Abstract
The task of preparing a case is similar to writing a legal brief or an essay insofar as all three should contain a thesis or main point and argumentation or logically arranged facts and inferences. However, different from a brief or an essay, case studies should not contain a conclusion. A case should lead the reader through the facts, but it should not offer a firm or fixed resolution or moral judgment. Ideally it should leave the reader with the opportunity to create and insert their own conclusion.
A good case study should be amenable to the following kinds of questions or analysis procedures:
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A.
What is the problem? or What is at stake?
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B.
What are the non-normative or factual issues involved?
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C.
What are the normative or ethical issues involved?
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D.
What are the alternatives available?
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E.
What decision would you make?
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A. R. Gini is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University of Chicago. His major fields are: Philosophical Anthropology, Contemporary Ethical Problems and Business Ethics. His most important publications are: ‘Aggressivity: A Critical Overview’, IPQ (Spring, 1978); ‘Combat: Maladjustment for Survival’, Thought Quarterly Review (Spring, 1981); and ‘Manville: The Ethics of Economic Efficiency’, Journal of Business Ethics (Spring, 1984).
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Gini, A.R. The case method: A perspective. J Bus Ethics 4, 351–352 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381777
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381777