MGT 351  Fall 2016 

New Mexico State University  1 

Case Study Guidelines The objectives of case studies are to: 

 Apply and improve your critical thinking skills.   Identify and suggest potential solution(s) to business problems.   Apply the skills and concepts discussed in the classroom. 

Some of the case studies might be somewhat difficult at first since they deal with real issues,  but often the underlying symptoms of the problem mask the root cause of the problem.  Your  task is to determine the critical information provided in the case and propose  recommendations and/or answer the questions as indicated.  The key to a successful case  analysis is to integrate and apply the knowledge learned in class. 

In preparing the write‐up of the case, please follow these general guidelines: 

 Be concise and well‐structured: in most cases, your case should not be more than two  pages in length (double space, not including tables, figures, and/or references). 

 Articulate the content of your case clearly.  For proper writing and styling standards,  please refer to http://goo.gl/GCZ0j5. 

Case write‐up structure The following is the suggested structure when writing up the case.   

 Title: include the title of the case, name, student ID, and due date.    Executive summary: a one‐to‐two paragraph summary of the case and your 

recommendation(s).  

 Problem definition: identify the key issues/questions that need to be addressed.   Analysis/Answers: find key points of interest and/or answer the case questions.  Be as 

descriptive as possible and apply and integrate the class discussions topics covered in 

the textbook to support your analyses/answers.  

 References:  supporting materials that might include trade/academic journals, books,  URLs.  Use APA referencing style.  

MGT 351  Fall 2016 

New Mexico State University  2 

Grading Rubric The following rubric is intended to provide you with a guideline regarding the evaluation of your case analysis submission. 

  Performance Rating 

Evaluation dimensions  Excellent  Competent  Weak  Identification  Identifies  and  demonstrates  a  solid 

understanding  of  main 

issues/problems  

Identifies  and  demonstrates  an 

understanding  of  most  of  the 

issues/problems 

Identifies  and  demonstrates 

acceptable understanding of some of 

the issues/problems  

Analysis / evaluation   Insightful  and  thorough  analysis  of 

all  identified  issues/problems; 

includes  all  necessary  calculations 

when appropriate 

Thorough  analysis  of  most  of  the 

issues  identified;  missing  some 

necessary  calculations  when 

appropriate  

Superficial or incomplete analysis of 

some  of  the  identified  issues; omits 

necessary  calculations  when 

appropriate 

Recommendations   Diagnosis  and  opinions  supported 

with  strong  arguments  and  well‐ 

documented objective evidence 

Diagnosis  and  opinions  supported 

with  limited  reasoning  and 

somewhat subjective evidence 

Little  or no  action  suggested and/or 

inappropriate solutions proposed. 

Writing and formatting   Demonstrates  clarity,  conciseness 

and  correctness;  formatting  is 

appropriate  and  writing  is  free  of 

grammar and spelling errors. 

Occasional  grammar  or  spelling 

errors, but still a clear presentation of 

ideas; lacks organization. 

Writing  is  unfocused,  rambling,  or 

contains  serious  errors;  poorly 

organized  and  does  not  follow 

specified guidelines. 

References  Clearly  links  to  outside  readings; 

sources  are  cited  in  References 

section in APA style 

Limited  links  to  outside  readings; 

sources  are  cited  in  References 

section in APA style with errors 

Outside  readings  are  weak  and/or 

missing;  sources  are  not  cited  in 

References  section  and/or  not 

following APA style 

Supplemental Case

Chapter 10: Cutting Costs at VentaCare

VentaCare Nursing Homes provides private care for over 500 residents in three different

locations. The company employs 250 staff members with a variety of responsibilities including

RN’s, nursing assistants, kitchen staff, custodians and administrators. VentaCare has a

reputation of providing superior care and has a waiting list for residents ready to move in to their

homes. Further, the company enjoys a relatively low employee turnover rate. However, some

recent cuts in federal funding have created some financial difficulties for the company.

VentaCare has cut costs in all aspects of their operations, but the company still has not

accounted entirely for their expected budget shortfall and must now examine personnel costs.

Due to state requirements for minimum levels of staff to residents, cutting staff is not an option.

They have decided to temporarily freeze salaries, but this will still not create enough savings for

the company. Allison Wiggan, the Director of Human Resources, has been asked to examine the

company benefit program for cost cutting options.

The company offers a fairly generous benefits program, which is quite costly for the

company. In addition to a health insurance plan, the company provides both short-term and

long-term disability insurance and life insurance for which the company pays the full premium.

The company provides paid time off including eight paid holidays, an average of ten vacation

days and five sick days each year. As a retirement benefit, the company provides a 401(k) plan

where they match the first 3% of the employee’s contributions. The company also offers tuition

reimbursement for employees pursing any advanced degree. To promote employee wellness,

they offer a variety of programs such a monthly lunch to discuss health concerns. And finally,

they offer a full-service Employee Assistance Program.

Changing or eliminating any of these benefits is going to be a challenge. Part of the

reason VentaCare has had such success is that they are able to retain talented and dedicated staff

members. While the company’s pay rates are in line with their competitors, their benefits

program is clearly more generous. Allison is concerned that making cuts to the program could

cause employee turnover or create challenges in future recruiting efforts.