Making the Case
Writing and Using Case Studies for Teaching and Knowledge
Management in Public Administration
Case studies make learning come alive. They tell a story. They mirror real life. They can also be actual experiences. They add elements problem-solving, complexity and messiness to thinking about the challenging world of public administration. Case studies let practitioners share knowledge, insight and cautionary tales of their own experience. They can help in avoiding the re-invention of wheels that often happens across governments.
This book focuses on the use, writing and teaching of public administration case studies. It is book for teachers, but also for those in government who want to use case studies to share knowledge. It adds some high quality cases to strengthen the case that cases are important and useful tools.
Case studies are attracting more interest both in teaching and in government. This book tries to give the pointers that will make creating and using them a success.
You can purchase this book at McGill-Queens: Click here or on Amazon: Click here.
This book is also available in Portuguese under the title Como escrever e usar estudos de caso para ensino e qprendizagem no setor publico published by ENAP, the federal Brazilian School of Public Administration, ISBN 978-85-256-0070-7.
Writing and Using Case Studies for Teaching and Knowledge
Management in Public Administration
Case studies make learning come alive. They tell a story. They mirror real life. They can also be actual experiences. They add elements problem-solving, complexity and messiness to thinking about the challenging world of public administration. Case studies let practitioners share knowledge, insight and cautionary tales of their own experience. They can help in avoiding the re-invention of wheels that often happens across governments.
This book focuses on the use, writing and teaching of public administration case studies. It is book for teachers, but also for those in government who want to use case studies to share knowledge. It adds some high quality cases to strengthen the case that cases are important and useful tools.
Case studies are attracting more interest both in teaching and in government. This book tries to give the pointers that will make creating and using them a success.
You can purchase this book at McGill-Queens: Click here or on Amazon: Click here.
This book is also available in Portuguese under the title Como escrever e usar estudos de caso para ensino e qprendizagem no setor publico published by ENAP, the federal Brazilian School of Public Administration, ISBN 978-85-256-0070-7.
Table of Contents
Preface................................................................................................... xi
PART 1. USING, WRITING, AND TEACHING CASE STUDIES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 1. Introduction: Why Case Studies? Why Now?...........................1
Chapter 2. Case Studies: Definitions, Uses, Resources, and Potential...... 11
Chapter 3. Teaching Cases..................................................................... 23
Chapter 4. A User’s Guide: Case Studies from the Learner’s
Chapter 5. Sharing Experience: Using Case Studies for
PART 2. Case Samplers
Case Sampler #1. Reading into History................................................... 71
Case Sampler #2. Case Study Sample: Straightforward or Lively?............ 76
Version A....................................................................................... 76
Version B....................................................................................... 76
Case Sampler #3. Ethical Challenges: Simple but Complex..................... 78
The Ministerial Directive, or Was That a Suggestion?.......................... 78
Case Sampler #4. Cases That Create Group Discussion and
Analytical Challenges............................................................................80
Competing Business Cases: The Budget of the Metro Police Service....................................................................................80
Case Sampler #5. Cases with Complex Narratives..................................86
Problem Employee or Problem Boss? Change, Resistance,
Performance, and Leadership.............................................................86
Case Sampler #6. Sample Open-Ended Teaching Case........................... 92
Values and Hard Decisions, by Lynne Siemens and Reg Toews........... 92
Case Sampler #7. Short Problem-Solving Cases with Closed
Alternatives...........................................................................................98
To Contract or Not to Contract...........................................................98
Case Sampler #8. Complex Case with Teaching Note:
The Vancouver Agreement.................................................................. 102
Case Study: The Vancouver Agreement............................................ 102
Case Sampler #9. Complex Case with Teaching Note:
The Air Transport Case.........................................................................119
The Air Transport Crisis in Brazil: 2006 and 2007,
by Amâncio Jorge de Oliveira, Janina Onuki, and
Sônia Naves David Amorim..............................................................119
Case Sampler #10. An Organizational Learning Case: The Tale of
Two Contracts..................................................................................... 136
A Tale of Two Contracts or, How to Minimize the Risk of
Forming an Employment Contract while Acquiring Goods,
Services, or Construction, by Cathryn Kallwitz................................. 136
Appendix. Inventory of Public Administration Case Study Sites............ 153
Bibliography........................................................................................ 165
Author’s Biography.............................................................................. 169
Preface................................................................................................... xi
PART 1. USING, WRITING, AND TEACHING CASE STUDIES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Chapter 1. Introduction: Why Case Studies? Why Now?...........................1
Chapter 2. Case Studies: Definitions, Uses, Resources, and Potential...... 11
Chapter 3. Teaching Cases..................................................................... 23
Chapter 4. A User’s Guide: Case Studies from the Learner’s
Chapter 5. Sharing Experience: Using Case Studies for
PART 2. Case Samplers
Case Sampler #1. Reading into History................................................... 71
Case Sampler #2. Case Study Sample: Straightforward or Lively?............ 76
Version A....................................................................................... 76
Version B....................................................................................... 76
Case Sampler #3. Ethical Challenges: Simple but Complex..................... 78
The Ministerial Directive, or Was That a Suggestion?.......................... 78
Case Sampler #4. Cases That Create Group Discussion and
Analytical Challenges............................................................................80
Competing Business Cases: The Budget of the Metro Police Service....................................................................................80
Case Sampler #5. Cases with Complex Narratives..................................86
Problem Employee or Problem Boss? Change, Resistance,
Performance, and Leadership.............................................................86
Case Sampler #6. Sample Open-Ended Teaching Case........................... 92
Values and Hard Decisions, by Lynne Siemens and Reg Toews........... 92
Case Sampler #7. Short Problem-Solving Cases with Closed
Alternatives...........................................................................................98
To Contract or Not to Contract...........................................................98
Case Sampler #8. Complex Case with Teaching Note:
The Vancouver Agreement.................................................................. 102
Case Study: The Vancouver Agreement............................................ 102
Case Sampler #9. Complex Case with Teaching Note:
The Air Transport Case.........................................................................119
The Air Transport Crisis in Brazil: 2006 and 2007,
by Amâncio Jorge de Oliveira, Janina Onuki, and
Sônia Naves David Amorim..............................................................119
Case Sampler #10. An Organizational Learning Case: The Tale of
Two Contracts..................................................................................... 136
A Tale of Two Contracts or, How to Minimize the Risk of
Forming an Employment Contract while Acquiring Goods,
Services, or Construction, by Cathryn Kallwitz................................. 136
Appendix. Inventory of Public Administration Case Study Sites............ 153
Bibliography........................................................................................ 165
Author’s Biography.............................................................................. 169
