MBA MANAGEMENT AND

MARKETING PRINCIPLES
What is a Management Case?

• A management case is a description of a

situation or problems actually faced by an
administrator, and requiring analysis, decision
and the planning of a course of action.
• Prof. Robert Merry
Suggested Format of How To
Analyze a Case
I. Main Problem
II. Secondary Problem
III. Objectives
IV. SWOT Analysis
V. Alternative Course of Action
I. Pros
II. Cons
VI. Decision Criteria
VII. Recommendation
VIII. Conclusion
I. Main Problem
• Every case analysis requires the identification of the
principal question or problem that requires an answer.
• Unfortunately, business problems do not arrive labeled
“problem”.
• Therefore, you must learn to identify the problem(s)
raised.
• It is imperative that you locate the basic problem(s) or
question(s). It is not meaningful to assert that low
employees’ morale is the problem, since low morale is
only symptomatic of an underlying problem such as poor
environment, poor supervision and others.
 Statement of the Problem
• Name of the problem must reflect the general
category it belongs to and its specific nature.
An example would be Human Resource as. a
broad category and high turn over as the
specific problem.
• Make sure the description reflects the problem.
For example, do not name high turnover as a
problem and then describe it as if it were a low
morale problem!
Secondary Problem/Objective
II. Secondary Problem
It may or may not be related to the main problem;
You may list down as many as necessary, sub-
problems in either or all of such areas as
marketing finance, production or HR.
III. Objective
Desired results that you want to achieve in
solving the main problem and secondary
problems.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis
An analytical aid in planning
consisting of strengths and
weaknesses of your company and
products (internal) relative to
competition, likewise the
opportunities and threats in the
external environments.
Alternative Course of Action (ACA)

V. Alternative Course of Action (ACA)

These are the possible answer to the problem that
you have clearly identified.
Each ACA should be independent from each other,
and should be able to solve the main problem.
Each ACA should be workable and implementable
and should have advantages (pros) and
disadvantages (cons).
Must be specific and measured in quantifiable terms.
Alternative Course of Action
Guideposts in preparing ACA
• Name the alternative.
• Make sure that the alternatives are mutually exclusive.
• Make sure that each alternative deals with each of the
problems stated.
Decision Criteria
VI. Decision Criteria – factors to be considered in
arriving at a sound decision.

Establish a specific criterion for each ACA in

quantifiable terms to arrive at a well-balanced
choice in the final recommendations.
The criteria may be in the area of HR, corporate
values, or profitability.
Decision Criteria
• Guidepost in Preparing Decision Criteria for
Evaluating Alternatives
• Name criteria.
• Make sure it reflects an outcome such as customer
satisfaction, customer loyalty (retention), profit
margins, market share, business share, business
growth, profitability, etc.
• Specify a weight for each criterion. If all are equal, let
us know!
• Justify each criterion by describing how its relation to
the problem(s). Hopefully, this will be obvious from
looking at your framework!
Decision Criteria
In a scale of 1:5, 5 as the highest
and 1 the lowest, the ratings must
match the criterion to each ACA
and whichever ACA that garners
the highest rating, shall be the
ACA to be adopted in the final
recommendation.
Decision Criteria for marketing (Example)
(The criteria chosen to weigh the alternatives were formulated to closely
address the main problem)

• Sales Volume Increase – the alternative significantly

increases the sales volume of the brand, thereby,
giving it a wider profit margin, either through wider
market coverage or higher customer retention.
• Market Share – the alternative significantly cuts off a
certain % off the competitor’s share and adds it to the
brand
Examples of Decision Criteria
(The criteria chosen to weigh the alternatives were
formulated to closely address the main problem)

• Product Positioning – the alternative significantly gives

the brand an established image and “recall” to the
market.
• Cost efficiency – the alternative ideally resolves the
main problem while keeping expenses at bay.
Example of Decision Criteria

VI. Decision Criteria

ACA 1 ACA 2 ACA 3
Sales Volume 5 3 4
Mkt Share 3 4 5
Prod. Positioning 4 3 4
Cost Efficiency 2 5 4
Total 14 15 17
Recommendation and Implementation
• Recommend one of the alternatives.
• Justification of the recommendation must
coincide with your evaluative criteria.
• Specify the steps required for the
implementation of your recommendation.
• Specify the time line for implementation of
each step.
Conclusion
• Based on your recommendation, develop conclusion and
cite the different reasons and advantages of your
recommendation.