JCRI GUIDELINES FOR THE INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL


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All case submissions – both Teaching Cases and Consulting Cases - to the Journal of Case Research and Inquiry must include a fully developed instructor’s manual (IM).  The IM should be included in the same WORD file as the case, and be placed immediately after the end the of case.  For teaching cases, the purpose of the Teaching Instructor Manual (TIM) is to guide an instructor who will use the case for class discussion.  For consulting case, the Consulting Instructor Manual (CIM), also called a “Consulting Report,” provides a detailed analysis of the case, with applied, practical recommendations.

Use a size 12 Calibri font for all text in the IM except Exhibits, Appendices, Handouts, and references, 1 ½ spaced.  For Exhibits and the Reference list, use a size 10 Calibri font, single spaced.

On the first line of the first page, type (bold, all capital letters, centered) TEACHING INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL (for Teaching cases) or CONSULTING INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL (for Consulting Cases).  On the second line, provide the title of the case study (bold, all capital letters, centered), followed by Submitted on date to the Journal of Case Research and Inquiry (bold, italicized) on the third line. 

If you are not sure whether your case is a teaching or consulting case, simply type INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL.  In an email to the editor, please ask for assistance classifying your submission. 

For example:
TEACHING INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
WIDGETS-R-US: STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
Submitted Aug. 3, 2023; re-submitted Nov. 2, 2023 to the Journal of Case Research and Inquiry

The IM for a Teaching Case
The Teaching Case IM should contain 9 - 12 sections. Sections should be numbered sequentially and provided in the order below.  Each IM section title should be aligned left, in bold font, and underlined. 

1. Case Synopsis
2. Key Words 
3. Research Method 
4. Associated Reading, Videos or Assignments (optional)
5. Case Learning Objectives 
6. Discussion Questions 
7. Teaching with the Case 
8. Conceptual Foundation / Applied Frameworks
9. Possible Answers to Discussion Questions 

10. Appendices (optional)
11. Epilogue (optional)

12. Notes and References

The Consulting IM / Consulting Report

The Consulting IM / Consulting Report should contain 7 - 10 sections. Sections should be numbered sequentially and provided in the order below. Each IM section title should be aligned left, in bold font, and underlined. 

1. Case Synopsis
2. Key Words 
3. Research Method

4. Associated reading or Videos (optional)
5. Conceptual Foundation/ Applied Frameworks 
6. Case Analysis

7. Consulting Recommendations
9. Epilogue (optional)
9. Appendices (optional)
10. Notes and References

 

Case Synopsis (for all cases)
Provide an 80 to 250 word synopsis of the case and its learning objectives.  If the case requires a decision, indicate what decision needs to be made in the synopsis.  Write all in the past tense.  You may also describe what can be learned by using the case (learning objectives) and where the case might be used (for example, at what level in what type of course).  For examples of case synopses, please see the contents page of previously published issues of the Journal of Case Research and Inquiry.

For example:
The CEO of Widgets-R-Us must make a strategic decision in light of the economic downturn.  [etc., etc.]

Key words (for all cases)
Provide up to 10 key words that may be helpful when searching for your paper.  Key words can include the subject matter of the case study or article, the relevant academic discipline, and the geographic location if outside the US.

For example:
Widgets, Strategy, Finance, Acquisitions, Diversification, Supply Chain Management, USA, Brazil

 

Research Method (for all cases)
Indicate the methods used in researching the case, and in particular if primary or secondary data were used. Also indicate if any of the researchers has a relationship with the organization (such as a paid consultant, employee, part-owner, etc.). Indicate the extent of disguise, or instead indicate that no data have been disguised.

Associated Reading, Videos or Assignments (Optional for all Cases)
For teaching cases, if applicable, indicate readings, videos, websites, or assignments that should be completed prior to using the case in a classroom, or as an in-class exercise.  For consulting cases, if applicable, indicate readings or videos that complement the case.

For example: 

Johnson & Smith (2022). “The Widget Industry after 2018.”
This note provides an overview of the industry.

YouTube video, “What is a Widget?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj18MU_ERl8
The video explains widgets.

QuickMBA 5 Forces, http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/porter.shtml
This website summarizes Porter’s 5 Forces for analysis of industry attractiveness.

 

Case Learning Objectives (for Teaching Cases only)
Indicate what can be learned by analyzing and discussing the case, by including 3 to 7 learning objectives (LOs).  LOs should be linked to the caser Discussion Questions (discussed below).  Number the learning objectives sequentially in the order they should be discussed: L01, L02, L03, etc.

JCRI suggests that authors organize learning objectives per Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives, from the lowest to the highest levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and finally create / recommend.  (For a sample, please see Exhibit 1, page 255, in McGuire, S. & G. Whaley (2017). Guidelines for Writing a Management Teaching Case Study, Journal of Case Research and Inquiry, 3:236-271.)

For example:
LO1. Prepare an analysis of the Widget industry and determine its attractiveness  to an investor. [Bloom level 4 Analyze, and level 5 Evaluate.]

LO2.  What are the key success factors that all firms in the Widget industry must “get right”?  How well does Widgets-R-Us implement these key success factors?  [Bloom level 2 Understand.]

LO3. Analyze the marketing mix using  the 5Ps model.  Draw  conclusions and recommend  changes to Widgets-R-Us’ Marketing plan.  [Bloom level 4 Analyze, and level 5 Evaluate.]

LO4.  Propose a budget for implementation of the marketing plan, indicating projected revenue, cost of good sold, gross margins, and the specific costs of all elements of the marketing mix that you plan to deploy (as per the previous discussion question). What are the probable consequences for Widget’s Profit and Loss statement? Provide Optimistic, Realistic, and Conservative estimates.  [Bloom level 3 Apply.]

LO5.  Using  information from the case, assess each one of Widget’s opportunities for growth.  Develop at least 4 decision criteria and rate each opportunity on each one of the criteria. Recommend the most appropriate growth opportunity – whether one that Widgets-R-Us has identified or another, different path. [Bloom level 5 Evaluate, and level 6 Create/ Recommend.]

 

Discussion Questions (for Teaching Cases only)
Provide 3 to 7 questions that could guide the discussion of the case, or could be assigned to students for written work prior to the in-class case discussion.

Discussion questions should flow logically from the learning  objectives.  It is very important that the reader can answer these questions with the information provided in the case.  It is “unfair” to pose questions that cannot be answered without additional information or access to the Instructor’s Manual.

 

Teaching with the Case (for Teaching Cases only)
Provide the outline of a lesson plan and/or suggest how the case might be used in a classroom to enhance learning.  In some IMs, this section can be several pages long; in others in is concise.

 

Conceptual Foundation / Applied Frameworks (for all cases)
Indicate what theories, conceptual models, frameworks, laws, or best practices are relevant to an analysis of the case.  

For teaching cases, briefly summarize each conceptual model as if for a novice instructor, and indicate how the model may apply to the case.  This part of the IM is comparable to a “mini” literature review in an empirical paper.

 

Case Analysis  (for Consulting Cases only)
Provide a 2–3-page analysis of the case, ending with a conclusion and (if applicable) recommendations for the organization and/or case protagonist.  While there are several possible ways to organize a case analysis, one good approach is to divide the analysis into the following sections:

  • Problem Statement.  A brief statement of the main, underlying problem in the case.
  • Analysis.  An analysis of the case problem using theory, concepts, models, frameworks, laws, or best practices, as well as analytical techniques.
  • Conclusion / Recommendations for Action.  A  short section with conclusions and, as appropriate, recommendations for action.
  • Attachments.  Charts, graphs, tables as appropriate. (Not required.)

 

Consulting Recommendations (for Consulting Cases only)
This section should provide practical, applied suggestions to address the issue(s) in the case.   Recommendations must logically follow from the case analysis.

 

Possible Answers to Discussion Questions (for Teaching Cases only)
Provide brief answers to the discussion questions presented above. The purpose of this section of the IM is to provide guidance for the instructor when discussing the case or grading papers written on the case. While it sometimes useful to provide alternative answers to a given question, please avoid providing “good” and “poor” (or “A student” and “C student”) answers to the questions.  All possible answers should be well reasoned and backed up by the evidence in the case.

 

Epilogue (optional for all Cases)
Students are often eager to know “what really happened” at the end of a case  discussion.   If appropriate, include a brief epilogue.

 

Appendices (optional for all Cases)
If appropriate, include Appendices with additional information, charts, graphs, tables, maps, etc. that complement and complete the analysis, but did not fit within the body of the IM. 

For teaching cases, sometimes it is helpful to provide an Appendix that can be used as a class handout – to provide a summary or guidelines, or perhaps with an in-class Assignment.

Notes and References (for all cases)
Provide a full reference list of all sources used in the IM.  Use a size 10 Calibri font for references.  Use AP style, but avoid unnecessary commas and unnecessary spaces, such as between the initials of an author’s name.  Format the reference list “Hanging 0.25” for the second line of text.

For example:
References

Author1, A. & Author2, B.C. (2002). Title of Article. Name of Journal, 41: 110-137.

Author2, D., Author3, E. & Author4, F. (2020). Title of Article.  Name of Journal, 3: 12-29.

etc.

File Name
Remember that the IM should be included in the same WORD file as the case study.  Save the file with a name that indicates the short title, CASE, and date using underscores (but no spaces).

For example:
Widgets_CASE_2Nov2023.docx