Northwest Industries

MGMT 1281 – Guide for the group case – Northwest Industries

Your case submission should contain three key elements described below – Introduction, Analysis, and Recommendation/Implementation.

Introduction – value 15 points – 5 points for the introduction and 10 points for a clear and succinct problem identification and statement (the problem will flow from your analysis).

This section should only be about four or five sentences long and would normally be developed after your analysis and recommendation have been completed.  For example one might write something such as the following:

The following case submission/report (just samples, you might have a preferred name for this) examines events that have unfolded at Northwest Industries, identifies the main problem(s) facing senior management (i.e., Craig Hansen), analyzes key issues and people, and concludes with a recommendation and implementation.  We believe that the main problem that Northwest faces is __________ and our main recommendation, which is fully detailed at the end of the submission/report, is __________.   The problem and recommendation are based on the following detailed analysis.

You can include your recommendation in the introduction if you wish, but at least please state the problem.

Analysis – value 65 points – 50 points for incorporation of concepts from the text and course to explain the case issues and 15 points for how well your material is integrated.

Groups who include more key issues (e.g., structure, culture, leadership, power, learning, teams/groups), fully consider those issues, and show how the issues contribute to the outcomes of the case will receive more marks than those groups who include fewer issues, and/or don’t explain the issues, and/or don’t show how the issues are related. 

For example, in some analyses where leadership is an issue that should be considered some groups simply use the word leadership, but never describe leadership styles, nor do they show how leadership fits in with other issues discussed (i.e., integration).  Other people have used the word leadership and described the key leadership styles briefly, but have not shown how leadership is a factor in the case.  My suggestion is that if you deal with the issue of leadership, describe the leadership styles and issues and you might well ask why the leadership is as it is, and lastly show how leadership is related to issues/problems in the case (this last connection is the integration issue).

Please bear in mind that there is no magic number of issues, but there are some key issues that groups should deal with.

Please use subheadings freely, but please remember to wrap up each section and indicate how the section is relevant to the problem and/or other elements.  Please use transitions as you move on to the next sections.

Your analysis should conclude with a summary of the analysis, a brief restatement of the problem, and a closing that suggests you are now presenting your recommendation.

Recommendation/Implementation – value – 20 points – 10 points for a clear and direct recommendation to senior managers and 10 points for a brief description of your implementation.

Spelling and Grammar – I can live with a couple of typos or one or two awkward constructions, but after that I will dock the group points (to a maximum of 15 points) for poor spelling and grammar.

Other issues

Please do not use terms such as “would have”, “could have”, “should have”, “might have, or “if …”, which really just lead to speculation and take your focus away from what actually happened in the case.  Please deal with the evidence before you in the case itself, not what might have been.

Assume that you have been hired by the senior managers (i.e., those above Craig Hansen) as a consultant and your job is to explain to them what has happened here (i.e., provide an analysis) and to provide him with a recommendation about what they should do now.

Please remember the following:

• Your case should not exceed five (5) type-written pages using Times New Roman 12.  I will not read beyond the fifth page.  You can single space if you have a lot to write.
• You require a title page (not one of the five above) that indicates the course name and number, the date, the case title, my name, and the names of the group members.
• Individual case are not accepted – you must work in a group.
• Please consult the course outline for the case due date.

see the attached file for referrence:75901907_Instructions_1.zip