The Case of the Family Business
The case study, a story describing a situation where the ending is not revealed to the reader, is an amazingly powerful educational tool.
Readers are asked to develop an ending and justify their choice. In the business classroom cases easily engage students and move them higher on Bloom’s taxonomy of learning. They apply, evaluate and integrate new knowledge rather than memorize or observe. The freedom to craft a story ending also encourages questioning and creativity.
The characters in the case study come to life to illustrate the lessons.
I once presented a “visual case study” to an audience of financial advisors. It was a simple cartoon image. The father, a family business owner, was relaxing in his club chair at home after work. The mother was featured in the image pleading with her husband to give their son, who was not pictured, a raise. That single panel and my open-ended question “What’s going on here?” launched an animated discussion. Was the father not willing to recognize his son’s strong workplace performance? Was the mother asking for compensation that her son, in his employment role, didn’t deserve? Would the son accept the raise? The simple dilemma of this family business engaged everyone.
Cases don’t have to be complex to teach next generation family members more about the business. Even a simple story will prompt broader questions about the business and the history. Here are some ideas for case discussions embedded in the story of your family business:
What is the next community service project for the family?
A story that describes the legacy of philanthropy in the company to prompt a conversation about values and the importance of giving back invites young family members to determine how they want to contribute.
What is the best department for the business internship for family members?
A story that features the early careers of family members informs a comparison of the organizational structure of departments and responsibilities in the family company.
Should the family be featured in company advertisements?
A story about the pride of family ownership and the importance of family privacy encourages a discussion of the family brand and identity of the business.
What new social media channels could help promote the family company?
A story describing how past social media content decisions were made and how the audience engages digitally with the family business would explore target customers and channels used to reach them.
An opportunity to describe the business while encouraging critical thinking is a worthy investment of time. The writer will also gain clarity and perspective when capturing a question for the business and preparing the facts and context of the situation.