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  • How to Approach a Case study

How to Approach a Case study

Description

How to approach a case study?

Case studies are designed to help you link a ‘real life’ example to the bigger picture’ (a theory or a broad trend).

Approaching the case study assignment 

Whether you are presented with an analytical or problem-oriented case study, there are a number of steps involved in the process of writing it up:

1. Read through the case and gain an overview of the whole picture. Establish what has happened (explore events, factors and connections in greater detail) – use a theoretical approach / approaches to explain your findings 

2. Determine the reasons / causes 

3. Develop and assess possible solutions (if required) 

4. Make recommendations (if required)

Steps to a case study

• Introduction - Introduces the case, including the background and any previous studies of the issue. 

• Aims - Describes the purpose of the study and the specific questions you are trying to answer. 

• Method - Explains how the study was carried out, e.g. what research methods did you use to collect data: interviews, observations, questionnaires, etc.? What were the circumstances of your data collection? 

• Results - Describes what you found through your investigations, e.g. the main themes that came out in interviews, responses to questionnaires, significant observations. 

• Discussion - Explains the significance of the study and what can be learnt from it. Note that a case study is a study of a particular situation so you can’t generalise the results to all other situations. That means your discussion should focus on what can be learnt about that particular situation and the individuals involved. 

• Recommendations - Provides proposals for future action to solve the problem or improve the situation, e.g. by applying a particular kind of treatment or intervention.

CASE STUDY 1

You are posted as DM in a remote area in a state. There has been death of around 20 children in a hospital in your area due to shortage of oxygen supply. The agency supplying the gas had warned the hospital administration several times but the hospital did not take it seriously. The government in power does not want the issue to come to light. The hospital had informed the health department about the issue but no timely action was taken. There is outrage and anger among the people. The people have blocked the road and are lying with the dead bodies of their children. If timely action is not taken, there may be a law and order disturbance in the area.

a) What are the available options? Discuss each of them with merits and demerits.

b) Suggest what course of action would you take and why? 

Hints:

The hospital administration or the doctors on duty cannot alone be held responsible for the death of all children. It is the whole administration which is at fault. The various options along with their merits and demerits are discussed as:

1. Suspending doctors from the hospital who were on duty that night.

This will send a message that the hospital administration is taking the issue seriously and has shown quick action. The parents may be pacified due to the quick action. But, this step is like an action without finding out who is to be held accountable for the situation. It is not necessary it’s the doctors on duty who are at fault. Any such action should be taken only after thorough inquiry in to the matter.

2. Setting up a committee to enquire into the matter.

This will enable the hospital administration or the government to fix accountability and find out whether this is a case of dereliction of duty. But, this is a time taking step and the situation can turn violent or aggressive by the time the committee submits its report. The parents who have lost their children may not want to wait for such a long time.

3. Go on leave till the matter is solved so that you are not questioned for all this.

This step will help the officer to save his face from all this situation and he will not be further dragged in to the matter. But this is the most coward step one could ever take to escape responsibility. The civil servant is expected to perform his duties and he just cannot go on leave when the small children in the area are dying. This is a violation of basic human values like empathy.

4. Cancelling the licence of the gas agency so that a strong message is sent among people.

Cancelling the licence of the agency will pacify the people who have turned aggressive due to death of their children. This will satisfy them on the grounds that the hospital is looking in to the matter. This will also send a signal to the gas agency if it is at fault as it will cancel its future contracts. But, without, looking into the situation thoroughly, it is not advisable to cancel the licence as it is very much possible that there is no fault of gas agency.

5. Talking to the parents and assuring them a timely action would be taken.

Talking to the parents and giving them updates about the action taken by hospital administration will pacify them to some extent. A press conference can be organized to tell them about real time situation. In such cases, taking the people into confidence is important so that they have a trust in the hospital administration.

As a DM, I will not be in haste while taking any action. Having a thorough probe into the matter is important before arriving at some decision. I will talk with the district administration in this regard and ensure the people that a timely action will be taken. I will hold a meeting with the parents who have lost their children and sympathize with them. They are in need of being assured that the hospital regrets the failure that has occurred. A committee consisting of experts will be set up to look into the matter and strict action will be taken action those who are found guilty. Negligence cannot be tolerated when it comes to the value of a life. Steps will also be taken that no further loss of life occurs.

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