The principle objective of the case study method is to develop student skills in problem solving and decision making. In studying a case, the student's task is to assume the role of the decision maker and consider all of the information available to the decision maker at the time of the case event. The quality of your case analysis as a surrogate for experience depends on the same factors as the quality of experience in the real world. The manager who is not fully involved in the decision is unlikely to learn much from it. The student must review the case thoroughly to derive maximum benefit from the discussion. To base an analysis of a case on one or two isolated facts may enable a student to make a "contribution" to the discussion, but it is unlikely to constitute a worthwhile learning experience. Although there is rarely a single "right" answer to a case problem, there may be several wrong ones - at least, "wrong" in the sense that it is difficult to convince anyone else that the decision proposed is reasonable. Experience will tend to show that bringing an opinion to a case is not the same as an analysis that is based on logic, the case facts, course concepts, and assumptions that others members of the class are willing to accept as reasonable. In addition, be careful to avoid looking for a single message in a given case. You may find only the one that you forced yourself to see. The quality and quantity of your post on Blackboard Discussion Board will be evaluated with a simple check minus, check, and check plus scheme. Check plus will be reserved for truly outstanding posts. There are multiple ways to contribute to Blackboard e.g., a single early comprehensive post, multiple posts that react to evolving discussion, late integrative posts or some combination thereof. As this is a capstone-like course it is expected that skill sets acquired in earlier courses e.g., financial analyses be applied in the case discussion.
Q.1. Discuss the strategy at HK Disneyland in the context of standardization versus differentiation of attractions.