Experience on case writing

Marcus M. Larsen/SMGmml.smg@cbs.dk

2

Case writing experience

• Numerous cases published with Ivey Cases– LEGO, Coloplast,

Bestseller, Carlsberg, Nokia, Vestas (three translated into Chinese)

– 8,000+ downloads

My approach to case structure

1. Introduction/prologue– What is the dilemma?– What is the key

question(s)?– Who is the protagonist?

2. Company background– History, financial

background, key people, organization, products, markets, competitors, etc.

3. The narrative– What are the key events

that led to the dilemma?

– How can we understand the dilemma from multiple perspectives?

4. (Conclusion/epilogue)– Recap dilemma and key

question(s)

Writing tips

• Make it a narrative/creative non-fiction – NOT ACADEMIC!– “Ultimately, the primary goal of the creative nonfiction writer is

to communicate information, just like a reporter, but to shape it in a way that reads like fiction” (Gutind 2007; The Best Creative Nonfiction)

– Use plenty of quotes• Either from interviews or from secondary sources

– Include plenty of appendices• Remove all mundane information from the case itself

Practicalities

• Obtaining data: a question of what the dilemma is!– From the case company itself

• Interviews, observation, internal company documents, etc.

– From publicly available secondary sources• Newspapers, magazines, industry reports, company press

releases, etc.

• Dealing with case company– It is free marketing!– Who is the key contact person?– Obtaining the content to use