strategy& structured case study

Hacking the Case Interview

Case interview frameworks or consulting frameworks are arguably the most critical component of a case interview. Outstanding case frameworks   set you up for success for the case while poor frameworks make the case difficult to solve.

Struggling on how to use frameworks in your case interviews? Unsure of which frameworks to use?

Don't worry because we have you covered! We'll teach you step-by-step, how to craft tailored and unique frameworks for any case interview situation.

By the end of this article, you will learn four different strategies on how to create unique and tailored frameworks for any case interview.

Strategy #1: Creating Frameworks from Scratch

• Strategy #2: Memorizing 8 – 10 Broad Business Areas
• Strategy #3: Breaking Down Stakeholders
• Strategy #4: Breaking Down Processes
• Strategy #5: Two-Part MECE Frameworks

You will apply these strategies to learn how to create case frameworks for the six most common types of case interviews.

Profitability Framework

Market entry framework, merger and acquisition framework, pricing framework, new product framework, market sizing framework.

You will also learn six consulting frameworks that nearly every consultant knows.

Porter’s Five Forces Framework

Swot framework, 4 p’s framework, 3 c’s / business situation framework, bcg 2x2 matrix framework, mckinsey 7s framework.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

What is a Case Interview Framework?

A case interview framework is simply a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into simpler, smaller components. Think of a framework as brainstorming different ideas and organizing them into different categories.

Let’s look at an example: Coca-Cola is a large manufacturer and retailer of non-alcoholic beverages, such as sodas, juices, sports drinks, and teas. They are looking to grow and are considering entering the beer market in the United States. Should they enter?

In order for you to decide whether Coca-Cola should enter the beer market, you likely have many different questions you’d like to ask:

• Does Coca-Cola know how to produce beer?
• Would people buy beer made by Coca-Cola?
• Where would Coca-Cola sell its beer?
• How much would it cost to enter the beer market?
• Will Coca-Cola be profitable from selling beer?
• How would Coca-Cola outcompete competitors?
• What is the size of the beer market in the United States?

This is not a very structured way of thinking through the case. The questions are listed in no particular order. Additionally, many of the questions are similar to one another and could be grouped together.

A case framework would provide a structure to organize these ideas and questions in a way that is easy to understand.

A framework for this case might look like the following.

Notice that we have simplified the list of questions we had into four main categories. These broad categories are frequently called framework “buckets.” Also notice that we have grouped similar questions together under each framework bucket.

This case framework tells us what areas we need to explore in order to make a recommendation to Coca-Cola. It also clearly shows what questions we need to answer under each area.

This is the power of a case interview framework. It simplifies a complex business problem into smaller and separate components that we can tackle one at a time.

So how do you develop a case framework? The next section will reveal four robust strategies for creating unique and tailored consulting frameworks for any case interview.

Case Interview Framework Strategies

There are four case interview framework strategies you should have in your toolkit:  

When given a case interview, you will need to decide which framework strategy you want to use. Some framework strategies will be more effective than others depending on what type of case interview you get.

Therefore, choose the case framework strategy that is easiest for you given the type of case that you get.

This case framework strategy can be used for any type of case. This is the most time-consuming strategy, but yields case frameworks that are the most tailored and unique for the given case interview.

To create a framework from scratch, ask yourself what 3 – 4 statements must be true for you to be 100% confident in your recommendation. These 3 – 4 areas will become the buckets in your framework.

Once you have your framework buckets, brainstorm a few questions for each bucket that you need answers to.

Let’s return to the Coca-Cola case example in which we are asked to determine whether or not they should enter the beer market. What 3 – 4 statements must be true for us to recommend that Coca-Cola should enter the beer market?

The four major statements that must be true are:

• The beer market is an attractive market
• Competitors in the market are weak
• Coca-Cola has the capabilities to produce outstanding beer
• Coca-Cola will be highly profitable from entering the beer market

These will be the major areas or buckets in our framework.

Next, let’s add a few bullet points under each area to add more detail to our case framework.

To determine whether the beer market is attractive, we would need to know the market size, the market growth rate, and the average profit margins in the market.

To assess whether the market is competitive, we would need to know who the competitors are, how much market share they have, and if they have any differentiation or competitive advantages.

To decide whether Coca-Cola has the capabilities to produce beer, we need to know if there are any capability gaps or if there are significant synergies that Coca-Cola can leverage.

Finally, to determine the expected profitability of entering the market, we would need to know what expected revenues are, what expected costs are, and how long it would take Coca-Cola to break even.

This gives us our case framework.

You can repeat this process for any case interview that you get to create an outstanding case framework.

Strategy #2: Memorizing 8 – 10 Broad Business Areas to Make a Framework

Creating case frameworks from scratch can be quite time-consuming. Because of this, many interview candidates make the mistake of using memorized frameworks for case interviews.

Candidates will either use a single memorized framework for every case or memorize a different framework for every type of case interview.

The issue with using memorized frameworks is that they aren’t tailored to the specific case you are solving for. When given an atypical business problem, your framework areas or buckets will not be entirely relevant.

A poor framework makes the case interview significantly more difficult to solve.

Additionally, Interviewers can easily tell that you are regurgitating memorized information and not thinking critically.

Instead of creating frameworks from scratch each time, this second case framework strategy provides a method to speed up the process while still creating frameworks that are unique and tailored to the case. Additionally, you won’t need to memorize multiple different frameworks.

First, memorize a list of 8 - 10 broad business areas, such as the following:

When given a case, mentally run through this list and pick the 3 - 5 areas that are most relevant to the case.

This will be your framework.

If the list does not give you enough areas for your framework, brainstorm and add your own ideas as areas to your framework.

Finally, add a few bullet points under each area to add more detail to your case framework.

This strategy guarantees that your framework elements are relevant to the case. It also demonstrates that you can create unique, tailored frameworks for every business problem.

Let’s return to the Coca-Cola case example in which we are asked to determine whether or not they should enter the beer market.

Running through our list of memorized framework areas, the following six areas would be relevant:

• Market attractiveness : Is the beer market attractive?
• Competitive landscape : How tough is competition?
• Company capabilities : Does Coca-Cola have the capabilities to enter the market?
• Profitability : Will Coca-Cola be profitable from entering the market?
• Risks : What are the risks of entering the market?
• Strategic alternatives : Are there other more attractive markets Coca-Cola should enter?

You can pick 3 – 5 of these areas as the basis for your framework.

This strategy is a shortcut for creating unique and tailored frameworks for every business problem. Even if you and a friend used this same strategy, you both may end up with different frameworks.

That is completely fine. As long as the buckets in your framework are major areas and are relevant to the case, your case framework will be significantly better than most candidates’ frameworks.

You do not need to develop a framework entirely from scratch every time to create outstanding case frameworks. This case framework strategy can be applied to over 90% of case interviews.

For the remaining 10% of case interviews, you will need to learn and use the next two case interview framework strategies.

Strategy #3: Breaking Down Stakeholders to Make a Framework

The first two case framework strategies can be applied to over 90% of cases. However, some cases may require you to identify and focus on various stakeholders that are involved in running or operating a business.

For these cases, the primary areas of your case framework will be these major stakeholders.

Let’s take a look at an example: Your client is a non-profit blood bank. They have volunteer nurses that go to schools and companies to collect blood from donors. They then sell this blood to hospitals, which use this blood for emergency situations when a blood transfusion is required. Currently, Hearts4Lives is not profitable because they are not able to collect enough blood to sell to their hospital partners. What can they do to fix this?

This case involves many different stakeholders:

• Volunteer nurses
• Blood donors
• Schools and companies

For cases in which many different stakeholders are involved, it will be useful to look at each stakeholder and determine what each could do to address the problem.

One potential framework could look like the following:

Strategy #4: Breaking Down Processes to make a Framework

Similar to the previous case framework strategy, some cases may require you to focus on improving or optimizing a particular process.

For these cases, the primary areas of your case framework will be each major step of the process.

Let’s take a look at an example: Your client is a waste disposal company that manages a fleet of drivers and garbage trucks that go to residential homes, collect garbage, and then dump the garbage in city landfills. They have an obligation to collect each home’s garbage once a week. Recently, they have been failing to meet this requirement and are backed up with garbage disposal requests. What is causing this issue and what should they do to fix it?

For cases involving processes and efficiencies, it can be helpful to look at the different components or steps in the process.

We can think about the process of collecting and disposing of garbage in the following steps:

• Get in a garbage truck
• Drive along a designated route
• Collect garbage at each stop
• Dispose of the garbage in the landfill

Using these steps as the primary areas of our framework, we can create the following case framework:

Once you have systematically listed all of the steps in a process, you can identify the pain points or bottlenecks that are causing the issue and determine ways to improve the process.

Strategy #5: Two-part MECE Frameworks

An easy way to make a 100% MECE framework is to use a two-part MECE framework. For the first step, start with a X and Not X framework. Some examples include:

• Internal / external
• Short-term / long-term
• Economic / non-economic
• Quantitative / qualitative
• Direct / indirect
• Supply-side / demand-side
• Upside / downside
• Benefits / cost

There are probably hundreds more frameworks that follow this pattern.

These frameworks are by definition 100% MECE. Since all of these frameworks are X or Not-X, they are mutually exclusive. There is no redundancy or overlap between X and Not-X.

Together, X and Not-X are also completely exhaustive. They cover the universe of all ideas and possibilities.

The X and Not-X framework by itself is good enough for a lot of the questions you could get asked in a case interview.

If you’re asked to brainstorm ways to decrease costs, you can create a framework consisting of decreasing variable costs and decreasing non-variable costs, also known as fixed costs.

If you’re asked to brainstorm barriers to entry, you can create a framework consisting of economic barriers to entry, such as cash and equipment, and non-economic barriers to entry, such as brand name or distribution channels.

However, to take your framework to the next level and truly impress your interviewer, we have the option of doing step two.

Step two involves adding another layer of X and Not X into your framework. What do we mean by this?

Let’s say you are trying to help a city decide whether they should host the upcoming summer Olympics. You start off with a framework consisting of benefits and costs. You can take this framework to the next level by adding another layer, such as adding in short-term and long-term.

With this additional layer, your framework now has four categories: short-term benefits, long-term benefits, short-term costs, and long-term costs. This is a 100% MECE framework that enables you to think through all possible considerations in deciding whether a city should host the Olympics.

Let’s look at another example. Suppose you are trying to figure out how to reduce a company’s costs. You start with a framework consisting of variable costs and fixed costs. You can take this framework to the next level by adding another layer, such as direct and indirect.

With this additional layer, your framework now has four categories: ways to directly reduce variable costs, ways to indirectly reduce variable costs, ways to directly reduce fixed costs, and ways to indirectly reduce fixed costs. This is another 100% MECE framework.

Case Frameworks: The 6 Most Common Frameworks

There are six common case frameworks in consulting case interviews.  

Profitability frameworks are the most common types of frameworks you’ll likely use in consulting first round interviews.

A profitability case might look like this: “An electric car manufacturer has recently been experiencing a decline in profits. What should they do?”

There are two steps to solving a profitability case.

First, you need to understand quantitatively, what is the driver causing the decline in profits?

You should know the following basic profit formulas.

Is the decline in profitability due to a decline in revenue, an increase in costs, or both?

On the revenue side, what is causing the decline? Is it from a decrease in quantity of units sold? If so, is the decrease concentrated in a particular product line, geography, or customer segment?

Or is the decline due to a decrease in price? Are we selling products at a lower price? Is there a sales mix change? In other words, are we selling more low-priced products and fewer high-priced products?

On the cost side, what is causing the increase in costs? Is it from an increase in variable costs? If so, which cost elements have gone up?

Or is the increase in costs due to an increase in fixed costs? If so, which fixed costs have gone up?

Next, you need to understand qualitatively, what factors are driving the decline in profitability that you identified in the previous step.

Looking at customers, have customer needs or preferences changed? Have their purchasing habits or behaviors changed? Have their perceptions of the company changed?

Looking at competitors, have new players entered the market? Have existing competitors made any recent strategic moves? Are competitors also experiencing a decline in profitability?

Looking at the market, are there any market trends that we should be aware of? For example, are there new technology or regulatory changes? How do these trends impact profitability?

Putting all of this together, we get the following profitability framework.

Once you have gone through this profitability framework and understand both quantitatively what is causing the decline in profits and qualitatively why this is happening, you can begin brainstorming ideas to address the profitability issue.

Among the ideas that you brainstorm, you can prioritize which recommendations to focus on based on the level of impact and ease of implementation.

See the video below for an example of how to solve a profitability case using this profitability framework.

Market entry frameworks are the second most common types of frameworks you’ll likely use in consulting first round interviews.

A market entry case might look like this: “Coca-Cola is considering entering the beer market in the United States. Should they enter?”

To create a market entry framework, there are typically four statements that need to be true in order for you to recommend entering the market:

• The market is attractive
• Competition is weak
• The company has the capabilities to enter
• The company will be highly profitable from entering the market

These statements form the foundation of our market entry framework.

Note the logical order of the buckets in the framework.

We first want to determine whether the market is attractive. Then, we need to check if competition is weak and if there is an opportunity to capture meaningful market share.

If these two conditions are true, then we need to confirm that the company actually has the capabilities to enter the market.

Finally, even if the company has the capabilities to enter the market, we need to verify that they will be profitable from entering.

This is a logical progression that your market entry framework will take you through to develop a recommendation for market entry cases.

Merger and acquisition frameworks are also common frameworks you’ll use in consulting interviews.

There are two common business situations.

The first situation is a company looking to acquire another company in order to access a new market, access new customers, or to grow its revenues and profits.

Another situation is a private equity company looking to acquire a company as an investment. Their goal is to then grow the business using their operational expertise and then sell the company years later for a high return on investment. This type of case interview is called a private equity case interview .

In either of these situations, mergers and acquisition cases typically involve acquiring an attractive, successful company.

It is rare to get a case in which a company or private equity firm is looking to acquire a poorly performing company to purchase at a discount. Nevertheless, you can always clarify the goal of the merger or acquisition with the interviewer before beginning the case.

In order to recommend making an acquisition, four statements need to be true.  

• The market that the acquisition target is in is attractive
• The acquisition target is an attractive company
• The acquisition generates meaningful synergies
• The acquisition target is at a great price and will generate high returns on investment

These statements become the basis of our merger and acquisition framework.

Synergies is an area that should absolutely be included in any merger or acquisition framework. A merger or acquisition can lead to revenue synergies and cost synergies.

Revenue synergies include:

• Having access to new customer segments
• Having access to new markets
• Having access to new distribution channels
• Cross-selling opportunities
• Up-selling opportunities

Cost synergies include:

• Eliminating cost redundancies
• Consolidating functions or groups
• Increasing buying power with suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, or retailers

Pricing frameworks are used in cases involving the pricing of a product or service. To develop a pricing framework, you should be familiar with the three different ways to price a product or service.

• Pricing based on costs : set a price by applying a profit margin on the total costs to produce or deliver the product or service
• Pricing based on competition : set a price based on what competitors are charging for products similar to yours
• Pricing based on value added : set a price by quantifying the benefits that the product provides customers

Your answer to pricing cases will likely involve a mix of all three of these pricing strategies.

Your pricing framework will look something like the following.

Pricing based on costs will determine the minimum price you can realistically set. Pricing based on value added will determine the maximum possible price. Pricing based on competition will determine which price in between these two price points you should set.

In order to get customers to purchase your product, the difference between your price point and the customer’s maximum willingness to pay must be greater than or equal to the difference between your competitor’s price point and the customer’s maximum willingness to pay for their product.

New product frameworks are used to help a company decide whether or not to launch a product or service.

New product frameworks share many similarities with market entry frameworks. In order to recommend launching a new product, the following statements would need to be true:

• The product targets an attractive market segment
• The product meets customer needs and is superior to competitor products
• The company has the capabilities to successfully launch the product
• Launching the product will be highly profitable

Expanding on these areas, your new product framework could look like the following:

A comprehensive guide to market sizing questions and market sizing frameworks can be found in our comprehensive market sizing article. You can also watch the video below:

As a summary, market sizing or estimation questions ask you to determine the size of a particular market or to estimate a particular figure.

There are two different market sizing frameworks or approaches:

• Top-down approach : start with a large number and then refine and break down the number until you get your answer
• Bottom-up approach : start with a small number and then build up and increase the number until you get your answer

To create your market sizing framework, simply write out in bullet points, the exact steps you would take to calculate the requested market size or estimation figure.

Consulting Frameworks Every Consultant Knows

There are six consulting frameworks that nearly every consultant knows.

I would not recommend using these exact frameworks during a case interview because the interviewer may think you are just regurgitating memorized information instead of thinking critically about the case.

Instead use the four framework strategies that we covered earlier in this article to create tailored and unique frameworks for each case.

Nevertheless, it is helpful to review these common consulting frameworks in order to understand the fundamental concepts and business principles behind them.

Porter’s Five Forces framework was developed by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. This framework is used to analyze the attractiveness of a particular industry.

There are five forces that determine whether an industry is attractive or unattractive.

Competitive rivalry:  How competitive is the industry?

The more competitive an industry is in terms of number and strength of competitors, the less attractive the industry is. The less competitive an industry is, the more attractive the industry is.

Supplier power:  How much power do suppliers have?

Suppliers are companies that provide the raw materials for your company to produce goods or services. The fewer suppliers there are, the more bargaining power suppliers have in setting prices. The more suppliers there are, the weaker bargaining power suppliers have in setting prices.

Therefore, high supplier power makes the industry less attractive while low supplier power makes the industry more attractive.   

Buyer power:  How much power do buyers have?

Buyers are customers or companies that purchase your company’s product. The more buyers there are, the weaker bargaining power buyers have in setting prices. The fewer buyers there are, the more bargaining power buyers have in setting prices.

Therefore, high buyer power makes the industry less attractive while low buyer power makes the industry more attractive.   

Threat of substitution:  How difficult is it for customers to find and use substitutes over your product?

The availability of many substitutes makes the industry less attractive while a lack of substitutes makes the industry more attractive

Threat of new entry:  How difficult is it for new players to enter the market?

If barriers to entry are high, then it is difficult for new players to enter the market and it is easier for existing players to maintain their market share.

If barriers to entry are low, then it is easy for new players to enter the market and more difficult for existing players to maintain their market share.

A low threat of new entrants makes the market more attractive while a high threat of new entrants makes the market less attractive.

A SWOT framework is used to assess a company’s strategic position. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Strengths : What does the company do well? What qualities separate them from competitors?

Weaknesses : What does the company do poorly? What are the things that competitors do better?

Opportunities : Where are the company’s opportunities for growth or improvement?

Threats : Who are the most threatening competitors? What are the major risks to the company’s business?

The 4 P’s framework is used to develop a marketing strategy for a product. The 4 P’s in this framework are: product, place, promotion, and price.

Product : If there are multiple products or different versions of a product, you will need to decide which product to market. To do this, you will need to fully understand the benefits and points of differentiation of each product.

Select the product that best fits customer needs for the customer segment you are focusing on.

Place : You will need to decide where the product will be sold to customers. Different customer segments have different purchasing habits and behaviors. Therefore, some distribution channels will be more effective than others.

Should the product be sold directly to the customer online? Should the product be sold in the company’s stores? Should the product be sold through retail partners instead?

Promotion : You will need to decide how to spread information about the product to customers. Different customer segments have different media consumption habits and preferences. Therefore, some promotional strategies will be more effective than others.

Promotional techniques and strategies include advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing, video marketing, and public relations. Select the strategies and techniques that will be the most effective.

Price : You will need to decide how to price the product. Pricing is important because it determines the profits and the quantity of units sold. Pricing can also communicate information on the quality or value of the product.

If you price the product too high, you may be pricing the product above your customer segment’s willingness to pay. This would lead to lost sales.

If you price the product too low, you may be losing potential profit from customers who were willing to pay a higher price. You may also be losing profits from customers who perceive the product as low-quality due to a low price point.

In deciding on a price, you can consider the costs to produce the product, the prices of other similar products, and the value that you are providing to customers.

The 3 C’s framework is used to develop a business strategy for a company. 3 C’s stands for customers, competition, and company.

The business situation framework was developed by a former McKinsey consultant, Victor Cheng, who added a fourth component to this framework, product.

Both of these frameworks are used to develop a business strategy for a company in a variety of situations, such as market entry, new product launch, and acquisition.

There is another similar framework called the 4C framework that expands upon the 3 C's. The 4C framework stands for customer, competition, capabilities, and cost.

The BCG 2x2 Matrix Framework was developed by BCG founder Bruce Hendersen. It is used to examine all of the different businesses of a company to determine which businesses the company should invest in and focus on.

The BCG 2x2 Matrix has two different dimensions:

• Market growth : How quickly is the market growing?
• Relative market share : How much market share does the company have compared to competitors?

Each business of the company can be assessed on these two dimensions on a scale of low to high. This is what creates the 2x2 Matrix because it creates four different quadrants.

Each quadrant has a recommended strategy.

• Stars : These are businesses that have high market growth rate and high relative market share. These businesses should be heavily invested in so they can continue to grow.
• Cows :   These are businesses that have low market growth rate, but high relative market share. These businesses should be maintained since they are stable, profitable businesses.
• Dogs :   These are businesses that have low market growth rate and low relative market share. These businesses should not be invested in and should possibly even be divested to free up cash for other businesses.
• Unknown : These are businesses that have high market growth rate and low relative market share. The strategy for these businesses is not clear. With enough investment, these businesses could become stars. However, these businesses could also become dogs if the market growth slows or declines.

The McKinsey 7S Framework was developed by two former McKinsey consultants, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. The 7S Framework identifies seven elements that a company needs to align on in order to be successful.

These elements are:

• Strategy : The company’s plan to grow and outcompete competitors
• Structure : The organization of the company
• Systems : The company’s daily activities and processes
• Shared values : The core beliefs, values, or mission of the company
• Style : The style of leadership or management used
• Staff : The employees that are hired
• Skills : The capabilities of the company’s employees

Land your Dream Consulting Job

Here are the resources we recommend to land your dream consulting job:

For help landing consulting interviews

• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple consulting interviews

For help passing case interviews

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

For help passing consulting behavioral & fit interviews

• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course : Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer.

Land Multiple Consulting Offers

Complete, step-by-step case interview course. 30,000+ happy customers.

Free Guide to Strategy& Consulting Case Interviews

You want to work at Strategy& and are now faced with the question of how to apply to this consulting company? Then you've come to the right place because in this article we will guide you through the entire application process at Strategy& , the requirements you need to meet, what to expect and what tips and tricks will help you get your job offer from Strategy&. 

• 1. About Strategy&

In the heart of Strategy&'s legacy is a rich tradition of innovation , dating back to the origins of Booz Allen Hamilton in 1914. Renowned for shaping management consulting and pioneering supply chain management, the firm's 2014 union with Booz & Company and PwC solidified its holistic "strategy-to-execution" approach. Seamlessly integrated into the PwC network, Strategy& leverages its comprehensive capabilities, steering clients through transformative journeys that include averting bankruptcy at Chrysler Corporation and supporting Deutsche Telekom's cloud-based transformation.

As a global leader in strategy consulting, Strategy& has a presence in 60 countries with a workforce exceeding 3000 professionals . Rooted in a storied history of contributing foundational concepts, including supply chain management, the firm aligns seamlessly with PwC's mission, offering comprehensive end-to-end consulting services. Serving as a talent hub, Strategy& is a major recruiter from prestigious business schools, placing emphasis on case interviews to highlight its commitment to analytical prowess and problem-solving skills .

In the dynamic business landscape, the firm's legacy of innovation, unwavering commitment to excellence, and strategic vision continue to shape the trajectory of global strategy consulting, solidifying its enduring influence in the industry. Ranked as the second-largest recruiter from Columbia Business School in the US and the t hird-largest from INSEAD in Europe , Strategy& places a spotlight on the case interview as the focal point of their rigorous selection process, ensuring a commitment to excellence and analytical acumen in their consultants.

• 2. What Strategy& are Looking for

As part of their rebranding, Strategy& was integrated with PwC and they have adopted a set of common values. They have five values that they look for in their candidates :

1. Act with integrity: 

• ​ Expectation: Candidates should demonstrate honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior in their professional interactions.
• Context: Given PwC's historical role as an accounting firm with a focus on financial transparency, integrity is considered a foundational value.

2. Make a difference:

• Expectation: Candidates are encouraged to prioritize actions that create a positive impact on colleagues, clients, and society.
• Context: This value emphasizes a focus on meaningful contributions that extend beyond commercial considerations, aligning with the firm's commitment to societal well-being.
• Expectation: Candidates should excel in case interviews, highlighting their analytical prowess and problem-solving skills.
• Context: Case interviews are a focal point in Strategy&'s selection process, underscoring the importance of analytical thinking in consulting roles.

4. Work together: 

• Expectation: Candidates should exhibit effective teamwork skills and collaborate efficiently in project teams.
• Context: Collaboration is critical in consulting, and the ability to work harmoniously towards common goals is essential for successful project outcomes.

5. Reimagine the possible:

• Expectation: Candidates are expected to think innovatively and identify new ways of working or innovative products.
• Context: In the face of a rapidly changing business world and emerging technologies, Strategy& values individuals who can envision and drive new possibilities for clients.
• 3. Strategy& Application Process

There are four stages to the Strategy& application process :

1. Resume and Cover Letter Submission:

Initiation: The process kicks off with candidates submitting their resumes and cover letters online, presenting an opportunity to showcase their academic achievements and relevant professional experiences.

Expectations: Beyond the academic and professional qualifications, Strategy& is keenly interested in applicants who embody the five core traits integral to the firm's values.

2.   Online Assessments:

Introduction: Adopting PwC's online assessment methodology, this stage involves a trilogy of evaluations: a numerical reasoning test, a games-based assessment, and a video interview.

Timeline: The assessments, spanning over 2 hours, are strategically spread across a 4-week period, offering a comprehensive evaluation of candidates' analytical abilities and suitability for consulting roles.

3. Super Day Style Interviews:

Format: Strategy& introduces a 'super day' style for interviews, streamlining the evaluation process.

First-Round Interviews (Morning): Led by junior consultants, the first round consists of two interviews. It commences with a 15-minute Personal Fit Interview, followed by a case interview question. Prompt feedback and decisions regarding the afternoon session are provided at the end of the morning.

Second-Round Interviews (Afternoon): Senior consultants, including partners and directors, conduct two interviews mirroring the first-round format.

Outcome: Post-second round interviews, candidates receive detailed feedback or, in the case of successful candidates, a coveted job offer.

​ 4.  Final Decisions:

Closure: The application process concludes with candidates receiving conclusive feedback or, for those who have demonstrated exceptional potential, a formal job offer from Strategy&.

In aligning its application process with PwC's online assessments, Strategy& emphasizes a holistic evaluation approach. The 'super day' structure not only expedites the interview process but also ensures candidates receive timely feedback, enhancing the transparency and efficiency of the recruitment journey. This multi-stage process underscores Strategy&'s commitment to identifying and nurturing top-tier talent to further solidify its position as a global leader in strategy consulting .

• 4. Types of Interviews

Strategy& has  two interview formats across their network:  experience/fit questions followed by a case interview question and experience/ fit questions followed by a structured case interview .

• 4.1 Case Interview (Question)

Real-life Scenarios: Strategy& structures its case interviews around real-life client examples. Interviewers often draw from their own client engagements, leveraging familiarity with data and context.

Attributes Assessed:

Approach and structure

Analytical and creative thinking

Application of data

Communication skills

Business acumen

Evaluation Criteria: Success in a case interview is gauged based on a candidate's proficiency across these attributes, determining their capability to fulfill the responsibilities of a Strategy& consultant.

• 4.2 Experience Interview

Preliminary Insights: Conducted prior to the case interview, experience questions delve into a candidate's motivations, past experiences, and decision-making skills.

​Sample Questions:

Why are you interested in Strategy&?

Why are you interested in consulting?

What experience are you most proud of?

What experience do you wish you could do over, and how would you do it differently?

What is a difficult decision you have made in the last year?

What is an example of a time when you showed initiative and leadership?

What aspects of your internship did you like less?

What do you most like to do in your free time?

What attributes would you bring to a case team?

Describe a role where you changed the direction of a team. How did you do it?

Key Strategy: Structuring responses to these questions is crucial, showcasing a thoughtful and strategic approach even when discussing non-business-related topics.

• 4.3 Case Interview (Structured)

Information Pack: In this structured case interview, candidates receive a 15-20 page information pack and 10 minutes to read it. They formulate three high-level questions they wish to address. The interviewer leaves during this reading period.

Evaluation Focus: Similar to traditional case interviews, the emphasis is on evaluating a candidate's decision-making process, considering trade-offs, and assessing the robustness of recommendations.

• 5. Case Interview

Structured Approach: Strategy& follows a well-defined structure for case interviews, reflecting the core elements of the consulting process.

• Situation and problem:   Understanding the context and defining the problem.

Hypothesis validation:  Offering an initial hypothesis and explaining the intention to validate it.

Framework development: Creating a structured framework for analysis.

Root cause analysis: Exploring the framework to identify the root cause of the issue.

Mathematical calculation (sometimes): If relevant, incorporating mathematical calculations.

Creativity test (sometimes): Demonstrating the ability to think creatively and propose alternatives.

Recommendation: Synthesizing findings and providing a clear and concise proposal.

The Strategy& interview process is a nuanced journey, designed to holistically evaluate candidates' analytical prowess, strategic acumen, and adaptability to the intricacies of strategy consulting. This multifaceted assessment requires candidates to navigate real-life scenarios, draw on experience-based insights, and showcase structured problem-solving abilities.

At the inception of the case interview, the scenario is unveiled by the interviewer, presenting a tangible challenge.

An example might be:

"A high street retailer seeks to reduce costs by 30% in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. How would you approach this?"

Candidates embark on this journey by formulating an initial hypothesis, articulating their intention to validate or refute it. Subsequently, a meticulously crafted framework is developed to guide the analysis, adhering to the MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) principle. Successful exploration of the framework unveils the root cause of the client's issue, allowing for relevant calculations.

The creativity test introduces a layer of complexity, requiring candidates to propose alternatives when faced with client constraints.

For example:

"The client opposes store closures; suggest alternative cost-cutting measures."

This test is iterative, assessing the candidate's ability to think creatively and adapt solutions as per evolving constraints. Culminating the process, candidates synthesize their findings into a clear and concise recommendation, showcasing their ability to distill complex analyses into actionable proposals.

The Strategy& interview process is not merely a gauntlet; it's an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their strategic thinking and problem-solving prowess in a simulated consulting environment.

• 6. Additional Tips
• 6.1 Fast Maths

Case interviews are pressurized situations where your anxiety levels are heightened and you don’t have the safety net of notes or the internet to fall back on.

For in-person interviews, it is common that one of the questions will have a mathematical element or be a market sizing question included. These require long maths calculations without a calculator . If you haven’t practiced long addition, multiplication, division, or subtraction recently then it is a good idea to do so. Being quick at maths shows your competent quantitative skills and reduces unnecessary pressure during the interview, increasing your overall performance.

• 6.2 Practice

As with maths, practicing case interviews is the best way to improve your performance . Through practice, you will begin to develop a robust approach that satisfies the structure and framework components of the case and you will recognize how to navigate the case successfully.

If you are applying to Strategy& then you are probably applying to other strategy consulting firms too, this practice will be relevant to all the firms you apply to as they all use case interviews in their application process.

• 6.3 Apply Structure to Everything

The key requirement of a candidate in a case interview is the application of structure , specifically with a MECE approach. As mentioned above, you can even apply structure to the FIT questions and it is recommended you do so.

An example answer to the question ‘walk me through your CV’ would be to segment your experience into: 1) Experience relevant to consulting 2) Experience not relevant to consulting and then briefly cover the experience you have in each bucket. This shows you understand what consulting is and what is relevant and also a key skill of a consultant – structured thinking.

If you can demonstrate robust structured thinking in your interview , you will score highly.

• 7. Conclusion

In conclusion, the Strategy& consulting case interview process is a well-structured journey emphasizing analytical skills, strategic thinking, and adaptability . The firm's integration with PwC brings a comprehensive evaluation approach, focusing on values like integrity and teamwork. The 'super day' style interviews efficiently assess candidates, led by both junior and senior consultants.

The case interview follows a defined structure, challenging candidates with real-world scenarios and time-pressured tasks . Success requires mastering fast maths, consistent case interview practice, and applying a structured approach.

Overall, it's not just a hurdle, but an opportunity for candidates to showcase their abilities in line with Strategy&'s commitment to excellence and innovation in global strategy consulting.

Continue to Learn

Free Guide to Kearney Consulting Case Interviews

Find out more about Kearney as an employer!

Free Guide to LEK Consulting Case Interviews

Find out more about LEK Consulting as an employer!

Free Guide to OC&C Consulting Case Interviews

Find out more about OC&C as an employer!

• Select category
• General Feedback
• Case Interview Preparation
• Technical Problems

How to Approach a Case Study - A Structured 4-Step Approach

• Last Updated February, 2023

The Internet is filled with frameworks on how to approach a case study. But which one will help you ace your case and land an offer at a top consulting firm?

At My Consulting Offer, former Bain, BCG, and McKinsey consultants have developed a proven 4-step approach that will help you tackle any type of case study. We’v helped over 600 recruits land the consulting jobs of their dream.

Want to know the secret? Keep reading!

In this article, we’ll walk you through our 4-step approach and talk about what the interviewer expects at each step, including:

• How to approach a case study.
• Clarifying the client’s objectives.
• Framing a logical structure.
• Making sense of the provided information.
• Giving a strong recommendation.

Let’s get started!

Approaching a Case Study

Analyzing the right case information, case interview opening: getting to know the key objective, concluding your case with a strong recommendation, framing a customized problem-solving structure.

A case interview always starts with a prompt. A prompt is the initial information about the case provided by the interviewer. It gives you a brief background of the client’s problem and the key objective.

Here’s an example:

“Your client today is an NYC-based violinist. She’s been saving up for her wedding, but she broke her leg and can’t leave her apartment. She’s got to find a new plan for coming up with her wedding savings now and needs help.”

In the above example, we get to know the background and the objective.

Background: Our client Maria is an NYC-based violinist and has been saving for her wedding.

Objective: Find ways for the client to increase her savings for her wedding without leaving her apartment. 

After the prompt is given, you’re expected to drive the case forward. Our 4-step approach will help you do just that.

• Opening – Understand and reconfirm the objective and ask clarifying questions.
• Structure – Develop a problem-solving structure to answer the key questions.
• Analysis – Dive deeper into analyzing relevant issues and use data provided by your interviewer to make conclusions.
• Recommendation – Give a strong actionable recommendation by tying together the insights.

Let’s dive into each step of the 4-step guide so you can solve cases like a pro!

The first step to solving any problem is to know the key objective a.k.a. the “north star” which will help you guide the case in the right direction.

This seemingly simple, but it’s where many interviewees fail. They think the prompt has given them all the relevant information, so they rush to start solving the problem.

But, as you saw in the prompt, the objective is touched upon but isn’t clear or measurable . You got to know that the client is looking for ways to increase her wedding savings while staying in her apartment with a broken leg.

We still don’t know what the target is and how much of it is already saved. Additionally, as there were no clarifying questions asked, no other details were shared by the interviewer.

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

What should the Case Opening Look Like?

It’s important to ask questions like:

• What does success look like for the client? Does she have a target in mind for her wedding?
• How was she making money before she broke her leg?
• What are her income streams?
• Is she willing to cut her expenses to increase savings or is she looking only for ways to increase her income?

These questions help us understand the following:

Tangible or Measurable Objective – What is the target in the client’s mind?

Additional Information – prior income sources, income source while stuck in her apartment, her focus on increasing income rather than reducing costs.

What does the interviewer expect from you in the case opening?

• Restate the prompt in your own words
• Confirm the key objective 
• Ask a few key clarifying questions (3-5) to know more about the overarching context of the case – making sure you understand the client’s product, business model, or geographic focus 

Now let’s learn how to create a comprehensive and customized problem-solving structure.

The internet is filled with problem-solving approaches and frameworks, like:

• The BCG 2 x 2 Matrix
• The Profitability Formula
• McKinsey’s 7S Framework
• Porter’s 5 Forces

These frameworks help break business problems into smaller parts that can be analyzed to figure out a solution. But as these frameworks are generic, it might feel like they are being force-fitted to the problem in your case. No standard framework will ever fit all situations. 

Creating a case-specific problem-solving structure isn’t difficult and with the right approach, you can create it with ease.

How to Create a Customized Structure

Start with the key objective, increasing Maria’s savings for her wedding. How can we break this problem down into sub-parts? If you were using a generic framework, you might use the 3C + P framework and break the problem into:

• Competitors

You could then think of questions in each bucket that would help Maria understand potential opportunities to expand her income. 

But, with this approach, you wouldn’t be likely to stand out! Lots of candidates will approach this case with the same 4 buckets. This is why a customized approach is important.

While creating your structure, there are a few things that you should do to ensure that your structure touches on all relevant points and helps you to drive the case forward. Your structure should be:

• Logical – Each bucket in the structure should logically align with the key objective.
• Personalized – As you are creating the buckets, personalize them to the case at hand.
• MECE – MECE stands for “ Mutually exclusive, Collectively exhaustive .” This helps you ensure that there are no overlapping buckets and you cover all the key aspects of the problem.
• Depth – As you dig deeper into each bucket, ask yourself if you have covered all possible questions in the bucket. Create sub-buckets of the main buckets wherever necessary.

You can read more about structuring your analysis of business problems in our article on issue trees .

What does a Good vs. Great Structure Look Like?

Comparing the two structures above, we can see that Candidate B has created a better structure than Candidate A. Although Candidate A covered all important aspects, Candidate B has personalized their structure to Maria’s problem.

Communicating the structure in an easy-to-understand manner is as important as creating a robust structure. When communicating the structure:

• Ensure that the interviewer can follow your structure.
• Communicate one level at a time.
• Use a numbered list to walk through the structure.

After walking the interviewer through the structure, you should choose the bucket that should be explored first to answer the key question. You could say something like –

“Now that we have walked through the opportunities for increasing her revenue, I’d like to dive into the skills Maria has that she could leverage.”

The interviewer could either agree or disagree with the first bucket that you want to dig deeper into. Some companies, like McKinsey, use interviewer-led case interviews and will lead you through the case following a specified path. Others, like Bain and BCG, will let you lead the case and just nudge you if you seem to be veering off-path. In either case, you’ll need to start by brainstorming and providing ideas on the first bucket or you’ll need to analyze data and derive conclusions.

There are 3 main types of analysis you may need to do to answer the key question:

Brainstorming

Market sizing, exhibit reading.

Let’s see how each of these would help us drive the case forward and derive conclusions.

In a brainstorming exercise, a strong candidate will generate 8-10 ideas bucketed into categories. In the current case example, you could be asked for ideas on how Maria could make more money.

One set of categories you could use to generate ideas follows what we call the “X-not X” approach. Essentially, you start with a bucket like “playing music” and generate ideas in that bucket. Then switch to “not playing” and generate ideas for this bucket. This will help you in generating at least 2x ideas you otherwise would and will look more impressive to your interviewer because it is MECE and structured.

Let’s see how brainstorming plays out in our case example.

“Maria likes your approach and wants to start right away. Because she is currently not making any money, she would like some ideas. What are some ideas you have on how she could make money? She only wants to focus on leveraging her violin talents.”

The above example shows how you could use the “X-not X” approach to generate a lot of ideas – and how you could even further structure the ideas into “online” and “offline” categories to make it an exceptional brainstorming example.

You may also be expected to calculate the size of a market for your client’s product or service – after all, one of the most important things to know before pursuing an opportunity is the size of that opportunity. In the current example, you could be asked to calculate the income that Maria could earn by offering online violin classes.

There are 2 approaches to market sizing:

• Top-down: This is used when there are no constraints. In this approach, you start with the overall population that may be interested in the product or service and slice it down based on the segments of the market most likely to purchase. The top-down approach is best for national and global markets.
• Bottom-up: This approach is used when there are some constraints, like supply constraints, a limited number of hours, etc. In this approach, you start with the limiting factor and try to estimate the maximum that can be achieved based on the constraints.

Let’s see how we can use market sizing to help our client.

“Maria likes the ideas you came up with. She thought about being a violin teacher at one point since she had a great one when she started as a kid and is curious, how much could she make if she were to teach one-on-one Zoom classes for the next month? She wants to start small before she goes to group classes and, in the beginning, it will be just her teaching.”

Here’s an example of how you could work through this question:

The above shows how you could estimate the income which our client can expect to make in the first month. 

Follow up your analysis by giving your answer the “sniff test.” Does it seem right at a high level? Here we see that $4,000 is the estimated first month’s income, but as this would be the first time Maria will be taking online classes, she won’t be working at full capacity from the start. Her earnings will probably be lower than $4,000.

But, in the long run, it’s a good idea to start offering lessons because at full capacity, Maria will be able to earn $8,000 per month.

In case interviews, you’ll be expected to derive conclusions based on tables or charts provided by your interviewer. In the current example, you could be asked to help the client prioritize which type of client should she target for her violin classes.

Let’s see what data is available and how we can conclude which segment to go after.

“Maria is happy to know that you think providing 1:1 violin lessons over Zoom is a viable idea. 

She knows that a lot of people are interested in violin lessons, but to make sure she can tailor her marketing and lessons, she is interested in only going after one or two segments.

Which one should she go after?”

The first step to deriving insights from an exhibit is to read it thoroughly and ideally interpret it aloud as you go for your interviewer. This chart has data about willingness to pay and competitiveness across various segments. It gives an idea about the level of competition from other violin instructors. The market size of each segment is portrayed using the size of the circle. At first glance, it might seem that the client should go ahead with the segment which has the lowest competition and highest willingness to pay, which is the “Adult-Advanced” segment. But, that segment has a really small market size and Maria would need extensive teaching experience to cater to advanced students.

This is the first time Maria is getting into this market, but she also wants to have a high earning potential. The optimum segment would be one with a good market size and a reasonable trade-off between willingness to pay and competitiveness. 

Based on this, Maria should go with the “college-intermediate” and “adult-intermediate” segments. She would be able to cater to both these segments with ease. Additionally, the combined market size is considerable and the relative trade-off of competitiveness and willingness to pay is suitable as well.

What does the interviewer expect when you are doing analysis and deriving insights?

• Pause to think about the structure for marking sizing or ideas for brainstorming. If you’re asked to read an exhibit, take a moment to understand it and lay out what it says to your interviewer before interpreting the data it provides.
• Offer insights into your client’s problem as the data presents them and draw conclusions.
• Drive the case forward based on the insights. What does this data mean for solving your client’s problem?

Maria came to you with a problem in hand and won’t be thrilled to just get the insights in bits or pieces. Pull your problem-solving together for her with a persuasive recommendation.

Think of the case interview as baking an amazing cake. While the structure and derived insights form the main ingredients for baking the cake, the recommendation is like the cherry on top. It helps in creating a lasting positive impression.

Similar to the opening of the case, the recommendation can seem relatively straightforward, but it is definitely nuanced. MCO’s 5R framework could help you deliver great recommendations for every case.

How should you present your recommendations?

MCO’s 5R Framework:

• Recap: As consultants, you deal with CXO (e.g., CEO, CFO) level clients who are busy with many projects, so recapping the problem you’re solving is essential to set the tone of the meeting.
• Recommendation: State your recommendations clearly without any additional detail to showcase clarity.
• Reasons: Follow this with logical reasons for your recommendations to provide context and show the credibility of the recommendations.
• Risks: Every decision has risks associated with it. Just lay them out so the client knows what to watch out for during implementation.
• Retain: End the recommendations with key next steps to pursue the opportunity, ensuring continuous engagement with the client.

Let’s see how to give a strong recommendation for our case example.

“Your client calls you and wants to know what you recommend.”

What does the interviewer expect when closing the case?

• Keep the recommendation clear and succinct keeping the audience in mind.
• Explain everything with a reason and point out risks associated with the recommendation.
• Be presentable and communicate the recommendations with confidence.
• Ensure that the next steps are clearly laid out.

A final note: Not all cases have a “Right” and “Wrong” answer. In some, the math is very cut and dry but in others, there is a mix of evidence and it is a judgment call on what to recommend. Remember that a well-defended recommendation is more important than the “exact right answer.”

– – – – –

In this article, we’ve provided frameworks and tips to ace the different sections of a case interview. You are now equipped with the knowledge to:

• Approach a case study.
• Clarify client objectives.
• Frame a structure for effective problem-solving.
• Analyze the right information.
• Give a recommendation.

Apply these tips by practicing sample cases with case partners as much as possible so you’ll be ready to ace your next consulting case interview.

Happy casing!

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about how to approach a case interview, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s case coaches will answer them.

Other people preparing for consulting case interviews the following pages helpful:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep
• Case Interview Frameworks
• Issue Trees
• MECE Case Structures
• Case Interview Examples
• Case Interview Formulas

Help with Case Study Interview Prep

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on case study interview prep. My Consulting Offer has helped almost 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Sharmeen was able to get her offer at BCG.

We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too.

If you want to learn more about how to ace your case interviews, schedule a free call with a member of our team. We’ll show you how you get an offer without spending hundreds of hours preparing.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

© My CONSULTING Offer

3 Top Strategies to Master the Case Interview in Under a Week

We are sharing our powerful strategies to pass the case interview even if you have no business background, zero casing experience, or only have a week to prepare.

No thanks, I don't want free strategies to get into consulting.

We are excited to invite you to the online event., where should we send you the calendar invite and login information.

• The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview
• Consulting Career Secrets
• Cover Letter & Resume
• McKinsey Solve Game (Imbellus)
• BCG Online Case (+ Pymetrics, Spark Hire)
• Bain Aptitude Tests (SOVA, Pymetrics, HireVue)
• Kearney Recruitment Test
• BCG Cognitive Test Practice

All-in-One Case Interview Preparation

• Industry Cheat Sheets
• Structuring & Brainstorming
• Data & Chart Interpretation
• Case Math Mastery
• McKinsey Interview Academy

Brainteasers

Master consulting case interviews: the insider guide.

Last Updated on March 26, 2024

Embarking on a career with prestigious consulting firms like McKinsey , BCG , Bain or any other top consulting firm is a highly sought-after achievement for many aspiring consultants. However, one of the biggest challenges in this journey is excelling in the consulting case interview – a critical component of the hiring process for these elite firms. Known for their rigorous selection process , top-tier consulting firms evaluate candidates not only through Personal Fit Interviews but also through case interviews, making them among the hardest companies to secure a position with.

I am dedicated to guiding candidates through the nuances of preparing for consulting case interviews since I have observed a plethora of misinformation online regarding case interviews – much of it incorrect, outdated, or misleadingly generalized across all consulting firms. This misinformation, often propagated by self-proclaimed ‘experts’ who lack real-world experience with MBB , can hinder your chances of success in securing a role with these prestigious companies.

In response, I made it my mission to demystify the case interview process, offering insights and strategies rooted in authentic, first-hand experience. My goal is to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the consulting recruitment journey confidently and successfully with top-tier firms.

In this article, I want to help you understand the intricacies of the case interview as a first step of your consulting case interview prep by answering the following questions:

• What is a consulting case interview?
• What skills are assessed, and how are you scored?
• What is the role of the interviewer, and what is on their mind?
• What is the format of the case interview?
• What are the elements in a typical case interview you need to ace?
• What are the differences in case interviews across firms?
• How should you prepare for a case interview?

This article is part of our consulting case interview series. It is your first step in mastering case interviews for top consulting firms, providing you with a foundational understanding. Our guide offers an insider’s perspective on the MBB case strategies, ensuring you’re well-prepared for interviews at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. For the other articles, please click below:

• Overview of case interviews: what is a consulting case interview? (this article)
• How to create case interview frameworks
• How to ace case interview exhibit and chart interpretation
• How to ace case interview math questions
• How to approach brainstorming in a case interview

For a fully fleshed-out discussion of case interviews and consulting interview preparation, please check out my book The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview on Amazon.

Introduction to Consulting Case Interviews

This section of our consulting firms interview guide delves into what a consulting case interview entails, setting the stage for a deeper understanding of the selection process.

The case interview is employed by all top-tier consulting firms to test the analytical capabilities and communication skills of applicants. It simulates a client situation, where you are tasked to solve a specific (business) problem (e.g., “ Why are our revenues decreasing?” ) or implement a client request or answer a client question (e.g., “We want to become more customer friendly” ).

You need to figure out how your client can achieve a certain goal or solve a problem by influencing the right levers.

Sample case interview prompts

Typical cases might start in the following way:

“Over the last year, our client, a Caribbean tour operator has seen a significant decrease in bookings. The CEO wants us to find out what happened and increase the bookings again back to baseline levels from three years ago.”

Here, the goal is to increase bookings back to baseline levels.

“Our client, a leading guitar brand, has asked us whether or not they should open up a new factory in Indonesia for a new line of entry-level guitars.”

Here, the goal is to provide a recommendation about opening a new guitar factory.

“We are working with the government of a small developing country to create a strategy that would spread education to children between the ages of six to 14 in remote villages. We need to devise a ramp-up plan for the next 24 months to make this a reality.”

Here, the goal is to come up with a plan for educating children in remote villages.

Case interview tasks

As you can see, these situations and problems and the associated goals are varied and diverse, and usually taken from a real-life client engagement of your interviewer. Yet, while every case brief is unique, you would follow the same logic and approach when solving the case. You always need to figure out what levers you should move and how to reach a desired outcome. To solve a case successfully, there are a couple of tasks that are interdependent and partially iterative in nature. You need to:

• understand a client request and operationalize the goal(s)
• create an analytical framework to investigate the situation
• use hypotheses to elicit more qualitative and quantitative information from your interviewer by going through your framework, asking targeted questions
• analyze, interpret, and contextualize the information collected through the discussions, charts, graphs, and data tables, as well as quantitative problems
• synthesize your findings and relate them to the initial case brief
• identify the root cause(s) of the problem, and find the most suitable approach and the right levers to pull
• provide recommendation(s) to satisfy your client’s request.

The interview is a (usually) 20-30 minute dialogue between you and the interviewer, where you need to structure your approach, propose concrete ideas and analyses, gather information, spot insights on data tables and charts, solve quantitative tasks, and provide recommendations, all while communicating in a professional, structured, and calm way. The other part of the interview slot is usually spent on the fit interview.

The case interview is difficult since it involves several different skills that you need to demonstrate, not just in one part of a case but consistently across all parts within one case and across multiple interviews in succession. Candidates usually go through three to six case interviews before receiving an offer. Consistency is key as you need to convince all interviewers by solving their respective cases.

Not an easy feat!

Let’s have a look at the different skills at play and how they are evaluated. The skills assessed during management consulting interviews are critical for determining a candidate’s ability to thrive in the fast-paced world of consulting.

Skills Assessed in a Case Interview

While during the screening stage, consulting firms check your resume to establish that you might have the potential to be a good candidate, during the interviews, they want to put that potential to the test to see if you can develop into a world-class consultant.

Once hired, you are put in front of the client, where you represent the prestigious legacy of your firm from day one. Hence, the skillset you need to display in a case interview is the same as that required in the daily life of a management consultant. The case interviews are essentially a trial run to gauge how well you would be able to solve problems and communicate later on.

Before you start your preparation, it is important to understand what aspects the interviewer scores your performance on. Knowing what interviewers look for, you can tailor your approach, interpret feedback, and work toward mastery of each area.

Below are the seven key dimensions you need to focus on that the interviewer evaluates, including examples of how you can display mastery in each. In later parts and links to other articles, I show you how these skills translate to real case examples, and how you can employ and hone them most effectively.

Problem-solving

• Do you understand what the overarching problem and client request is about?
• Can you identify and operationalize the goal(s) of the client?
• Can you deconstruct the problem or situation into its parts, structuring a MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive) issue tree (framework), covering all aspects without overlaps?
• Do you understand the most important components/drivers/levers in this situation?

Application in a case interview: To provide a recommendation at the end of the case interview, you need to work on one or multiple problems or tasks for the fictitious client. Great candidates clarify the situation, operationalize the goal(s) of the client, and then set up their analysis by splitting the problem into multiple components, the most common tool to achieve that being the issue tree .

A good problem deconstruction is the anchor that keeps you focused and on track while moving through the case and investigating the situation. Once you have received the question you are trying to solve during the case, you need to create your issue tree with each branch of the tree representing a part of the problem or situation you would like to investigate. These parts are drivers or levers you can influence to change the outcome for your client. Your approach should be MECE, meaning that it should cover all aspects of the problem or situation without overlaps.

• Do you think about a situation holistically, offering broad, deep, and insightful perspectives, adding new ways of thinking on top of more common-sense ideas?
• Are you able to look at the situation from different perspectives?
• Can you draft a range of concrete ideas and rich descriptions that qualify why your mentioned areas are important to investigate?
• Are you able to come up with creative ideas, solutions, and recommendations?

Application in a case interview: One way to rise to the top of a bunch of case interview candidates is to demonstrate a spike in creativity. When thinking about the situation and your issue tree, go as broad and as deep as possible. Try to come up with creative angles/top-level ideas to the problem that cover it exhaustively (the breadth), and draft rich descriptions with concrete ideas that support each top level (the depth). Refrain from using memorized frameworks like 90% of other applicants.

Remember: Creativity is nothing without structure. Keep your creative thoughts contained in a MECE structure as described above. Additionally, once you have identified the root cause of the problem or the gist of the situation or are simply asked to brainstorm ideas and solutions, come up with creative insights on top of more common ideas you might have.

For instance, remembering our guitar manufacturer and their new factory example from above, a standard insight would be to consider the cost of the venture. Creative insights would be to consider the impact of a new low-cost line of guitars on brand reputation and the effect of cannibalization on the existing product lineup.

• Can you link the structure with creative thinking to create meaningful and logical analyses on a deep enough level based on sound arguments?
• Are you using a hypothesis-driven approach to your problem-solving, i.e., have a clear picture of where you think the case solution can be found most likely, hence, tackling high-impact issues first by asking the right questions and always being aware of where to go next, potentially changing course if needed?
• Can you swiftly interpret and synthesize data, charts, exhibits, and statements made by the interviewer in the context of your hypotheses?
• Do you see interdependencies in different parts of the problem, your analyses, and proposed solutions, and understand how the key drivers/levers of the problem or situation interact with each other?

Application in a case interview: Analytical rigor links structure and creative thinking, guiding you as you move through your issue tree to investigate the situation. Employ a hypothesis-driven approach to your problem-solving, i.e., have a clear picture of where you think the solution of the case is buried. This way, you can qualify and justify why certain areas are important to investigate, tackle likely high-impact issues first, lead the interviewer, and ask the right questions to elicit relevant information quickly.

After going through a branch of your issue tree, synthesize your findings and discuss how they relate to your status quo in the case, then move to the next branch if needed until you find the key pieces of information that help you solve the case. Move vertically, then horizontally. When receiving new information such as data from exhibits, interpret it with your hypotheses in mind. You should never boil the ocean, i.e., try to analyze everything there is, but follow a concrete and logical course of action and analysis, focusing on areas where you believe the most impact lies ( 80/20 ).

Demonstrate that you can move the case forward on your own by synthesizing and discussing the next potential analyses or implementation measures for your ideas. Show that you are adaptable when new information pops up that might make you change course. Keep in mind how the different parts of the situation interact with and relate to each other. Employing these habits significantly increases your chances of figuring out the root cause(s) of the problem or understanding the key drivers of the situation quickly, which helps you to devise a sound recommendation, even if you do not have the perfect information.

Quantitative reasoning

• Do you understand how a certain number/outcome of a calculation could help you move forward, and can you interpret quantitative outcomes in the context of the case?
• Are you able to structure quantitative problems, drafting the correct approach to calculate the desired outcome variable(s)?
• Are you able to comfortably perform calculations and manipulate large numbers, relying on simple pen-and-paper math and mental math?
• Can you move swiftly and accurately through math questions, spotting traps, and using shortcuts or are you prone to making repeated smaller or larger mistakes?

Application in a case interview: There are four steps that expert case solvers ace when cracking math problems. First, they understand what specific quantitative analysis could help their understanding of the problem or enable them to provide a recommendation and how. Second, they set up the correct analysis and approach to calculate a desired outcome variable. It’s necessary to think about the information required to answer the question, set up the right equations, and ask for more data if needed, all while paying attention to potential traps or shortcuts. Even simple computations often include a twist. Third, they swiftly and accurately perform calculations, relying on pen-and-paper math. Calculations usually revolve around simple arithmetic. Fourth, strong candidates present their answers to the interviewer, interpret them in the context of the case, and then move on from there.

Communication

• Do you communicate in a concise, effective, structured, and top-down manner?
• Are you using logical and coherent sentences, professional language, and business vocabulary?
• Do your statements add value to your analysis, or do you ramble?
• Are you leading the conversation or merely getting dragged along by the interviewer?

Application in a case interview: Strong candidates communicate like consultants, which is essential for three reasons. First, you need to guide the interviewer through your issue tree and thinking, second, elicit the right information, and third, convince the interviewer about your ideas and recommendations. For all three, you need to communicate top-down, starting with the key point, and then providing supporting arguments for it. You want to ensure that your statements are to the point, and coherent and demonstrate a good command of business language. Time is limited so avoid endless rambling about topics or going in circles, repeating what you have already said.

Ensure you share your thoughts and considerations with the interviewer. They need to understand how you reach a certain conclusion or insight. For instance, when discussing your drafted analysis, tell the interviewer what you would like to investigate as well as why you think that’s a good idea.

Lastly, lead the conversation. Remember to be in the driver’s seat all the time.

Maturity and presence

• Are you confident and present in the room/on the video call and demonstrate case leadership?
• Are you comfortable with silence while taking time to think and asking clarification questions or asking for guidance?
• Do you come across as friendly and professional with a pleasant countenance and gesticulation?
• Are you professionally dressed and does your appearance match the setting?

Application in a case interview: Consulting firms are looking for mature leaders. Interviewers want to see that they can put you in front of senior clients, where you represent the legacy of the firm and the credibility of your team. They want to make sure that you are self-standing, cool under pressure, engaged, and confident in difficult discussions and situations as well as act and dress professionally . In addition, interviewers want to hire candidates who are genuinely engaging, nice, and pleasant to be around since they might soon spend 16 hours a day with you in the same (small) team room for several weeks in a row.

Business sense and intuition

• Can you get up to speed with a new industry, client, and situation quickly?
• Are you asking the right questions that help you understand and move forward?
• Can you make sense of new information quickly and interpret it properly in the current context?
• Can you provide suitable, actionable, sensible, and relevant recommendations for the situation at hand?

Application in a case interview: Business sense is sort of an enabler for Analytics (discussed above). While you are certainly not expected to know details about a certain industry or a specific context of the case, you need to be able to demonstrate business sense and intuition, which is mostly just common sense. You should be able to quickly understand a new situation – even just by asking targeted questions about how a specific business works, what the main cost drivers are, how the business makes money, etc. When receiving new information or insights during the case, you need to be able to make sense of it in the context of the business and relate it to the information you already have as well as the situation at hand.

Interviewers would like to see you quickly gravitate toward and identify the root cause of a problem or the key drivers/levers of a situation (see Analytics , above), which is easier if you are quick to navigate uncharted territories. Use your common sense, experience, and knowledge of other industries or contexts to explain certain phenomena in the case, for instance, when working with assumptions or interpretations. Business sense and intuition also drive the quality of your proposed recommendations.

Learn the essential tips for successful case interviews, a crucial component for candidates looking to make their mark with our dedicated resource below. We explore real-life examples of management consulting interviews to illustrate the diversity and depth of case studies you might encounter.

Unlock your path to consulting success with the ultimate case interview preparation package. Tailored for aspiring consultants, this package offers 79 targeted theory lessons and hundreds of practice drills across key areas: Structuring, Chart Interpretation, Math, and Brainstorming. Developed to meet the rigorous MBB standards, it distills over 5 years of McKinsey insights and strategies from more than 1600+ case interviews into actionable, battle-tested advice. Perfect for students, recent graduates, or professionals aiming to ace their case interviews.

Case Interview Scoring and Evaluation

Understanding the consulting interview process, including how firms score your performance, can significantly improve your preparation strategy.

Grading of skills

All consulting firms score case interviews in a similar manner, even though their scale and terminology might differ slightly. After every interview, interviewers fill out a feedback sheet, covering the aspects discussed in the previous section in one way or another. For each section, they rank your performance across a five-point scale:

1 – Insufficient: Candidate does not display a basic command of the desired skill

2 – Adequate: Candidate displays an average command of the desired skill

3 – Good: Candidate displays a solid command of the desired skill

4 – Very Good: Candidate displays a strong command of the desired skill

5 – Distinctive: Candidate displays mastery of the desired skill.

Creating the perfect profile

Interviewers add a written commentary on their overall impression, highlighting positive, negative, as well as neutral observations. Two things are crucial for you to get the offer. First, you need to steer clear of the first two categories. Insufficient and adequate ratings usually lead to direct rejection. At a minimum, you need to display a good performance for every skill within an interview as well as across interviews.

Second, you need to demonstrate clear performance spikes, i.e., several very good and distinctive ratings across all interviews; the more the better to make the cut and get the offer. The latter provides the interviewer with arguments and reasons to make a hiring recommendation about your performance to fellow interviewers and the firm. You can find a link to the feedback sheet in by clicking on it below to use during peer case practice.

Now, for the interviewer, the overall picture counts. Mistakes in one area need to be balanced by a strong performance in other areas.  All consulting firms want to see spikes in performance in certain areas and good enough performance in other areas. That is why in our discussion on McKinsey, Bain, and BCG case interview preparation, we emphasize the importance of a holistic approach, from problem-solving to communication skills.

The  most common example  I see often: You can be strong in structure and exhibit, yet make a small mistake in the math section – overall as you might consider 80% – and still pass on to the next round.

The Role of Professional Interviewers

Case interviews are by their very nature a highly structured process. The interviewer takes the role of a fictitious client or your project manager with the goal to jointly moving through and solving a (business) case. A crucial aspect of how to ace case interviews lies in anticipating the interviewer’s perspective and aligning your responses accordingly

Striving for objectivity

Firms try to ensure that the format of the case and the evaluation metrics are standardized across cases and interviewers. Even though each case is different, the types of questions, the case flow, the evaluation metrics, and the difficulty level should be the same to allow for a fair evaluation and comparison of all candidates. Yet, that is not always the case and when interviewing with different firms, you will encounter varying interview types and styles depending either on the company, the individual interviewer, or the particular office, as well as different levels of professionalism and structure. The more professional a consulting firm is, the less variance there is in the individual interviewers’ or offices’ style, and the more structured and objective the whole experience is.

You should get detailed information about the process and format of the interviews and logistics well ahead of time. Additionally, you might receive access to training resources beforehand, and sometimes even take part in a case interview coaching call or a virtual coaching session together with other candidates.

On the interview day, you receive your interviewers’ profiles. Each has prepared a standardized and tested case in line with the firm’s interviewing guidelines. With this calibrated case, they can grade your performance objectively as described above. Of course, personality and personal liking still play a role, but due to the objectivity and structured interview approach that top firms employ, each candidate has the same chance.

Variance in interviews

In smaller firms, you do not get as much advance information or access to training resources. Additionally, interviewers usually have more leeway in how they conduct the interview and rate your performance. Such firms spend much less on recruiting, and the whole process is simply not as standardized. For instance, I did an interview at a boutique firm, where I had to design and solve my own case at the same time. While interesting and challenging, the process was more chaotic, and every candidate had to solve a different non-calibrated case, making it much harder to evaluate and compare objectively. It might be more difficult to prepare for unstructured case experiences, but firms that employ such formats generally have lower performance expectations.

Find out early how interviews are conducted at your target firm to practice the right way and to tailor your approach accordingly. When you know exactly what to expect and what is expected of you, absent of surprises, the experience feels more natural and you can use your full mental resources to crack the case.

Dealing with bad interviewers

A word of caution: Be aware of the odd unprepared or irritated interviewers that appear from time to time, for instance, because they had to fill in for a colleague at the last minute. They might be in a bad mood, they don’t have a lot of time, they are distracted since a client call blew up in their face five minutes ago, etc. Such interviewers are not only unprofessional but a danger to your success, especially if they come up with a case on the spot, which could lead to mutual confusion and an unpleasant experience. I regularly receive horror stories about poor interviewer performances across all firms from my clients. For instance, I have a client whose interview was conducted while the consultant was in a taxi, with the connection constantly cutting out. Another had an interview with a senior partner who muted himself to take work calls during the interview and was highly irritated when talking to the candidate.

If you encounter an unprofessional interviewer or go through an unfortunate experience, contact HR and tell them about it. State politely why the experience made it impossible to perform at your best. In those two recent cases, after they got in touch with HR, both got another chance, and the performance of their unpleasant interview was not considered; both ended up with the desired offer. It pays off to push back on bad recruiting experiences and share your frustrations with HR.

Different Case Interview Formats

Before dealing with consulting applications, most candidates have never heard about case interviews. In this part, I’ll dive deeper into the format and answer the following questions:

• What are the different types and variations of case interviews?
• What are the differences between a candidate-led and interviewer-led case interview?
• What are the differences between the first and final round of case interviews (separate article)?

We can classify case interviews based on these three criteria: the type of case, the driver of the case, and the interview round.

First, the type of case. Most top-tier firms employ typical business case interviews, some employ market sizing cases; and very few still employ brainteasers. Second, we can differentiate between candidate-led cases and interviewer-led cases. For most firms, case interviews are conducted in a candidate-led format, meaning that you must move through the case autonomously, shaping the direction of your analysis moving from insight to insight to eventually arrive at a conclusion. Most notably, McKinsey employs an interviewer-led format, in which the interviewer takes the lead and guides you through the case, asking a series of questions. Third, case interviews differ based on the status and progress of your application. Most candidates expect more difficult cases in their final round. More often than not, this is not true as all interviews focus on the same skills and use the same evaluation metrics.

Types of Case Interviews

Consultancies employ three different types of case questions to screen applicants.

A brainteaser is the umbrella term for odd, usually quite short, questions that test your analytical capabilities. Your goal is to grasp, structure, and creatively solve them. Do not act surprised if the interviewer asks you questions such as “Why are manhole covers round?” – you should come up with a structured answer, listing several potential explanations or, “How many tennis balls can you fit in a Boeing 747?” – you should come up with a strong analytical answer, demonstrating that you are able to break down the problem into multiple parts and coherently analyze it.

For every brainteaser, come up with a logical approach, and reasonable assumptions, and perform quick calculations if needed. Top-tier firms rarely employ these types of questions since they are quite detached from actual business problems and do not allow for objective evaluation metrics and comparison of candidates.

You can learn more about brainteasers here (they are very rare but belong into the preparation plan of a well-prepared applicant)..

Market sizing and estimation questions

One of the most frequent tasks of consultants on a project is to calculate the size of a market or estimate potentials (e.g., the revenue of a new product, and the cost of a new production facility). That’s why these types of questions are often used in case interviews. Such questions can be part of a longer business case or asked standalone. Typical questions sound like: “What is the size of the dairy market in China, in USD revenue per year?” or “How many diapers can we sell in Germany each year?” Sometimes interviewers ask more abstract estimation questions such as, “How many doors are in the city of Los Angeles?”, which is essentially a brainteaser.

The key is to create an equation with the main drivers of the number you are trying to estimate. Ask for data or – if not available – come up with estimates on the spot, basing them on reasonable assumptions. Finally, plug in the numbers and perform your calculation; then, interpret the outcome. The process and speed are more important than the correctness of your answer, which should be in the right ballpark. It is appreciated when you take shortcuts and use simple numbers. Avoid the semblance of being precise over being pragmatic. Adding more variables does not make the outcome more accurate but takes more time and increases the risk of mistakes in your approach and calculation.

I cover market sizing in more detail in this article .

Business cases (McKinsey: Problem Solving Interview)

Business cases are the most common and the most difficult questions you can encounter in a case interview. Most top-tier firms solely employ business cases in their selection process. You are asked to solve a typical business problem of a fictitious client. To do this properly, you split the problem into its components and identify levers you can work on, ask the right questions to work your way through the case, analyze the facts given to you, and eventually draw proper conclusions. Typical business cases – the same as actual consulting engagements – are usually placed in an industry and functional matrix. Industry refers to the type of business, i.e., what product or service the client is selling, and function refers to the area of the business, i.e., what part of the business you are dealing with.

The typical industries you might encounter in a case interview are: Aerospace, Agriculture, Automotive, Chemicals, Consumer Goods, Defense, Education, Electronics, Energy (Oil, Gas, Power), Financial Services, Healthcare, Industrial, Infrastructure, Logistics, Materials, Media, Metals and Mining, Paper and Packaging, Pharmaceuticals, Private Equity and Principal Investors, Public and Social Sector, Real Estate, Retail, Semiconductors, Technology, Telecommunication, Transportation, Travel and Tourism. For an overview and deep dive into 27 industries, including business models, financials, challenges, and trends, check out our industry cheat sheets .

The typical functions you might have to deal with in a case interview are: Corporate Finance, Digital, Implementation, Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales, Mergers and Acquisitions, Operations, People and Organizational Performance, Recovery and Transformation, Risk and Resilience, Strategy, Sustainability.

Every period has its focal topics. For instance, while digitization has been a hot topic for consulting firms over the last 10 years, sustainability and the pandemic response are the key focal points at the moment. Expect to receive more cases related to these topics.

Based on the industry and the function, case questions might revolve around the following topics (not exhaustive): Business model evaluation, Changes in the market, Competitive or situational response, Growth strategies (organic or inorganic via mergers and acquisitions), Market entry, Operational optimization, Pricing strategies, Product introduction, Profitability (i.e., growing revenue and reducing cost), Strategic positioning, Restructuring, and more creative cases (see the initial framework example about the machine breakdowns later in the article about frameworks and issue trees ). Firms are moving away from framework-based, standard business cases to more creative problems that demand candidates think on their feet.

The remainder of this article focuses on actual business cases since they make up the majority (more than ninety-five percent with the rest being mostly market sizing) of case interviews in top-tier firms.

Candidate-led vs. interviewer-led case interviews

When preparing for case interviews with MBB firms you need insights into adapting your strategy to meet the unique challenges of each firm’s interview style.

When it comes down to who is driving the case, there are two types of interviews, interviewer-led and candidate-led ones. Most firms employ candidate-led case interviews, with the notable exception of McKinsey, which follows an interviewer-led approach. Some firms such as Oliver Wyman or Strategy& sometimes employ elements of both interview formats, while (very!) rarely McKinsey final round interviews might also contain elements of a candidate-led interview.

Both types have certain things in common:

• The elements of the case are the same. You must structure problems, generate hypotheses, interpret exhibits, work through some calculations, come up with a recommendation, etc.
• The skills that are assessed are the same. You need to exhibit strong problem-solving skills, creativity, analytics, good communication, etc.

However, there is one key difference.

In the candidate-led case, you drive the case yourself. It is your responsibility to move down the right path of analyses and elicit the correct information by asking effective questions related to the right items of your issue tree to end up with enough insights to provide a recommendation.

In interviewer-led cases, you take ownership of every question and go into greater detail, while the interviewer guides you from question to question. If you answer each individual question well, McKinsey interviewers often do not ask for a recommendation at all.

Candidate-led cases

Due to the nature of your role as an autonomous investigator, it is much easier to get lost, walk down the wrong branch of the issue tree, or waste a ton of time. The initial framework is your analytical lens and tool to identify the key levers that are essential to answer the client’s question or solve the client’s problem. Maybe you won’t even figure out the situation at all since the relevant problem areas were never part of your initial issue tree in the first place. That is why you should formulate a clear hypothesis about the key drivers of the problem before developing the actual framework and then diving deeper.

While interviewers try to influence you to move in the right direction (pay attention to their hints!), it is still up to you what elements of the problem you would like to analyze and how. Each answer should lead to a new question, driven by your hypotheses, on your quest to find the root cause of the problem or to understand the situation and the levers you can pull to come up with a recommendation. The upsides are that you have more control over the case and its direction and do not need to create the exhaustive frameworks necessary for a McKinsey case. Your top-level buckets for a candidate-led and interviewer-led case would be the same, yet for a candidate-led case, you discuss areas on a deeper level only if they promise to validate your thinking and hypotheses.

Interviewer-led cases (McKinsey-style)

The interviewer guides you through a series of three to seven connected questions (structure, exhibit, brainstorming, and math, sometimes a recommendation – there can be 2 math questions for instance) that you need to answer, synthesize, and develop recommendations from. The initial framework is your map that should consider all elements of the situation, touching on everything that is relevant, yet not necessarily critical for the solution. You should still answer each question with a hypothesis-driven mindset to demonstrate your spike in this area. However, for McKinsey, it is more of a demonstration exercise as there is rarely a single correct answer or single correct hypothesis. Irrespective of your hypothesis, interviewers move the case forward through a series of separate and often unrelated questions.

These types of cases are arguably easier to prepare for and to go through since the risk of getting lost along the way is low. If you struggle with one question, you can start from scratch with the next question. Your initial issue tree cannot derail the outcome of your case entirely. The downsides are that you need to draft a more exhaustive framework with equally deep and balanced ideas, and you have less control over the direction of the case.

While in a candidate-led case, the main goal is to reach a sound recommendation after going through your issue tree, asking the right questions, analyzing the right data, etc., your task in an interviewer-led case is to provide sound and self-standing answers to each individual question. Think of the latter as a series of mini cases, where you tackle each question specifically. I believe interviewer-led cases are easier to solve as you only need to worry about one problem at a time (while still remembering the context of the case). As a result, it is also much less about the correct result or solution (except for the numerical part), but much more about your approach, exhaustiveness, and creativity of ideas. It is almost impossible to go off on a tangent and not reach an outcome, whereas in a candidate-led case, you always run the risk of investigating completely irrelevant parts of the issue tree, losing time, and coming up with a faulty conclusion or none at all.

While you should practice a common set of skills (structuring and idea generation, math, exhibit interpretation, hypothesis generation, and communication), you need to follow a different game plan for each interview format. Knowing what steps to take and when to take them makes it easier for you to focus on problem-solving, creativity, and analytics throughout. I prepare clients for both formats and how they study and how they approach cases makes a significant difference in their performance. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, especially when we are talking about the level of competitiveness and the low offer rates in top-tier firms. You want to be well-prepared for each type of case and use the different formats to your advantage.

In fact, case interviews are very formulaic in nature and there is a certain checklist of habits – what to do and when – you should employ to go through in order to maximize your outcomes. This checklist is different between the types of cases. In the later chapters, we go through each building block of a case and then discuss the different game plans for both types of cases for you to internalize and follow going forward.

With your game plans internalized, practice each case format individually and make it clear at the beginning of a practice session with a case buddy what format the case should be. When working with peers, I would recommend that you switch to an interviewer role from time to time as this gives you new insights into similarities and differences between both approaches.

Ace the case interview with our dedicated preparation packages.

Format and Length of a Typical Consulting Case Interview

A typical consulting interview consists of a personal fit part, usually around 20 to 30 minutes long, and the case interview, which lasts between 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the firm, office, and interview stage). For BCG and Bain , the interviews are conducted in a candidate-led format , meaning that you have to move through the case autonomously, shaping the direction of your analysis and moving from insight to insight. McKinsey employs an interviewer-led format , meaning that the interviewer takes the lead and guides you through the case, asking a succession of three to seven questions.

Check out our article on the specifics of the McKinsey case interview format .

Another specific format is the consulting written case interview, which is employed by BCG and Bain during second-round interviews. Read more about the BCG written case interview and the Bain written case interview .

Now that you know how the interview is conducted and what skills you need to display, let’s look at the typical elements in a case interview.

Elements of a Typical Case Interview

In a typical consulting case study interview you will have to answer  five different elements  – broadly speaking:

Structuring

• Exhibit Interpretation

Brainstorming

Recommendation.

Through real case interview examples, we will explore the essential components you need to master, from structuring your analysis to crafting compelling recommendations.

A consulting case interview structure is used to break the problem you are trying to solve for the client down into smaller problems or components. It is the roadmap you establish at the beginning of the interview that will guide your problem-solving approach throughout the case.

It involves organizing your approach to the client’s problem in a way that is both systematic and logical. The structure helps ensure that you cover all relevant aspects of the problem without overlooking critical areas. It also enables you to communicate your thought process clearly and effectively to the interviewer. Typically, a good structure will be MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive), ensuring that your analysis covers all bases without overlap.

A well-structured approach generally includes the following steps:

• Clarification of the problem: Understand and define the core issue. Confirm your understanding with the interviewer to ensure you’re on the right track.
• Establishing objectives: Identify what the client aims to achieve, including any specific goals or constraints.
• Developing the framework: Break down the main problem into smaller, manageable components.
• Analyzing components: Dive deeper into each component of your framework. Use data, logic, and business concepts to analyze each part.
• Formulating hypotheses and prioritizing: Based on your analysis, develop hypotheses about potential areas of concern that you would like to analyze first.

Example: Profitability

Problem statement: A client has experienced a significant drop in profitability over the last year. They have hired you to identify the underlying causes and recommend solutions.

1. Clarification of the problem

• Confirm the problem: The primary issue is the decline in profitability, not revenue or costs in isolation.

2. Establishing objectives

• The objective is to restore profitability to previous levels or better, within a reasonable timeframe, considering any constraints like budget or market conditions.

3. Developing the framework

• Use the profitability approach, breaking down profitability into revenues and costs. Further break down revenues by volume and price, and costs into fixed and variable.

4. Analyzing components

• Revenues: Analyze trends in sales volume and prices.
• Costs: Examine both fixed and variable costs.

5. Formulating hypotheses

• Prioritize one area you want to investigate first and understand quantitatively what has changed (either revenue or cost or both). This will allow you to understand where to focus, and then continue your analysis to get to the why (reasons for it) and work on a recommendation.

By using such a structured approach, you systematically tackle the problem, ensuring thorough analysis and clear communication of your findings and recommendations.

Read more about how to build case interview structures and frameworks here .

Chart and data interpretation

For chart or data interpretation , you are tasked to find the key insights of 1-2 PowerPoint slides and relate them to the case question and the client situation at hand.

Incorporating chart or data interpretation into a consulting case interview involves analyzing visual data representations to extract insights, trends, and patterns that are relevant to the client’s problem. This process not only demonstrates your ability to work with data but also your capability to connect these insights to the broader strategic questions facing the client.

When presented with charts or graphs, your task is to quickly identify what they signify, how they relate to the case at hand, and what implications they might have for your recommendations.

Here’s how to approach chart or data interpretation within the context of a structured case interview:

• Briefly examine the chart: Start by quickly reviewing the chart to understand what types of data are presented. Note the axes labels, units of measurement, and any legends or keys.
• Summarize key findings: Identify the most critical pieces of information or trends shown in the chart. Look for changes over time, differences among groups, or outliers that may indicate areas of interest or concern.
• Analyze in context: Relate your observations from the chart back to the overall case problem and the client’s situation. Consider how the data impacts the problem areas you’ve identified or alters the hypotheses you are exploring. Use the data to refine your hypotheses or to generate new insights. Data might reveal unexpected trends or challenge assumptions, leading you to reconsider parts of your analysis.
• Discuss next steps: Consider what actions might be recommended or what additional data might be needed to make informed decisions.

Example: Market expansion

Problem statement: A retail clothing company is considering expanding into a new market and has hired you to determine the potential for profitability in this venture.

Data presentation: You are shown a chart that displays the annual revenue growth rates for the retail clothing industry in several regions over the past five years.

1. Briefly examine the chart

• Notice that the chart compares growth rates across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America, with each year marked clearly.

2. Summarize key findings

• Asia shows a consistent upward trend in growth rate, Europe is relatively stable, while North America and South America show slight volatility with a general downward trend.

3. Analyze in context

• Considering the client’s objective to expand for profitability, the chart suggests that Asia might offer the most promising opportunity due to its growth trend. However, the stability in Europe could signify a safe, albeit less dynamic, market. The growth in Asia could indicate increasing consumer spending in the retail sector, potentially due to rising middle-class income. However, entering a high-growth market may also involve higher competition and operating costs.

4. Discuss next steps

• Based on the data, you might recommend conducting a deeper market analysis in select Asian countries to assess competition, consumer preferences, and potential barriers to entry. Simultaneously, a risk assessment for Europe could determine if it serves as a stable alternative with lower entry barriers.

This approach shows how chart interpretation, when integrated into a structured case analysis, helps in deriving actionable insights that are directly tied to the client’s strategic objectives.

Read more about how to interpret case exhibits, charts, and data tables here .

Case math questions have you analyze a problem mathematically before qualitatively investigating the particular reason for the numerical result or deriving specific recommendations from the outcome.

Case math questions involve applying quantitative analysis to solve or understand aspects of the client’s problem. This step is critical because it grounds your hypotheses and recommendations in empirical evidence, making your conclusions more convincing. When tackling case math questions, it’s essential to clearly articulate your calculations, explain your reasoning, and interpret the results in the context of the case.

Here’s a structured approach to a case math question:

• Understand the question: Clarify any assumptions and confirm the variables involved in the calculation. Ensure you fully understand what you’re being asked to calculate.
• Plan your approach: Before diving into calculations, outline how you intend to approach the problem. This could involve breaking down the calculation into smaller, more manageable parts or identifying formulas that will be necessary. Discuss this with the interviewer.
• Execute calculations: Perform the calculations methodically, keeping track of your steps. This not only helps in ensuring accuracy but also allows you to easily backtrack if you need to correct or adjust your approach.
• Interpret results: Once you have your numerical result, take a step back to interpret what it means in the context of the case. Consider how it affects your understanding of the problem and what implications it might have for your recommendations.

Example: Break-even analysis

Problem statement: A company is planning to launch a new product and wants to know how many units it needs to sell to break even.

Data provided (simplified):

• Fixed costs for the launch: $500,000
• Variable costs per unit: $50
• Selling price per unit: $150

1. Understand the question

• You need to calculate the break-even quantity, where total costs equal total revenue.

2. Plan your approach

• Use the break-even formula: Break-Even Quantity = Fixed Costs / (Selling Price per Unit – Variable Cost per Unit).

3. Execute calculations

Break-Even Quantity = $500,000 / ($150−$50) = $500,000 / $100 = 5,000 units

4. Interpret results

• The company must sell 5,000 units of the new product to break even. This figure serves as a critical benchmark for assessing the feasibility of the new product launch. It reflects not just the cost recovery point but also the scale of operations needed to achieve profitability.
• Given the break-even analysis, recommend whether the company should proceed with the product launch. Consider factors such as market demand, the company’s capacity to produce and sell 5,000 units, and the timeline for reaching this sales volume. If proceeding, suggest marketing strategies and operational adjustments to ensure the sales target is met.

Incorporating case math into your analysis not only demonstrates your quantitative skills but also enhances the credibility of your strategic recommendations by backing them up with concrete figures.

Read more on how to approach and ace case math here .

Brainstorming questions test your creativity and have you come up with a structured list of different ideas and initiatives.

Brainstorming questions further test your ability to think creatively and strategically under pressure. These questions are designed to explore your capacity to generate a wide range of ideas, assess their potential impact, and structure them coherently and logically. The key to successfully navigating brainstorming questions is not just to produce a list of ideas but to organize them meaningfully, showing your thought process and how each idea could be relevant to the client’s objectives.

Here’s how you might approach a brainstorming question within a structured case interview:

• Understand the objective: Clarify the goal of the brainstorming. Are you generating ideas for growth, solving a problem, or perhaps identifying risks? Understanding the objective shapes the direction of your brainstorming.
• Set parameters: Before generating ideas, define any constraints or criteria that the solutions should meet. This might include budget limitations, brand alignment, or feasibility considerations.
• Generate ideas: Start producing ideas, aiming for quantity over quality initially. Use creative thinking techniques like thinking from different perspectives, leveraging analogies from other industries, or applying trends.
• Organize ideas: Once you have a list of ideas, organize them into categories. This could be based on the nature of the ideas (e.g., technology-driven, customer experience improvements, operational efficiencies), potential impact (short-term vs. long-term), or resource requirements (low investment vs. high investment).
• Evaluate and select: Briefly evaluate the ideas based on their feasibility, potential impact, and alignment with the client’s objectives. Highlight a few top ideas that seem most promising for further exploration.
• Recommend further steps: Suggest how the top ideas could be further evaluated or implemented, including potential pilot tests, market research, or financial modeling to assess viability.

Example: Brainstorming

Problem statement: A beverage company is looking to expand its market presence and seeks innovative ideas to achieve this goal.

1. Understand the objective

• The objective is to identify strategies for market expansion.

2. Set parameters

• Solutions should be feasible within a 1-2 year timeframe and align with the company’s sustainable and health-conscious brand image.

3. Generate ideas

• Product innovation: Develop new health-oriented beverages.
• Market penetration: Increase presence in existing markets through targeted marketing campaigns.
• Market development: Enter new geographical markets, focusing on untapped urban areas.
• Diversification: Explore adjacent product categories, such as healthy snacks.
• Partnerships: Collaborate with gyms and wellness centers to promote products.

4. Organize ideas

• Product-based strategies: Product innovation and diversification.
• Market-based strategies: Market penetration and development.
• Partnership and collaboration: Working with gyms and wellness centers.

5. Evaluate and select

• Given the brand’s focus, product innovation, and partnerships with gyms could provide both immediate and long-term growth opportunities, aligning with the brand image and tapping into current consumer health trends.

6. Recommend further steps

• Suggest conducting market research to identify consumer preferences for new health-oriented beverages. Recommend a pilot program for partnership with gyms in select markets to gauge consumer response and potential for brand synergy.

In this way, brainstorming questions not only assess your ability to think creatively but also your ability to prioritize ideas and propose practical next steps for exploration and implementation.

For more on brainstorming in case interviews, read this detailed article.

The recommendation is usually a brief synthesis of your analysis, starting with one or several clear recommendations, followed by supporting arguments from your analysis and the next steps.

This recommendation should encapsulate the essence of your creative thought process, underpinned by analytical rigor. Begin with a clear, decisive statement of what you believe the client should do, directly addressing the case question. Follow this with a succinct summary of the key reasons supporting your recommendation, drawing from the insights and analysis throughout the case. Emphasize how your suggested actions align with the client’s goals and constraints identified at the outset.

Lastly, outline a few critical next steps that the client could take to initiate the recommended actions. These might include conducting a feasibility study, developing a pilot project, or initiating market research to validate assumptions. By providing a roadmap for implementation, you demonstrate not only strategic foresight but also practicality in bringing your creative solutions to fruition. This approach ensures that your recommendation is not only insightful but also actionable, providing a clear path forward for the client.

Moving through the case

The trick in candidate-led interviews is to move through the initial case framework or structure, investigating each area by asking the interviewer targeted questions based on your hypotheses. You will receive additional information as well as data in the form of charts that you need to interpret or math questions that you need to solve. As the case progresses, your hypotheses should become clearer and each piece of additional information should add to a converging line of evidence. Once you have gathered enough data in each part of your structure and the case, you should be able to provide one or more definite recommendations

Now for  structure and exhibit interpretation . Focus on answers that are

• hypothesis-driven
• follow a strong communication (MECE, top-down, signposted)

That being said, there is no 100% that you can reach or a one-and-only solution/ answer. Your answers must display the characteristics specified above and are supported well with arguments. This approach should allow you to move through the case, reaching relevant insights quickly.

As for  math questions , usually, some answers are correct (not always 100% the same since some candidates simplify or round differently – which is ok), and others are wrong, either due to the

• calculation approach
• calculation itself

How to Prepare for Consulting Case Interviews

Effective case interview practice is crucial for success; this part outlines a structured approach to prepare for management consulting interviews.

The right mindset

Many candidates approach consulting case preparation with the assumption that memorizing generic frameworks or seeking out management consulting case studies with ready-made solutions will give them an edge. They hope to find a one-size-fits-all approach in the form of a PDF filled with case study questions and answers, believing that cases are uniform across different firms, interviewers, and interview scenarios. Unfortunately, this belief in a magical shortcut or a consulting case interview “cheat sheet” is misplaced.

Relying solely on memorized, case-specific frameworks with the expectation that they will apply universally across all scenarios you encounter is a flawed strategy. Unlike the more formulaic approaches that might be suggested in some MBB case study guides or books, mastering a flexible approach to problem-solving is far more critical. This adaptability is even more crucial for MBB interviews than for those with tier-2 consultancies or boutique firms.

The focus should be on understanding the underlying principles behind each type of question you may face in a case interview, and the skills needed to address them effectively, irrespective of the case’s specifics such as the client, industry, or function involved.

The reliance on prep books filled with case interview frameworks, reminiscent of the early 2000s and the era of figures like Victor Cheng or the “Case in Point” methodology, is outdated. All firms have evolved, designing their case interviews to assess a candidate’s creativity and on-the-spot insight generation rather than their ability to recall specific frameworks.

Attempting to apply a rigid framework to a case that demands a different approach can be detrimental. It not only fails but also instills a false confidence that quickly turns into stress when the realization hits that the approach is ineffective in a live interview setting. This is a common pitfall I’ve observed many times.

Instead, your aim should be to master the art of constructing issue trees, analyzing charts, and performing calculations across any context, industry, or function presented in the case. My advice is to step away from memorizing frameworks and focus on these skills, guided by MBB case interview tips. Consider working with a tutor specialized in consulting case interviews to fast-track your learning and enhance your interview performance.

If you want to read more about this, continue here .

For a list of up-to-date case interview examples from many top consulting firms, click here .

A proper preparation plan

A thorough preparation plan for consulting case interviews is crucial for developing your analytical prowess, problem-solving skills, and the ability to think on your feet – qualities revered by top consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. The key to a successful preparation strategy lies in identifying and leveraging your strengths while concurrently addressing your weaknesses. This dual-focused approach ensures you present yourself as a well-rounded candidate (remember the scoring sheet from above?).

Start by understanding how to approach the different elements of the case, by working on targeted drills, and by practicing case studies that span various industries and problems, allowing you to apply your strengths in real-world scenarios while identifying areas for improvement. Engage in mock interviews with peers or mentors who can provide constructive feedback, focusing on enhancing your analytical thinking, communication skills, and overall case presentation.

Simultaneously, developing a personalized practice plan that targets your specific weaknesses is essential. Whether it’s improving your mental math, becoming more structured in your problem-solving approach, or enhancing your ability to derive insights from complex data, dedicating time to these areas can significantly elevate your performance. Utilize resources like case books, online courses, and interactive case interview simulations to diversify your preparation methods. Additionally, incorporating feedback from mock interviews into your practice routine can help refine your approach and strategy.

For further guidance on crafting a comprehensive practice plan that balances strengths and weaknesses, refer to our detailed article Creating the Perfect Practice Plan for Consulting Case Interviews. This resource offers step-by-step advice and advanced strategies to build the ideal profile for securing your spot at a top consulting firm.

Effective case interview practice techniques are vital, forming the backbone of a candidate’s journey to consulting success.

Differences in candidate-led vs. interviewer-led practice

We are coming from the interviewer-led McKinsey-style cases and can tell you that it makes a difference for the candidates how they study and how they approach cases.

A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, especially when we are talking about the level of competitiveness and the low offer rate in MBB. You want to be well-prepared for each type of case and  use the different logistics at play to your advantage.

That being said, the same principles of problem-solving prowess apply to both types of interviews. However, interviewer-led cases are very formulaic in nature and there is a certain checklist of habits (what do and when) you should employ to go through to maximize your performance (more on that below). And this checklist is quite different from an interviewee-led case.

While in an interviewee-led case, the main goal is to reach a sound recommendation after going through your issue, analyzing data, etc., the main goal in a McKinsey case is to provide sound and self-standing answers to each question (structure, math, exhibit). Think of the latter as a series of mini-cases. More often than not, there will not even be a synthesis/summary in the end (unless your structuring part is weak).

Hence, you should tackle each individual question in a specific way. When you know what actions you should take for each type of question, it is easier for you to focus, be creative, and be structured throughout each question. We think they are much easier to solve as you have to worry only about one problem at a time.

As a result, in a McKinsey case, it is also much less about the correct result or solution (except for the numerical part), but much more about how you approach, how you solve, and how you communicate. It is very difficult to actually go off a tangent and not reach an outcome in the end, whereas in an interviewee-led you always run the risk of investigating some completely irrelevant parts of the issue tree, losing time, then coming up with a faulty conclusion.

For these reasons, I believe that you should prepare a set of common skills (structuring, math, exhibit interpretation, communication), that are relevant for both types of cases, however, study and internalize a different game plan and approach for each type of interview.

Then, practice, practice, practice each type of case individually and make it clear at the beginning of each session what the case should be like.

Also, I can recommend you switch to the interviewer role in some cases. This will give you new and interesting insights into the differences between both approaches.

How We Help You Ace All Case Interviews

We have specialized in placing people from all walks of life with different backgrounds into top consulting firms both as generalist hires as well as specialized hires and experts. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we help you by

• tailoring your resume and cover letter to meet consulting firms’ highest standards
• showing you how to pass the different online assessments and tests for McKinsey , BCG , and Bain
• showing you how to ace McKinsey interviews and the PEI with our video academy
• coaching you in our 1-on-1 sessions to become an excellent case solver and impress with your fit answers (90% success rate after 5 sessions)
• preparing your math to be bulletproof for every case interview
• helping you structure creative and complex case interviews
• teaching you how to interpret charts and exhibits like a consultant
• providing you with cheat sheets and overviews for 27 industries .

Reach out to us if you have any questions! Discover the best strategies for consulting case interviews, tailored to help you navigate the complexities of case studies across various consulting domains.

Frequently Asked Questions: Case Interviews

Preparing for a consulting case interview can be a challenging journey, filled with questions about the best ways to prepare, common pitfalls to avoid, and strategies to stand out to top firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. To help you navigate this process, I’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions that candidates often have but may not find directly addressed in typical preparation materials. Here’s a concise guide to some of your most pressing queries.

How long does it typically take to prepare adequately for a consulting case interview? Preparation time can vary widely depending on your starting point and schedule, but most successful candidates spend between 1 to 3 months preparing, dedicating several hours each week to practice cases, conduct drills, and refine problem-solving skills.

Can you provide examples of how to apply an analytical framework to a real-world consulting case scenario? Applying an analytical framework involves breaking down the case problem into key components. For example, in a profitability case, you might segment your analysis into revenue and cost components, then drill down into sub-components like pricing, volume, and variable costs.

What are some common mistakes candidates make during case interviews and how can they be avoided? Common mistakes include failing to listen carefully to the case prompt, neglecting to structure their thoughts coherently, and not synthesizing their findings effectively. Avoid these by practicing active listening, using MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) frameworks, and preparing a concise synthesis as you wrap up your case solution.

How do consulting firms adjust their case interviews for candidates with non-traditional backgrounds? Consulting firms look for problem-solving skills, analytical ability, and leadership potential over specific technical knowledge. Candidates from non-traditional backgrounds should focus on demonstrating these qualities, leveraging their unique experiences to provide fresh insights and perspectives on the cases.

What role does feedback play in the case interview preparation process, and how should candidates seek and utilize it? Feedback is crucial for improvement. Candidates should seek feedback after mock interviews with peers, mentors, or coaches, focusing on areas of weakness and strategies for improvement. Incorporate feedback into your practice sessions to gradually refine your approach and technique.

Are there differences in case interview formats or expectations among McKinsey, BCG, and Bain’s global offices? While the core skills assessed are consistent globally, besides the interviewer vs. candidate-led format slight variations in interview format and focus areas can occur across offices and practices due to market differences. Researching the specific office and practicing cases tailored to its region can be beneficial.

How can candidates demonstrate creativity in their approach to solving case interviews without straying too far from the structured analysis required? Demonstrate creativity by exploring unique solutions and considering non-traditional factors that could impact the case scenario, while still anchoring your analysis in a structured framework to maintain clarity and coherence in your approach.

What specific strategies can candidates use to improve their performance in the quantitative aspects of case interviews? Practice mental math daily, familiarize yourself with common business metrics and financial formulas, and learn shortcuts for frequent calculations. Structuring your quantitative analysis clearly before diving into the numbers can also help improve accuracy and speed.

In what ways do consulting firms evaluate a candidate’s business sense and intuition during a case interview? Firms assess business sense through your ability to quickly grasp the key issues at hand, make reasonable assumptions, and draw insights that are logical and applicable to the business context. Demonstrating an understanding of industry dynamics and the economic implications of your recommendations is key.

How can candidates balance thorough preparation with the need to remain flexible and adaptable in the case interview? While it’s important to prepare rigorously, being too rigid can hinder your performance. Develop a deep understanding of core skills and principles, but remain open to adjusting your approach based on the specific nuances of the case. Practice with a variety of cases to enhance your adaptability.

Struggling with case interviews?

Tackling cases can feel overwhelming, but remember, you’re not the only one facing this hurdle. If you find yourself puzzled by specific problems, don’t hesitate to share your questions below in the comment section. Your curiosity not only aids your understanding but also helps others who might be struggling with similar issues.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. He started StrategyCase.com to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. He ranks as the most successful consulting case and fit interview coach, generating more than 500 offers with MBB, tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms through direct coaching of his clients over the last 3.5 years. His books “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview” and “Consulting Career Secrets” are available via Amazon.

Most Popular Products

Search website

Strategycase.com.

© 2024 | Contact: +43 6706059449 | Mattiellistrasse 3/28, 1040 Vienna, Austria

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Universities & consulting clubs
• American Express

Click on the image to learn more.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

Methodology

• What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

• Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
• Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
• Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
• Open up new directions for future research

TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.

Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

• Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
• Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
• Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Ecological validity

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved July 20, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, primary vs. secondary sources | difference & examples, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is action research | definition & examples, what is your plagiarism score.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Share Podcast

Microsoft: A Case Study in Strategy Transformation

If you’re leading your team through big changes, this episode is for you.

• Apple Podcasts

In early 2015, Microsoft’s senior leaders were facing a set of difficult decisions. The firm had been struggling to innovate and grow as fast as its competitors. Now they were considering new opportunities that would yield higher growth but lower margins — like shifting away from perpetual licensing to focus on subscription sales.

Harvard Business School professor Fritz Foley studied this period of transformative change at Microsoft for a business case study he wrote. In this episode, he shares how Microsoft’s leaders analyzed different options and worked to get both investors and employees on board with new ideas about growth. He also explains how the company’s risk-averse culture evolved in order to execute such a huge transformation.

Key episode topics include: strategy, growth strategy, business models, corporate governance.  

HBR On Strategy curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock new ways of doing business. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the original Cold Call episode: The Transformation of Microsoft (2018)
• Find more episodes of Cold Call
• Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR On Strategy , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand selected to help you unlock new ways of doing business.

In early 2015, Microsoft’s senior leadership team was facing a set of difficult decisions. The firm had been struggling to innovate and grow as fast as its competitors. Now, they were considering new opportunities that would yield higher growth, but lower margins like shifting away from perpetual licensing to focus on subscription sales.

Today, we bring you a conversation with Harvard Business School professor Fritz Foley, who studied this period of transformative change at Microsoft for a business case study he wrote. In this episode, you’ll get a window into how Microsoft’s leaders analyzed different options and got both investors and employees on board with a different idea of growth. You’ll also learn how the company’s risk-averse culture had to evolve in order to execute such a huge transformation.

This episode originally aired on Cold Call in July 2018. Here it is.

BRIAN KENNY: Electronics enthusiasts in the 1970s looked forward to it every year: the January issue of Popular Electronics . That is because that issue was known for featuring the coolest up-and-coming products in the world of electronics. And when the January 1975 issue hit newsstands, it did not disappoint. The cover was adorned with the first available image of the Altair 8,800, the world’s first mini-computer kit. It may not have been the shot heard around the world, but many say that it was the spark that ignited the home computer revolution. That very magazine inspired a young Paul Allen and Bill Gates to turn their passion for computers into a business that subsequently became an empire.

Today, Microsoft Corporation is the third most valuable company in the world and the world’s largest software company. But after four decades of buffeting the headwinds of the very industry it helped to create, Microsoft is at a turning point and the way forward is not entirely clear. Today we’ll hear from Professor Fritz Foley about his case entitled “The Transformation of Microsoft.” I’m your host, Brian Kenny, and you’re listening to Cold Call .

SPEAKER 1: So, we’re all sitting there in the classroom.

SPEAKER 2: Professor walks in.

SPEAKER 3: And they look up and you know it’s coming. The dreaded cold call.

BRIAN KENNY: Professor Fritz Foley’s Research focuses on corporate finance. He’s an expert on investment capital structure, working capital management, and a range of related topics, all of which probably factor into the case today. Fritz, thanks for joining us.

FRITZ FOLEY: Thanks so much for having me.

BRIAN KENNY: So, everybody pretty much knows who Microsoft is, and I think people will be really interested in getting a glimpse into where they were at this turning point in the company’s history. Still a very, very important company in the landscape of the technology industry and beyond. So, I think people will relate right away to this, but let me ask you, if you could start just by setting the stage for us. How does the case begin? Who’s the protagonist and what’s on her mind?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah, so the protagonist is Amy Hood, who is Microsoft’s CFO. She also was a student here at HBS at the time that I was in the PhD program. So, I’ve known her for some time and she’s facing a set of choices that really revolve around whether or not Microsoft should try to pursue increased margin or increased growth.

BRIAN KENNY: Okay. What prompted you to write the case? Your connection with Amy obviously is part of that, but why Microsoft and why now?

FRITZ FOLEY: I think I have been struck by the transformation that they are in the midst of. This is a company that… I mean, it’s hard to remember this. In the early two thousands, the stock price was stuck in the 20 to $30 a share range. And there was a group of people who were calling for the firm to be managed essentially for cash distributions and for increased margins. And then there were some growth opportunities that the company faced simultaneously. So, there was a real choice as to what direction to head. And I think this is a compelling choice that many other companies face. So, it’s a powerful example for me to highlight in course I teach about chief financial officers.

BRIAN KENNY: Microsoft was the first player on this stage really, but then Apple came along and I think many people look at these two as fierce competitors. But can you just talk about the difference between these two companies in terms of how they manage their financial strategy?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah, I can say a bit about that. So, at one level, they certainly are similar. They’re in tech space and in fact, many things that Microsoft was attracted to phones in particular, is something that Apple has excelled at. And I think that at the time of the case, they were quite different in the eyes of investors, I would say. I would say that investors still viewed Apple as having a lot of a growth emphasis of a commitment to innovating new products and solving problems that people weren’t even sure they had. Whereas Microsoft was the older, more established tech firm that I think, in the eyes of some, had become not a relic of the past, but less relevant when thinking about future innovations. And in some sense, the cases about how Microsoft tried to shed that view and become a relevant growth-oriented entity again.

BRIAN KENNY: And they’d certainly been criticized over the decades for not moving quickly enough to innovate and getting caught up in their own. And you think about IBM maybe as a company that faced similar criticisms getting caught up in just their size and the bureaucracy of the place. What did Microsoft’s business look like in 2012? Because that seemed to be the beginning of the turning point?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah. I mean, it was one where there was varying performance across divisions. There was interest by value activist investors given the large cash holdings that the firm had. Obviously, their market share when it came to the office suite of products and windows, those were quite high. And they were obviously very successful in continuing to provide versions of that to a whole variety of users. They had emerging cloud business, but it wasn’t clear that they would win in that space and had really struggled in other spaces.

In search, Bing never got traction relative to Google. In phones, they were really struggling in 2012 right before they tried to make more headway in phones by buying Nokia, which also subsequently didn’t work out as well as they had hoped. So, I think along a series of dimensions, they were really trying to get some traction, trying to get footing in new spaces. And there were a group of investors that actually felt like that wasn’t what they should do. That they should just focus on Office, focus on Windows, enjoy the high margins that came with their on-premises server and tool business offerings. So, they faced some really hard choices.

BRIAN KENNY: And they were also, in terms of just the organization itself up against some issues, what were some of the things they were encountering culturally at the time?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah. I mean, it’s a fascinating story from a cultural standpoint. It was an environment where there were high returns to showing that you were the smartest person in the room. Some of the stories that I have heard are a little jarring. I am not sure I would’ve survived in this environment. There were these very long mid-year reviews that took place and were incredibly demanding. It was an environment that was beginning to really emphasize the desire to be efficient, to be right, and in fairness to them, and Microsoft was coming from a culture or their culture came from a place where they were selling a product that couldn’t really fail. People had very high expectations for the performance of everything Microsoft provided them. And unlike today where there’s more room to update things through online updates, a lot of the software, it shipped and it had to be close to perfect when it shipped.

BRIAN KENNY: Actually, I can remember a time when the launch of a new Windows system was similar to the launch of a new iPhone. People were really excited to get the new system, but inevitably there were bugs and those were highly publicized, and so they fell under a lot of criticism. They were really operating under a microscope for a long time.

FRITZ FOLEY: For sure. And we’re keenly aware that time to fail in their products, which is a measure of how long it took for some product or process to break down, had to be very long. Otherwise, they would meet with a lot of customer dissatisfaction.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. Okay. So, let’s move into the transformation phase for them. What was the fundamental shift they made in terms of changing or restructuring the organization?

FRITZ FOLEY: In my view, I think that they did a variety of things to adopt more of a growth orientation. And some of this dealt with their metrics. Some of it dealt with very explicit changes to the culture, and I think some of it also dealt with a realization that pursuing growth would enhance value much more than trying to increase margins and have large dividend payouts or larger dividend payouts to shareholders. So this was, I would say in the 2012, 2013 timeframe, we began to see pieces of this. And they also faced significant managerial changes at that time. That’s when Steve Ballmer retired and they needed to pick a new CEO and could have gone a variety of directions there. And by picking Satya Nadella, effectively we’re committing to more of a growth path.

BRIAN KENNY: Can you think of an example of a company that chose the margins path? And I mean, these are both potentially successful choices, but I would guess.

FRITZ FOLEY: For sure. And it’s a very hard trade-off to make. In teaching my MBA students and executive education students I’m always struck, when I ask them, “Would you sacrifice some margin for growth,” how hard that question can be and how many people don’t have much intuition for it. So, other companies did go the margin route.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. Is it a situation where the margin choice is one that’s probably more comfortable and the returns are going to come sooner and the growth choice is a little riskier, and for a risk-averse culture probably harder to implement and you’re betting on the future? Is that fundamentally what the choice is?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah. I think that’s a really good way of putting it. Many people find it easier to see the benefits that come with cutting costs and looking for efficiencies and worry that what may come with growth could be elusive. And in some regards, I have heard senior finance managers say that they had to earn the permission to go after growth. They have to get the buy-in from a group of investors who feel as if the senior leadership team has credibility in pursuing growth.

BRIAN KENNY: So, here we have Microsoft, an enormous company, 130,000 or so employees, something like that, large by any measure about to pursue an option that is in many ways counter to the culture of the organization. How do you do that? How do you cascade this kind of a change through an organization of that size?

FRITZ FOLEY: On the cultural side, one thing that they did was very explicitly dropped a growth mindset culture. And Satya Nadella writes about this in his recent book, Refresh. The story is, for me, very compelling. It’s incredibly hard to get any organization to change its culture. Whenever I’ve been a part of an organization that tried to engage in a cultural shift, whatever the tagline was, quickly became the punchline for a set of office jokes.

BRIAN KENNY: I’ve been on the other side of that. I’m the guy who writes the punchlines most often.

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah. So, you know how hard this is. And I think that they were very wise in picking Kathleen Hogan who had led one of the divisions of Microsoft to head up the charge to describe and roll out this cultural change. They brought senior leaders on board, and ultimately, I think there was a lot of demand for it that many people who were working at Microsoft were innovative engineers and a very creative set of employees who wanted to pursue growth. And when given the choice to move away from review processes and given the opportunity to go to meetings where they didn’t feel like they had to be exactly right in making a point, but could stimulate the beginning of a discussion set of ideas that could lead to something that was new, people embraced that.

BRIAN KENNY: And here we are in the age of the millennial worker. Millennials don’t want to work for the old Microsoft for sure. And Microsoft is competing with the likes of Google and Apple and other firms that are definitely perceived as open and innovative, and they want people with energy and ideas. So, they have to adopt that same personality, I guess.

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah, I agree with that. I think there’s a new buzz about Microsoft, at least among my students, they’re much more intrigued by what it would mean to work there and what opportunities exist to do some things that would be truly novel and have a big impact on how people get work done.

BRIAN KENNY: So, let’s go back to our protagonists. Amy Hood in the case actually delves into her mindset a little bit. She’s getting ready to communicate these changes to the financial community. What are the kinds of things a CFO would have to think about? Because I can imagine the financial probably is more comfortable with the margin choice than the growth choice

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah, for sure. It’s fun for me to imagine her faced with this choice really of, okay, I can go this path of growth, but if I do this, I am going to have to go to my investors and say, our margins are going to go down for some period of time, and you’re not going to like that. But there’s going to be some upside and it will take some time for that upside to show up. So, I think she needed to find ways to communicate or signal what that upside would be and how big it might be to the investors so that she wouldn’t lose credibility with them and would have the permission essentially to pursue growth.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. Now we hear it all the time about the emphasis on the short-term, short-termism in the financial community, and people want returns and they want them right away. In your experience, are you seeing a shift in the financial community, or are the analysts getting a little more comfortable with this notion of you can’t always go for the margins, you’ve got to find some sustainable growth in the long term?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah. It’s a great question. It’s one that troubles me or is something I think about our financial system generally. I happen to be probably more optimistic relative to many when it comes to how short-term-oriented, or really how financial markets aren’t as, as some might worry, or that concern about short-termism doesn’t resonate as much with me. I do think there is a big burden on senior finance teams to explain how value is created by thinking long-term and embracing growth opportunities. And in some sense, when I look at what Amy has been doing at Microsoft, I applaud her and her team for taking on that challenge. They quite explicitly set a target of a $20 billion run rate for their commercial cloud business, and once analysts had that number, they could begin to build off of it and get a feel for how much value could be created if Microsoft succeeded at pulling this off.

So, by having the courage to commit to that path and help analysts understand what the path meant, I think that they have been effective in pursuing it. More generally, I do worry that there are some analysts that simply take an earnings-per-share number and apply some current multiple and don’t think much about what the future will look like. I am hopeful that finance teams and organizations will play a role in educating analysts as to how they should think about the future, when growth opportunities do exist and are attractive.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. You mentioned earlier that you’ve talked about this in class, and I’m just curious, do the MBA students come at this differently than the executive education students who have been in fiduciary roles and organizations already?

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah. That’s an interesting question. Let me reflect on that for a moment. I think the approach is fairly similar. I would say that some MBA students are probably less aware of the constraints that capital markets may put on senior management teams to pursue growth. They’re less aware of what an activist who wants cash now might push management to do, whereas executive education students tend to be keenly aware of those pressures. If anything, I find that MBA students, it’s a little bit harder for them to articulate what is the case for pursuing margin for Microsoft in 2012, 2013. Many executive education students are quick to come up with lists of things that could be done strategically financially in picking leadership.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah, it’s interesting. And anybody who’s worked in an organization for any period of time, going back to that whole notion of how hard it is to change a culture, it’s pretty easy to think of reasons why not to pursue that path. So, I thought maybe some of the exec ed students might come at with those constraints already wrapped around themselves.

FRITZ FOLEY: Yeah, I agree.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. Fritz, thanks for joining us today.

FRITZ FOLEY: Thanks very much for having me.

HANNAH BATES: That was Harvard Business School Professor Fritz Foley in conversation with Brian Kenny on Cold Call . We’ll be back next Wednesday with another handpicked conversation about business strategy from Harvard Business Review.

If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review. And when you’re ready for more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos with the world’s top business and management experts, find it all at HBR.org.

This episode was produced by Ann Saini and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Special thanks to Maureen Hoch, Adi Ignatius, Erica Truxler, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you, our listener. See you next week.

• Subscribe On:

Latest in this series

This article is about growth strategy.

• Corporate governance
• Business models

Partner Center

• Design for Business
• Most Recent
• Presentations
• Infographics
• Data Visualizations
• Forms and Surveys
• Video & Animation
• Case Studies
• Digital Marketing
• Design Inspiration
• Visual Thinking
• Product Updates
• Visme Webinars
• Artificial Intelligence

15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

Written by: Oghale Olori

Case studies are more than just success stories.

They are powerful tools that demonstrate the practical value of your product or service. Case studies help attract attention to your products, build trust with potential customers and ultimately drive sales.

It’s no wonder that 73% of successful content marketers utilize case studies as part of their content strategy. Plus, buyers spend 54% of their time reviewing case studies before they make a buying decision.

To ensure you’re making the most of your case studies, we’ve put together 15 real-life case study examples to inspire you. These examples span a variety of industries and formats. We’ve also included best practices, design tips and templates to inspire you.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is a case study, 15 real-life case study examples, sales case study examples, saas case study examples, product case study examples, marketing case study examples, business case study examples, case study faqs.

• A case study is a compelling narrative that showcases how your product or service has positively impacted a real business or individual. 
• Case studies delve into your customer's challenges, how your solution addressed them and the quantifiable results they achieved.
• Your case study should have an attention-grabbing headline, great visuals and a relevant call to action. Other key elements include an introduction, problems and result section.
• Visme provides easy-to-use tools, professionally designed templates and features for creating attractive and engaging case studies.

A case study is a real-life scenario where your company helped a person or business solve their unique challenges. It provides a detailed analysis of the positive outcomes achieved as a result of implementing your solution.

Case studies are an effective way to showcase the value of your product or service to potential customers without overt selling. By sharing how your company transformed a business, you can attract customers seeking similar solutions and results.

Case studies are not only about your company's capabilities; they are primarily about the benefits customers and clients have experienced from using your product.

Every great case study is made up of key elements. They are;

• Attention-grabbing headline: Write a compelling headline that grabs attention and tells your reader what the case study is about. For example, "How a CRM System Helped a B2B Company Increase Revenue by 225%.
• Introduction/Executive Summary: Include a brief overview of your case study, including your customer’s problem, the solution they implemented and the results they achieved.
• Problem/Challenge: Case studies with solutions offer a powerful way to connect with potential customers. In this section, explain how your product or service specifically addressed your customer's challenges.
• Solution: Explain how your product or service specifically addressed your customer's challenges.
• Results/Achievements : Give a detailed account of the positive impact of your product. Quantify the benefits achieved using metrics such as increased sales, improved efficiency, reduced costs or enhanced customer satisfaction.
• Graphics/Visuals: Include professional designs, high-quality photos and videos to make your case study more engaging and visually appealing.
• Quotes/Testimonials: Incorporate written or video quotes from your clients to boost your credibility.
• Relevant CTA: Insert a call to action (CTA) that encourages the reader to take action. For example, visiting your website or contacting you for more information. Your CTA can be a link to a landing page, a contact form or your social media handle and should be related to the product or service you highlighted in your case study.

Now that you understand what a case study is, let’s look at real-life case study examples. Among these, you'll find some simple case study examples that break down complex ideas into easily understandable solutions.

In this section, we’ll explore SaaS, marketing, sales, product and business case study examples with solutions. Take note of how these companies structured their case studies and included the key elements.

We’ve also included professionally designed case study templates to inspire you.

1. Georgia Tech Athletics Increase Season Ticket Sales by 80%

Georgia Tech Athletics, with its 8,000 football season ticket holders, sought for a way to increase efficiency and customer engagement.

Their initial sales process involved making multiple outbound phone calls per day with no real targeting or guidelines. Georgia Tech believed that targeting communications will enable them to reach more people in real time.

Salesloft improved Georgia Tech’s sales process with an inbound structure. This enabled sales reps to connect with their customers on a more targeted level. The use of dynamic fields and filters when importing lists ensured prospects received the right information, while communication with existing fans became faster with automation.

As a result, Georgia Tech Athletics recorded an 80% increase in season ticket sales as relationships with season ticket holders significantly improved. Employee engagement increased as employees became more energized to connect and communicate with fans.

Why Does This Case Study Work?

In this case study example , Salesloft utilized the key elements of a good case study. Their introduction gave an overview of their customers' challenges and the results they enjoyed after using them. After which they categorized the case study into three main sections: challenge, solution and result.

Salesloft utilized a case study video to increase engagement and invoke human connection.

Incorporating videos in your case study has a lot of benefits. Wyzol’s 2023 state of video marketing report showed a direct correlation between videos and an 87% increase in sales.

The beautiful thing is that creating videos for your case study doesn’t have to be daunting.

With an easy-to-use platform like Visme, you can create top-notch testimonial videos that will connect with your audience. Within the Visme editor, you can access over 1 million stock photos , video templates, animated graphics and more. These tools and resources will significantly improve the design and engagement of your case study.

Simplify content creation and brand management for your team

• Collaborate on designs , mockups and wireframes with your non-design colleagues
• Lock down your branding to maintain brand consistency throughout your designs
• Why start from scratch? Save time with 1000s of professional branded templates

Sign up. It’s free.

2. WeightWatchers Completely Revamped their Enterprise Sales Process with HubSpot

WeightWatchers, a 60-year-old wellness company, sought a CRM solution that increased the efficiency of their sales process. With their previous system, Weightwatchers had limited automation. They would copy-paste message templates from word documents or recreate one email for a batch of customers.

This required a huge effort from sales reps, account managers and leadership, as they were unable to track leads or pull customized reports for planning and growth.

WeightWatchers transformed their B2B sales strategy by leveraging HubSpot's robust marketing and sales workflows. They utilized HubSpot’s deal pipeline and automation features to streamline lead qualification. And the customized dashboard gave leadership valuable insights.

As a result, WeightWatchers generated seven figures in annual contract value and boosted recurring revenue. Hubspot’s impact resulted in 100% adoption across all sales, marketing, client success and operations teams.

Hubspot structured its case study into separate sections, demonstrating the specific benefits of their products to various aspects of the customer's business. Additionally, they integrated direct customer quotes in each section to boost credibility, resulting in a more compelling case study.

Getting insight from your customer about their challenges is one thing. But writing about their process and achievements in a concise and relatable way is another. If you find yourself constantly experiencing writer’s block, Visme’s AI writer is perfect for you.

Visme created this AI text generator tool to take your ideas and transform them into a great draft. So whether you need help writing your first draft or editing your final case study, Visme is ready for you.

3. Immi’s Ram Fam Helps to Drive Over $200k in Sales

Immi embarked on a mission to recreate healthier ramen recipes that were nutritious and delicious. After 2 years of tireless trials, Immi finally found the perfect ramen recipe. However, they envisioned a community of passionate ramen enthusiasts to fuel their business growth.

This vision propelled them to partner with Shopify Collabs. Shopify Collabs successfully cultivated and managed Immi’s Ramen community of ambassadors and creators.

As a result of their partnership, Immi’s community grew to more than 400 dedicated members, generating over $200,000 in total affiliate sales.

The power of data-driven headlines cannot be overemphasized. Chili Piper strategically incorporates quantifiable results in their headlines. This instantly sparks curiosity and interest in readers.

While not every customer success story may boast headline-grabbing figures, quantifying achievements in percentages is still effective. For example, you can highlight a 50% revenue increase with the implementation of your product.

Take a look at the beautiful case study template below. Just like in the example above, the figures in the headline instantly grab attention and entice your reader to click through.

Having a case study document is a key factor in boosting engagement. This makes it easy to promote your case study in multiple ways. With Visme, you can easily publish, download and share your case study with your customers in a variety of formats, including PDF, PPTX, JPG and more!

4. How WOW! is Saving Nearly 79% in Time and Cost With Visme

This case study discusses how Visme helped WOW! save time and money by providing user-friendly tools to create interactive and quality training materials for their employees. Find out what your team can do with Visme. Request a Demo

WOW!'s learning and development team creates high-quality training materials for new and existing employees. Previous tools and platforms they used had plain templates, little to no interactivity features, and limited flexibility—that is, until they discovered Visme.

Now, the learning and development team at WOW! use Visme to create engaging infographics, training videos, slide decks and other training materials.

This has directly reduced the company's turnover rate, saving them money spent on recruiting and training new employees. It has also saved them a significant amount of time, which they can now allocate to other important tasks.

Visme's customer testimonials spark an emotional connection with the reader, leaving a profound impact. Upon reading this case study, prospective customers will be blown away by the remarkable efficiency achieved by Visme's clients after switching from PowerPoint.

Visme’s interactivity feature was a game changer for WOW! and one of the primary reasons they chose Visme.

“Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we’ve all steered away from PowerPoint.” - Kendra, L&D team, Wow!

Visme’s interactive feature allowed them to animate their infographics, include clickable links on their PowerPoint designs and even embed polls and quizzes their employees could interact with.

By embedding the slide decks, infographics and other training materials WOW! created with Visme, potential customers get a taste of what they can create with the tool. This is much more effective than describing the features of Visme because it allows potential customers to see the tool in action.

To top it all off, this case study utilized relevant data and figures. For example, one part of the case study said, “In Visme, where Kendra’s team has access to hundreds of templates, a brand kit, and millions of design assets at their disposal, their team can create presentations in 80% less time.”

Who wouldn't want that?

Including relevant figures and graphics in your case study is a sure way to convince your potential customers why you’re a great fit for their brand. The case study template below is a great example of integrating relevant figures and data.

This colorful template begins with a captivating headline. But that is not the best part; this template extensively showcases the results their customer had using relevant figures.

The arrangement of the results makes it fun and attractive. Instead of just putting figures in a plain table, you can find interesting shapes in your Visme editor to take your case study to the next level.

5. Lyte Reduces Customer Churn To Just 3% With Hubspot CRM

While Lyte was redefining the ticketing industry, it had no definite CRM system . Lyte utilized 12–15 different SaaS solutions across various departments, which led to a lack of alignment between teams, duplication of work and overlapping tasks.

Customer data was spread across these platforms, making it difficult to effectively track their customer journey. As a result, their churn rate increased along with customer dissatisfaction.

Through Fuelius , Lyte founded and implemented Hubspot CRM. Lyte's productivity skyrocketed after incorporating Hubspot's all-in-one CRM tool. With improved efficiency, better teamwork and stronger client relationships, sales figures soared.

The case study title page and executive summary act as compelling entry points for both existing and potential customers. This overview provides a clear understanding of the case study and also strategically incorporates key details like the client's industry, location and relevant background information.

Having a good summary of your case study can prompt your readers to engage further. You can achieve this with a simple but effective case study one-pager that highlights your customer’s problems, process and achievements, just like this case study did in the beginning.

Moreover, you can easily distribute your case study one-pager and use it as a lead magnet to draw prospective customers to your company.

Take a look at this case study one-pager template below.

This template includes key aspects of your case study, such as the introduction, key findings, conclusion and more, without overcrowding the page. The use of multiple shades of blue gives it a clean and dynamic layout.

Our favorite part of this template is where the age group is visualized.

With Visme’s data visualization tool , you can present your data in tables, graphs, progress bars, maps and so much more. All you need to do is choose your preferred data visualization widget, input or import your data and click enter!

6. How Workato Converts 75% of Their Qualified Leads

Workato wanted to improve their inbound leads and increase their conversion rate, which ranged from 40-55%.

At first, Workato searched for a simple scheduling tool. They soon discovered that they needed a tool that provided advanced routing capabilities based on zip code and other criteria. Luckily, they found and implemented Chili Piper.

As a result of implementing Chili Piper, Workato achieved a remarkable 75–80% conversion rate and improved show rates. This led to a substantial revenue boost, with a 10-15% increase in revenue attributed to Chili Piper's impact on lead conversion.

This case study example utilizes the power of video testimonials to drive the impact of their product.

Chili Piper incorporates screenshots and clips of their tool in use. This is a great strategy because it helps your viewers become familiar with how your product works, making onboarding new customers much easier.

In this case study example, we see the importance of efficient Workflow Management Systems (WMS). Without a WMS, you manually assign tasks to your team members and engage in multiple emails for regular updates on progress.

However, when crafting and designing your case study, you should prioritize having a good WMS.

Visme has an outstanding Workflow Management System feature that keeps you on top of all your projects and designs. This feature makes it much easier to assign roles, ensure accuracy across documents, and track progress and deadlines.

Visme’s WMS feature allows you to limit access to your entire document by assigning specific slides or pages to individual members of your team. At the end of the day, your team members are not overwhelmed or distracted by the whole document but can focus on their tasks.

7. Rush Order Helps Vogmask Scale-Up During a Pandemic

Vomask's reliance on third-party fulfillment companies became a challenge as demand for their masks grew. Seeking a reliable fulfillment partner, they found Rush Order and entrusted them with their entire inventory.

Vomask's partnership with Rush Order proved to be a lifesaver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush Order's agility, efficiency and commitment to customer satisfaction helped Vogmask navigate the unprecedented demand and maintain its reputation for quality and service.

Rush Order’s comprehensive support enabled Vogmask to scale up its order processing by a staggering 900% while maintaining a remarkable customer satisfaction rate of 92%.

Rush Order chose one event where their impact mattered the most to their customer and shared that story.

While pandemics don't happen every day, you can look through your customer’s journey and highlight a specific time or scenario where your product or service saved their business.

The story of Vogmask and Rush Order is compelling, but it simply is not enough. The case study format and design attract readers' attention and make them want to know more. Rush Order uses consistent colors throughout the case study, starting with the logo, bold square blocks, pictures, and even headers.

Take a look at this product case study template below.

Just like our example, this case study template utilizes bold colors and large squares to attract and maintain the reader’s attention. It provides enough room for you to write about your customers' backgrounds/introductions, challenges, goals and results.

The right combination of shapes and colors adds a level of professionalism to this case study template.

8. AMR Hair & Beauty leverages B2B functionality to boost sales by 200%

With limits on website customization, slow page loading and multiple website crashes during peak events, it wasn't long before AMR Hair & Beauty began looking for a new e-commerce solution.

Their existing platform lacked effective search and filtering options, a seamless checkout process and the data analytics capabilities needed for informed decision-making. This led to a significant number of abandoned carts.

Upon switching to Shopify Plus, AMR immediately saw improvements in page loading speed and average session duration. They added better search and filtering options for their wholesale customers and customized their checkout process.

Due to this, AMR witnessed a 200% increase in sales and a 77% rise in B2B average order value. AMR Hair & Beauty is now poised for further expansion and growth.

This case study example showcases the power of a concise and impactful narrative.

To make their case analysis more effective, Shopify focused on the most relevant aspects of the customer's journey. While there may have been other challenges the customer faced, they only included those that directly related to their solutions.

Take a look at this case study template below. It is perfect if you want to create a concise but effective case study. Without including unnecessary details, you can outline the challenges, solutions and results your customers experienced from using your product.

Don’t forget to include a strong CTA within your case study. By incorporating a link, sidebar pop-up or an exit pop-up into your case study, you can prompt your readers and prospective clients to connect with you.

9. How a Marketing Agency Uses Visme to Create Engaging Content With Infographics

SmartBox Dental , a marketing agency specializing in dental practices, sought ways to make dental advice more interesting and easier to read. However, they lacked the design skills to do so effectively.

Visme's wide range of templates and features made it easy for the team to create high-quality content quickly and efficiently. SmartBox Dental enjoyed creating infographics in as little as 10-15 minutes, compared to one hour before Visme was implemented.

By leveraging Visme, SmartBox Dental successfully transformed dental content into a more enjoyable and informative experience for their clients' patients. Therefore enhancing its reputation as a marketing partner that goes the extra mile to deliver value to its clients.

Visme creatively incorporates testimonials In this case study example.

By showcasing infographics and designs created by their clients, they leverage the power of social proof in a visually compelling way. This way, potential customers gain immediate insight into the creative possibilities Visme offers as a design tool.

This example effectively showcases a product's versatility and impact, and we can learn a lot about writing a case study from it. Instead of focusing on one tool or feature per customer, Visme took a more comprehensive approach.

Within each section of their case study, Visme explained how a particular tool or feature played a key role in solving the customer's challenges.

For example, this case study highlighted Visme’s collaboration tool . With Visme’s tool, the SmartBox Dental content team fostered teamwork, accountability and effective supervision.

Visme also achieved a versatile case study by including relevant quotes to showcase each tool or feature. Take a look at some examples;

Visme’s collaboration tool: “We really like the collaboration tool. Being able to see what a co-worker is working on and borrow their ideas or collaborate on a project to make sure we get the best end result really helps us out.”

Visme’s library of stock photos and animated characters: “I really love the images and the look those give to an infographic. I also really like the animated little guys and the animated pictures. That’s added a lot of fun to our designs.”

Visme’s interactivity feature: “You can add URLs and phone number links directly into the infographic so they can just click and call or go to another page on the website and I really like adding those hyperlinks in.”

You can ask your customers to talk about the different products or features that helped them achieve their business success and draw quotes from each one.

10. Jasper Grows Blog Organic Sessions 810% and Blog-Attributed User Signups 400X

Jasper, an AI writing tool, lacked a scalable content strategy to drive organic traffic and user growth. They needed help creating content that converted visitors into users. Especially when a looming domain migration threatened organic traffic.

To address these challenges, Jasper partnered with Omniscient Digital. Their goal was to turn their content into a growth channel and drive organic growth. Omniscient Digital developed a full content strategy for Jasper AI, which included a content audit, competitive analysis, and keyword discovery.

Through their collaboration, Jasper’s organic blog sessions increased by 810%, despite the domain migration. They also witnessed a 400X increase in blog-attributed signups. And more importantly, the content program contributed to over $4 million in annual recurring revenue.

The combination of storytelling and video testimonials within the case study example makes this a real winner. But there’s a twist to it. Omniscient segmented the video testimonials and placed them in different sections of the case study.

Video marketing , especially in case studies, works wonders. Research shows us that 42% of people prefer video testimonials because they show real customers with real success stories. So if you haven't thought of it before, incorporate video testimonials into your case study.

Take a look at this stunning video testimonial template. With its simple design, you can input the picture, name and quote of your customer within your case study in a fun and engaging way.

Try it yourself! Customize this template with your customer’s testimonial and add it to your case study!

11. How Meliá Became One of the Most Influential Hotel Chains on Social Media

Meliá Hotels needed help managing their growing social media customer service needs. Despite having over 500 social accounts, they lacked a unified response protocol and detailed reporting. This largely hindered efficiency and brand consistency.

Meliá partnered with Hootsuite to build an in-house social customer care team. Implementing Hootsuite's tools enabled Meliá to decrease response times from 24 hours to 12.4 hours while also leveraging smart automation.

In addition to that, Meliá resolved over 133,000 conversations, booking 330 inquiries per week through Hootsuite Inbox. They significantly improved brand consistency, response time and customer satisfaction.

The need for a good case study design cannot be over-emphasized.

As soon as anyone lands on this case study example, they are mesmerized by a beautiful case study design. This alone raises the interest of readers and keeps them engaged till the end.

If you’re currently saying to yourself, “ I can write great case studies, but I don’t have the time or skill to turn it into a beautiful document.” Say no more.

Visme’s amazing AI document generator can take your text and transform it into a stunning and professional document in minutes! Not only do you save time, but you also get inspired by the design.

With Visme’s document generator, you can create PDFs, case study presentations , infographics and more!

Take a look at this case study template below. Just like our case study example, it captures readers' attention with its beautiful design. Its dynamic blend of colors and fonts helps to segment each element of the case study beautifully.

12. Tea’s Me Cafe: Tamika Catchings is Brewing Glory

Tamika's journey began when she purchased Tea's Me Cafe in 2017, saving it from closure. She recognized the potential of the cafe as a community hub and hosted regular events centered on social issues and youth empowerment.

One of Tamika’s business goals was to automate her business. She sought to streamline business processes across various aspects of her business. One of the ways she achieves this goal is through Constant Contact.

Constant Contact became an integral part of Tamika's marketing strategy. They provided an automated and centralized platform for managing email newsletters, event registrations, social media scheduling and more.

This allowed Tamika and her team to collaborate efficiently and focus on engaging with their audience. They effectively utilized features like WooCommerce integration, text-to-join and the survey builder to grow their email list, segment their audience and gather valuable feedback.

The case study example utilizes the power of storytelling to form a connection with readers. Constant Contact takes a humble approach in this case study. They spotlight their customers' efforts as the reason for their achievements and growth, establishing trust and credibility.

This case study is also visually appealing, filled with high-quality photos of their customer. While this is a great way to foster originality, it can prove challenging if your customer sends you blurry or low-quality photos.

If you find yourself in that dilemma, you can use Visme’s AI image edit tool to touch up your photos. With Visme’s AI tool, you can remove unwanted backgrounds, erase unwanted objects, unblur low-quality pictures and upscale any photo without losing the quality.

Constant Contact offers its readers various formats to engage with their case study. Including an audio podcast and PDF.

In its PDF version, Constant Contact utilized its brand colors to create a stunning case study design.  With this, they increase brand awareness and, in turn, brand recognition with anyone who comes across their case study.

With Visme’s brand wizard tool , you can seamlessly incorporate your brand assets into any design or document you create. By inputting your URL, Visme’s AI integration will take note of your brand colors, brand fonts and more and create branded templates for you automatically.

You don't need to worry about spending hours customizing templates to fit your brand anymore. You can focus on writing amazing case studies that promote your company.

13. How Breakwater Kitchens Achieved a 7% Growth in Sales With Thryv

Breakwater Kitchens struggled with managing their business operations efficiently. They spent a lot of time on manual tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing client communication. This made it difficult for them to grow their business and provide the best possible service to their customers.

David, the owner, discovered Thryv. With Thryv, Breakwater Kitchens was able to automate many of their manual tasks. Additionally, Thryv integrated social media management. This enabled Breakwater Kitchens to deliver a consistent brand message, captivate its audience and foster online growth.

As a result, Breakwater Kitchens achieved increased efficiency, reduced missed appointments and a 7% growth in sales.

This case study example uses a concise format and strong verbs, which make it easy for readers to absorb the information.

At the top of the case study, Thryv immediately builds trust by presenting their customer's complete profile, including their name, company details and website. This allows potential customers to verify the case study's legitimacy, making them more likely to believe in Thryv's services.

However, manually copying and pasting customer information across multiple pages of your case study can be time-consuming.

To save time and effort, you can utilize Visme's dynamic field feature . Dynamic fields automatically insert reusable information into your designs.  So you don’t have to type it out multiple times.

14. Zoom’s Creative Team Saves Over 4,000 Hours With Brandfolder

Zoom experienced rapid growth with the advent of remote work and the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such growth called for agility and resilience to scale through.

At the time, Zoom’s assets were disorganized which made retrieving brand information a burden. Zoom’s creative manager spent no less than 10 hours per week finding and retrieving brand assets for internal teams.

Zoom needed a more sustainable approach to organizing and retrieving brand information and came across Brandfolder. Brandfolder simplified and accelerated Zoom’s email localization and webpage development. It also enhanced the creation and storage of Zoom virtual backgrounds.

With Brandfolder, Zoom now saves 4,000+ hours every year. The company also centralized its assets in Brandfolder, which allowed 6,800+ employees and 20-30 vendors to quickly access them.

Brandfolder infused its case study with compelling data and backed it up with verifiable sources. This data-driven approach boosts credibility and increases the impact of their story.

Bradfolder's case study goes the extra mile by providing a downloadable PDF version, making it convenient for readers to access the information on their own time. Their dedication to crafting stunning visuals is evident in every aspect of the project.

From the vibrant colors to the seamless navigation, everything has been meticulously designed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. And with clickable links that make exploring the content a breeze, the user experience is guaranteed to be nothing short of exceptional.

The thing is, your case study presentation won’t always sit on your website. There are instances where you may need to do a case study presentation for clients, partners or potential investors.

Visme has a rich library of templates you can tap into. But if you’re racing against the clock, Visme’s AI presentation maker is your best ally.

15. How Cents of Style Made $1.7M+ in Affiliate Sales with LeadDyno

Cents of Style had a successful affiliate and influencer marketing strategy. However, their existing affiliate marketing platform was not intuitive, customizable or transparent enough to meet the needs of their influencers.

Cents of Styles needed an easy-to-use affiliate marketing platform that gave them more freedom to customize their program and implement a multi-tier commission program.

After exploring their options, Cents of Style decided on LeadDyno.

LeadDyno provided more flexibility, allowing them to customize commission rates and implement their multi-tier commission structure, switching from monthly to weekly payouts.

Also, integrations with PayPal made payments smoother And features like newsletters and leaderboards added to the platform's success by keeping things transparent and engaging.

As a result, Cents of Style witnessed an impressive $1.7 million in revenue from affiliate sales with a substantial increase in web sales by 80%.

LeadDyno strategically placed a compelling CTA in the middle of their case study layout, maximizing its impact. At this point, readers are already invested in the customer's story and may be considering implementing similar strategies.

A well-placed CTA offers them a direct path to learn more and take action.

LeadDyno also utilized the power of quotes to strengthen their case study. They didn't just embed these quotes seamlessly into the text; instead, they emphasized each one with distinct blocks.

Are you looking for an easier and quicker solution to create a case study and other business documents? Try Visme's AI designer ! This powerful tool allows you to generate complete documents, such as case studies, reports, whitepapers and more, just by providing text prompts. Simply explain your requirements to the tool, and it will produce the document for you, complete with text, images, design assets and more.

Still have more questions about case studies? Let's look at some frequently asked questions.

How to Write a Case Study?

• Choose a compelling story: Not all case studies are created equal. Pick one that is relevant to your target audience and demonstrates the specific benefits of your product or service.
• Outline your case study: Create a case study outline and highlight how you will structure your case study to include the introduction, problem, solution and achievements of your customer.
• Choose a case study template: After you outline your case study, choose a case study template . Visme has stunning templates that can inspire your case study design.
• Craft a compelling headline: Include figures or percentages that draw attention to your case study.
• Work on the first draft: Your case study should be easy to read and understand. Use clear and concise language and avoid jargon.
• Include high-quality visual aids: Visuals can help to make your case study more engaging and easier to read. Consider adding high-quality photos, screenshots or videos.
• Include a relevant CTA: Tell prospective customers how to reach you for questions or sign-ups.

What Are the Stages of a Case Study?

The stages of a case study are;

• Planning & Preparation: Highlight your goals for writing the case study. Plan the case study format, length and audience you wish to target.
• Interview the Client: Reach out to the company you want to showcase and ask relevant questions about their journey and achievements.
• Revision & Editing: Review your case study and ask for feedback. Include relevant quotes and CTAs to your case study.
• Publication & Distribution: Publish and share your case study on your website, social media channels and email list!
• Marketing & Repurposing: Turn your case study into a podcast, PDF, case study presentation and more. Share these materials with your sales and marketing team.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Case Study?

Advantages of a case study:

• Case studies showcase a specific solution and outcome for specific customer challenges.
• It attracts potential customers with similar challenges.
• It builds trust and credibility with potential customers.
• It provides an in-depth analysis of your company’s problem-solving process.

Disadvantages of a case study:

• Limited applicability. Case studies are tailored to specific cases and may not apply to other businesses.
• It relies heavily on customer cooperation and willingness to share information.
• It stands a risk of becoming outdated as industries and customer needs evolve.

What Are the Types of Case Studies?

There are 7 main types of case studies. They include;

• Illustrative case study.
• Instrumental case study.
• Intrinsic case study.
• Descriptive case study.
• Explanatory case study.
• Exploratory case study.
• Collective case study.

How Long Should a Case Study Be?

The ideal length of your case study is between 500 - 1500 words or 1-3 pages. Certain factors like your target audience, goal or the amount of detail you want to share may influence the length of your case study. This infographic has powerful tips for designing winning case studies

What Is the Difference Between a Case Study and an Example?

Case studies provide a detailed narrative of how your product or service was used to solve a problem. Examples are general illustrations and are not necessarily real-life scenarios.

Case studies are often used for marketing purposes, attracting potential customers and building trust. Examples, on the other hand, are primarily used to simplify or clarify complex concepts.

Where Can I Find Case Study Examples?

You can easily find many case study examples online and in industry publications. Many companies, including Visme, share case studies on their websites to showcase how their products or services have helped clients achieve success. You can also search online libraries and professional organizations for case studies related to your specific industry or field.

If you need professionally-designed, customizable case study templates to create your own, Visme's template library is one of the best places to look. These templates include all the essential sections of a case study and high-quality content to help you create case studies that position your business as an industry leader.

Get More Out Of Your Case Studies With Visme

Case studies are an essential tool for converting potential customers into paying customers. By following the tips in this article, you can create compelling case studies that will help you build trust, establish credibility and drive sales.

Visme can help you create stunning case studies and other relevant marketing materials. With our easy-to-use platform, interactive features and analytics tools , you can increase your content creation game in no time.

There is no limit to what you can achieve with Visme. Connect with Sales to discover how Visme can boost your business goals.

Easily create beautiful case studies and more with Visme

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

About the Author

Check out our new Consent management feature here

• Case Studies
• Book a Demo

Lessons from the Field: Analyzing Successful Marketing Case Studies

Discover valuable insights and strategies from real-life marketing case studies in this informative article.

In the ever-evolving world of marketing, success stories serve as valuable lessons. Case studies, in particular, provide real-world examples and insights that can shape marketing strategies, campaigns, and tactics. They offer a window into the strategies employed by successful brands, allowing marketers to extract valuable insights and apply them to their own endeavors. In this article, we will delve into the importance of case studies in marketing, identify key elements of successful case studies, explore how to extract valuable insights from them, and discuss the application of those insights to improve marketing strategies.

Understanding the Importance of Case Studies in Marketing

Case studies play a vital role in the development of marketing strategy. They provide marketers with evidence of what works in real-world scenarios, allowing them to learn from others' successes and avoid their mistakes. Additionally, case studies offer an opportunity to understand the challenges faced by various organizations and how they overcame them.

The role of case studies in marketing strategy development

Case studies serve as a foundation for marketing strategy development. By analyzing successful marketing case studies, marketers can gain a deeper understanding of the tactics and approaches that have proven effective in the past. This knowledge enables them to make informed decisions and craft strategies that are more likely to succeed.

For example, let's consider a case study on a popular clothing brand that successfully launched a new product line. By examining the marketing strategies employed, such as influencer collaborations and targeted social media campaigns, marketers can draw valuable insights. They can learn about the importance of creating a buzz around the launch, leveraging the power of social media influencers, and engaging with their target audience in a meaningful way.

Furthermore, case studies provide marketers with a comprehensive view of the marketing landscape. They showcase different industries, markets, and target audiences, allowing marketers to broaden their perspective. This exposure to diverse case studies helps marketers identify innovative strategies and adapt them to their specific business needs.

How case studies provide real-world examples and insights

Case studies bring marketing theories and concepts to life by showcasing their application in real-world scenarios. They provide concrete examples of marketing strategies, tactics, and campaigns that have achieved measurable success. Whether it's a social media campaign that went viral or a targeted content marketing strategy, case studies offer a wealth of insights into what works and how it can be replicated.

Let's delve into a case study on a startup that successfully disrupted the market with a unique marketing approach. This case study highlights the importance of thinking outside the box and taking calculated risks. By analyzing the strategies employed by the startup, marketers can gain valuable insights into unconventional marketing methods that can create a buzz and differentiate their brand from competitors.

Furthermore, case studies provide an opportunity to learn from failures as well. By examining unsuccessful marketing campaigns, marketers can identify pitfalls to avoid and gain a deeper understanding of what does not work in certain contexts. This knowledge is invaluable in refining marketing strategies and avoiding costly mistakes.

Moreover, case studies offer a glimpse into the ever-evolving digital landscape. With the rapid advancement of technology, marketers need to stay updated on the latest trends and tools. By studying case studies that showcase successful digital marketing campaigns, marketers can gain insights into emerging platforms, innovative techniques, and effective ways to engage with digitally-savvy consumers.

In conclusion, case studies are an essential tool for marketers to enhance their understanding of successful marketing strategies and gain insights into real-world examples. By analyzing case studies, marketers can make informed decisions, craft effective marketing strategies, and stay ahead in the dynamic and competitive marketing landscape.

Identifying Key Elements of Successful Marketing Case Studies

To truly benefit from analyzing case studies, it is essential to identify their key elements. By understanding what makes a case study successful, marketers can find valuable lessons and apply them to their own marketing initiatives.

Case studies are a powerful tool for marketers to gain insights and learn from the successes of others. They provide a real-life example of how a marketing strategy was implemented and the results that were achieved. However, not all case studies are created equal. Some are more effective than others in conveying the key lessons and inspiring marketers to take action.

Defining the objectives and target audience of the case study

Successful case studies clearly define their objectives and target audience. These two factors shape the entire narrative of the case study, ensuring that it aligns with the intended lessons and resonates with the readers who can benefit from it.

When defining the objectives of a case study, marketers should consider what specific insights they want to gain and what actions they hope to inspire. This clarity of purpose will guide the selection of case study subjects and the analysis of their strategies.

Similarly, identifying the target audience is crucial for crafting a case study that speaks directly to the right people. Marketers should consider who will benefit the most from the lessons shared in the case study and tailor the language, examples, and recommendations accordingly.

Selecting the right case study subjects for analysis

The choice of case study subjects is crucial. Marketers should select case studies that closely align with their industry, target market, or specific marketing challenges they face. By analyzing case studies that are relevant and relatable, marketers can extract insights that are directly applicable to their own marketing strategies.

When selecting case study subjects, marketers should consider not only the industry or market segment but also the specific challenges or goals they are facing. For example, if a marketer is struggling with social media engagement, analyzing a case study of a successful social media campaign can provide valuable insights and inspiration.

Furthermore, it is important to consider the credibility and reliability of the case study subjects. Marketers should look for case studies that have been well-documented and have credible sources of information. This ensures that the insights gained from the analysis are based on accurate and trustworthy data.

Analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies

Case studies have a distinct structure and format. Successful case studies often follow a storytelling approach, clearly outlining the problem, the strategy employed, the tactics used, and the results achieved. Analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies can help marketers present their own strategies in a compelling and engaging manner.

When analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies, marketers should pay attention to the flow of the narrative. Is the story easy to follow? Does it build tension and create anticipation? Is the resolution satisfying? These elements contribute to the overall impact of the case study and can make it more memorable and persuasive.

In addition, marketers should consider the use of visuals and supporting data in successful case studies. Visuals such as charts, graphs, and images can help illustrate key points and make the case study more visually appealing. Supporting data, such as statistics and metrics, can add credibility and provide evidence of the effectiveness of the strategies employed.

By analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies, marketers can gain insights into how to present their own strategies in a way that captures the attention of their audience and effectively communicates the key lessons.

Extracting Valuable Insights from Marketing Case Studies

Once marketers have identified successful case studies, the next step is to extract valuable insights that can inform their own marketing initiatives. This involves examining the strategies employed, understanding the impact of market research and data analysis, and learning from innovative and creative marketing campaigns.

Identifying successful marketing strategies and tactics

Case studies provide an opportunity to identify successful marketing strategies and tactics that have proven effective in specific scenarios. By analyzing these strategies, marketers can gain inspiration and adapt them to their own campaigns to achieve similar results.

Understanding the impact of market research and data analysis

Market research and data analysis play a crucial role in successful marketing case studies. These studies often highlight the importance of gathering and analyzing relevant data to inform marketing decisions. By understanding how market research and data analysis contribute to successful marketing, marketers can leverage these tools to enhance their own strategies.

Learning from innovative and creative marketing campaigns

Successful case studies often showcase innovative and creative marketing campaigns that have captured audience attention. By analyzing these campaigns, marketers can learn valuable lessons about creativity, resourcefulness, and out-of-the-box thinking. These insights can then be applied to their own marketing initiatives to create impact and differentiate their brands.

Applying Lessons Learned to Improve Marketing Strategies

Deriving insights from case studies is only valuable if they can be effectively applied to improve marketing strategies. This involves implementing successful case study findings into marketing plans, adapting strategies to fit different industries and target markets, and measuring the effectiveness of marketing strategies based on case study insights.

Implementing successful case study findings into marketing plans

Successful case study findings should not remain mere insights but should be transformed into actionable plans. Marketers should incorporate these findings into their marketing strategies and campaigns, adapting them to suit their own unique circumstances. By implementing successful case study findings, marketers can increase the likelihood of achieving desirable outcomes.

Adapting strategies to fit different industries and target markets

While case studies provide valuable insights, it's crucial to adapt them to fit different industries and target markets. What works for one brand may not necessarily work for another. Marketers should carefully consider the nuances of their own industry and target market and tailor strategies accordingly. By intelligently integrating case study learnings with industry context, marketers can maximize effectiveness.

Measuring the effectiveness of marketing strategies based on case study insights

An effective marketing strategy is one that can be measured and evaluated. Once marketers have applied case study insights to their own strategies, they should establish clear metrics to assess their effectiveness. By measuring the impact of their strategies, marketers can continuously refine and optimize their marketing efforts based on the lessons learned from the case studies they have analyzed.

Storing Templates in the HIVO Platform

In addition to analyzing case studies for insights, marketers can also streamline their marketing processes by utilizing digital asset management platforms like HIVO. One valuable feature of HIVO is the ability to store templates.

Templates provide marketers with a consistent and efficient way to execute marketing campaigns. With HIVO, marketing teams can easily access and use pre-designed templates for various marketing materials, such as landing pages, social media ads, email campaigns, and more.

By storing templates in the HIVO platform, marketers can ensure brand consistency, save time on design iterations, and maintain quality control over the marketing materials. The ability to store templates simplifies the marketing workflow, enhances collaboration among team members, and allows for better scalability in marketing campaigns.

In conclusion, analyzing successful marketing case studies is a valuable practice for marketers seeking to improve their strategies. By understanding the importance of case studies, identifying key elements of successful case studies, extracting valuable insights, and applying those lessons learned, marketers can enhance their marketing outcomes and drive success in their campaigns. Additionally, leveraging digital asset management platforms like HIVO, with features such as template storage, can further streamline marketing processes and improve efficiency.

• Case Studies

Case Study Basics

What is a case study *.

A case study is a snapshot of an organization or an industry wrestling with a dilemma, written to serve a set of pedagogical objectives. Whether raw or cooked , what distinguishes a pedagogical case study from other writing is that it centers on one or more dilemmas. Rather than take in information passively, a case study invites readers to engage the material in the case to solve the problems presented. Whatever the case structure, the best classroom cases all have these attributes: (1)The case discusses issues that allow for a number of different courses of action – the issues discussed are not “no-brainers,” (2) the case makes the management issues as compelling as possible by providing rich background and detail, and (3) the case invites the creative use of analytical management tools.

Case studies are immensely useful as teaching tools and sources of research ideas. They build a reservoir of subject knowledge and help students develop analytical skills. For the faculty, cases provide unparalleled insights into the continually evolving world of management and may inspire further theoretical inquiry.

There are many case formats. A traditional case study presents a management issue or issues calling for resolution and action. It generally breaks off at a decision point with the manager weighing a number of different options. It puts the student in the decision-maker’s shoes and allows the student to understand the stakes involved. In other instances, a case study is more of a forensic exercise. The operations and history of a company or an industry will be presented without reference to a specific dilemma. The instructor will then ask students to comment on how the organization operates, to look for the key success factors, critical relationships, and underlying sources of value. A written case will pre-package appropriate material for students, while an online case may provide a wider variety of topics in a less linear manner.

Choosing Participants for a Case Study

Many organizations cooperate in case studies out of a desire to contribute to management education. They understand the need for management school professors and students to keep current with practice.

Organizations also cooperate in order to gain exposure in management school classrooms. The increased visibility and knowledge about an organization’s operations and culture can lead to subsidiary benefits such as improved recruiting.

Finally, organizations participate because reading a case about their operations and decision making written by a neutral observer can generate useful insights. A case study preserves a moment in time and chronicles an otherwise hidden history. Managers who visit the classroom to view the case discussion generally find the experience invigorating.

The Final Product

Cases are usually written as narratives that take the reader through the events leading to the decision point, including relevant information on the historical, competitive, legal, technical, and political environment facing the organization. A written case study generally runs from 5,000 to 10,000 words of text supplemented with numerous pages of data exhibits. An online raw case may have less original text, but will require students to extract information from multiple original documents, videos of company leaders discussing the challenges, photographs, and links to articles and websites.

The first time a case is taught represents something of a test run. As students react to the material, plan to revise the case to include additional information or to delete data that does not appear useful. If the organization’s managers attend the class, their responses to student comments and questions may suggest some case revisions as well.

The sponsoring professor will generally write a “teaching note” to give other instructors advice on how to structure classroom discussion and useful bits of analysis that can be included to explicate the issues highlighted in the case study.

Finally, one case may inspire another. Either during the case writing process or after a case is done, a second “B” case might be useful to write that outlines what the organization did or that outlines new challenges faced by the organization after the timeframe of the initial case study.

* Portions of this note are adapted from E. Raymond Corey, “Writing Cases and Teaching Notes,” Harvard Business School case 399-077, with updates to reflect Yale School of Management practices for traditional and raw cases.

Strategy & BizOps Guide

• BizOps Context
•      I. Intro
•      II. Role overview
•      III. Big tech vs. Unicorns
•      IV. Breaking in
•      V. Career path
• BizOps role details
•      I. Hard skills
•      II. Soft skills
•      III. Ex: unicorn project
•      IV. Ex: big tech project
• BizOps interview prep
•      I. Case interviews
•      II. Homework assignments
•      III. Fit interviews

Strategy & Biz Ops case interviews

What to expect, sample interview questions and 5 key tips to help you prepare..

, Manager, Strategy & Operations at Twitter Updated: August 23, 2022 Question bank | Full case examples | Prep tips If you've ever been defeated by a case in a management consulting interview, know that many others, including me, have too. The good thing about having been in those interviews is that you have experienced a case interview and have a sense of what a case interview looks and feels like. It's an experience that's to your advantage as you approach case interviews in strategy & operations (stratops) interviews. The stratops case interview is an interactive conversation between you and your interviewer(s). To succeed, structuring your thoughts and thinking aloud are key. These help your interviewer understand your thinking pattern, especially how you prioritize, as many stratops case questions involve selecting the best path for a company from several competitive alternatives. Similar to a consulting case, some stratops cases require developing a framework and structure with which to explore the issue faced by the company. Others, however, are free-form conversations. However, unlike consulting cases, Strategy & Business Operations cases are more specific to a company and their actual problems and are less likely to go into graphs, charts, and math. Below are some sample questions that demonstrate the types of cases you could get. These are company and industry agnostic so feel free to add in the additional lens of the company or industry you are applying to. If this feels new to you, feel free to refer to the sample walkthroughs to get a sense of how to frame your thinking and your answer. There is no one answer but make sure to stay structured and answer all parts of the question. Sample Strategy & BizOps case questions (Top) Example question #1: our company is interested in investing more money in new online and offline marketing channels to drive growth. how would you go about determining how much to spend and evaluate the effectiveness of new campaigns, example question #2: we currently make operational and financial plans on an annual basis. however, we are hoping to start looking more long term and you have been asked to put together a 5 year and a 10 year forecast, what are the key metrics that you hope to forecast and how would you go about it, example question #3: our company currently works solely on a cost per click model where we make money every time a user clicks on a link to a client’s good. it is heavily dependent on user traffic and we are now thinking about building out new revenue models that would allow us to grow revenue. what are potential models you would suggest, what data do you need, and how would you go about making a decision, example question #4: our company is hoping to grow by moving more downstream of our existing product and owning more of the customer pipeline. to make the move, would you suggest a buy, build, partner or multi pronged strategy, example question #5: we currently have a large set of suppliers that we work with who do not all perform at the same level. moving forward, we hope to differentiate them by coming up with a global partner program to highlight our best partners. how would you go about implementing the program- sample walkthrough provided below., example question #6: our company is interested in opening a new office location with a physical building, how do you go about selecting the city, example question #7: we want to launch a new product but have not been able to find enough external data to help us size the market. what would be your plan of attack to help size the potential market and what types of customer tests would you build to help collect data, example question #8: after a reorg, you’ve been tasked with creating a cohesive team culture and bringing together the teams under one roadmap, what is the structure you would propose including meetings and materials for alignment, example question #9: the company has decided to invest more in competitive research and wants a regular review of the competitive landscape. how do you go about putting together the analysis and what information would you choose to bring in, example question #10: the company is hoping to establish a monthly business review to bring together leaders from different departments and review key metrics. your team has been tasked to take on the project and bring it to life. how would you set up a monthly business review what teams would you involve, what types of metrics would you track, and how would you go about presenting it to get buy in, example question #11: our company really values feedback from frontline teams that work with clients, however, there are too many pieces of data for any one person to sort. how do you go about collecting these ideas and completing the feedback loop to ensure that the ideas are getting to the right product teams and clients feel heard, example question #12: the sales team has been missing their targets for the last two quarters and you have been asked to dig into what could be going on. what are some of the key factors that you would look at to evalue where the problem is. 💡 Tip: Our biz ops interview prep can help Full Strategy & BizOps case examples (Top) Below, are answers to two Strategy & BizOps interview questions from Jessie Wang , a McKinsey Associate who previously managed strategy and analytics teams at Indeed and Expedia. 1. Our company is interested in investing more money in new online and offline marketing channels to drive growth. How would you go about determining how much to spend and evaluate the effectiveness of new campaigns? Step 1: Understand our existing landscape Key questions to ask: What channels do we use today? What is our channel mix? Are we focused on online (e.g. SEO, SEM, targeted ads etc) or are we primarily offline (e.g. radio, print etc.)? How are our current campaigns performing? How many new users are we acquiring? What is their average spend? How long are they spending with us? What is their overall lifetime value? What is the average ROI for our existing campaigns? Step 2: Determining how much we should spend Meeting break even - We need to understand the customer lifetime value by different segments of customers. Customer segments could include customers by acquisition channel and then segmented for different geographies or campaigns. Once we know the average value the customer will generate in their lifetime, this is the max amount that we can spend to acquire them. The customer lifetime value can be thought about as how much the customer will spend with your company before they churn. Strategic value- We can also consider spending over the lifetime value of the customer if there are key competitors in the space or the market has significant market size that we want to go after. At this point, it is an investment. Step 3: Evaluate the effectiveness An effective campaign is one where we have high ROI on customer spend compared to customer acquisition cost. We need to measure this on a per campaign level if possible. If attribution is too difficult at this level, we can also evaluate based on channel or at a geographic level. Other measures of success could include driving up the customer lifetime value over time if the campaign is bringing in better customers than what we have today. Feel free to list the questions that you would need to answer to do more- Because you won’t know the ins and outs of the company, the expectation is more that you would know what questions you want to ask rather than come up with numbers or a correct answer. The interviewer will provide you with more information if they want you to provide more detailed analysis. Make a primary recommendation and then add in secondary considerations- Your primary recommendation should be what you think the answer is but there are likely other considerations or risks that make your answer more holistic. 2. We currently have a large set of suppliers that we work with who do not all perform at the same level. Moving forward, we hope to differentiate them by coming up with a global partner program to highlight our best partners. How would you go about implementing the program? Step 1: Understand the program value proposition Help us as a company prioritize the partners we should devote more time to and allow us incentivize good marketplace behaviors Help our customers understand which partners to work with and how they are performing as not all partners may be equal Help our partners gain more recognition and business by standing out from competitors Step 2: Define the different approaches that we could take Tiered approach with guidelines and qualifications at each level Key questions to answer include: How often do we review performance and redefine tiers? What metrics do we measure? Do we need a different scale based on partner location, size, focus etc? Ranked approach based on a scoring rubric with a clear top and bottom Key questions to answer include: Are there enough differentiating characteristics? Does a hierarchy bring more value to the table or does it add confusion? Can all customers access all partners or do partners have specific focuses? Badging system for different qualifications Key questions to answer include: What are the badges worth including? What is the right number of badges? What scale or threshold should we set to receive a badge? Step 3: Rollout and go to market Determining the criteria - First, we need to work with partners to determine the key criteria and make sure that differences in size, scope, geography are taken into account. These criteria and thresholds also need to be announced publicly to allow new entrants or people who are not our partners today a chance to participate. Grace period - After we have defined the criteria, we need to give partners time to meet the standards that we set before we announce. Pre-announcement - Before we go to launch, we should check with partners to ensure that there is alignment on the data and results of each criteria and that partners are aware of where they wil be in our partner program. This is also a chance to create joint marketing and communications around what the new title will mean. Announcement - Once we are live, we need to continue to update our partner program and create benefits to incentivize our partners to improve in the areas we want. Relate this to what you know - If you’ve ever used a site like Poshmark or Amazon, you know that sellers often have differentiators that the platform has assigned based on their performance. Poshmark has Ambassadors and Amazon has Best Seller. While these examples may be more consumer focused, the intention is similar to hte partner program mentioned in this case so don’t be afraid to leverage what you may have seen work for other companies! One step at a time - Candidates often jump to implementation without considering the purpose of the program and the different ways the program could work. By starting from the basic building blocks, it will give you better insights in your go to market strategy. Case interview prep tips (Top) Adequate preparation is essential to successfully scaling case questions during your interviews. As you navigate the interview process, these 5 tips will come in handy. 1. Practice, practice and practice It is almost impossible to wing a case interview. Like Dave Chapelle recently said on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman on Netflix, "it's easy to do something if you've seen it before." A case interview is definitely not something you want to tackle in an interview the first time you see it. 2. Context matters Case interviews at stratops interviews are nowhere near as difficult as those for management consulting interviews, as they are more straightforward and involve fewer twists than you'd see in a consulting case interview. In fact, while generalist consulting interviews may expect you not to be an expert in the field in which the case is set, for stratops interviews, many companies expect you to have knowledge of the business or industry in which they operate. There is only so much "creativity" you can show about a business for which you are unfamiliar before you end up completely in the weeds with no hope of redemption! Before your interview, get familiar with the industry - trends, challenges, key players - and find out who the company's direct competitors are. 3. Be organized The interview may take twists and turns, and you will need to find your way back to where you started from to give a good summary and final recommendation. Typically, your responses to the initial case questions lead to subsequent questions. Figure out a system of compiling your responses to each section, so that you can give a cohesive and holistic final response. The worst thing you can do is to contradict your initial stance with your final response. 4. Engage your interviewer Approach your interview as a conversation rather than as an exam. Have a back and forth going with your interviewer - ask clarifying questions and incorporate the interviewer's responses as you work through the case. Avoid getting into "exam mode" - working on your own and then presenting your interviewer with a final solution. 5. Quantitative skills are important Depending on the company and the department in which the stratops role reports into, your case interview may include a quant assessment. It could be in the form of mental math questions or a request for you to demo your Excel or SQL capabilities. Brush up and get comfortable with your numbers prowess! To wrap up, the case questions you can expect to receive during the interview will likely be around a current problem the company is facing - growth strategy case, new business or market entry or just about anything the interviewer feels would give a good sense of your stratops skills. While the difficulty level of the stratops cases is on the medium scale when compared with management consulting interviews, you should approach your preparation, and indeed your interview, with the same diligence and professionalism as you would a management consulting case interview! P.S. Are you preparing for Strategy & BizOps interviews? Get real interview questions. Learn from sample answers from BizOps leaders with experience at Google, Uber, Opendoor & more. Plus concept reviews and premium 1-on-1 Expert coaching. Launch your career. For schools Expert program Testimonials Free resources Behavioral guide Consulting guide Product management guide Product marketing guide Strategy & BizOps guide Consulting case book Interview prep Product management Product marketing Strategy & Biz Ops Resume advice Part I: Master resume Part II: Customization Focus: PM resumes Focus: Consulting resumes Focus: BizOps resumes Privacy Policy Home » Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide Table of Contents A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation. It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Case studies typically involve multiple sources of data, including interviews, observations, documents, and artifacts, which are analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, and grounded theory. The findings of a case study are often used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions. Types of Case Study Types and Methods of Case Study are as follows: Single-Case Study A single-case study is an in-depth analysis of a single case. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand a specific phenomenon in detail. For Example , A researcher might conduct a single-case study on a particular individual to understand their experiences with a particular health condition or a specific organization to explore their management practices. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a single-case study are often used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice. Multiple-Case Study A multiple-case study involves the analysis of several cases that are similar in nature. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to identify similarities and differences between the cases. For Example, a researcher might conduct a multiple-case study on several companies to explore the factors that contribute to their success or failure. The researcher collects data from each case, compares and contrasts the findings, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as comparative analysis or pattern-matching. The findings of a multiple-case study can be used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions. Exploratory Case Study An exploratory case study is used to explore a new or understudied phenomenon. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to generate hypotheses or theories about the phenomenon. For Example, a researcher might conduct an exploratory case study on a new technology to understand its potential impact on society. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as grounded theory or content analysis. The findings of an exploratory case study can be used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice. Descriptive Case Study A descriptive case study is used to describe a particular phenomenon in detail. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon. For Example, a researcher might conduct a descriptive case study on a particular community to understand its social and economic characteristics. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a descriptive case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions. Instrumental Case Study An instrumental case study is used to understand a particular phenomenon that is instrumental in achieving a particular goal. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand the role of the phenomenon in achieving the goal. For Example, a researcher might conduct an instrumental case study on a particular policy to understand its impact on achieving a particular goal, such as reducing poverty. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of an instrumental case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions. Case Study Data Collection Methods Here are some common data collection methods for case studies: Interviews involve asking questions to individuals who have knowledge or experience relevant to the case study. Interviews can be structured (where the same questions are asked to all participants) or unstructured (where the interviewer follows up on the responses with further questions). Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing. Observations Observations involve watching and recording the behavior and activities of individuals or groups relevant to the case study. Observations can be participant (where the researcher actively participates in the activities) or non-participant (where the researcher observes from a distance). Observations can be recorded using notes, audio or video recordings, or photographs. Documents can be used as a source of information for case studies. Documents can include reports, memos, emails, letters, and other written materials related to the case study. Documents can be collected from the case study participants or from public sources. Surveys involve asking a set of questions to a sample of individuals relevant to the case study. Surveys can be administered in person, over the phone, through mail or email, or online. Surveys can be used to gather information on attitudes, opinions, or behaviors related to the case study. Artifacts are physical objects relevant to the case study. Artifacts can include tools, equipment, products, or other objects that provide insights into the case study phenomenon. How to conduct Case Study Research Conducting a case study research involves several steps that need to be followed to ensure the quality and rigor of the study. Here are the steps to conduct case study research: Define the research questions: The first step in conducting a case study research is to define the research questions. The research questions should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the case study phenomenon under investigation. Select the case: The next step is to select the case or cases to be studied. The case should be relevant to the research questions and should provide rich and diverse data that can be used to answer the research questions. Collect data: Data can be collected using various methods, such as interviews, observations, documents, surveys, and artifacts. The data collection method should be selected based on the research questions and the nature of the case study phenomenon. Analyze the data: The data collected from the case study should be analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, or grounded theory. The analysis should be guided by the research questions and should aim to provide insights and conclusions relevant to the research questions. Draw conclusions: The conclusions drawn from the case study should be based on the data analysis and should be relevant to the research questions. The conclusions should be supported by evidence and should be clearly stated. Validate the findings: The findings of the case study should be validated by reviewing the data and the analysis with participants or other experts in the field. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. Write the report: The final step is to write the report of the case study research. The report should provide a clear description of the case study phenomenon, the research questions, the data collection methods, the data analysis, the findings, and the conclusions. The report should be written in a clear and concise manner and should follow the guidelines for academic writing. Examples of Case Study Here are some examples of case study research: The Hawthorne Studies : Conducted between 1924 and 1932, the Hawthorne Studies were a series of case studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues to examine the impact of work environment on employee productivity. The studies were conducted at the Hawthorne Works plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago and included interviews, observations, and experiments. The Stanford Prison Experiment: Conducted in 1971, the Stanford Prison Experiment was a case study conducted by Philip Zimbardo to examine the psychological effects of power and authority. The study involved simulating a prison environment and assigning participants to the role of guards or prisoners. The study was controversial due to the ethical issues it raised. The Challenger Disaster: The Challenger Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. The study included interviews, observations, and analysis of data to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster. The Enron Scandal: The Enron Scandal was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Enron Corporation’s bankruptcy in 2001. The study included interviews, analysis of financial data, and review of documents to identify the accounting practices, corporate culture, and ethical issues that led to the company’s downfall. The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster : The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011. The study included interviews, analysis of data, and review of documents to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster. Application of Case Study Case studies have a wide range of applications across various fields and industries. Here are some examples: Business and Management Case studies are widely used in business and management to examine real-life situations and develop problem-solving skills. Case studies can help students and professionals to develop a deep understanding of business concepts, theories, and best practices. Case studies are used in healthcare to examine patient care, treatment options, and outcomes. Case studies can help healthcare professionals to develop critical thinking skills, diagnose complex medical conditions, and develop effective treatment plans. Case studies are used in education to examine teaching and learning practices. Case studies can help educators to develop effective teaching strategies, evaluate student progress, and identify areas for improvement. Social Sciences Case studies are widely used in social sciences to examine human behavior, social phenomena, and cultural practices. Case studies can help researchers to develop theories, test hypotheses, and gain insights into complex social issues. Law and Ethics Case studies are used in law and ethics to examine legal and ethical dilemmas. Case studies can help lawyers, policymakers, and ethical professionals to develop critical thinking skills, analyze complex cases, and make informed decisions. Purpose of Case Study The purpose of a case study is to provide a detailed analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. A case study is a qualitative research method that involves the in-depth exploration and analysis of a particular case, which can be an individual, group, organization, event, or community. The primary purpose of a case study is to generate a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the case, including its history, context, and dynamics. Case studies can help researchers to identify and examine the underlying factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and detailed understanding of the case, which can inform future research, practice, or policy. Case studies can also serve other purposes, including: Illustrating a theory or concept: Case studies can be used to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and frameworks, providing concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations. Developing hypotheses: Case studies can help to generate hypotheses about the causal relationships between different factors and outcomes, which can be tested through further research. Providing insight into complex issues: Case studies can provide insights into complex and multifaceted issues, which may be difficult to understand through other research methods. Informing practice or policy: Case studies can be used to inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement. Advantages of Case Study Research There are several advantages of case study research, including: In-depth exploration: Case study research allows for a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. This can provide a comprehensive understanding of the case and its dynamics, which may not be possible through other research methods. Rich data: Case study research can generate rich and detailed data, including qualitative data such as interviews, observations, and documents. This can provide a nuanced understanding of the case and its complexity. Holistic perspective: Case study research allows for a holistic perspective of the case, taking into account the various factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the case. Theory development: Case study research can help to develop and refine theories and concepts by providing empirical evidence and concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations. Practical application: Case study research can inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement. Contextualization: Case study research takes into account the specific context in which the case is situated, which can help to understand how the case is influenced by the social, cultural, and historical factors of its environment. Limitations of Case Study Research There are several limitations of case study research, including: Limited generalizability : Case studies are typically focused on a single case or a small number of cases, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The unique characteristics of the case may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, which may limit the external validity of the research. Biased sampling: Case studies may rely on purposive or convenience sampling, which can introduce bias into the sample selection process. This may limit the representativeness of the sample and the generalizability of the findings. Subjectivity: Case studies rely on the interpretation of the researcher, which can introduce subjectivity into the analysis. The researcher’s own biases, assumptions, and perspectives may influence the findings, which may limit the objectivity of the research. Limited control: Case studies are typically conducted in naturalistic settings, which limits the control that the researcher has over the environment and the variables being studied. This may limit the ability to establish causal relationships between variables. Time-consuming: Case studies can be time-consuming to conduct, as they typically involve a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific case. This may limit the feasibility of conducting multiple case studies or conducting case studies in a timely manner. Resource-intensive: Case studies may require significant resources, including time, funding, and expertise. This may limit the ability of researchers to conduct case studies in resource-constrained settings. About the author Muhammad Hassan Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer You may also like Survey Research – Types, Methods, Examples Applied Research – Types, Methods and Examples Explanatory Research – Types, Methods, Guide Triangulation in Research – Types, Methods and... Descriptive Research Design – Types, Methods and... Basic Research – Types, Methods and Examples Strategic Case Study Exam windows, exam resources. Resources to help you prepare for your case study exam. Exam Resource Tables and Formulae provided in exam Case study performance descriptors, a walkthrough of real exam answers, calculator guidance, resitters guide - ot and cs exams, learning resources catalogue, free exam and question tutorial strategic case study, what do my exam results mean, further reading. Exam Technique Case Study support 1 – preparing for the Case Study exam Case study support 2 – planning a good answer, case study support 3 – developing a fuller answer. Study Support How to use the CGMA Blueprints Thinking strategically In the late 1970s, Fred Gluck led an effort to revitalize McKinsey’s thinking on strategy while, in parallel, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman were leading a similar effort to reinvent the Firm’s thinking on organization. The first published product of Gluck’s strategy initiative was a 1978 staff paper, "The evolution of strategic management." The ostensible purpose of Gluck’s article was to throw light on the then-popular but ill-defined term "strategic management," using data from a recent McKinsey study of formal strategic planning in corporations. The authors concluded that such planning routinely evolves through four distinct phases of development, rising in sophistication from simple year-to-year budgeting to strategic management, in which strategic planning and everyday management are inextricably intertwined. But the power of the article comes from the authors’ insights into the true nature of strategy and what constitutes high-quality strategic thinking. The article is also noteworthy for setting forth McKinsey’s original definition of strategy as "an integrated set of actions designed to create a sustainable advantage over competitors" and includes a description of the well-known "nine-box" matrix that formed the basis of McKinsey’s approach to business portfolio analysis. Ten years later, a team from the Firm’s Australian office took portfolio analysis a step further. Rather than basing portfolio strategy only on metrics of a business unit’s absolute attractiveness, as suggested by the nine-box matrix, John Stuckey and Ken McLeod recommended adding a key new decision variable: how well-suited is the parent company to run the business unit as compared with other possible owners? If the parent is best suited to extract value from a unit, it often makes no sense to sell, even if that unit doesn’t compete in a particularly profitable industry. Conversely, if a parent company determines that it is not the best possible owner of a business unit, the parent maximizes value by selling it to the most appropriate owner, even if the unit happens to be in a business that is fundamentally attractive. In short, the "market-activated corporate strategy framework" prompts managers to view their portfolios with an investor’s value-maximizing eye. The evolution of strategic management Frederick W. Gluck, Stephen P. Kaufman, and A. Steven Walleck A minor but pervasive frustration that seems to be unique to management as a profession is the rapid obsolescence of its jargon. As soon as a new management concept emerges, it becomes popularized as a buzzword, generalized, overused, and misused until its underlying substance has been blunted past recognition. The same fate could easily befall one of the brightest new concepts to come along lately: strategic management. In seeking to understand what strategic management is, we have conducted a major study of the planning systems at large corporations. This study is unique in that it attempts to pass judgment on the quality of the business plans produced rather than only on the planning process. We found that planning routinely progresses through four discrete phases of development. The first phase, financial planning, is the most basic and can be found at all companies. It is simply the process of setting annual budgets and using them to monitor progress. As financial planners extend their time horizons beyond the current year, they often cross into forecast-based planning, which is the second phase. A few companies have advanced beyond forecast-based planning by entering the third phase, which entails a profound leap forward in the effectiveness of strategic planning. We call this phase externally oriented planning, since it derives many of its advantages from more thorough and creative analyses of market trends, customers, and the competition. Only phase four—which is really a systematic, company-wide embodiment of externally oriented planning—earns the appellation strategic management, and its practitioners are very few indeed. It doesn’t appear possible to skip a step in the process, because at each phase a company adopts attitudes and gains capabilities needed in the phases to come. Many companies have enjoyed considerable success without advancing beyond the rudimentary levels of strategic development. Some large, successful enterprises, for instance, are still firmly embedded in the forecast-based planning phase. You might well ask, are these companies somehow slipping behind, or are they simply responding appropriately to an environment that changes more slowly? The answer must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Phase one: Financial planning Financial planning, as we have said, is nothing more than the familiar annual budgeting process. Managers forecast revenue, costs, and capital needs a year in advance and use these numbers to benchmark performance. In well over half of the companies McKinsey studied—including some highly successful ones—formal planning was still at this most basic phase. Note the word formal. Many firms that lack a sophisticated formal planning process make up for it with an informal "implicit strategy" worked out by the chief executive officer and a few top managers. Formal strategic planning, in fact, is just one of the possible sources of sound strategy development. There are at least two others: strategic thinking and opportunistic strategic decision making (Exhibit 1). All three routes can result in an effective strategy, which we define as "an integrated set of actions designed to create a sustainable advantage over competitors." Phase-one companies, then, do have strategies, even though such companies often lack a formal system for planning them. The quality of the strategy of such a company depends largely on the entrepreneurial vigor of its CEO and other top executives. Do they have a good feel for the competition? Do they know their own cost structures? If the answer to such questions is yes, there may be little advantage to formal strategic planning. Ad-hoc studies by task forces and systematic communication of the essence of the strategy to those who need to know may suffice. Phase two: Forecast-based planning Still, most large enterprises are too complex to be managed with only an implicit strategy. Companies usually learn the shortcomings of phase-one planning as their treasurers struggle to estimate capital needs and make trade-offs among various financing plans, based on no more than a one-year budget. Ultimately, the burden becomes unbearable, and the company evolves toward phase two. At first, phase-two planning differs little from annual budgeting except that it covers a longer period of time. Very soon, however, planners become frustrated because the real world does not behave as their extrapolations predict. Their first response is usually to develop more sophisticated forecasting tools: trend analysis, regression models, and, finally, simulation models. This initial response brings some improvement, but sooner or later all extrapolative models fail. At this point, a creative spark stirs the imaginations of the planners. They suddenly realize that their responsibility is not to chart the future—which is, in fact, impossible—but, rather, to lay out for managers the key issues facing the company. We call this spark "issue orientation." The tough strategic issue that most often triggers the move to issue orientation is the problem of resource allocation: how to set up a flow of capital and other resources among the business units of a diversified company. The technique most commonly applied to this problem is portfolio analysis, a means of depicting a diversified company’s business units in a way that suggests which units should be kept and which sold off and how financial resources should be allocated among them. McKinsey’s standard portfolio analysis tool is the nine-box matrix (Exhibit 2), in which each business unit is plotted along two dimensions: the attractiveness of the relevant industry and the unit’s competitive strength within that industry. Units below the diagonal of the matrix are sold, liquidated, or run purely for cash, and they are allowed to consume little in the way of new capital. Those on the diagonal—marked "Selectivity, earnings"—can be candidates for selective investment. And business units above the diagonal, as the label suggests, should pursue strategies of either selective or aggressive investment and growth. Phase three: Externally oriented planning Once planners see their main role as identifying issues, they shift their attention from the details of their companies’ activities to the outside world, where the most profound issues reside. The planners’ in-depth analyses, previously reserved for inwardly focused financial projections, are now turned outward, to customers, potential customers, competitors, suppliers, and others. This outward focus is the chief characteristic of phase three: externally oriented planning. The process can be time-consuming and rigorous—scrutinizing the outside world is a much larger undertaking than studying the operations of a single company—but it can also pay off dramatically. Take the example of a heavy-equipment maker that spent nine person-months reverse engineering its competitor’s product, reconstructing that competitor’s manufacturing facilities on paper, and estimating its production costs. The result: the company decided that no achievable level of cost reduction could meet the competition and that it therefore made no sense to seek a competitive advantage on price. Phase-three plans can sometimes achieve this kind of dramatic impact because they are very different from the kind of static, deterministic, sterile plans that result from phase-two efforts. In particular, they share the following features: Phase-three resource allocation is dynamic rather than static. The planner looks for opportunities to "shift the dot" of a business into a more attractive region of the portfolio matrix. This can be done by creating new capabilities that will help the company meet the most important prerequisite for success within a market, by redefining the market itself, or by changing the customers’ buying criteria to correspond to the company’s strengths. Phase-three plans are adaptive rather than deterministic. They do not work from a standard strategy, such as "invest for growth." Instead, they continually aim to uncover new ways of defining and satisfying customer needs, new ways of competing more effectively, and new products or services. Phase-three strategies are often surprise strategies. The competition often does not even recognize them as a threat until after they have taken effect. Phase-three plans often recommend not one course of action but several, acknowledging the trade-offs among them. This multitude of possibilities is precisely what makes phase three very uncomfortable for top managers. As in-depth dynamic planning spreads through the organization, top managers realize that they cannot control every important decision. Of course, lower-level staff members often make key decisions under phase-one and phase-two regimes, but because phase three makes this process explicit, it is more unsettling for top managers and spurs them to invest even more in the strategic-planning process. Phase Four: Strategic management When this investment is successful, the result is strategic management: the melding of strategic planning and everyday management into a single, seamless process. In phase four, it is not that planning techniques have become more sophisticated than they were in phase three but that they have become inseparable from the process of management itself. No longer is planning a yearly, or even quarterly, activity. Instead, it is woven into the fabric of operational decision making. No more than a few of the world’s companies—mainly diversified multinationals that manufacture electrical and electronic products—have reached this fourth phase. Perhaps the need to plan for hundreds of fast-evolving businesses serving thousands of product markets in dozens of nations has accelerated evolution at these companies. Observing them can teach executives much about strategic management. The key factor that distinguishes strategically managed companies from their counterparts in phase three is not the sophistication of their planning techniques but rather the care and thoroughness with which they link strategic planning to operational decision making. This often boils down to the following five attributes: A well-understood conceptual framework that sorts out the many interrelated types of strategic issues. This framework is defined by tomorrow’s strategic issues rather than by today’s organizational structure. Strategic issues are hung on the framework like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Top management supervises the process and decides which issues it must address and which should be assigned to operating managers. Strategic thinking capabilities that are widespread throughout the company, not limited to the top echelons. A process for negotiating trade-offs among competing objectives that involves a series of feedback loops rather than a sequence of planning submissions. A well-conceived strategy plans for the resources required and, where resources are constrained, seeks alternatives. A performance review system that focuses the attention of top managers on key problem and opportunity areas, without forcing those managers to struggle through an in-depth review of each business unit’s strategy every year. A motivational system and management values that reward and promote the exercise of strategic thinking. Although it is not possible to make everyone at a company into a brilliant strategic thinker, it is possible to achieve widespread recognition of what strategic thinking is. This understanding is based on some relatively simple rules. Strategic thinking seeks hard, fact-based, logical information. Strategists are acutely uncomfortable with vague concepts like "synergy." They do not accept generalized theories of economic behavior but look for underlying market mechanisms and action plans that will accomplish the end they seek. Strategic thinking questions everyone’s unquestioned assumptions. Most business executives, for example, regard government regulation as a bothersome interference in their affairs. But a few companies appear to have revised that assumption and may be trying to participate actively in the formation of regulatory policies to gain a competitive edge. Strategic thinking is characterized by an all-pervasive unwillingness to expend resources. A strategist is always looking for opportunities to win at low or, better yet, no cost. Strategic thinking is usually indirect and unexpected rather than head-on and predictable. Basil Henry Liddell Hart, probably the foremost thinker on military strategy in the 20th century, has written, "To move along the line of natural expectation consolidates the opponent’s balance and thus his resisting power." "In strategy," says Liddell Hart, "the longest way around is often the shortest way home." 1 1. See B. H. Liddell Hart, Strategy , second edition, Columbus, Ohio: Meridian Books, 1991. It appears likely that strategic management will improve a company’s long-term business success. Top executives in strategically managed companies point with pride to many effective business strategies supported by coherent functional plans. In every case, they can identify individual successes that have repaid many times over the company’s increased investment in planning. About the Authors Frederick Gluck  was the managing director of McKinsey from 1988 to 1994;  Stephen Kaufman  and Steven Walleck  are alumni of McKinsey’s Cleveland office. This article is adapted from a McKinsey staff paper dated October 1978. MACS: The market-activated corporate strategy framework Ken McLeod and John Stuckey McKinsey’s nine-box strategy matrix, prevalent in the 1970s, plotted the attractiveness of a given industry along one axis and the competitive position of a particular business unit in that industry along the other. Thus, the matrix could reduce the value-creation potential of a company’s many business units to a single, digestible chart. However, the nine-box matrix applied only to product markets: those in which companies sell goods and services to customers. Because a comprehensive strategy must also help a parent company win in the market for corporate control—where business units themselves are bought, sold, spun off, and taken private—we have developed an analytical tool called the market-activated corporate strategy (MACS) framework. MACS represents much of McKinsey’s most recent thinking in strategy and finance. Like the old nine-box matrix, MACS includes a measure of each business unit’s stand-alone value within the corporation, but it adds a measure of a business unit’s fitness for sale to other companies. This new measure is what makes MACS especially useful. The key insight of MACS is that a corporation’s ability to extract value from a business unit relative to other potential owners should determine whether the corporation ought to hold onto the unit in question. In particular, this issue should not be decided by the value of the business unit viewed in isolation. Thus, decisions about whether to sell off a business unit may have less to do with how unattractive it really is (the main concern of the nine-box matrix) and more to do with whether a company is, for whatever reason, particularly well suited to run it. In the MACS matrix, the axes from the old nine-box framework measuring the industry’s attractiveness and the business unit’s ability to compete have been collapsed into a single horizontal axis, representing a business unit’s potential for creating value as a stand-alone enterprise (Exhibit 3). The vertical axis in MACS represents a parent company’s ability, relative to other potential owners, to extract value from a business unit. And it is this second measure that makes MACS unique. Managers can use MACS just as they used the nine-box tool, by representing each business unit as a bubble whose radius is proportional to the sales, the funds employed, or the value added by that unit. The resulting chart can be used to plan acquisitions or divestitures and to identify the sorts of institutional skill-building efforts that the parent corporation should be engaged in. The horizontal dimension: The potential to create value The horizontal dimension of a MACS matrix shows a business unit’s potential value as an optimally managed stand-alone enterprise. Sometimes, this measure can be qualitative. When precision is needed, though, you can calculate the maximum potential net present value (NPV) of the business unit and then scale that NPV by some factor—such as sales, value added, or funds employed—to make it comparable to the values of the other business units. If the business unit might be better run under different managers, its value is appraised as if they already do manage it, since the goal is to estimate optimal, not actual, value. That optimal value depends on three basic factors: Industry attractiveness is a function of the structure of an industry and the conduct of its players, both of which can be assessed using the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) model. Start by considering the external forces impinging on an industry, such as new technologies, government policies, and lifestyle changes. Then consider the industry’s structure, including the economics of supply, demand, and the industry chain. Finally, look at the conduct and the financial performance of the industry’s players. The feedback loops shown in Exhibit 4 interact over time to determine the attractiveness of the industry at any given moment.  The position of your business unit within its industry depends on its ability to sustain higher prices or lower costs than the competition does. Assess this ability by considering the business unit as a value delivery system, where "value" means benefits to buyers minus price. 2 2. See Michael J. Lanning and Edward G. Michaels, 'A business is a value delivery system,' on page 53 of this anthology. Chances to improve the attractiveness of the industry or the business unit’s competitive position within it come in two forms: opportunities to do a better job of managing internally and possible ways of shaping the structure of the industry or the conduct of its participants. The vertical dimension: The ability to extract value The vertical axis of the MACS matrix measures a corporation’s relative ability to extract value from each business unit in its portfolio. The parent can be classified as "in the pack," if it is no better suited than other companies to extract value from a particular business unit, or as a "natural owner," if it is uniquely suited for the job. The strength of this vertical dimension is that it makes explicit the true requirement for corporate performance: extracting more value from assets than anyone else can. Many qualities can make a corporation the natural owner of a certain business unit. The parent corporation may be able to envision the future shape of the industry—and therefore to buy, sell, and manipulate assets in a way that anticipates a new equilibrium. It may excel at internal control: cutting costs, squeezing suppliers, and so on. It may have other businesses that can share resources with the new unit or transfer intermediate products or services to and from it. (In our experience, corporations tend to overvalue synergies that fall into this latter category. Believing that the internal transfer of goods and services is always a good thing, these companies never consider the advantages of arm’s-length market transactions.) Finally, there may be financial or technical factors that determine, to one extent or other, the natural owner of a business unit. These can include taxation, owners’ incentives, imperfect information, and differing valuation techniques. Using the framework Once a company’s business units have been located on the MACS matrix, the chart can be used to plan preliminary strategies for each of them. The main principle guiding this process should be the primary one behind MACS itself: the decision about whether a unit ought to be part of a company’s portfolio hangs more on that company’s relative ability to extract value from the unit than on its intrinsic value viewed in isolation. The matrix itself can suggest some powerful strategic prescriptions—for example: Divest structurally attractive businesses if they are worth more to someone else. Retain structurally mediocre (or even poor) businesses if you can coax more value out of them than other owners could. Give top priority to business units that lie toward the far left of the matrix—either by developing them internally if you are their natural owner or by selling them as soon as possible if someone else is. Consider improving a business unit and selling it to its natural owner if you are well equipped to increase the value of the business unit through internal improvements but not in the best position to run it once it is in top shape. Of course, the MACS matrix is just a snapshot. Sometimes, a parent company can change the way it extracts value, and in so doing it can become the natural owner of a business even if it wasn’t previously. But such a change will come at a cost to the parent and to other units in its portfolio. The manager’s objective is to find the combination of corporate capabilities and business units that provides the best overall scope for creating value. MACS, a descendent of the old nine-box matrix, packages much of McKinsey’s thinking on strategy and finance. We have found that it serves well as a means of assessing strategy along the critical dimensions of value creation potential and relative ability to extract value. Ken McLeod  is an alumnus of McKinsey’s Melbourne office, and  John Stuckey  is a director in the Sydney office. This article is adapted from a McKinsey staff paper dated July 1989. Copyright © 1989, 2000 McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved. Explore a career with us Recommended A case study: How group negotiations led to better contracts for interventional radiologists The group’s story: facts and dynamics This unique group of three interventional radiologists, each making a substantial income, found themselves in a situation where their compensation was not commensurate with their contributions. Their pay structure had not been updated in eight years. According to our analysis, each was making good money, but the pay was not fair (over $700k) by market standards. They were paid on a 1099 basis, paid their malpractice insurance, and had no paid leave (they were 100 percent production). They were paid per wRVU they produced and 15 percent of an infusion center’s profits. The medical director was also paid an additional $60k annually for the administrative time he allocated beyond his clinical duties. Despite the challenging circumstances, each interventional radiologist consistently produced at a level that exceeded the 90th percentile of the recent MGMA study. This is a testament to their unwavering dedication, high productivity, and undeniable value within the group. Other group concerns Compensation Burnout and staffing Two-year renewal and renegotiation instead of eight years Malpractice coverage and how it was being paid/reimbursed Often, the administration feels that having a third party can delay the process, put a wedge between their physicians and themselves, or simply be too successful and cost them more than if the physicians were doing it themselves. The administration took the following positions: The physicians were already highly paid. The facility’s compensation structure was similar to that in other facilities in other states, and the administrators felt the compensation was reasonable for the physicians in this location. Administrators know they have the advantage if they work with busy physicians who are easily distracted and may need help knowing what to ask for or have the correct information. The physicians, feeling the weight of the process and their disadvantage, were eager to hand over the negotiations to a third party with expertise in contract negotiations. Leveraging third-party expertise in compensation strategy We thoroughly analyzed both sides—what the radiologists wanted and what the facility could do. We determined the “fair market value” for the group in this particular location. Mediation with the facility was essential, as most physicians are not prepared for this process, either from a time or knowledge standpoint. The latest physician compensation information from local, regional, and national levels was able to bridge the gap and facilitate a successful negotiation. The negotiation process was designed to be a win-win for all parties involved—the facility, the community, and the physicians. This collaborative approach ensured that everyone’s needs and concerns were addressed, fostering a sense of inclusivity and mutual benefit. The facility agreed to increase the conversion factor by a small margin so the physicians could be paid more, and we increased the physicians’ profit share percentage by 5 percent to 20 percent. Provided production and profits remain the same (every year, not just once), this would result in a net gain per physician of around $112k annually. The facility was also agreeable to renegotiate in 24 months and change how the physicians were reimbursed for malpractice insurance, saving them additional headaches, time, and money. Key takeaways Physician employers: partners, not adversaries. They want physicians to be satisfied with their compensation arrangements. There is already a shortage of interventional radiologists, and the number is expected to worsen. The replacement of interventional radiologists poses financial, health care, and community challenges. Administrators may try to take advantage of physicians’ lack of business savvy. A common tactic is to single a physician out and offer a “sweetheart deal” to get the group to sign a lesser deal. Even within the same group, physicians cannot decide what they want and have no clue what is “fair.” Often frustrated and underappreciated, physicians can find solace when their compensation is fair, a sentiment that physician employers may not always be aware of. Physicians are busy, overwhelmed, and skeptical. Despite their dedication to medicine, many physicians need updates to enter into long-term agreements. This lack of clarity can lead to uncertainty and a feeling of being in the dark about their contracts, which could be improved with precise and updated agreements. Physicians have difficulty agreeing on patient care, let alone what they want, which would improve their lives. This case illustrates the importance of preparation, unity, and strategic communication in contract negotiations. The surgeons’ proactive approach improved their contractual conditions and set a precedent for future negotiations within the hospital. Jon Appino has been the driving force behind  Contract Diagnostics since 2011, where he leads a dedicated team on a mission to empower physicians with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to negotiate robust employment contracts and secure the best compensation packages. With over a century of collective experience, the CDx team is a paragon of field expertise. With over 25 years of diverse health care experience, Jon leads this seasoned team of professionals. From Pete’s 20+ years to Anu’s 25+ years, complemented by Jillian and Laura’s 10+ years each, our team boasts a wealth of knowledge. This remarkable tenure is further fortified by the skills and backgrounds of our other team members, including Kathryn Sarnoski, MD, and Jan Schmitz, director of operations. Their combined experience ensures that Contract Diagnostics offers the most seasoned and insightful guidance in physician compensation. Discover more of Jon’s perspectives on physician compensation by exploring the Contract Diagnostics blog or connecting on social media platforms like LinkedIn ,  Facebook ,  YouTube , and  Instagram . The  Contract Diagnostics  team offers comprehensive consulting services tailored to physicians and their families, addressing employment contracts and compensation structures. Our expertise spans contract physician compensation, schedules, benefits, and more. Our mission is to establish a central resource where physicians can access information, consulting, and coaching to navigate the intricacies of employment contracts and compensation structures, ensuring equitable remuneration. Questions? Feel free to reach out to us via our  website  or at 888-574-5526. Revolutionizing medical training: the power of simulation education How hospitals' requirements lead to staffing shortages Tagged as: Practice Management More by Contract Diagnostics A group of 4 successful surgeons negotiate better contracts: a case study 2024: Is it time to (re)negotiate your physician contract? Unlocking your full earning potential: a physician’s journey to a $70,000 salary boost Related posts. COVID-19 and the Tuskegee syphilis study It’s time to seriously study gun violence How this medical student adjusted her study schedule for better self-care Want to crush USMLE Step 1? Here are some evidence-based study tips. Understanding professional liability insurance in physician employment contracts More in finance. Optimizing operations at doctors’ offices: the power of asset tracking Why physicians should consider investing in residential assisted living homes The tiniest ray of hope for reasonable physician compensation. Integrating clinical expertise with business acumen for private practice success How doctors can use the augusta rule to save on taxes, most popular. Finding peace after years of abuse: a journey through grief It’s time for physicians to reclaim their voice and identity Revolutionizing migraine treatment: the untold story of beta-blocker nasal sprays [PODCAST] The U.K.’s pandemic missteps: insights from the ongoing inquiry Humanizing medicine in a high-tech world [PODCAST] When protocols fail: lessons from Trump’s attempted assassination and medical errors Past 6 months. President Biden’s debate performance: episode or condition? The risks of digital health companies to psychiatric patients Where did the physician to physician courtesy go? The misrepresentation of the EDUCATE Act and the future of our health care system Concierge medicine: exclusive access or equity dilemma? The ethical dilemma of accessible parking permits Recent posts. Big business and surgery: Who belongs in your operating room How to support physician wellness during the toughest times Breaking the stigma: obesity and perimenopause [PODCAST] The truth behind the U.S. doctor shortage: Is it intentional or not? New standards for anesthesia in out-of-hospital Cesarean sections Subscribe to kevinmd and never miss a story. Get free updates delivered free to your inbox. Find jobs at Careers by KevinMD.com Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now. CME Spotlights Leave a Comment Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy . Information Author Services Initiatives You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader. All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess . Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications. Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers. Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal. Original Submission Date Received: . Active Journals Find a Journal Proceedings Series For Authors For Reviewers For Editors For Librarians For Publishers For Societies For Conference Organizers Open Access Policy Institutional Open Access Program Special Issues Guidelines Editorial Process Research and Publication Ethics Article Processing Charges Testimonials Preprints.org SciProfiles Encyclopedia Article Menu Subscribe SciFeed Recommended Articles Google Scholar on Google Scholar Table of Contents Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website. Please let us know what you think of our products and services. Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI. JSmol Viewer Behavioral conflicts in urban greenway recreation: a case study of the “three rivers and one mountain” greenway in xi’an, china. 1. Introduction 2. materials and methods, 2.1. case selection, 2.2. data collection, 2.3. data analysis, 3.1. types of behavioral conflicts, 3.2. influencing factors of behavioral conflict perception, 3.3. respondents’ focus on greenway development, 4. discussion, 4.1. types of behavioral conflicts among recreational groups, 4.1.1. danger perception behavioral conflict type, 4.1.2. space occupancy behavioral conflict type, 4.1.3. environmental damage behavioral conflict type, 4.1.4. noise disturbance behavioral conflict type, 4.2. influence of demographic and other factors on behavioral conflict perception, 4.3. recommendations for greenway development, 4.4. limitations and future directions, 5. conclusions, author contributions, data availability statement, conflicts of interest. Akpinar, A. Factors influencing the use of urban greenways: A case study of Aydın, Turkey. Urban For. Urban Green. 2016 , 16 , 123–131. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Li, L.; Gao, X.; Li, J.; Meng, L.; Wang, Z.; Yang, L. Difference of Usage Behavior between Urban Greenway and Suburban Greenway: A Case Study in Beijing, China. Land 2022 , 11 , 1245. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Liu, Z.; Lin, Y.; De Meulder, B.; Wang, S. Can greenways perform as a new planning strategy in the Pearl River Delta, China? Landsc. Urban Plan. 2019 , 187 , 81–95. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Xie, B.; Pang, Z.; He, D.; Lu, Y.; Chen, Y. Effects of neighborhood environment on different aspects of greenway use: Evidence from East Lake Greenway, China. J. Transp. Geogr. 2023 , 106 , 103488. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Guo, J.; Fu, Y.; Sun, X. Green innovation efficiency and multiple paths of urban sustainable development in China: Multi-configuration analysis based on urban innovation ecosystem. Sci. Rep. 2023 , 13 , 12975. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ] Liu, Z.; Lin, Y.; De Meulder, B.; Wang, S. Heterogeneous landscapes of urban greenways in Shenzhen: Traffic impact, corridor width and land use. Urban For. Urban Green. 2020 , 55 , 126785. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Zheng, D.Y.; Zhou, X.Y.; He, Y.J.; Jiang, W.W. The Research on Urban Greenway Fineness Route Selection Technology Based on Multivariate Big Data and Network Model: A Cace Study of Wuhan Greenways. Modern Urban Research 2023 , 113–118. [ Google Scholar ] Keith, S.J.; Larson, L.R.; Shafer, C.S.; Hallo, J.C.; Fernandez, M. Greenway use and preferences in diverse urban communities: Implications for trail design and management. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2018 , 172 , 47–59. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Zhang, Y.; Huang, Y.; Zheng, M.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, Q.; He, T.; Ye, J. A Study on the Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Soundscape Perception in Landscape Spaces of Urban Greenways. Forests 2024 , 15 , 670. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Xing, Y.L.; Chen, Y.H.; Lei, Y.Q.; Zhang, M. Post Occupancy Evaluation of Urban Recreational Greenway—Fudao of Fuzhou City as an Example. J. Heilongjiang Vocat. Inst. Ecol. Eng. 2023 , 36 , 15–19+77. [ Google Scholar ] He, H.; Li, J.; Lin, X.; Yu, Y. Greenway Cyclists’ Visual Perception and Landscape Imagery Assessment. Front. Psychol. 2021 , 12 , 541469. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Cao, S.; Song, C.; Jiang, S.; Luo, H.; Zhang, P.; Huang, Y.; Yu, J.; Li, K.; Li, N.; Guo, B.; et al. Effects of Urban Greenway Environmental Types and Landscape Characteristics on Physical and Mental Health Restoration. Forests 2024 , 15 , 679. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Chi, W.; Lin, G. The Use of Community Greenways: A Case Study on A Linear Greenway Space in High Dense Residential Areas, Guangzhou. Land 2019 , 8 , 188. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Lynch, A.J. Creating Effective Urban Greenways and Stepping-stones: Four Critical Gaps in Habitat Connectivity Planning Research. J. Plan. Lit. 2018 , 34 , 131–155. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Tan, K.W. A greenway network for singapore. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2006 , 76 , 45–66. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Xu, H.; Fu, F.; Miao, M. What Is the Effect of Cultural Greenway Projects in High-Density Urban Municipalities? Assessing the Public Living Desire near the Cultural Greenway in Central Beijing. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022 , 19 , 2147. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Fábos, J.G.; Ryan, R.L. An introduction to greenway planning around the world. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2006 , 76 , 1–6. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Fábos, J.G. Greenway planning in the United States: Its origins and recent case studies. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2004 , 68 , 321–342. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Little, C.E. Greenways for America ; JHU Press: Baltimore, MD, USA, 1995. [ Google Scholar ] Horte, O.; Eisenman, T. Urban Greenways: A Systematic Review and Typology. Land 2020 , 9 , 40. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Zhang, Y.; Ong, G.X.; Jin, Z.; Seah, C.M.; Chua, T.S. The effects of urban greenway environment on recreational activities in tropical high-density Singapore: A computer vision approach. Urban For. Urban Green. 2022 , 75 , 127678. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Lin, J.; Yang, W.; Yu, K.; Geng, J.; Liu, J. Identification and Construction of Ecological Nodes in the Fuzhou Ecological Corridors. Forests 2022 , 13 , 1837. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] von Haaren, C.; Reich, M. The German way to greenways and habitat networks. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2006 , 76 , 7–22. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Liu, C.; Chen, X.F.; Sun, X.X.; Deng, S.Q.; Tan, Y.P. Overview and Inspiration of Greenway Construction in Japan. World For. Res. 2016 , 29 , 91–96. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Chen, Y.; Gu, W.; Liu, T.; Yuan, L.; Zeng, M. Increasing the Use of Urban Greenways in Developing Countries: A Case Study on Wutong Greenway in Shenzhen, China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017 , 14 , 554. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ] Ferguson, M.D.; Caraynoff, A.R.; Ferguson, L.A.; Barcelona, R.J.; Evensen, D.; Knox, H.; Pytlik, S.; Grosz, D. Whether They Return: Modeling Outdoor Recreation Behaviors, Decision Making, and Intention-to-Return in Congressionally Designated Wilderness. Forests 2022 , 13 , 1018. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Guangsi, L.I.N.; Zhaosen, Z. Research on the Influencing Factors of Users’ Perception of the Inclusiveness of Urban Parks Based on the Grounded Theory. Landsc. Archit. Front. 2022 , 10 , 12–37. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Marzano, M.; Dandy, N. Recreationist behaviour in forests and the disturbance of wildlife. Biodivers. Conserv. 2012 , 21 , 2967–2986. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Shelby, L.B.; Vaske, J.J. Perceived Crowding among Hunters and Anglers: A Meta-Analysis. Hum. Dimens. Wildl. 2007 , 12 , 241–261. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Wang, C.-P.; Dawson, C.P. Recreation Conflict Along New York′s Great Lakes Coast. Coast. Manag. 2005 , 33 , 297–314. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Wong, K.K.; Yu, X. Recreation conflict perception among visitors to Tuen Mun Park, Hong Kong, China: Outgroup evaluation, resource specificity, and lifestyle tolerance. Manag. Leis. 2012 , 17 , 349–362. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Schroeder, S.A.; Fulton, D.C.; Cornicelli, L.; McInenly, L.E. Recreation conflict, coping, and satisfaction: Minnesota grouse hunters’ conflicts and coping response related to all-terrain vehicle users, hikers, and other hunters. J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour. 2020 , 30 , 100282. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Bakhtiari, F.; Jacobsen, J.B.; Jensen, F.S. Willingness to travel to avoid recreation conflicts in Danish forests. Urban For. Urban Green. 2014 , 13 , 662–671. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Kainzinger, S.; Burns, R.C.; Arnberger, A. Whitewater Boater and Angler Conflict, Crowding and Satisfaction on the North Umpqua River, Oregon. Hum. Dimens. Wildl. 2015 , 20 , 542–552. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Sever, I.; Verbič, M. Providing information to respondents in complex choice studies: A survey on recreational trail preferences in an urban nature park. Landsc. Urban Plan. 2018 , 169 , 160–177. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Watkins, C.E.; Poudyal, N.C. Recreation group encounters and impacts on satisfaction in Tennessee wildlife management areas. Hum. Dimens. Wildl. 2020 , 26 , 507–522. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Price, S.; Blacketer, M.; Brownlee, M. The influence of place attachment on campers’ evaluations of ecological impacts due to recreation use. J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour. 2018 , 21 , 30–38. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Pickering, C.; Rossi, S.D.; Hernando, A.; Barros, A. Current knowledge and future research directions for the monitoring and management of visitors in recreational and protected areas. J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour. 2018 , 21 , 10–18. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Dissanayake, S.T.M.; Meyer, A.G. Incorporating Beliefs and Experiences into Choice Experiment Analysis: Implications for Policy Recommendations. Appl. Econ. Perspect. Policy 2020 , 43 , 823–848. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Mann, C.; Absher, J.D. Recreation conflict potential and management implications in the northern/central Black Forest Nature Park. J. Environ. Plan. Manag. 2008 , 51 , 363–380. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Birks, M.; Hoare, K.; Mills, J. Grounded Theory: The FAQs. Int. J. Qual. Methods 2019 , 18 , 1609406919882535. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Turner, C.; Astin, F. Grounded theory: What makes a grounded theory study? Eur. J. Cardiovasc. Nurs. 2021 , 20 , 285–289. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Charmaz, K.; Thornberg, R. The pursuit of quality in grounded theory. Qual. Res. Psychol. 2020 , 18 , 305–327. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Wang, H.D.; Ye, J.; Tarin, M.W.K.; Liu, Y.Y.; Zheng, Y.S. Tourists’ Safety Perception Clues in the Urban Forest Environment: Visual Quality, Facility Completeness, Accessibility-A Case Study of Urban Forests in Fuzhou, China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022 , 19 , 1293. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ] Mak, B.K.L.; Jim, C.Y. Contributions of human and environmental factors to concerns of personal safety and crime in urban parks. Secur. J. 2021 , 35 , 263–293. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Pam Carothers, J.J.V.M. Social Values versus Interpersonal Conflict among Hikers and Mountain Bikers. Leis. Sci. 2001 , 23 , 47–61. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Bachinger, M.; Hafner, M.; Harprecht, P. Cultural and space-based factors influencing recreational conflicts in forests. The example of cyclists and other forest visitors in Freiburg (Germany). Eur. J. Cult. Manag. Policy 2024 , 13 , 12494. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Vaske, J.J.; Needham, M.D.; Cline, R.C. Clarifying Interpersonal and Social Values Conflict among Recreationists. J. Leis. Res. 2017 , 39 , 182–195. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Kleiner, A.; Freuler, B.W.; Arnberger, A.; Hunziker, M. Biking-hiking conflicts and their mitigation in urban recreation areas: Results of a quasi-experimental long-term evaluation in the Zurich forest. J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour. 2022 , 40 , 100563. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Wang, Y.-J.; Yu, S.-Q.; Lin, M.-H. Study on visitors′ crowding perception, adjustment mechanism and satisfaction in urban natural parks. J. Nat. Resour. 2023 , 38 , 1025–1039. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Jacob, G.R.; Schreyer, R. Conflict in Outdoor Recreation: A Theoretical Perspective. J. Leis. Res. 2018 , 12 , 368–380. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Harshaw, H. Outdoor recreation participation in BC forest-dependent communities. For. Chron. 2008 , 84 , 2. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Keith, S.J.; Boley, B.B. Importance-performance analysis of local resident greenway users: Findings from Three Atlanta BeltLine Neighborhoods. Urban For. Urban Green. 2019 , 44 , 126426. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Confer, J.J.; Thapa, B.; Mendelsohn, J.L. Exploring a Typology of Recreation Conflict in Outdoor Environments. World Leis. J. 2011 , 47 , 12–23. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Mallette, A.; Heaney, S.; McGlynn, B.; Stuart, S.; Witkowski, S.; Plummer, R. Outdoor education, environmental perceptions, and sustainability: Exploring relationships and opportunities. J. Outdoor Environ. Educ. 2024 . [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Ren, Y.; Yang, Q. Research on the Factors Influencing the Perception of Urban Park Recreational Behavior Based on the “Homo Urbanicus” Theory. Sustainability 2023 , 15 , 6525. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Yao, X.; Sun, Y.; Sun, B.; Huang, Y. The Impact of the Urban Forest Park Recreation Environment and Perceived Satisfaction on Post-Tour Behavioral Intention—Using Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park as an Example. Forests 2024 , 15 , 330. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Ferguson, M.D.; Giles, G.; Ferguson, L.A.; Barcelona, R.; Evensen, D.; Barrows, C.; Leberman, M. Seeing the forest for the trees: A social-ecological systems approach to managing outdoor recreation visitation in parks and protected areas. J. Outdoor Recreat. Tour. 2022 , 38 , 100473. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Gong, L.; Mao, B.; Qi, Y.; Xu, C. A satisfaction analysis of the infrastructure of country parks in Beijing. Urban For. Urban Green. 2015 , 14 , 480–489. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Zhang, Z.; Gao, Y.; Zhou, S.; Zhang, T.; Zhang, W.; Meng, H. Psychological Cognitive Factors Affecting Visual Behavior and Satisfaction Preference for Forest Recreation Space. Forests 2022 , 13 , 136. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] Click here to enlarge figure Walkers 60 53.57% Mountain Bikers 21 18.75% Joggers 13 11.61% Campers 18 16.07% Perceived conflicts and provided suggestions 61 54.46% Did not perceive conflicts but provided suggestions 51 45.54% Male 62 55.36% Female 50 44.64% Residents 72 64.29% Tourists 40 35.71% Conflict Type Conflict Evaluation Conflict Descriptive Statements Danger perception Pet injuries “If dogs are not leashed, it can frighten people...”; “I’m afraid that large dogs might fight with my small dog and hurt it...” Excessive speed “Cyclists ride very fast, which could affect the elderly and children...” barbecue Fires “Some people picnic there, but honestly, it doesn’t feel safe. If the wind blows and ignites the grass, especially with all the trees around...” Wrong-way turning “While cycling, I encounter others suddenly turning or riding in the wrong direction, which can cause collisions if I can’t brake in time...” Collisions “People walking their pets might collide with others...”; “We need to be extra careful with kids, especially in crowded areas, to avoid accidents...” Space occupancy Crowded feeling “It’s too crowded. If people are running on the track, walkers shouldn’t stand there...” Road obstruction “A group of people walking side by side affects our activities and causes disturbances...” Environmental damage Pet excretion “Pet waste left behind is very dirty...” Littering “Some people litter, which is not good...” Damaging infrastructure “Some children are not well supervised and break streetlights, which affects our mood...” Noise disturbance Noisy children “Children making loud noises is very disruptive...” Loud music “Some people play very loud music as they pass by, which affects my mood...” Demographic Information Category Number (Proportion) Total Danger Perception Space Occupancy Environmental Damage Noise Disturbance Gender Male 35 (57.38%) 16 (45.71%) 4 (11.43%) 11 (31.43%) 4 (11.43%) Female 26 (42.63%) 12 (46.15%) 1 (3.85%) 11 (42.31%) 2 (7.69%) Age 18–25 4 (6.56%) 3 (75%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (25%) 26–30 15 (24.59%) 2 (13.33%) 2 (13.33%) 9 (60%) 2 (13.33%) 31–40 21 (34.43%) 11 (52.38%) 2 (9.52%) 6 (28.57%) 2 (9.52%) 41–50 7 (11.48%) 4 (57.14%) 1 (14.29%) 2 (28.57%) 0 (0%) 51–60 7 (11.48%) 5 (71.43%) 0 (0%) 1 (14.29%) 1 (14.29%) 60+ 7 (11.48%) 3 (42.86%) 0 (0%) 4 (57.14%) 0 (0%) Highest education level Elementary school or below 4 (6.56%) 2 (50%) 0 (0%) 2 (50%) 0 (0%) Middle school 6 (9.84%) 4 (66.67%) 0 (0%) 2 (33.33%) 0 (0%) High school/Vocational school 10 (16.39%) 7 (70%) 0 (0%) 3 (30%) 0 (0%) Associate/Bachelor’s degree 30 (49.18%) 13 (43.33%) 2 (6.67%) 12 (40%) 3 (10%) Master’s degree 3 (4.92%) 0 (0%) 2 (66.67%) 1 (33.33%) 0 (0%) Doctorate 8 (13.11%) 2 (25%) 1 (12.5%) 2 (25%) 3 (37.5%) Residency status Tourist 22 (36.07%) 10 (45.45%) 3 (13.64%) 5 (22.73%) 4 (18.18%) Resident 39 (63.93%) 18 (46.15%) 2 (5.13%) 17 (43.59%) 2 (5.13%) Familiarity with greenway Very familiar with its basic functions 8 (13.11%) 2 (25%) 1 (12.5%) 2 (25%) 3 (37.5%) Familiar and frequent visitor 30 (49.18%) 14 (46.67%) 2 (6.67%) 12 (40%) 2 (6.67%) Heard of it 16 (26.23%) 8 (50%) 2 (12.5%) 5 (31.25%) 1 (6.25%) Completely unfamiliar 7 (11.48%) 4 (57.14%) 0 (0%) 3 (42.86%) 0 (0%) Primary purpose Physical exercise 51 (83.61%) 24 (47.06%) 4 (7.84%) 17 (33.33%) 6 (11.76%) Sightseeing 5 (8.20%) 1 (20%) 0 (0%) 4 (80%) 0 (0%) Photography 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Playing with children 4 (6.56%) 2 (50%) 1 (25%) 1 (25%) 0 (0%) Walking pets 1 (1.64%) 1 (100%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) Evaluation Type Evaluation Statements Infrastructure “More parking lots should be built...” “The restrooms are inadequate; the nearest one is a ten-minute walk away...” “There are too few resting places; more benches or shorter distances between rest stops would be helpful...” “Installing some streetlights in certain areas would be better...” “There seem to be few pavilions; having some would provide shelter from wind and rain...” “The functions of the greenway are relatively limited; I hope more recreational facilities are added to offer richer cultural and entertainment experiences...” Green landscaping “Develop more green landscapes to build an emotional connection with the greenway...” “I hope the greenway can enhance its greenery; a variety of plants would lift my spirits...” Behavior management “Traffic management should be improved, with separate routes for cyclists and pedestrians to avoid disturbances...” “More outdoor dining and camping areas should be provided, and security should not interfere with recreational activities...” “Effective cleaning and maintenance are needed to avoid dirty and messy areas that can affect the mood...” “There should be dedicated paths for runners; mixing vehicles and people is unsafe, so pedestrian and vehicle lanes should be separated...” “More informational signs should be set up, such as ‘Do not step on the grass’ and ‘No littering’, to guide proper behavior through education...” The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. Share and Cite Yang, X.; Zhang, J.; Yu, Y.; Qiao, X.-J. Behavioral Conflicts in Urban Greenway Recreation: A Case Study of the “Three Rivers and One Mountain” Greenway in Xi’an, China. Land 2024 , 13 , 1097. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071097 Yang X, Zhang J, Yu Y, Qiao X-J. Behavioral Conflicts in Urban Greenway Recreation: A Case Study of the “Three Rivers and One Mountain” Greenway in Xi’an, China. Land . 2024; 13(7):1097. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071097 Yang, Xiaolu, Jingyi Zhang, Yueyang Yu, and Xiu-Juan Qiao. 2024. "Behavioral Conflicts in Urban Greenway Recreation: A Case Study of the “Three Rivers and One Mountain” Greenway in Xi’an, China" Land 13, no. 7: 1097. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071097 Article Metrics Article access statistics, further information, mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi. Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals 188 COMMENTS Case Interview Frameworks: The Ultimate Guide (2024) By the end of this article, you will learn four different strategies on how to create unique and tailored frameworks for any case interview. Strategy #1: Creating Frameworks from Scratch. Strategy #2: Memorizing 8 - 10 Broad Business Areas. Strategy #3: Breaking Down Stakeholders. Strategy #4: Breaking Down Processes. Free Guide to Strategy& Consulting Case Interviews Strategy& has two interview formats across their network: experience/fit questions followed by a case interview question and experience/fit questions followed by a structured case interview. 4.1 Case Interview (Question) Real-life Scenarios: Strategy& structures its case interviews around real-life client examples. Interviewers often draw from their own client engagements, leveraging ... Case Interview Prep Guide The case interview: it's the ultimate test of strategy and executive communication for the management consulting industry. When I first checked out how to become a consultant, I quickly discovered that the consulting case interview is a beast unlike any other. ... As you proceed through practice case studies, take 2 minutes to structure your ... Case Selections Find new ideas and classic advice on strategy, innovation and leadership, for global leaders from the world's best business and management experts. ... How the ride-sharing company is structured ... How to write a case study Case study examples. While templates are helpful, seeing a case study in action can also be a great way to learn. Here are some examples of how Adobe customers have experienced success. Juniper Networks. One example is the Adobe and Juniper Networks case study, which puts the reader in the customer's shoes. The PwC Case Interview (Including Strategy&) The PwC Strategy& case interview includes more strategy-focused cases (such as make-vs-buy decisions, new product introduction, M&A, etc.), but how you tackle a case interview is the same no matter which area you're applying for. Following this 4-step model gives you the best chance for success: Understand the question. Make sure you ... How to Approach a Case Study Our 4-step approach will help you do just that. Opening - Understand and reconfirm the objective and ask clarifying questions. Structure - Develop a problem-solving structure to answer the key questions. Analysis - Dive deeper into analyzing relevant issues and use data provided by your interviewer to make conclusions. Case Study Method: A Step-by-Step Guide for Business Researchers Case studies are a preferred strategy when the researcher has little control over events and when the focus is on contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context . b. Case study protocols ... A sound report structure, along with "story-like" writing is crucial to case study reporting. The following points should be taken into ... Mastering Case Interview Frameworks in 2024: A ... Last Updated on May 27, 2024 . In the competitive world of consulting recruiting, mastering case interviews is a crucial step towards landing a job at top firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.Discovering how to structure case interviews in consulting is fundamental, as the foundation of successful performance lies in effectively tackling complex business problems. Master Consulting Case Interviews: The Insider Guide Format and Length of a Typical Consulting Case Interview. A typical consulting interview consists of a personal fit part, usually around 20 to 30 minutes long, and the case interview, which lasts between 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the firm, office, and interview stage). For BCG and Bain, the interviews are conducted in a candidate-led format, meaning that you have to move through the case ... PDF Cases in Strategic Management A Guide to Case Analysis C-5 given; if so, the study questions and the case preparation exercises provided in the Case-TUTOR software will guide you. 5. Start your analysis of the issues with some number crunching. A big majority of strategy cases call for some kind of number crunching—calculating assorted fi- Case Study Methodology of Qualitative Research: Key Attributes and A case study is one of the most commonly used methodologies of social research. This article attempts to look into the various dimensions of a case study research strategy, the different epistemological strands which determine the particular case study type and approach adopted in the field, discusses the factors which can enhance the effectiveness of a case study research, and the debate ... What Is a Case Study? Case studies are good for describing, comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem. Table of contents. When to do a case study. Step 1: Select a case. Step 2: Build a theoretical framework. Step 3: Collect your data. Step 4: Describe and analyze the case. How Strategy Shapes Structure by. Summary. When executives develop corporate strategy, they nearly always begin by analyzing the industry or environmental conditions in which they operate and the strengths and weaknesses of ... What Is a Case Study? How to Write, Examples, and Template Case studies are proven marketing strategies in a wide variety of B2B industries. Here are just a few examples of a case study: ... Well-structured written case studies with a scannable format cater to time-strapped professionals. Charts and callout boxes with key statistics enhance the ease of information retrieval. Microsoft: A Case Study in Strategy Transformation July 03, 2024. In early 2015, Microsoft's senior leaders were facing a set of difficult decisions. The firm had been struggling to innovate and grow as fast as its competitors. Now they were ... 15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices Hubspot structured its case study into separate sections, demonstrating the specific benefits of their products to various aspects of the customer's business. Additionally, they integrated direct customer quotes in each section to boost credibility, resulting in a more compelling case study. ... This is a great strategy because it helps your ... Analyzing Successful Marketing Case Studies: Lessons from the Field Visuals such as charts, graphs, and images can help illustrate key points and make the case study more visually appealing. Supporting data, such as statistics and metrics, can add credibility and provide evidence of the effectiveness of the strategies employed. By analyzing the structure and format of successful case studies, marketers can gain ... Case Study Basics A traditional case study presents a management issue or issues calling for resolution and action. It generally breaks off at a decision point with the manager weighing a number of different options. It puts the student in the decision-maker's shoes and allows the student to understand the stakes involved. In other instances, a case study is ... Strategy & Biz Ops case interviews The stratops case interview is an interactive conversation between you and your interviewer (s). To succeed, structuring your thoughts and thinking aloud are key. These help your interviewer understand your thinking pattern, especially how you prioritize, as many stratops case questions involve selecting the best path for a company from several ... Case Study Defnition: A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation. It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Strategic Case Study Exam Technique. Case Study support 1 - preparing for the Case Study exam. Exam Technique. Case Study support 2 - planning a good answer. Exam Technique. Case Study support 3 - developing a fuller answer. Study Support. How to use the CGMA Blueprints. Terms & Conditions. Thinking strategically In the late 1970s, Fred Gluck led an effort to revitalize McKinsey's thinking on strategy while, in parallel, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman were leading a similar effort to reinvent the Firm's thinking on organization. The first published product of Gluck's strategy initiative was a 1978 staff paper, "The evolution of strategic management." Strategies for Training and Hiring in the US Government: A Black The 2024 SANS | GIAC Cyber Workforce Report includes six unique case studies from top cybersecurity leaders from leading organizations across the US. In addition, the report paints a full picture of the challenges and opportunities for building cybersecurity teams that are backed by successful hiring and development practices. Based on the DBS Bank case study, critically advise Question: Based on the DBS Bank case study, critically advise the bank's change agents on the communication strategies the bank should consider to effectively communicate the change to relevant stakeholders. Refer to Hayes (2022), The theory and practice of change management.communication strategies that the bank should consider during the ... A case study: How group negotiations led to better contracts for Three interventional radiologists, despite their high productivity and earning over $700k annually, faced unfair compensation due to an outdated pay structure, prompting successful renegotiation for better pay and conditions, highlighting the importance of third-party expertise in contract negotiations. Sustainability The chosen methodology is a case study of an Italian company ("the Company"). The case study methodology does not aim to generalize results, but rather to provide a detailed and in-depth analysis of a specific context and process. The tool used is a semi-structured interview with all 13 members of the Company. Land Abstract: Globalization and informatization have exerted far-reaching impacts on the spatial connection and development of urban systems. This study, concerning the network of an urban system based on the space of flows, supplements the insufficiency on the micro-level in macro-urban network research. Taking Nanjing as an example, this study explores the characteristics of the network of the ... Behavioral Conflicts in Urban Greenway Recreation: A Case Study of the The current greenway systems in China are relatively homogenous, whereas recreational groups and their needs are highly diverse. This discrepancy has resulted in increasingly severe behavioral conflicts during greenway recreation. However, scholarly research on behavioral conflicts in greenway recreational activities is lacking. Recreationists' perceptions of conflict negatively impact their ... Full article: A multi-criteria assessment system for the influence of 2.1. Location and coal mines in the study area. Shanxi Province, renowned as abundant coal deposits and extensive coal production, is located between latitudes 34°34'−40°43'N and longitudes 110°14'-114°33'E (see Figure 1(a)).It is 290 km long from east to the west and 590 km wide from north to south, with a total area of 1.56 × 10 5 km 2. assignment essay homework phd report resume review speech thesis