Why Companies Say Yes to Case Studies (and How to Get Them There)

From gaining fresh perspectives on past challenges and garnering brand visibility to establishing thought leadership and furthering business education, there’s no shortage of reasons why companies take part in business case studies. And while some may have reservations about timing or confidentiality, those concerns tend to disappear when potential protagonists understand the case-writing process – and how much everyone involved stands to gain.

 

“Participating in a case study goes beyond simply sharing a story – it’s about contributing to a broader ecosystem of learning and innovation,” says Saugata Basuray, Executive Director at Castrol India Ltd., whose company was featured in Castrol India’s Channel Dilemma: Play Safe or Disrupt to Change the Rules of the Game?


“For companies, case studies present a unique opportunity to showcase their expertise, innovations, and problem-solving strategies to a broader audience. They also facilitate meaningful interactions, enhancing both brand credibility and thought leadership. Case Studies are a vital bridge between theory and real-world application.”


It’s a mutually-beneficial relationship that was immediately clear to Nitin Dixit, Founder and CEO of the Indian plant based chain restaurant Greenr, when he agreed to be part of the case Greenr's Blue Ocean Strategy: Striving in Untapped Markets With Sustainable Dining, because he felt his business case “was quite unique within the emerging Indian startup ecosystem and could also serve as a model for creating purpose and mission oriented businesses.”


“While business principles remain constant, business models are context-dependent and provide innumerable opportunities to study how business can evolve to meet the dynamic needs of society,” Dixit says. “These cases connect companies to like-minded individuals and companies that could find synergy to grow the ecosystem and increase the impact potential.”

 

What’s involved for protagonists

 

The goal of a case is to be able to tell the company's story in a way that gives the students the opportunity to insert themselves in a situation and make decisions based on the facts that were relevant and available to the protagonist at the time. While cases based on published sources rely on data that is publicly available, field cases are developed through direct collaboration with the company and provide a different level of depth and engagement.

 

“Ivey does not publish fictional cases; every faculty member who uses our cases, every author, every student – they all know that these are all real,” says David Wood, Ivey faculty and former Executive Director of Ivey Publishing, who has written dozens of cases and worked with many companies. “Most executives can appreciate they were once in school too, and they can understand how important this is to help the next generation of leaders.”

 

Once a company agrees to participate in a case, securing the right approvals and confidentiality agreements (including a consent form available on the Ivey Publishing site), the author will typically interview the protagonist and gather any other information that may be relevant or could be useful to the case.

 

After the initial interview is completed, the case writer puts together a case plan. This usually involves the opening paragraph, the learning objectives, and a schedule to complete these. The case plan is sent to the organization to make sure that they're on board with the concept and the proposal. Once that gets approved, there’s anywhere from one to three interviews and some data collection, and then it’s up to the case author to get to work writing the case. A draft is sent to the company or protagonist when it’s ready, and they’re able to review and approve it before it can be published.

 

“It's not a particularly heavy burden on them or their time, and some companies find it almost therapeutic to be able to go back through what they did with the information they had at the time,” says Wood.

 

Sheri Lambert, Associate Professor of Marketing at the Fox School of Business at Temple University and writer of more than 40 cases, says she’s always open and transparent when approaching companies – and stresses these are stories that enable the protagonists’ voice are heard by an eager and interested audience.

 

“They are basically being a guest speaker in every classroom around the world when their case gets taught, and I think that's pretty awesome,” Lambert said as part of Getting to Yes: Navigating Company Involvement for Case Studies, an Ivey Publishing webinar that offered practical tips and strategies for building partnerships with companies and creating engaging case studies.


Safeguards and confidentiality

 

But even protagonists who embrace case teaching may have reservations about signing on, because of the perceived time commitment, relevance of the topic, or whether they feel they have “enough” material to contribute.


“Companies sometimes worry we’re doing investigative journalism and trying to identify what they did wrong, but we’re just trying to present the problem they tackled,” Wood says. “We're not providing a judgment on whether it was right or wrong.”


If the author or protagonist feels the problem being explored could lead to reputational harm for the company, the corporation can be disguised. Those cases still tell the story of a company in a clear and transparent way, and are based on true information and data, but they may change the name or location of the company, or even the names of some of the people involved.


The same holds true for legitimate concerns around confidential information or trade secrets – and the company will be asked to sign off before the case is published.

 

Unexpected benefits

 

Nima Gohil, Director of Market Consumer Intelligence at LVMH and a former director at L’Oreal, collaborated with Lambert on the case L'Oréal USA: Digitally Optimizing Consumer Insights, just like Collie Turner, Founder of Heroic Gardens, a mental health organization for Veterans, did on Heroic Gardens: How A Nonprofit Focused on Veterans Can Grow A Sustainable Funding Strategy. Even though one was working within a large corporation and the other from a small nonprofit, both said they found value in participating in case writing – and took away lessons they still think about today.

 

“Since we published in 2021, I have had so many students from different parts of the world reach out – either to comment on the case or even ask questions,” says Gohil.

 

“I initially agreed because I wanted to bring more visibility for L’Oréal and highlight some of our more innovative internal methods. I've moved companies, but this case lives on.”

 

Turner, for her part, felt like participation in the case was an opportunity to get her company’s story out there and potentially get some feedback.

 

But she found it forced her to take a hard look at their funding strategy and course correct where needed.

 

“I think about where we are now and just the opportunity to inspire a student to start their own venture; and to think they could reach out us and talk to them about how we built it – that’s pretty amazing,” Turner says.

 

“My biggest concern (at the start) was whether we had enough of a story to be a viable challenge, (and now) that we've evolved I’m actually wondering if there may even be room for a follow-up case.”

 

It’s a sentiment shared by other case protagonists, including CEO Dharmendra Singh, whose company, MergerWare, was featured in MergerWare: Navigating Challenges in M&A Deal Management. It’s a case, he says, that helps fill a gap in M&A business education, which often teaches students what the M&A process is about, but not the real execution piece – which is exactly what MergerWare pioneered.

 

“M&A is an area where you have to know everything about the company, so this case becomes critical for people to see the description of the goal, how the value is curated through acquisition,” he says.

 

In fact, since the case was published, Singh has been invited to be a guest speaker in several classrooms, and says he looks forward to sharing his thoughts on the topic as well as additional points to push the conversation forward.

 

“It's a new field, and through this case study, people are now aware about the larger issues and how to address them.”

 

Expert tips for case writers looking to approach a company for a case study

While there are many benefits for companies that become the subject of a case study, some will be hesitant to get in the spotlight. Here are some of Wood’s and Lambert’s top tips for getting those companies and executives to say yes:


  • Use the relationships that authors have built with organizations in the past – this could be companies you've done research with, former students who are now in the working world, or contacts and relationships you have through your own work and practice.
  • Tap into the company’s sense of giving back and stress the importance of the Case Method for educating the next generation of leaders.
  • Explain the goal of case teaching: Cases are about a problem or challenge a company faced, not how it was handled, so students won’t be looking to judge anyone’s actions – they just need an opportunity to think about how they would approach the problem.
  • If the company is not familiar with the Case Method, invite them to classroom so they can see what it’s about, how this is done, or send them a case you've written in the past.
  • Make sure they understand the process and time commitment involved – as well as the fact that the company will have a chance to review and approve the case, if their name is being used.
  • Case authors can also offer to sign non-disclosure agreements and speak openly with the company about what information they need to see on background – there’s a lot that won’t make it into the written case, but can help the writer understand the problem the company faced.
  • Even if information isn’t being disguised, a consent form provided by Ivey Publishing is required to submit the case for consideration.
  • Keep in mind that case authors may write more than one case about a particular company, so you’ll be working to nurture a good working relationship and seek compromises that get you the information you need but also protect the company and address their concerns.

 

In their own words: Why I agreed to be a case protagonist

The value of the Case Method to business students is clear, but executives may not always be clear on why they should participate. Ivey Publishing spoke with several CEOs and company leaders, who explain it in their own words.


“By integrating insights from our hands-on business experience with the perspectives of the current generation, we aim to get students comfortable working with scenarios, challenge assumptions and recognize that often there is no one solution to a problem that is perfect. Moreover, participating in case studies allows us to contribute to talent development – an investment that aligns with our long-term strategic vision.” - Saugata Basuray, Executive Director at Castrol India Ltd ., whose company was featured in Castrol India’s Channel Dilemma: Play Safe or Disrupt to Change the Rules of the Game?

  

“Say yes. You don't know who you're going to meet, you don't know what the experience is going to draw out of you or them. We’re here to inspire our students, but we all benefit from it.” - Collie Turner, Founder, Heroic Gardens and protagonist of Heroic Gardens: How A Nonprofit Focused on Veterans Can Grow A Sustainable Funding Strategy.

 

“If you have a unique solution to a business problem, you should distribute that information and create awareness. It provides students with a practical example, and it’s also a way to share ideas and get input and new perspectives as a company.” - Dharmendra Singh, CEO MergerWare, featured in MergerWare: Navigating Challenges in M&A Deal Management.

 

“Don't overthink it. Take a leap of faith. You really have nothing to lose, and I think you can disclose as much or as little as you want to. It’s a rewarding experience for both, and ultimately you're giving back.” - Nima Gohil, Director of Market Consumer Intelligence at LVMH and a former director at L’Oreal, who collaborated on the case L'Oréal USA: Digitally Optimizing Consumer Insights.

 

“We believe in sharing our business journey and insights with the world. If more executives or founders did the same, it would be immensely valuable to aspiring entrepreneurs and allow more innovative approaches to address emerging challenges and opportunities in an increasingly dynamic world.” - Nitin Dixit, Founder and CEO, who collaborated on Greenr's Blue Ocean Strategy: Striving in Untapped Markets With Sustainable Dining.


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