In the January Issue of Connect, Harris Kyriakou of ESSEC Business School discusses the importance of protagonists and dilemmas in cases, his three favourite cases, becoming an astronaut, plus much more.
Harris, what is it you like about writing case studies and teaching with the case method?
I love the case method because it constitutes the best way to achieve simulated learning. Within 75-90 minutes of case discussion, our participants step into the shoes of the case protagonists, and need to traverse the context, dilemmas, and incomplete information that these protagonists of a real-world business case experienced. One key difference is that the protagonists of the case had to learn from their own mistakes, often during the course of two to five years, whereas our case discussion participants have the opportunity to internalise the key learnings of the case (and hence avoid making the same mistakes) by investing much less time.
The most effective way to help participants internalise the key learnings of a case is by fostering learning experiences that enable them to iteratively work on it: 1) working on the case on their own, 2) discussing it with their peers/teams, and finally by 3) debating it in class with the rest of their peers, with the professor orchestrating the whole process. For longer and degree granting programmes, an exam containing a new set of mini cases that revisit the key learnings from the cases discussed and allow participants to apply their learnings in a new setting/problem can often serve as the fourth cycle of this iterative learning process.
In sum, there are really two ways that one can learn: 1) from others’ mistakes, or 2) from one’s own mistakes. I cannot think of a more effective way to learn from the former.
How does the case method come alive in the classroom?
There are many ways that a case can come alive in the classroom. In my view, the most powerful one is having clear dilemmas that the protagonists of the case are facing, and where the solutions to those problems are neither obvious, nor trivial. These kinds of cases work the best for me, as they split the classroom, and the heated debates that follow can lead participants to refine their points while defending their views. By sparking discussion between participants, a professor can keep the attention of participants throughout the session, while implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) underlying that the solutions for the problems discussed are neither easy, nor inconsequential.
The most important skill that the case method teaches participants is critical thinking. By challenging the assumptions embedded in the cases, the assumptions of others while debating them, and most importantly, their own assumptions, they learn to critically approach business problems, identify biases, and to assess the trade-offs associated with each of the possible action plans. Such a process can help participants navigate complex real-world business scenarios, articulate their arguments in a better way, as well as become better decision-makers and leaders in the face of uncertainty.
What’s your favourite case, and why?
This is such a difficult question to answer, as it is like asking someone about their favourite book (or child). If I was forced to pick, and could not pick my own cases so I can keep pretending that I am humble, I would probably pick:
- Herrenberg Tennis School and Club by my former colleagues at IESE, Prof. Thomas Klueter, Prof. Luis Palencia and Prof. Juan Carlos Vázquez-Dodero
- And Now What Do We Do?: Management Tensions at IASoft by Prof. Carlos García Pont and Prof. Luis Palencia
- The Club by Prof. Fede Sabrià.
All three cases delve into general management problems, touching upon issues that anyone can relate with, and in conjunction, these cases can help in preparing participants to solve unstructured problems and thrive in consulting roles.
If you could be transported into another profession for one week, which would you choose, and why?
The first thing that came to my mind was another teaching profession, like kindergarten or elementary school teacher. Then I thought of a leadership role in a tech company. And then I thought that since it’s only for a week, I should probably try something completely different from what I typically do as a professor and when consulting companies. Perhaps something as adventurous as an astronaut. I don’t think one week will be sufficient to prepare me for space though (or for trying out all of my ideas), so I will probably need a few extra weeks to make it all work!
How do you relax?
By playing and pursuing adventures with Mariza, my 4.5-year-old daughter.
Do you have a favourite quote or guiding principle?
Not exactly, but one that resonates with me comes from Prof. Juan Carlos Vázquez-Dodero at IESE and underscores the importance of mastery, preparation, and experience in case teaching: “No professor should step into a classroom to teach a case until they have taught that case at least ten times.”
