Case Writing For Executive Education

A Survival Guide

By:
Gordon Adler
Wolfgang Amann, HEC Paris

Published 2011

Time and again, the authors have observed how a great program faculty creates unique learning experiences to everybody’s satisfaction. They have experienced the pleasure that all involved feel when great learning has taken place, when the program participants leave the sessions with an enhanced skill set and co-created answers to pending and future challenges. They are also aware that creating such moments of truth, involving the value proposition of business schools, corporate universities or other training institutions, has not been mastered everywhere. They have written this book to contribute to the ongoing professionalization of business education and aim to share some of the key lessons learned when creating unique learning experiences entailing learning that sticks.

A great means to this end is using cases in executive education. While the variety of what can still be called a case is extremely wide, the authors by no means preach that cases are the only way forward. Like every tool, cases must be applied wisely and with a minimum amount of skill. There is also a bigger toolset vailable and there are also additional contextual factors to consider. They include teaching and learning traditions in different local settings. They comprise individual’s learning preferences. As the authors outline in this book, the case-based method nonetheless offers tremendous potential. The art and science of case writing are still known to too few of those involved in delivering executive education seminars.

CONTENTS
Foreword 1 Introduction 2 Case Writing Essentials 3 Key Decisions 4 Opening and Using the Window of Opportunity 5 Managing the Data Collection Process 6 Writing and Revising the First Drafts 7 Developing the Teaching Note 8 Teaching the Case 9 Finalizing the Case Writing Project 10 Conclusions Notes References Suggested Further Reading About the Authors