Concepts and Methods
This webpage describes the learning concepts and methods that form the basis for the teaching at the MBA program, including lectures and the Case Method, which are combined in the program.
The Case Learning Method combined with lectures
We have implemented the methods and recommendations of the Harvard Business School as to the Case Learning Method in our teaching and use primarily cases developed at the Harvard Business School.
We have chosen to combine the Case Learning Method with lectures since we believe the combination offers the optimal opportunities for learning: both have definite benefits, as well as drawbacks when standing alone.
The learning strategies
Thus, the learning strategies in the MBA program can be characterized as follows, in bullet form:
- Reading of textbooks
- Reading of cases
- Preparation of each case
- Teaching:
- Lectures
- Case learning
- Exercises
- Writing of the papers, including group discussions
- Feedback from the professor
- Individual walkthrough of the papers based on the feedback
Lectures are a good learning method when the goal is to learn about different management techniques, both specifically and in the abstract. Exercises and writing papers are an outstanding method to learn to master management applications and techniques in practice, while at the same time improving the understanding of their potential and limitations.
The Case Learning Method, on the other hand, is a great learning method to allow the students to develop management skills. Case learning is based on the learning concepts metaphor and simulation, teaching the student to analyze a management situation and to develop recommended approaches and conclusions in a well-grounded and structured manner.
Cases describe different, real management situations, typically described as a story. So the case is a real management situation from a real company. They are used in the teaching process to discuss the real business situations which real executives had to deal with and it is your task as the learner to put yourself in the position of the executive(s) in the case, analyze the situation and develop recommendations for what you would do and reasons why.
You will then have the opportunity during class to present and justify your recommendations and listen to the recommendations from the others. One of the great things in case learning is that there is no one correct solution, all well justified recommendations are valid and even though the case typically ends with the description of what the real executives did, not even that is final, after all they could have been - and sometimes were - wrong.