

Written by
Dr Jana Martiskova
Case studies are one of the current research techniques that the researchers are using. There are many purposes of the case study method which is to explore new areas and issues where there is little data available or to explain a complex phenomenon. Case studies are being promoted by the teachers and instructors in the institutions globally, which provides real scenarios to the students that can interpret the company’s financial condition critically by themselves.
Case studies usually target a particular company and qualitative and detailed analysis is made on the same.
1- Search about the company’s background and analyze it:
The decisions that the company has made in the past have a massive effect on its future. To start the analysis, try to study the company’s history and growth trend. This process will help you familiarize yourself with the company and its founders.
2- Recognize the Strengths and Weaknesses of the company:
After you have gathered detailed information on the company, it is time to analyze the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of each and try to support each of them with proper sources.
3- External Environment of the Company:
After you have analyzed the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company, it is time to examine the external environment of the company; that is the opportunities and the threats that the company faces.
4- Scrutinize Your Results:
This is a necessary step to examine the overall competitive position of the company in the industry. Here, you will compare the strengths and weaknesses with the opportunities and threats so find out how the company is doing in the existing environment.
5- Vision, Mission and Corporate Level Strategies ofthe Company:
Here, you will analyze and evaluate the company’s vision, mission and corporate strategy. Try to examine if the company is following the vision, mission and strategies that they have listed down. If they aren’t, where are they lacking? What are the gaps in their strategies and objectives? Here, you should also include the company policies and regulations that affect the strategies and their implementations. For example, what are the company’s policies regarding hiring and rewarding process of the personnel?
6- Make Recommendations.
This is the final part of the analysis where you will be providing your suggestions based on your analysis. This is the most important part of the essay as it will reflect your critical and analytical skills.
In conclusion, make sure that you follow the above mentioned steps to conduct a proper critical analysis on your chosen company. Case study is one of the most successful methods in analyzing a company’s performance and strategies in the industry.