Case writing: An art and A science
The study of management in the food system is undergoing a fundamental change with the growing use of the cash study method of instruction. This approach has been found to produce the higher order thinking skills desired in managers. Unfortunately, the number of management cases dealing with the food system is very limited. This article helps address this need by explaining how those interested in writing cases might do so. First the article describes the context of case writing. Then ten characteristics found in most good cases are explained. Finally a process for writing cases is presented which describes how the ten characteristics are developed when a case is being written. Though case writing is presented as a process, it is seen as an art, and a good case is seen as a literary accomplishment.
Decisions in Global Sourcing and Supply: Deep Red Canning Co.
The case is written for a senior undergraduate agribusiness course. Based on collaboration between The Ohio State University and Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, the case addresses the instructional needs of agribusiness students in both the US and in the developing world setting. For instance, in the US scenario, the case explores global procurement strategies and the interactions and decisions necessary in implementing alternative sourcing strategies. From the Tanzanian perspective, the case examines Africa's capacity building problem and the transition from home based cottage industries to competitors in the global market place.
Technical and Institutional Factors in Production Organization: A Preliminary Model
A rough model describing interrelations among certain technical, institutional, and administrative variables in organization is proposed theoretically and tested, largely by rank correlations, using data from thirty non-industrial production organizations. The seven variables included in the model are: technical complexity, specification, specialization, authority, rationality, social involvement,and scope of reward system. The findings lend support to the realistic character of the model and suggest a more systematic way of dealing with technical and institutional elements in organization.