Issues

Using the business case method, you do not need to start your paper with an introduction. You can assume your reader has reviewed all of the same materials as you have, and you can jump right into a summary of the key issues in the case – the most important conditions or factors that make this decision so difficult – without having to write a lengthy summary of the case facts.

The purpose of the Issues section of your case write-up is to state very clearly and directly what is at the heart of the problem or opportunity you have been asked to address. This is not always clearly stated in the case materials; in fact, it often takes critical thinking and analysis to determine what is truly at the root of what you need to address to make a sound decision.

Analysis

This is the longest section of the three and requires the use of course concepts, tools, and ideas to properly analyze the case data. Remember that you are building a persuasive argument toward the one alternative/decision that you will eventually choose, so you need to demonstrate that:

a.   you have seriously considered the reasonable options;

b.   you have rigorously examined (using course concepts/tools/frameworks) each of those options; and

c.   you can move forward confidently with the chosen one of your alternatives.

Alternative A: Issue the Sustainability Bond (since that’s the decision in this case!) Each alternative must be described (briefly is fine) and analyzed using your choice of course  concepts, tools, or frameworks that will give you new insight or a better perspective about the alternative.

Alternative B: Do not issue the Sustainability Bond

Because both alternatives are worth considering, you must give each significant consideration and present the strongest arguments and evidence for each that you can. Do not let unfounded opinion cloud your analysis. Make sure you analyze each alternative in a balanced way (i.e. consider both its strengths and its weaknesses).

Recommendations

Open your Recommendation section with a statement of which alternative is recommended. A typical opening sentence for this section is, “Based on the analysis above, the company should [issue/not issue] …”

The purpose of the Recommendation section is to move forward confidently with the one alternative that makes the most sense for the organization, based on your balanced analysis of each option. You do not need to re-justify your chosen alternative, since you have already done that in the Analysis section. But you can reinforce/reiterate why it’s the best choice, and you should state why/how your chosen alternative solves or addresses the key issues you identified at the beginning of your memo.

You do not need to include a conclusion section; the Recommendations section serves this purpose. That is the efficiency of business writing: with a logical flow and headers and subheaders to indicate changes in direction, you can keep things quite brief.