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Case studies, a staple of many business school programs, need to be seen in a broader context according to The Independent of London. Ray Ball, Sidney Davidson Professor of Accounting, cautions against relying solely on the case for learning. According to The Independent, Ball warns “you can graduate from business school and know how to solve 300 cases but what use is that in the real world?”
Instead, Ball advocates the approach followed by the Chicago GSB where the foundation for a case study is a testable abstract theory. He is quoted as saying, “the GSB [is] insistent the student goes away with some structure that will carry them through their lives.”
As the article points out, case studies can be a useful teaching tool when they draw students out. The best ones are where there is no right or wrong answer and everyone weighs in with an opinion.
The article “A valuable taste of the real world” appeared October 13, 2005 in The Independent.