Case Studies

Case studies are a means of learning by applying the concepts and theories of marketing hospitality products to actual business situations. Leadership requires the skills that classroom case studies allow you to practice: namely, understanding the fundamental nature of the problem or opportunity, determining the essential questions that need to be answered, and preparing the cost-benefit analysis of your recommended strategies.

There are many terrific resources to help you in this process; several of these have been listed in your syllabus. Case studies take a ‘real world' approach to business problems. You are helped if you think as if this were your job or your business – rather than thinking about the grade. Cases require research, finding facts that put the business problem into context and that support your suggestions. Case studies always require an articulation of the forces influencing the industry as whole, the market (geographic or competitive), and the individual organization of each case. The questions you must ask yourself in preparing these cases will be similar and practicing the art of thinking broadly and deeply, searching for information to understand and support your insights, will serve you well. You cannot do these cases in a day or an evening; by beginning reading them early, reflecting on the facts as provided, developing questions well in advance of writing responses will support your success.

There are, in essence, three case studies as part of this course. Two of the case studies are individual exercises and the third is a team effort.

Case Study I: Case Analysis /Choice of Two Harvard Business Published Cases on Hotel Brands/Chain

Your first case is a case analysis. You have the choice of two Harvard Business Review case studies that are posted on your Learning Management site for this course. The essential goal of those case studies