MELD 1TT3 | Case studies | Winter 2021 | ALM

Case Study Presentation | Fact sheet
MELD 1TT3 | 2021

PRESENTATION: QUICK FACTS
Presentation date

Groups will begin to present in
class (Lab) during week 12 or
13. Please check with your
Instructional Assistant (IA).

Presentation type

Group

case study

Presentation objectives

case study noun
English Language Learners Definition
of case study

: a published report about a person, group, or
situation that has been studied over time

also: a situation in real life that can be looked at
or studied to learn about something

case study

Documented study of a specific real-life
situation…used as a training tool in business
schools and firms. Students or trainees are

required to analyze the prescribed cases and
present their interpretations or solutions,

supported by the line of reasoning employed
and assumptions made.

• to develop collaboration
and teamwork skills

• to learn about case
studies and how to speak
about them

• to develop effective
group presentation skills

Presentation grade

• Total grade = 20%

• Students receive a presentation
‘group grade’ (15 marks out of
20)

• During a presentation, students
from other groups will be
assigned a “responder” or
“feedback” role (5 marks out of
20 for participating in this
process)

• Presenters are expected to
introduce themselves and
initiate a discussion by offering
commentary and posing
discussion questions to the
audience

For presentation tips and info

on case studies, see pg. 2.

Parameters

• Presentations will be 12 – 15
minutes long and include an
additional 8 – 10 minutes of
discussion (20 – 25 min. in
total)

• Groups will be assigned by
your Lab IA

• Approximate group size: 4
students

This is the first of two documents on the case study presentation. (The second document is titled “Case Study
presentation feedback form_2021”.)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noun

MELD 1TT3 | Case studies | Winter 2021 | ALM

Overview

Tips/process

The use of case studies in teaching was
introduced by the Harvard Business School in
the 1920s, and other business schools soon
adopted the method. Case studies have also
been used for many years in law, medicine,
and the social sciences. More recently,
science programs have been integrating case
studies in undergraduate teaching (Bonney
2015, Herreid and Schiller 2013). Learning
from case studies is considered part of the
inquiry and discovery method (inductive
reasoning), which helps promote the
development of problem-solving and analysis
skills.

Format

Case studies are prepared by academics and
industry experts, and typically follow the
format below. Your presentation will be
based on this type of case study.

• a description of a person/group within an
organization that has a problem or a
challenge

• a description of the context for the problem
or challenge: organizational history;
industry background; local/national (or
international) context; social, political or
environmental context

• an outcome or a consideration of possible
outcomes

• supporting documentation, called exhibits:
organizational and/or industry facts and
figures (e.g., financial statements), maps,
time-lines, policy statements, and, if
appropriate, digital media (e.g., photos),
and/or a glossary of technical vocabulary

Location

Your case study will be provided to you by
your lab IA. You can find your case study
(PDF) on Avenue 2 Learn (A2L), identified by
its title.

Once your group has been assigned, complete the following:

• Visit A2L under “Content”, then “Case Studies” to find your groups assigned
case study

• Review your case study independently 2 or 3 times, and write down your
understanding of 3 key points:
1. What is the challenge?
2. What is important about the context?
3. What does this case study show us?

• Plan a group meeting

• Meet with your group to share your understanding of the case study (What’s
the story?), and to compare notes

• Use the ‘learning objectives’ information under the case study description as
a guide to help you understand why the story of the organization is worth
telling, and to help focus group discussions

• Once you have agreed on the most important aspects about your case study
(remember that you will only have 12-15 min. to present the case!), hold
additional meetings to plan and develop the presentation body (including
which components to include in your slides)

• Prepare 3 – 5 discussion questions for your classmates to respond to after your
presentation. These should be thought-provoking and connected to your case
study.

• Rehearse your presentation together several times; then, decide on and plan
the transitions between speakers, as well as your intro and conclusion.

Number of slides & Format

Your presentation will consist of 8 – 12 slides. Here is a suggested format for your
presentation:

1. Introduction – what you will be speaking about and in what order
2. Challenge – describe the problem that needs to be solved
3. Context and background – what we need to understand about the context or

scenario; include relevant exhibits (this will be the largest section)
4. Outcome and lessons learned – discuss what happened (outcome), and tell

the audience what the story of this organization teaches us
5. Questions for the audience

Responders
Presentation responders are responsible for:

• actively listening to the case study presentation
• asking appropriate questions that promote thought and stimulate

discussion
• responding to questions appropriately with thoughtful reflection and

consideration

QUICK FACTS
CASE STUDIES

PRESENTATIONS (CONT’D)

AlKhoory Restaurant

Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

Al Khoory Restaurant

Rashid is considering buying a restaurant. It has been a dream of his for some years to
own his own business, and a restaurant in particular. He wants to feel proud to own a
place where people gather to enjoy a high-quality meal, feel comfortable in, and that is
attractive in appearance. Of course, he also wants the restaurant to be profitable!

Rashid now has the funds to purchase a restaurant and has been looking for a suitable
one for some time. Being cautious, he doesn’t want to start a new restaurant as it might
be too complicated and risky. So, he is looking for one that is already operating or has
closed recently and can be purchased and opened easily.

He decided to buy in an area of Dubai, UAE where he lives, as there are few restaurants
there. The reason there are few restaurants is because this section of the city is
relatively new. There are mostly new villas and apartment buildings in the area, built
over the last 10 years. Before this time the land had been empty desert. The rapid
growth of Dubai meant that their area of town has been built up very quickly. Services
such as grocery stores, restaurants, salons, and mobile phone stores are just now
starting to open. The population of the area now justifies these services.

Details of the population of the area are included in Appendix A.

A restaurant closed recently in Rashid’s target area and is available to buy. Really, he is
only buying all the equipment inside and leasing the space from the building owner. The
family running the restaurant previously decided to focus their business interests
elsewhere. There is almost no data on how well the restaurant did, except that locals
say it was excellent food and it was in a good location. The location is good because:

• There is lots of parking.

• There is good visibility from main roads.

• There is easy access from main roads, and many people walking and driving past
the location.

The restaurant could easily be set up as a casual, moderate, or high-end establishment.
The rent would be the same for whatever type of restaurant Rashid decided to open in
the location.

Rashid’s friend is an interior designer. He created a restaurant layout for Rashid
because all the equipment, tables, and chairs in the previous operation had been
dissembled and piled at one end of the restaurant when it closed.

The layout is included in Appendix B.

Al Khoory Restaurant Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

The minor problem…

Rashid does have a problem. He knows very little about the restaurant business. He has
never really investigated how restaurants work, what foods to offer, and how to manage
one. He needs help with just about everything (except the layout).

Rashid hires you as a consultant to help him set up his restaurant.

He has assembled some data for you to work with:

1. Some information on menus and food types in Appendix C.

2. Some data on the cost of hiring staff and other operating expenses in Appendix

D.

This is all you have to work with.

Important Notes:

1. American $ 1 = Dhs. 3.67

2. Assume that customers visit only the restaurants in their own geographic areas
on a regular basis.

3. Assume that the above demographic information is the most important relevant
information for this situation.

Al Khoory Restaurant Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

Appendix A

Some demographic information about Rashid’s area of Dubai:

Total Population of the area 55,000

Ethnic groups: UAE Nationals 36,000
Asian Expatriates 14,000

Europeans/North Americans 5,000

Age groupings (UAE Nationals) <10 years old 15% 11-18 years old 20%

19-35 years old 30%
36-50 years old 25%

>50 years old 10%

Average income levels UAE Nationals Dhs. 35,000

(per month only for those who
work)

Asian Expatriates Dhs. 2,800

Europeans/North Americans Dhs. 21,000

Restaurants in the area Premium 1
Family 2

Fast food/cafeteria 4

Grocery stores Choithrams 0
Co-op 1

Spinney’s 1

Average number of meals taken at
restaurants (per month)

UAE Nationals 12

Asian Expatriates 6
Europeans/North Americans 8

Al Khoory Restaurant Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

Appendix B

Layout suitable for a Fast Food/cafeteria or Family or Premium-style Restaurant

Al Khoory Restaurant Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

Appendix C

Some data on restaurant types in the UAE:

Fast Food/Cafeteria Examples: McDonald’s, local cafeterias

Food types Shwarmas, burgers, milkshakes, sandwiches,
Indian dishes, Indian and Arabic breads – A shorter
menu

Average order value per customer Dhs. 36

Average order cost per customer Dhs. 14

Average food production time per
order

10 minutes from the time the customer orders to
the time the customer receives his meal. (many
customers are “take-away” customers)

Average number of customers per day 400

Average opening days per month 30 days (open every day)

Family restaurant Examples: TGIF, Arabic family restaurants

Food types Indian dishes and/or Arabic full meals, and/or
American style full meals. A medium length menu

Average order value per customer Dhs. 4

5

Average order cost per customer Dhs. 18

Average food production time per
order

20 minutes from the time the customer orders to
the time the customer receives his meal. (some
customers are “take-away” customers)

Average number of customers per day 200

Average opening days per month 30 days (open every day)

Al Khoory Restaurant Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

Premium restaurant Examples: A restaurant with a nice interior and
a large menu and excellent food

Food types Indian dishes and Arabic full meals, and/or
American or European style full meals. A full length
menu.

Average order value per customer Dhs. 165

Average order cost per customer Dhs. 48

Average food production time per
order

30 minutes from the time the customer orders to the
time the customer receives his meal.

Average number of customers per day 125

Average opening days per month 30 days (open every day)

Al Khoory Restaurant Licensed

© 2020 Paul Kurucz Licensed Edition

Appendix D

Staffing and operating costs for the UAE:

Fast Food/Cafeteria

Average number of waiters/servers/table cleanup
staff

1.5

Average number of cooks/food preparers

3

Average labor costs per month per employee Dhs. 2,200

Restaurant operating costs per month (total of all
costs)

Dhs. 16,000

Family restaurant

Average number of waiters/servers/table cleanup
staff
3

Average number of cooks/food preparers 3

Average labor costs per month per employee Dhs. 2,800

Restaurant operating costs per month (total of all
costs)

Dhs. 21,000

Premium restaurant

Average number of waiters/servers/table cleanup
staff
5

Average number of cooks/food preparers 4

Average labor costs per month per employee Dhs. 3,500

Restaurant operating costs per month (total of all
costs)

Dhs. 40,000