Why Cases?

Abstract

When covering any current material related to public relations in the 21st century, all forms of communication, from internal, to external, to traditional media, to social media must be addressed. In college level classroom discussions, students who had all grown up using the internet, chat features, texting, and social media simply can’t believe that many businesses and organizations are led by people who have little to no understanding of current media and social media systems, how they work, and how information spreads—virally and at lightning speed.

Of course, as professors of public relations and communication, we can discuss the nonfiction cases and processes, and we should. But how do we teach students to react in real world situations in this new media landscape? Thankfully, over the last hundred years, a method has been devised in schools of business around the globe to help students see the applicability and utility of course content. This method is called the Case Method. The book you currently hold in your hands represents the culmination of a century of understanding about how students learn and apply concepts, skills, and theory to actual life events.

The Case Method is a fun and active way to learn about a wide range of different topics, but is a method of teaching that definitely takes preparation on the part of both the instructor and the student. In the next few pages, we are going to introduce you to the Case Method, including its history, types of cases, and benefits. In the next chapter, we will walk you through a process we recommend for analyzing a case that is based on a wealth of research written by a range of business related scholars from accounting, industrial psychology, management, organizational behavior, organizational communication, and so on.