Professor of
Finance at Fox School of Business at Temple University; Simone T. A. Phipps,
Associate Professor of Management at the School of Business at Middle Georgia State
University and Associate Research Fellow at the Judge Business School at the
University of Cambridge; Leon C. Prieto, Associate Professor of Management at the
College of Business at Clayton State University; Jan W. Rivkin, C. Roland
Christensen Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School; Karin
Schnarr, Associate Professor of Policy and Law at the Lazaridis School of Business
and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University; Willy C. Shih, Robert and Jane Cizik
Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School; Ting Zhang, Assistant
Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

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