What is the case method?
The case method is an interactive process in which students and faculty teach and learn from each other. HBS cases are first-hand accounts of actual management problems that stem from a variety of interdependent factors and span all aspects of business. Each case is bounded by the constraints and incomplete information available when the decision in the case had to be made. Placing themselves in the role of the case protagonists (managers), SVMP participants perform analyses and recommend a course of action — without knowing the outcome of the decision at hand. As such, the case method relies on the active intellectual and emotional involvement of every participant. Rather than teaching “to” SVMP participants, HBS faculty facilitate shared learning by helping participants teach themselves and each other. As a result, SVMP participants have a dual responsibility to both learn and teach, with the faculty’s guidance and support.
