About the Case Study Center NPC
The CharterQuest Case Study Center NPC (CSC) is a Non-Profit Foundation (reg. 2016/083013/08 and NPO # 170-771) dedicated to strengthening the integrated case study method of teaching at Africa's universities and institutions of higher learning and advocating professional education to help bridge the gap between the cutting edge skills employers seek and what our system of education is producing. The key strategic initiatives and programmes of the Center include:
- Investing in case study research and methodology development.
- Developing a strategic capability for case study tuition and exam preparation courses.
- Coaching African teams seeking to compete at global case study competitions.
- Design/operating Africa's 1st global annual case study competition: 'The CFO; and The CFO Junior.'
- Design/operating a Fulltime Youth Business Leadership Academy - FYLA.
The CQ Case Study Methodology
('Case Method')
.
Exam-focused and case study method teaching are deeply rooted in The CharterQuest Institute mission. We apply it across all learning programmes especially in our Full-time Youth Leadership Academy (FYLA). Our case study methodology uses decision-focused real life African business cases (or the case material provided by the examining body) to place our students in a position to empathise with decision makers ("the protagonists"), who at present or sometime in the past were faced with difficult multi-dimensional decisions. These decisions would typically involve significant threats, weaknesses and opportunities that create a context for significant organisational change. Embedded in these issues are ethical dilemmas typically involving compelling individuals and powerful stakeholders that need to be pro-actively managed.
Our case study methodolody integrates all the subjects taught individually to create the context in which future global business leaders are formed: real-life challenges, wrapped in complicated business scenarios with often varied and ambiguous data. Each challenge confronts our young business leaders with a rich mix of high impact business consequences and calls for a prompt, responsible and well justified action plan that instills the mindset and courage to act decisively in crisis and under uncertainty.
Through our case study methodology, every student working as part of a team and/or classroom setting becomes an active participant in contributing to individual and shared success as they jointly and severally, not only learn how to pass case study exams but also exercise the leadership fundamentals and responsibilities that create the lifetime foundation for their career in business and leadership. It's one thing to teach students how to perform a specific technique, such as a decision-tree but it's quite another to teach them when and why one is required to be applied and how to do so—or even when its conclusions should be relegated altogether. Leaders must be skilled at decision-making especially under time-pressured circumstances -which is what our case study methodology seeks to inculcate in our young business leaders of tomorrow. We use the case study method to teach how to exercise superb rounded judgment, not mere application of skills. Judgment, based on sound analysis rooted in what we have developed to serve as an integral part of our case study methodology : FISA -Facts, Inferences, Speculation and Assumptions. Judgment that can be articulately communicated to a senior manager, OPCO, EXCO or Board of Directors and a stance taken in the face of multiple contending stances that can all be meaningfully justified looking at the same set of facts, yet some of the stances are far more viable than others for reasons intricately connected to the rules of FISA.
Strategic capability for case study tuition and exam preparation courses
The CSC has assured our continued leadership in case study exam preparations with average pass rates at above 80% for the various case study exams we serve. The Case Study Method requires a different kind of teaching capability for which we are heavily invested to continue guaranteeing our exceptional passrates.
Rather than serving only as a tutor actively teaching the content and exam techniques to pass your exams 1st time, our case study tutor also becomes the choreographer of a dynamic and multi-faceted, action-packed, analysis-congested, intellectually-stimulating and decision-oriented conversation. The student has to come ready to play, meaning you have done your own thorough reading and background analysis of the case material, identifying the mission/vision, values, objectives, strengths, weaknesses as well as the threats confronting the enterprise and connecting as far as possible every key paragraph to the key themes and syllabus knowledge areas and technical models as well as principles that will be vital to unpacking the case.
Before coming to class, our tutor also has to do the pre-teaching ritual of analysing the case, preparing the content and the process but also anticipating all types of twists and turns from a vigorous class debate that will see some of our students think like accountants, business historians, entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists, venture capitalists, academics, sociologists, journalists, pr and marketing practitioners, politicians, etc. Our methodology recognises the true meaning of facilitation of group effort as our case tutor's role is to probe, encourage, cajole and sometimes deliberately step aside to let the students assume the lead roles—and openly challenge each other with contending analysis and conclusions. As required of a true case study expert, we refrain from providing answers but illuminate a pathway to greater experience and answer-shaping understanding whilst maintaining a very strict focus on applying the technical skills embedded within the specific syllabus as well as what has been taught in class to ensure it remains exam-focused, analytically rigorous, solution-oriented and case competition quality.
If you are professionally qualified and passionate about preparing and/or teaching case studies as a paid service, send us an e-mail together with your C.V. Alternatively, you can volunteer as a case study expert with The CFO Business Case Study Competition team.
Coaching African teams seeking to compete at global case study competitions as well as start-up their own businesses
The CSC has delivered early success by producing a case study coaching team that was able to mentor its 1st School Team -CharterCapital Advisory Team SA. The team competed against local Universities on the CIMA Global Business Challenge and won the right to represent South Africa at the global finals in Poland.