Thinking About Case Studies: A case study is a great way for you to think about and tackle problems. In the context for this course we are going to look at a specific case study: Your case study is Your Best Salesperson Lied: Should He Get a Second Chance? (found on the course site) Case studies follow a specific pattern to put a systematic approach to identifying and solving issues. They are common in many types of businesses and are excellent tools to learn in post secondary education. Case studies are a great way to learn OB concepts and are very relevant to the business programs here at Fanshawe.

Alternatives: Think Cost... Cost isn't just in dollars but in time and resources as well. A great way to think about what alternatives you have is to think first of what costs the least... 1. Do Nothing: Is this a viable alternative? For some companies it is, specifically if they think the problem is external & temporary. For me this was a viable option, my car was running, sure it needed work but for now it was getting me where I wanted to go. 2. What is the most expensive? Think about what your solution could be if cost isn't an issue. For our example in class, for me that would be to buy a new car, heck maybe even a Porsche! Now you can think about things that fall in between. One alternative would have been to fix my car...another to buy a used car. Both are not as expensive as getting a new car but are definitely going to cost me more than doing nothing. I encourage you to think of at least 2 other alternatives of which one of the 4 becomes your Recommendation... Remember to link the potential solutions to your SWOT analysis. What would the plan and implementation look like and for your case study? Ensure you look to see if other's have had success doing what you are contemplating. Once again, cite & reference, tell me what you think your alternatives will mean (pro's & con's) and give examples.

Alternative #1: In one phrase, write your alternative here. Briefly explain alternative #1 and in 1-2 paragraphs support it using specific OB concepts with in-text citations. Your alternative should be clear, realistic, and relevant to the case. [8 points] Use the following tabular format for pros and cons of each alternative. Pros [6 points] (3 pros for each alternative) Cons [6 points] (3 cons for each alternative) State your pros, one in each row, and support each pro using specific OB concept(s). Insert in-text citations for OB concepts. State your cons, one in each row, and support each con using specific OB concept(s). Insert in-text citations for OB concepts. Each alternative with pros/cons is worth 20 points. Total points for this section (all three alternatives with pros and cons) are 60. State your pros/cons in a clear and concise manner. No more than 3 pros and 3 cons are required for each alternative. Make sure all pros/cons are relevant to the case. Follow the same format for the remaining two alternatives. Recommended page limit for each alternative with pros and cons: 2.5 pages Half a page for each alternative with OB concepts Maximum 2 pages for a table with pros and cons Total page limit for this section is 7.5 pages, including all alternatives with pros/cons