Examine the benefits of doing case studies on post-graduate business programmes? Explain some of the most common weaknesses to be found in poor responses to case studies. Suggest how they can be addressed. (750 words) (20 marks)
Post-graduate students are required to evaluate, apply and synthesize. Explain what is meant by these terms. Illustrate your answer with examples.(1000 words)
(i) Produce a Personal SWOT drawing upon the questions and questionnaires used
in the first section of your PDP (5 Marks)
(ii) Produce FOUR smart objectives that are derived from your PDP (Personal
Development Plan) (5 Marks)
2. Examine the benefits of doing case studies on post-graduate business programmes? Explain some of the most common weaknesses to be found in poor responses to case studies. Suggest how they can be addressed.
(20 marks)
(750 words)
CASE STUDY
Case study is an effective teaching method used in many institutions in various fields like engineering, business and science.
Bonwell and Eison, 1991; Sivan et al, 2001 recognized that effective learning can be achieved by participating actively in the learning process.
Fry et al (1999) illustrate that case study is a complex examples which provide an insight of the problem and explain the important point. Case study can be defined as a student based activities concentrating in the topic and demonstrate the concepts in a practical setup. So it can also define as project based learning.
Case study can be used to
Demonstrate the theoretical model in the real time
Promote dynamic learning
Provides a platform for improving the communication skills, team work, problem solving
Increase the desire and interest of the subject
The benefits on doing case studies in post-graduate business programmes
Case study methods have been found useful in developing the transferable skills. The major skills implanted into the case study.
Dynamic learning
Traditional method of teaching the theory and formula may not be efficient in some cases. Lectures will be covering the same topic of the module, so students cannot able to acquire additional knowledge. But case study allows the student to carry out additional research and reading.
Team working
The most common benefits of doing case study is the team working which enable the student to be well documented. The team working may also improve the learning experience. The personal experience and knowledge of a person help them to share the information among each other. Selecting the member of group is a most important factor to have a smooth group working.
Individual study skills
Case study is a basic tool to encourage the students to do their own research other than their lecture.
Information gathering
Most of case studies need an extensive resource analysis and support the students to make use of the resources efficiently.
Example
Internet
Books
Practical results
Expert’s advice
Time management
Usually the long time case study require a best plan to carry out the task efficiently in order to complete it before deadline, so that the last minute pains can be avoided.
The presentation of case includes various formats such as oral presentation, posters, articles and reports. Hence sometimes case study influences the presentation skills of the student.
Practical skills
The case study involves the real time execution of the subjects and this may be good chance for the students to develop their skills and ideas.
Common weaknesses found in poor responses to case studies
No standardization
Group work
Case study requirements
Vast subject with no conclusion
No standardization
The most common weakness of doing case study is that most of case studies are coursework oriented. Sometimes this approach may not good for some people. Because they are may be good in the proper and time restrained settings like exams. This may be good to one whom familiar to this approach in the school level itself.
How to address
In order to solve this problem, in some case studies both the exams and course work related to that case study has been carried out. So a proper balance can be maintained for the entire course. And no student will be disadvantaged from this approach to develop their skills and wide range of knowledge.
Group work
The feedback from most of students is that problem in the group management. Sometimes, one of the group members does not actively involve in the project, which may arise pressure and stress for other members in the group.
How to address
This problem can be addressed by providing the students with formal training regarding the group work.
Case study requirements
Sometimes students may not aware of the case study presentation and expectation from them. The students those who are new to this approach of learning are not sure to carry the self research and the way of presentation.
How to address
This issue can be addressed by providing the students with proper guidelines and suggestions at the beginning of the course work.
Vast subject with no conclusion
Case study in general discusses the overview of the problem. It does not provide the conclusion. So when discussing the case study, each and every one will come up with their own ideas. It sometimes takes much time and end up with no definite solution.
How to address
In order to solve this at the end of case study, students might be asked to come up with solution for a particular problem discussed in that case study.
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3. Post-graduate students are required to evaluate, apply and synthesize. Explain what is meant by these terms. Illustrate your answer with examples. (30 marks)
(1000 words)
Evaluation
Evaluation is the logical estimation of the merits and significance of a particular subject. The gathering and estimation of the information enables us to get useful feedback regarding the subject undertaken (Trochim, United States).
“The making of judgements about the worth and effectiveness of educational intentions, processes and outcomes: about the relationships between these; and about the resource, planning and implementation frameworks for such ventures” (Adelman and Alexander 1982, p. 5).
Objective
The objective of evaluation is to improve
Decision making
Accountability
Requirements.
Example
I am going to evaluate the major factors which hinder women to reach the high position in the management.
The major factors for influencing glass ceiling
Sexual discrimination
Corporate barriers
Inequality
Gender stereotype
Mentors
Compensation
Networks
Corporate barriers
The organization’s policies and culture sometimes does not favor women to achieve the top position in the management. Women in the organization were not offering the training in the fields like marketing and some research. So women cannot able to get enough experience in their career, when compared with their male counterparts.
Women in organizations does not get the international work opportunity as the management themselves assume that women were not able to afford due to their family responsibility (manufacturing company, managing Director).
Gender stereotype
Women face a lot of problem inside and outside the organization. The outlook of society for female’s participation in the organization sometimes affects them to reach the high position.
Women are capable of earning and gaining knowledge as like men. But women were discriminated from the high position in Germany (Holst and Stahn, 2007a, b).
Networking
Women are not good in networking with their colleagues in organization. The family responsibility is one of the factors for women not being actively participating in the networks. As a result of this women were not able to get information about the vacancies in the management position Burke and McKeen (1994).
Synthesis
Synthesize is the grouping of parts or elements to form whole; the composition of various ideas in to a coherent intact; a. deductive reasoning b. the dialectic grouping of thesis and converse into a privileged stage of certainty. When synthesize, combining parts into whole in a new manner.
Synthesize is an ability to form new ideas from the different texts and sources. One can use synthesize as a tool to crave ideas by posing critical questions. It enables us to come up with different perspective of the problem and new solution to tackle it.
Objective
Extract key points from various texts
Looking for the relationship among the texts
Note on the significant relationship
Example
There is much evidence and research proves the existence of glass ceiling for women all over the world. I have synthesized the following information relating to the existence of glass ceiling.
Topic
Author and year
Quotes
Sexual Discrimination
Fain and Andeson, 1987
There are few women in the organization board due to sexual discrimination in most part of the world including US .
O’Farrell and Harlan, 1991
Women are facing seual harrament in their tarditional jobs.
Balu et al, 1998; Cain, 1986
Women do not poses enough experience and skills that are the major reason for the discrimination of women in the workplace .
Roos, 2001
Women has been given in their work place because of the discrimination .
Personal Factor
Large and Sunder, 1995
Women spent huge amount of time for rising up their family has been considered has a one of the personal barriers for women.
Schwartz, 1996
that women resposibility to look after their family is the major factor for women carrer development.
McWhinney, 1999
Due to their family commitment women cannot move to other place for her international assignments.
Harlan et al, 2004
Due to strong commitments and busy work schedule women cannot reach the top level management position.
Role Model
Catherine Bandle and Jane Wilhelm, 2003
Women do not have any role model and support to claim up in their career in the men occupied position. Women usually do not consider any one as their role model to succeed in their career.
Linehan and Walsh, 2000
Women cant able to achieve the international operation due the short of role models.
Okanlawon ,1994
Women are usually confined within themselves within a boundary so they may not able to form a good network with their colleagues.
Hence the women are facing a lot of problems in their life if they desired to achieve a remarkable career when compare to men. So from this research I personally feel that women are avoiding themselves from the entering into this competitive world. They consider the family as their sole responsibility. Soceity and culture always consider women with low priority in the workplace.
Application
It is the capacity to make use of the already learned concepts in an innovative and tangible situation. This includes the understanding and application of certain methods, concepts, rules, principles, theories and law. By analyzing the business policies the student may able to identify how the theories are useful in the real time situation.
Example
I have analyzed the main factors of glass ceiling for women. As they are affected by so many reasons, it is the main responsibility of an organization to provide equal opportunity to female in the workplace. An organization has to take special consideration in providing training to the female in order gain knowledge and skill to succeed in their career. The organization will be more profitable with more number of female working in the top level.
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4 (i) Produce a Personal SWOT drawing upon the questions and questionnaires used in the first section of your PDP (5 Marks)
MY PERSONAL SWOT ANALYSIS
PERSONAL
Strengths
Weaknesses
I am a very good activist in learning new concepts and gaining new experience.
I am very willing to take risk and come up with good solution.
I am very flexible in working with a team and accomplishing task.
I have the ability to learn the theoretical concepts and gathering knowledge.
I am not a very good reflector in thinking about all the sides of the issues and find a solution.
I am not good in judging the people in some critical situations.
I am not good in working for any projects with deadlines.
I will be getting anger soon in some situations.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Opportunities
Threats
The ability to involve in new experience will provide knowledge and skills.
Problem solving ability will fetch some good opportunity to gain reputation.
Understanding the theoretical concepts enables me to carry out projects efficiently.
Effective participation in the meeting provides good listening and presentation skills.
Lack of ability to judge the people will bring some bad name among the friends.
Involving in the team effectively, sometimes leads to overload.
Always looking for some good opportunity leads to waste of time.
4 (ii) Produce FOUR smart objectives that are derived from your PDP (Personal Development Plan) (5 Marks)
FOUR SMART OBJECTIVES
I have to spend at least 30 hours in a week in reading the concepts of finance and business to make myself well knowledgeable.
In my second semester I have to improve my presentation and academic skills by achieving more than 70% in all the modules.
I have to implement a project my using the knowledge gained in my academics and present it a clear manner.
In order to complete my course work effectively, I have to allocate at least 15 hours of day.
I have to alter my CV and search for at least four vacancies in London by the end of May.