The executive summary will include three sections:
a) Central issue of the case: This will require you to identify the central issue in the case. This will differ from case to case and could be a major problem facing the company, a major decision choice that a CEO has made, or major industry change that has affected the company. Identifying the central issue is the starting point of your analysis and your subsequent case analysis will be determined by how you define the central issue of the case.
b) Situation analysis: Situation analysis is not a factual summary of the case. You will critically analyze the situation, read between lines and speculate about the situation?why did the company follow a particular strategy, what are the problems associated with this strategy, do you think the company needs to purse the same strategy or drastically change its course?why or why not? Situation analysis requires you to use original thinking and demonstrate your critical thinking skills by speculating factors not included in the case.
c) Recommendations: Based on the situation analysis, you will provide recommendations on what the company needs to do to improve their competitiveness and performance. This is the most important part of the case analysis and will require the most original thinking. The recommendations should be brief, well thought out and logical.
