Discussion:
Mini cases figure prominently in the text and in class; you should be familiar with them by now. Your assignment in the Mini Case Report will be to find and report on a topic or issue that could be included in the text as a mini case. I am especially interested in reports on topics and issues that you have direct experience; however, this is a suggestion, not a requirement.
• Your report should illustrate a topic or concept that relates to managerial strategy. For example, economies of scale, diseconomies of scale, barriers to entry, techniques to combat shirking, competition and antitrust issues, price discrimination, and merger and acquisition strategies are all topics that figure prominently in this course. You should find and report on real-world examples or applications of these topics.
• The list above is not exhaustive. Any strategic concept or issue is a potential topic; however, look for a topic that impacts managerial strategy. Cases of error or criminality seldom provide any strategic insight and are therefore of limited interest.
• Your Mini-Case Report should not repeat any of the cases covered in the text or the commentaries.
• Write so that another student would understand what your case is about and what it illustrates. Cover all aspects of your case. For example, a case involving price discrimination should identify the sub groups, the reasons for different elasticities, and identify how cross over and arbitrage are dealt with.
• Your report should indicate clearly what your case illustrates and where you would put this in the textbook (i.e., Microeconomics for Managers). Indicate the text chapter - page numbers are not necessary.
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• Your report should include at least one source. If your report is based on your job experience, indicate it. You do not need to identify the firm if it is confidential (for example, I discussed the "San Jose rubber company" on a few occasions - the company is a real firm, but I never identified it due to confidentiality concerns).
• Your report must include one question on your report that could be included in the Study Questions. Your question must have an answer that could be deduced or inferred from your report. (You do not have to provide the answer, but the question must be answerable.)
• Your report should be no longer than one single-spaced page, or two double-spaced pages. This is a maximum, not an implicit minimum. Quality always trumps quantity. Students who breach the maximum length will be graded down.
• Your report must be clearly written.
• Your report must be original - I want to read what you have written, not something that has been cut-and-pasted. This is not an English assignment; your writing will be judged on clarity of thought and presentation, not grammar, punctuation, etc. However, you must write clear enough to communicate the main issue.
• Your report must be original - You cannot submit a report on a topic submitted earlier by another student. The date and time of submission will determine priority. You may write on a topic that another student has submitted as long as your is significantly different in approach, appraisal, or focus. If in doubt, ask the instructor via e-mail.
• Your report must be original - Copied or cut-and-paste reports run the risk of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious problem in both the academia and the business world. Your report must attribute your sources. Using material written by others without appropriate attribution - this usually means quotation marks and citing the source - is plagiarism and can result in loss of credit and/or expulsion from the University.