Case Development Centre

At its core, a case is a short story. Cases tell the story of a real decision faced by a real decision-maker that works for your organization. These stories range from a few pages to 10 to 12 pages. They are written to bring real life into the classroom.

Seneca is committed to offering its students a highly practice-based educational experience ensuring its graduates are truly work-ready. Cases connect the traditional classroom to the real world, thus transforming the classroom to ensure Seneca graduates students who can hit the ground running. Through cases, Seneca can showcase its world-class organizational partners. Publishing cases allows Seneca, through its organizational partners, to shape practice-based education across the province, country and, eventually, the globe.

The case method is something that Seneca students are craving. We surveyed hundreds of students and learned that 85 per cent of Seneca students agree or strongly agree that case discussions would help them become better problem solvers, and 89 per cent want to see more classroom interventions that put them face to face with practice and encourage them to role-play decision makers. What better way to do this than to feature cases written by our alumni?

Most faculty bring the real world into the classroom by describing different elements of their work experience, inviting guest speakers who are practitioners and fostering discussions around vignettes or scenarios that are loosely based on reality. Although each of these has a place in bringing practice into the classroom, they don’t place students into the shoes of the decision-maker. The only way to do this is to introduce cases about real managers in real organizations, facing a decision to deal with a real challenge or opportunity.

Cases are about reflecting reality as it occurs in practice. Reality is messy. It lacks clear-cut solutions to problems, it has missing information, it requires dealing with real people who span the spectrum of helpfulness and co-operation, and it entails problem-solving by puzzling through challenges. Thinking and working successfully in this type of ambiguous environment is a learned skill that is often reserved for on-the-job training. Although there is no replacement for real work experience, wouldn’t employers be better served if colleges could bring some real life into the classroom early on? Alumni, more than anyone else, would have a sensitivity to the challenges new graduates will encounter when entering professional life. Cases written by alumni would play a vital role.

Most case development centres feature business school cases. However, decision-making skills are not the sole purview of business school graduates. All types of professionals, including early childhood educators, engineering technologists, nurses, fashion designers, law clerks, support workers, computer programmers, among others, make decisions. The Seneca Case Development Centre hopes to feature cases from different disciplines across Seneca.

Seneca envisions four different types of cases to meet its learners’ needs. Each of these cases is written with the co-operation of a real decision-maker in a real organization sharing their real experiences.

Typology 1: Single-Skill-Case — Let’s say you were a faculty member teaching in engineering. You introduce a single-skill case that is two pages long and features a young engineer who is trying to figure out how to calculate load along different parts of a bridge. She has most of the information she needs, but some of the information is missing and she needs to find a way to access this information. What is the best way for her to do these calculations? What would be in line with best practices? This case is used in class to demonstrate the development of a single skill in a real-life context.

Typology 2: Multiple-Skills-Case — This would be a case that is three to five pages long in which that same engineer might not only need to calculate load values, but also recommend different materials that could be used to build the bridge. She has information on structural materials from different manufacturers, but comparing the information provided is not straightforward. How should she think about her recommendations? This case is used in class to demonstrate the development of a few different but related skills in a real-life context.

Typology 3: Complex Case — This case would be six to 12 pages long in which the engineer not only has to deal with loads and structural materials, but also has to make those recommendations while considering the bridge is connecting Indigenous land to an area of urban sprawl with environmental issues. What is the best way to think about the complexities around this decision? This case would be used in class to demonstrate multiple skills directly and indirectly related to the discipline and practice of engineering.

Step 1: Read through the FAQs to understand the rationale, expected outcomes, and commitment

Step 2: Send an email to senecacase@senecacollege.ca indicating your interest and to join the mailing list of interested alumni

Step 3: Attend the drop-in information sessions to be held online between June 26 and June 30. After registering for one of the information sessions below, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session:

• Saturday, June 26 — 4 p.m.
• Sunday, June 27 — 10 a.m.
• Monday, June 28 — noon
• Tuesday, June 29 — 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 30 — 2 p.m.

Step 4: Download and complete the application form and submit it for the early deadline of July 14 or the final deadline of July 28

Step 5: Ensure you can attend the four-day case teaching and writing workshop to be held on three Saturdays from late September to late October with one day being asynchronous (specific information about dates is available on the application form)

Alumni will require four full days of training to write and teach with cases; this workshop will be delivered over four Saturdays. These workshops will likely be held in June and July.

Considering the demands on your time and the co-ordination required to work with a real decision-maker in a real organization, cases take 12 months to complete with some taking up to 18 months.

The dedicated time it takes to write a case depends on the complexity of the case and the time you can allocate to case writing.

Typology 1 cases are single-skill cases that are two to three pages long and are accompanied by a teaching note of a similar length; they take 30 to 40 hours to complete.

Typology 2 cases are multiple-skill cases that are three to six pages long and are accompanied by a teaching note of three to four pages; they take 60 to 70 hours to complete.

Typology 3 cases are multiple- and interdisciplinary-skill cases that are six to 12 pages long and are accompanied by a teaching note of five to seven pages; they take 90 to 100 hours to complete.

You will be supported by Ariff Kachra. Ariff holds a PhD in Strategy and will be your head coach throughout the case writing process. He has trained more than 2,000 faculty to write and teach with cases. He has published one of Western University Ivey Business School’s top-selling cases of all time and is currently authoring a casebook series on international development. Some case writers will be paired with an additional coach. The coach will be a Seneca faculty member who has written cases and who will shadow Ariff at every step of the feedback process.

Coaching will involve providing written and oral feedback.

Coaching is about furnishing you with the necessary support to complete your case and teaching note. Coaching is about helping you determine what belongs and does not belong in a case writeup, ensuring the teachability of the case, as well as providing advice and modelling around the writing of the case.

Step #1: Case Memo

The case memo:

• is two to three pages long
• identifies and provides the pertinent background on the organization that has agreed to be the subject of the case
• defines the challenges and/or opportunities facing the decision-maker in the case
• provides context around the decision and the decision-maker
• explains how the overall subject of the case is well aligned with the case writer’s areas of expertise and the courses they typically teach

In terms of context, the case memo always shares insights about the key elements of the organization as they pertain to the decision at hand.

If understanding the organization’s external environment is important to think through the decision in the case, then information about the key elements of the external environment and their potential influence on the decision is also shared in the case memo.

Key teaching objectives of the case are shared in the case memo.

Step #2: Case Structure Memo

You will have to conduct primary and secondary research to understand the key decision and its context. Depending on the nature and complexity of the decision, you may have to research:

• the industry
• the discipline
• the views and influence of key stakeholders
• the organizational and professional contexts
• pertinent best practices that are key to the decision at hand

This research will inform the structure of the case. This structure will be presented in a case structure memo. This memo will list all the sections of the case, such as the introduction, background, etc. It will also explain the content that will be shared under each section. The case structure memo serves as a form of writing plan and is usually two to six pages long, depending on the complexity of the case being written.

Step #3: Revised Case Structure Teaching Note Memos

The case structure memo will be revised based on feedback and resubmitted. Along with this submission, the case writers will submit a one- to two-page teaching note memo that will include learning objectives and some initial thoughts on the nature of the discussions you envision when students discuss the case in class.

Step #4: Writing the First Draft of the Case and the Teaching Note

You now transform the case structure memo into a written case ranging from one to 12 pages depending on the complexity. A teaching note is also prepared, that includes:

• learning goals for the case
• suggestions on how, when, and in what courses the case could be used
• assignment questions the faculty member would provide students to help them prepare for a case discussion
• a suggested teaching plan for the case

Step #5: Writing the Second Draft of the Case and the Teaching Note

The second draft of the case responds to the oral and/or written comments received on the first draft.

Step #6: Writing the Final Draft of the Case and the Teaching Note

The final draft of the case responds to the oral and/or written comments received on the second draft.

• to showcase your organization in front of a wide pool of talent
• to participate in a process that allows you, your organization and its decision-makers to reflect on past or future decisions
• to participate in the creation of a learning tool that could not only be used by colleges, but also by your organization in its professional development initiatives
• to contribute to the landscape of education; cases allow faculty to become more connected to the real world and they allow students to grapple with real-life decisions; cases also help educational institutions focus on graduating increasingly work-ready students
• once a case is written and it is taught, many faculty will invite your organization into class to share your perspectives; this is a very powerful way to build a robust connection with Seneca, our students and your future hires

Although your time commitment is more significant, as the case writer, your organization’s involvement will be limited to approximately six one-hour meetings throughout the case writing process, involving you and other key stakeholders of the decision being featured in the case. Below are the set of meetings that usually outline the case writing process:

Meeting 1: You will define a decision-maker within your organization that will be featured in the case and explain the project and get buy-in. You may need to have a few conversations to land on the right decision-maker.

Meeting 2: You will explore some of the key decisions that the decision-maker has faced in the recent past or is currently facing. The outcome of this meeting would be to agree on the decision that would be featured in the case.

Meeting 3: This would be an in-depth meeting between the case writer and the decision-maker to understand the various dimensions and nuances that surrounded the decision, which is the focal point of the case. This may result in the decision-maker introducing the case writer to others in your organization to share their perspectives.

Meeting 4: As the case writer writes the first draft of the case, they may need a meeting with the decision-maker to clarify details or ask follow-up questions.

Meeting 5: This meeting occurs once the decision-maker has had an opportunity to review a draft of the case and provide feedback.

Meeting 6: This meeting is a sign-off from the organization, indicating they are OK with Seneca publishing this case so it can officially be used in the classroom.

Cases are not intended to be demonstrations of positive or negative decision-making. Cases are not investigative. A case intends to provide enough information to students so they can put themselves in the shoes of a decision-maker facing an important challenge or opportunity. Cases are rich in information and are only published for use when the co-operating organization signs off. A case is not published without the permission of the co-operating organization.

It is up to you whether you want to use the organization’s or the various decision-makers’ real names in the case; most of the information in a case can be disguised. However, disguised cases don’t let students or employers benefit fully from participating in the writing and teaching of cases. However, in certain circumstances, disguising certain information makes sense and Seneca will work with you to ensure your organization is comfortable.

Cases are stories that are rich with data because data is the cornerstone of strong decision-making. However, not all cases require financial information; in fact, many cases may require much more qualitative data than quantitative data. When quantitative data is required, it is not always related to financial information. If the case you are involved with requires the student to have a strong understanding of the organization’s financial information, that information can be disguised or recreated to serve the learning goals without reflecting the organization’s actual financial information.

Cases are an exercise in storytelling. Learning how to conceptualize, outline, develop and communicate a story is core to successful leadership. Case writing, via storytelling, will allow you to build the following key skills:

• communicating ideas differently to different constituencies and stakeholders
• knowledge-sharing in a way that is clear, concise and compelling
• fostering valuable interactions with stakeholders within and outside your organization that engage them at a rational, political and emotional level
• honing your interview and evaluation skills
• building compelling arguments by learning how to integrate theory and practice and merging qualitative arguments with quantitative ones
• helping you become a stronger planner and project manager
• helping you become an expert facilitator that can generate discussion and create learning moments
• allowing you to reflect on complexity in decision-making individually and with a mentor, case writing allows you to improve your decision-making skills

• writing a case is often the first step in helping you become a writer, whether your goal is to write an op-ed, an article or a book
• case writing and teaching training provide you with a highly sought-after set of skills among institutions looking for part-time faculty
• the training, as well as the case writing journey, would prepare you to become a strong speaker, teacher and trainer
• depending on the nature of your case, the case writing journey often places you in front of key individuals in your organization and your industry that increases the reach and depth of your professional network

Alumni are provided with an opportunity to participate in the training and the mentorship process, which has an approximate cash value of $7,000. In addition to this key benefit, alumni will also receive a small budget of $500 for expenses.

This $500 is a budget available to cover expenses such as taking the potential case-host out for a few meals, transportation, purchasing of research materials, etc.