ABSTRACT
The case method of teaching was developed by Faculty of the Harvard Business School 1 and the Ivey School of Business in the 1920s. The basic idea was to simulate real business challenges in the classroom in order to breathe life and instil greater meaning into the lessons of management education. Case studies can be important tools for creating learning processes on different levels—students are forced to struggle with exactly the kinds of decisions and dilemmas managers confront every day. In this reflection of reality, the values and goals of the student are systematically challenged. Uncertainty is key: students are asked what they think, how they would act, and what challenges they feel are important. The use of a case study should create a classroom in which students succeed by exercising the skills of leadership and teamwork in the face of real problems. Facts, figures and theories play an important role; but contexts, emotions and value judgments have a large influence, too. Guided by a faculty member, students cooperate, analyze and synthesize conflicting data and points of view. The objective is to define and prioritize goals, to persuade and inspire others who think differently, to make tough decisions with uncertain information, and to seize opportunities in the face of doubt.
