Year: 2016

A case study analysis must not merely summarize the case. It should identify key issues and problems, outline and assess alternative courses of action, and draw appropriate conclusions. The case study analysis can be broken down into the following steps:

1. Identify the most important facts surrounding the case.
2. Identify the key issue or issues.
3. Specify alternative courses of action.
4. Evaluate each course of action.
5. Recommend the best course of action.

Let’s look at what each step involves.

1. Identify the most important facts surrounding the case.

Read the case several times to become familiar with the information it contains. Pay attention to the information in any accompanying exhibits, tables, or figures. Many case scenarios, as in real life, present a great deal of detailed information. Some of these facts are more relevant than others for problem identification. One can assume the facts and figures in the case are true, but statements, judgments, or decisions made by individuals should be questioned. Underline and then list the most important facts and figures that would help you define the central problem or issue. If key facts and numbers are not available, you can make assumptions, but these assumptions should be reasonable given the situation. The “correctness” of your conclusions may depend on the assumptions you make.

2. Identify the key issue or issues.

Use the facts provided by the case to identify the key issue or issues facing the company you are studying. Many cases present multiple issues or problems. Identify the most important and separate them from more trivial issues. State the major problem or challenge facing the company. You should be able to describe the problem or challenge in one or two sentences. You should be able to explain how this problem affects the strategy or performance of the organization. You will need to explain why the problem occurred. Does the problem or challenge facing the company comes from a changing environment, new opportunities, a declining market share, or inefficient internal or external business processes?

In the case of information systems-related problems, you need to pay special attention to the role of technology as well as the behavior of the organization and its management. Information system problems in the business world typically present a combination of management, technology, and organizational issues. When identifying the key issue or problem, ask what kind of problem it is: Is it a management problem, a technology problem, an organizational problem, or a combination of these? What management, organizational, and technology factors contributed to the problem?

o To determine if a problem stems from management factors, consider whether managers are exerting appropriate leadership over the organization and monitoring organizational performance. Consider also the nature of management decision-making: Do managers have sufficient information for performing this role, or do they fail to take advantage of the information that is available?

o To determine if a problem stems from technology factors, examine any issues arising from the organization’s information technology infrastructure: its hardware, software, networks and telecommunications infrastructure, and the management of data in databases or traditional files. Consider also whether the appropriate management and organizational assets are in place to use this technology effectively.

o To determine the role of organizational factors, examine any issues arising from the organization’s structure, culture, business processes, work groups, divisions among interest groups, relationships with other organizations, as well as the impact of changes in the organization’s external environment-changes in government regulations, economic conditions, or the actions of competitors, customers, and suppliers. You will have to decide which of these factors—or combination of factors—is most important in explaining why the problem occurred.

3. Specify alternative courses of action.

List the courses of action the company can take to solve its problem or meet the challenge it faces. For information system-related problems, do these alternatives require a new information system or the modification of an existing system? Are new technologies, business processes, organizational structures, or management behavior required? What changes to organizational processes would be required by each alternative? What management policy would be required to implement each alternative? Remember, there is a difference between what an organization “should do” and what that organization actually “can do”. Some solutions are too expensive or operationally difficult to implement, and you should avoid solutions that are beyond the organization’s resources. Identify the constraints that will limit the solutions available. Is each alternative executable given these constraints?

4. Evaluate each course of action.

Evaluate each alternative using the facts and issues you identified earlier, given the conditions and information available. Identify the costs and benefits of each alternative. Ask yourself “what would be the likely outcome of this course of action? State the risks as well as the rewards associated with each course of action. Is your recommendation feasible from a technical, operational, and financial standpoint? Be sure to state any assumptions on which you have based your decision.

5. Recommend the best course of action.

State your choice for the best course of action and provide a detailed explanation of why you made this selection. You may also want to provide an explanation of why other alternatives were not selected. Your final recommendation should flow logically from the rest of your case analysis and should clearly specify what assumptions were used to shape your conclusion. There is often no single “right” answer, and each option is likely to have risks as well as rewards.

Source of this article:

http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_laudon_essmis_6/21/5555/1422312.cw/content/index.html

Read Also: Increasing Patient Satisfaction In Labor And Delivery

Health promotion: A Nursing Practice Problem

                                                          Introduction

Concept analysis is an approach that helps health practitioners to evaluate the characteristics or attributes of a given practice problem. It is a formal linguistic strategy to determine the defining characteristics. According to Kang (2011), a step-by-step approach to analyzing a concept related to nursing and/or health care is suggested to explicate and give a useful framework to develop the analysis. Health promotion is a frequently used concept, though often ill-defined. The current trends in health care and the focus on nurses to become health promoters stipulate that it is fundamental to clarify the health promotion concept in terms of its varied definitions, characteristics, and how it applies to the clinical and nursing practice.

                                 Summary of Concept Analysis Used in the Article

 Kang (2011) in his journal, a concept analysis of health promotion for women with urinary incontinence, identified the eight steps in concept analysis. For the first step – selection of the concept – health promotion was selected as the concept related to the practice problem of interest. The second step is the aim of analysis where the purpose of the study or analysis is determined. In the article, the aims of the health promotion concept were to establish the definition and develop a conceptual meaning of the existing research (Kang, 2011). The third step, which is identifying all uses of the given concept, involves identifying the myriad uses of the concept as cited in related literature, dictionary, thesaurus and uses by peers (Kang, 2011). The fourth step is to find out the defining attributes to determine what differentiates the health promotion concept from other related or similar concepts. The fifth step is to construct a model case to offer the useful application of an example case to real-life situations. In the sixth step, borderline and contrary cases are constructed to further clarify the current concept (Kang, 2011). In the seventh step, antecedents and consequences are identified and in the last step, empirical referents are defined.                                                                                                                            Similarly, in McCutcheon’s (2014) article, major steps of concept analysis were identified. The article selected health promotion in relation to the HPV infection. To further explicate the uses of the human promotion concept, the author demonstrated the application to populations and other situations. McCutcheon (2014) presented attributes of health-promoting behaviors as participation, empowerment, positive concept of health, and community. Antecedents, consequences, as well as empirical referents are presented, as are borderline, model, and contrary cases used to enhance concept clarification.

Definition of the Concept

In Concept analysis: Health-promoting behaviors related to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection, McCutcheon (2014) define health promotion as an attempt to enhance individual and community’s health status; it is concerned with disease prevention and health education through support, skill training, advice and information-giving. According to Kang (2011), health promotion is the process that enables individuals to improve their well-being and health, facilitated by efforts to change behavior, enhance awareness and provide an environment that enhance good health practices.

How the Definition Differs from its Use

McCutcheon’s (2014) definition differs from its use in nursing and health care versus in other disciplines as it ignores the empirical authenticity and traditional conceptualization that many nurses consider health promotion to be majorly concerned with behavior and lifestyle change. In Kang’s (2014) article, the definition differs from its use as it emphasizes others (other than nurses) facilitating health promotion and de-emphasizes individual motivation.

Characteristics

Health promotion is identified with characteristics, including the empowering and enabling activity and process; healthy lifestyle and healthy behavior; multi-dimensional and multi-factoral process; inseparable with health care, and concerning health protection and disease prevention (Kang, 2011). In addition, health promotion is concerned with group/community and individual health (Kulbok, Thatcher, Park, & Meszaros, 2012).

Application

Health promotion is applied in the clinical and nursing practice when nurses assume the role of a nurse educator and develop ways through which individuals and communities or groups adopt healthy lifestyle to maintain an appropriate state of well-being (Kumar & Preetha, 2012).

Conclusion

On the concept analysis basis, health promotion can primarily be viewed as an artistic science, with goals that help human beings to enhance their well-being and health through environmental interaction. The current research has outlined the steps of concept analysis and clarified the meaning of health promotion concept as it relates to various scholars. The clarification of the existing concept’s theoretical definition and attributes provides a better understanding of the concept and brings it closer to its implications in clinical and nursing practice.

References

Kang, Y. (2011). A concept analysis of health promotion for women with urinary incontinence.    International Journal of Urological Nursing, 5(3), 107-114.

Kulbok, P.A., Thatcher, E., Park, E., & Meszaros, P.S. (2012). Evolving public health nursing       roles: Focus on community participatory health promotion and prevention. The Online        Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(2), 1-14.

Kumar, S., & Preetha, G. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian     Journal of Community Medicine : Official Publication of Indian Association of  Preventive & Social Medicine, 37(1), 5–12.

McCutcheon, T. (2014). Concept analysis: Health-promoting behaviors related to Human  Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection. Nurs Forum, 49(4), 213-297.

Read Also: Compare and Contrast the UK and the US Health Care Systems

Leadership is an important factor in an organization’s success. Strong leadership is necessary to support an organization’s ongoing high performance ( Kakabadse, Kakabadse,  & Palgrave, 2009).  An organization cannot continue to run in an effective manner if there is not strong leadership. In order to ensure effective businesses progress, leaders should be in the frontline and employ strategic plans, which will help them to complete their roles and more importantly guide the workers in the right direction. Leadership is the fundamental key since it keeps the workers motivated and ensures businesses productivity. As an effective leader in the organization, I value my leadership ability and leadership qualities, which should form a strong bond which will unify the workers and management. As a leader, there are many roles which I am supposed to play in an organization, in order to ensure that the high-performance of my workers is sustained and the organization’s activities are running in an effective manner. Among many factors which are needed in the organization, as a leader I have to remain responsive and be in the position to sustain the workers’ performance which is necessary in meeting expectations (Sheard, Kakabadse, & Kakabadse, 2009).  My view toward high–performance is to create a productive team which is successful and productive in ensuring that every individual’s effort is directed by strategic goals.

In an organization, I will create a structure with a strategic focus which will attract and retain the best capable workers for the organization (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright,, 2011). Maintaining high- performance is my priority in the organization. As a leader I am also responsible for employee satisfaction. My role would be to facilitate productivity and success. The fundamental duty to value as a leader is to create and sustain a high-performance group. I value goal orientation as a key factor in achieving high-performance (Blazey, 2009). Setting SMART goals is key for worker’s achieving high-performance. As a manager, my goal setting will be useful to improve and maintain performance. I must ensure that each individual has a specific goal and sufficient ability to accomplish their mission. Each individual team member must accept the business targets of the organization.

In the organization, as a leader I may come across difficult situations in motivating workers. Using leadership skills, goal setting and strategic techniques to achieving the organization goals is the best approach I can use as a leader.  I have to set the goals, which will play a role in both external and internal aspects. I have to ensure that every team member is committed and has the adequate training to achieve their goals.  I have the responsibility to establish high-performance standards. Strategic goals will help me as a leader to plan and implement organizational performance standards, improving overall management practices.

In the organization Human Resources department (HR), there are important factors which I  must consider as a manager in retaining the high-performance employees.  HR plays a significant role and a support function in helping me to use strategic methods to maintain higher performance as well as in achieving the organization’s goals (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2011).  I will work in conjunction with HR as to how my team members can best contribute to the organization’s success. As part of managing performance, I have the responsibility to evaluate the team members’ performance with respect to the goals that have been set and the specific job description. Performance management is a key factor in high-performance in the organization.  I will use this technique to make certain that team members’ activities meet organization needs.  In this role, I have the responsibility to direct the activities and job outcomes and their contribution to the organization.  In managing performance, compensations and benefits are the tools I will use to motivate and retain the high performing team members.  I must make wise decisions with regards to rewards, commissions, bonuses, retirement plans and insurance in order to engage, attract and retain the best workers.

I must ensure that rewards should recognize different levels of performance. To that end, I will establish a rewards plan that benefits both the employee and organization when the standard is met. As a leader I carry out the role of maintaining employee relationships.

A positive relationship with workers is a fundamental factor in encouraging employee development.  I must ensure that I deliver a powerful commitment by creating a culture where every organization member will understand how to meet the organization expectations.

The goal of my rewards plan is performance improvement and development selection. As I focus on monitoring performance, I am more effective with my own performance and competitiveness. Optimal management performance is the driving factor in my role as a leader.  Using my leadership skills, I will employ innovative methods, which move the organization forward to deliver better results as well as improved performance. Planning is a key factor in sustaining high-performance. Planning creates measurable goals at the same time informing the workers about the plan and the impact of their performance on the organization’s goals. On the same note, I have the responsibility to monitor my team members in terms of their progress through periodic assessment (Sheard et al, 2009).   By so doing, I obtain the opportunity to evaluate both positive and undesirable outcomes and find the best strategic method to solve the issues.  As a leader, I have the responsibility to monitor performance to determine if there are any developments that require adjustments in order for my team members to attain their goals. Therefore, as a leader I will ensure that there is availability of formal training, coaching and informal training in order to assist them in maintaining their high-performance. As a leader I must demonstrate my ability to work with a diverse workforce culture.

 In the framework of HR, as a manager I have the role to advise workers of their rights.  Focusing on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, I apply the ethical issues that are based on human rights in a moral universe (Noe et al, 2011).  I will ensure that they get the rights based on privacy and freedom and free consent. As a leader, I must make certain that the worker’s rights are not violated and there are equal opportunities within the organization. Focusing on human rights, I have the responsibility to manage diversity in order to ensure that there is no gender or culture discrimination within the work place.  Following the ideology that diversity leads to innovation and solves a wide range of problems, I ensure that members in the diverse groups share the different skills.

Read Also: Review of Benjamin Franklin Autobiography

Chapter 6  on Sex, Power, and Intimacy. I think men also enjoy being chivalrous at times because they know that it shows the girl they really care when they may not be able to put that into words. Also, I like being the emotionally intimate one in the relationship. Maybe it is because I grew up seeing my mom and dad fall into the roles discussed; however, I don’t mind the fact that men don’t open up as much “because of the anxiety associated with being vulnerable and potentially losing personal power’ (pg 177).

Although I did disagree with some aspects of the chapter, there were definitely points that I agreed with and even found very interesting. I have always believed a day such as Sweetest’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, but I did not realize what a history romantic love has with that of the consumer culture. As I watched some television commercials for perfume and make-up in the past few days, I began to realize what a dreamy, fantastical image that they were portraying; it also appeared that they were subtly hinting (sometimes not too subtly) that simply the use of these products would help you find a romantic love partner. This supports Shaw and Lee’s explanation that in the near past “Romance became a commodity that could be purchased, and it made great promises” (pg 174). I never realized how valuable romantic love is to consumer industries such as movie theaters, restaurants, and even the fashion industry. Trying to create “the mood” is what these industries are all about, and I have made ample use of them when going on dates. I do fall in the category of women who “spend enormous emotional energy, time, and money in the pursuit and maintenance of romantic love” (pg 174); however, I now understand that the consumer industries are not creating this atmosphere to help you, but to help themselves.

Read: How do same-sex friendships compare with cross-sex friendships?

I was also very interested in the story of Emma Goldman. I did some research on J. Edgar Hoover and I now think I understand more of why he called Emma “one of the most dangerous women in America in the early twentieth century” (pg 171). To give a simple background, after graduating in 1917 and joining the Justice Department, John Edgar Hoover had the responsibility of leading a new section “that had been formed to gather evidence on ‘revolutionary and ultra-revolutionary groups’. Over the next couple of years Hoover had the task of organizing the arrest and deportation of suspected communists in America” (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAhooverE.htm). He created an enormous card index of people with left-wing political views and advised the attorney general to round up and deport these people. To give him even more drive, on the second anniversary of the Russian Revolution, he had 10,000 of his listed individuals arrested. Most of the Americans were released; however, he decided he was going to make his “big” case on Emma Goldman. At this time, Emma Goldman had come to the United States from Russia and after some harsh experiences here “was drawn to anarchism and became a revolutionary” (pg 171). This made her quite a target for Hoover. She was encouraging people to rise up against government standards, she was from the communistic Russian background, and probably worst case she was a woman.

I think Hoover feared the power Goldman was showing prior to the Women’s Movement, and therefore he was trying to have society agree with him my saying she was very dangerous. I thought it was sad that Hoover won and she was eventually deported back to Russia; yet, I was very intrigued that she was then called one of the greatest living women. She stood away from the crowd and spoke for women and supported just causes such as birth control, abortion, contraception availability; “she called for a transformation of values, particularly by women” (pg 171). This is remarkable because I think she really was before her time, and she wasn’t afraid to stand up to the American government that she was not native too. That she could be called a great woman proved that Americans were finally rallying together for the cause, and that Goldman had made a serious impression on society. I had not heard of her prior to this reading; however, I feel like I should be so proud that she was a women fighting for our sexual liberties to the point where she went through deportation. She was one of the reasons this chapter really opened my eyes, and I enjoyed this reading because of that.

Read Also: Comparison and Contrast of the “Marshmallow Experiment” and “Don’t! The Secret of Self-Control”