Learning & Teaching with Cases: Best Practices

Donald C. MenzelWorkshop LeaderASPA National ConferenceMarch 4, 2012

Approach• Overview/background• Identifying best practices with respect to

• Constructing cases• Identifying cases• Learning with cases• Teaching with cases

• Take aways• Identify and prioritize cases that contain a realistic ethical dilemma• Develop cases that can be used to teach and learn ethics• Distinguish between cases that emphasize decision making and

those that emphasize ethics management

Using Cases to Teach Public Administration in the U.S.

• Varies considerably among and within educational institutions and governmental training programs

• Nor is there widespread agreement over the “best” types of cases

• Textbooks are replete with cases

Arguments against case based instruction• Lack of generalizability• Cannot contribute to building a science of administration

• Primary framework is rational choice—reason emphasized over emotion

• Focus heavily on strategic decisions at the top of the organization

• Manager is portrayed as an analyst who is detached from daily operations and free of unwanted interruptions

Arguments for case based instruction• Chunk of reality – context is significant• Holistic thinking• Deeper understanding• Learn from others• Application of knowledge to practical situations• Develops students’ ability to use their imagination

Objectives—what do you want to achieve with cases?• Acquire information about rules, codes, laws• Develop decision making skills to resolve ethical

dilemmas• Develop management skills to promote an ethical culture

Short structured cases

• Focuses on vignettes• Usually run from 1-10 pages• Student knows what kind of answer is sought but does not have a formula for producing it

• Used in economics, marketing, finance, and human resources, public administration

Long structured cases• Present “wicked” problems for which there are no clear

solutions and no guidelines for knowing when the end has been reached.

• Usually run from 10-50 pages• Used in business policy and strategic management• Harvard business school & The Electronic Hallway project

at the Evans School of Public Affairs, U. of Washington

Factual vs Fictional

Learning with cases• Bringing abstract concepts down to earth

• Trust, integrity, ethics, public interest

• Bring context to bear on a situation• Crucial to an in-depth understanding of a difficult ethical situation

• Learn by discovery• Emphasis is on trial and error, self-analysis, active learning when in

a group setting• Engagement with ideas and other learners• Fosters ability to “connect the dots”• Develops a holistic understanding of the subject area

Teaching with cases -- challenges• Experience/training to use the case method

• Central to case method is an analytical approach that emphasizes identifying and sorting out the pieces and putting them back together, involves both inductive and deductive reasoning

• Time management• Instructor style – confusing set of roles

• Guide, facilitator, nurturer, coach – devil’s advocate• Art of a case method instructor is to ask the right question at the

right time, provide feedback on answers, and sustain a discussion that opens up meanings of the case

• Case selection• Complexity• Multiple answers

Teaching with cases -- challenges• Learner participation• Role of case leader

• Avoid authority figure• Do not allow body language to take on the leadership role

• Using both lectures and cases• Common practice• Instructors typically employ a mix of tools and methods• Should case material be used before or after lectures

• Depends on what you want to accomplish

• Online teaching with cases

Teaching with cases -- challenges• Normative frameworks

• Virtue ethics• Utilitarianism• Duty/principles

• Ethical reasoning – process that accents the dynamics and interplay between alternatives, competing and complementary values, and commonsense to resolve an issue

Key ethical reasoning questions for teaching decision making skills

1. I there an ethical issue? (perception and sensitivity)

2. What is the ethical issue (definition)

3. What might be done to resolve the situation (alternatives)

4. Does the preferred course of action satisfy the needs/preferences of the primary stakeholders? (decision/dynamics)

5. Is the action itself ethical? (judgment)

When the chief asks you to lie

Chuck is the Captain of one of the city's fire stations. The fire station is in serious need of repairs as a critical portion of the station has settled, causing it to become unusable. A tropical storm has blown across the city causing heavy damage and flooding. The area in and around the city has been declared a disaster area and both state and federal disaster officials are assessing damage for emergency relief. The Fire Chief has advised federal/state officials that the damage to the station was caused by the storm. Prior to relief officials arriving to assess the damage at the station, the Fire Chief calls Chuck to advise him of their impending arrival and tells Chuck to inform the relief officials that the damage is a result of the storm.

While not stated, annual evaluations are due next month and the Chief is known to use the evaluations to reward loyalty and punish those who do not follow his wishes. Due to a previous illness in the family, Chuck is very dependent upon his annual evaluation to keep up with inflation.

Should Chuck lie for the Chief? Should Chuck complain to the Chief that he is being put in a position that he cannot agree with? Should Chuck pass the lie onto another staff member by asking him or her to deceive the assessment team?

What would you do?

Imagine that you are the county sheriff in a large urban, high growth county where you have served as a popular elected county sheriff for 20 years. To your dismay, you are informed that one of your sergeant's who has served the county for many years is charged with 129 counts of falsification of official documents, 144 counts of failure to follow standard operating procedures,  and conduct unbecoming a member of the sheriff's office--charges made by your internal affairs investigators. The deputy, as it turns out, coordinates all the work at the port authority and is in a position to log off-duty assignments for himself at the port that far exceed regular work week hours. The investigators charge that the sergeant knowingly cooked the books and over-rode computer programs to prevent others from knowing what he did.

What would you do with the sergeant? Put a letter of reprimand in his personnel file, ban him from working any off-duty assignments, suspend him, reduce him in rank, fire him? The sergeant's supervisor wants him suspended for 30 days and reduced to the rank of deputy. The disciplinary review board wants him fired. You are about to retire and don't need to worry about being re-elected any more. The allegations against the sergeant have been published in the local newspaper. What would you do?

Building a Case

Fight, Parry, or Resign—what is the “right” thing to do?

Case Fact Sheet

Learning & Teaching with Cases: Best Practices

Donald C. MenzelWorkshop LeaderASPA National ConferenceMarch 4, 2012