Allentown materials corporation case study

Diagnosis Scenario Cases

Please read the case: ALLENTOWN MATERIALS CORPORATION: THE ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS DIVISION on Page 213.
Complete the 'Study Guide for Problem Diagnosis Scenario Cases'
Review your collective responses to that of those in Chapter 6: 'How to Analyze Problem-Diagnosis Scenario Cases'.

STUDY GUIDE FOR PROBLEM- DIAGNOSIS

SCENARIO CASES

I. Analyzing a Problem- Diagnosis Case

This study aid is divided into two parts. The fi rst part organizes your notes and thinking about the case. The second organizes the points you want to make for an essay on the case. (For a detailed explanation of how to analyze a problem- diagnosis scenario, see chapter 6.)

To begin your work, think about the following questions:

What problem does the case describe? (Problems are the eff ects of causes such as actions, processes, activities, or forces. Problem scenarios often concern business pathology.) Example: A company is losing money in a market it once led.

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What questions will help you explore the problem and its causes? Example: Has poor leadership been one reason for the company’s poor performance?

Can you identify concepts or frameworks you have learned that might be useful for identifying and proving causes? Example: The leadership styles theory can help determine whether leadership is a contributor to the problem.

Use the following grid to organize your thinking about the problem. Use your questions to study the evidence and identify causes of the problem. Write down the causes, the case evi- dence relevant to them, and how the evidence connects the cause to the problem. Your goal is to determine the causes of the problem most strongly supported by the evidence. You can defer thinking about action steps if you’d rather focus on the decision.

Example: Diagnosis of a company’s poor performance

Possible cause 1: Poor leadership

Facts/evidence How cause contributes to the problem Short- term steps Long- term steps

The head of the division is an autocratic leader who makes major decisions without consulting anyone.

The division head’s autocratic leadership style led to several bad decisions because he failed to tap into the knowledge and experience of subordinates.

The CEO needs to intervene and push the division head to become more collaborative in decision making.

The head of the division should receive leadership coaching.

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Copy and paste as many rows of causes as you need. However, make sure you include only major causes.

Possible cause 1:

Facts/evidence How cause connects to problem Short- term steps Long- term steps

Possible cause 2:

Facts/evidence How cause connects to problem Short- term steps Long- term steps

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Ready to Take a Position?

What is the problem? Example: The division lost its competitive advantage after years of market leadership and there is a high level of internal confl ict.

What are the major causes? Example: The major causes are a change in the division’s primary market, a leadership crisis, and two poor strategic decisions.

II. Writing about a Problem-Diagnosis Scenario Case

This section helps you organize the content of an essay about the case you’ve analyzed. Arrange the causes in order of importance, from most important to least. The evidence should show how each cause contributes to the problem. (For a detailed explanation of how to write a problem- diagnosis essay, see chapter 11.)

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S T U DY G U I D E F O R P R O B LE M - D I AG N O S I S S C E N A R I O C A S E S �245

Copy and paste as many rows of causes as you need. However, make sure you include only major causes.

Action Plan

Identify the high- level goals for your action plan. In other words, how do you want the action plan to change the situation in the case? (For a detailed explanation of how to write an action plan, see chapter 8.)

Defi nition of problem

Summary of major causes

EVIDENCE PROVING DIAGNOSIS

Criterion 1

a.

b.

c.

Criterion 2

a.

b.

c.

Criterion 3

a.

b.

c.

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Organize your action plan steps.

Short term

Long term

Major risks: Identify the most important one or two risks associated with your action plan.

Mitigation of risks: How would you eliminate or reduce the risks?

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Contents
Introduction
Ch. 1: What Is the Case Method?
Pt. 1: Analyzing Cases
Ch. 2: What Is a Case?
Ch. 3: The Skills to Read and Analyze a Case
Ch. 4: How to Analyze Decision Scenario Cases
Ch. 5: How to Analyze Evaluation Scenario Cases
Ch. 6: How to Analyze Problem-Diagnosis Scenario Cases
Pt. 2: Discussing Cases
Ch. 7: How to Prepare and Discuss Cases
Pt. 3: Writing About Cases
Ch. 8: How to Write Case-Based Essays
Ch. 9: How to Write Decision Scenario Essays
Ch. 10: How to Write Evaluation Scenario Essays
Ch. 11: Writing About Problem-Diagnosis Scenarios
Pt. 4: Cases for Analysis and Writing
Case Study: General Motors
Case Study: Malaysia in the 1990s
Case Study: Allentown Materials Corporation
Pt. 5: Study Guides for Case Analysis and Writing
Study Guide for Decision Scenario Cases
Study Guide for Evaluation Scenario Cases
Study Guide for Problem-Diagnosis Scenario Cases
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author
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