Using case studies in business education to promote networked thinking: findings of an intervention study

ABSTRACT

Case studies are central to the way management is currently taught at universities. Among other benefits attributed to the case study method is that it promotes networked thinking by learners. Networked thinking takes account of interactions and repercussions, making it crucial to decision-making within the complex system of rules that shapes current business reality. However, there is virtually no empirical evidence of the extent to which the case study method actually delivers the advantages attributed to it. This paper aims to remedy that gap in the literature. The paper considers the extent to which the case study method promotes networked thinking on the part of students on business and management courses. The research is designed as an intervention study involving pre- and post-testing. The study finds that students who have worked on a case study correctly identify more interactions in post-testing than in pre-testing.

KEYWORDS:

• Case study method
• case studies
• networked thinking
• higher education
• teaching and learning

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Bärbel Fürstenau (University of Dresden) and Dr. Jim Hordern (Bath Spar University) for fruitful discussion and helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Situation theory or social efficiency ideology (Schiro 2008, 4 f.) suggests the needs of society to which curriculum content should refer. With regard to business management courses at university level the need in the workplace is the key future life situation which should be underpinned in the curriculum and teaching-learning-process respectively (Pilz et al. 2016; Schiro 2008).