Business School Case Studies: Three Top Sources
by Cases are widely used in business schools. Here’s how to find them!
Three Top Sources of B-School Cases
The case method study of instruction was first developed at Harvard Business School and is now the norm in most MBA programs. The case method involves students reading and analyzing cases (usually 10-30 pages in length) and developing a strategy to deal with the problems and opportunities presented. The goal is not to come up with a single correct answer; but rather to learn how to read deeply, hone critical thinking skills; and finally, to develop and defend a course of action.
When MBA students are assigned to read cases for a course, those cases are usually purchased, included in an online or print coursepack, and the cost is passed along from the institution to the student directly through a fee or indirectly through tuition.
However, students and business researchers in general often need to consult B-school cases on their own, aside from class assignments, and they often find themselves at a loss as to how to obtain them. Libraries are prohibited from holding and loaning out B-school teaching cases, because of the licenses involved, so the user is on their own if the case is not already provided to them.
Luckily, there are just a few main repositories that constitute the bulk of case material:
- European Case Clearing House–the largest single collection of business cases in the world, ecch carries over 68,000 items in its collection, from sources such as Babson, Darden, Harvard Business Publishing, INSEAD, Kellogg, London Business School, Ivey, Stanford, and many more. There is even a modest number of free cases on the ecch site. Cases cost $3.15 for educational use, and $6.00 for corporate use (for U.S. users, through the ecch office at Babson College).
- Harvard Business Publishing. If what’s needed is a Harvard case, why not go straight to the source? Individual cases cost $6.95 in pdf.
- Ivey. The Ivey School carries 2,600 current cases in its inventory, from both itself and participating institutions including major schools in China and India. Prices vary.
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