Case study frameworks

Note that we explain the most relevant case study frameworks in our Introduction to commercial awareness course, which we would recommend completing before carrying out this case study.

Presenting your answer 

In the introductory email, you are tasked with writing a written document. You should note that the task is communicated to you by email. 

When you begin your answer, you may elect between writing just the written document or placing the content within the context of the email. For example, you may choose to begin by writing a title and going into your executive summary. 

Alternatively, you may draft it in an email format. For example, you may write:

“Dear Paul,

Thank you for your email concerning Close Knit. Please find my analysis presented below. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Kind regards,

[Candidate]

Executive summary

• [Point 1]
• [Point 2]
• [Point 3]”

If you were actually an employee, it is likely that you would write your document in Word and attach the file to an email to be sent to your supervisor. So long as you are professional, it is not a problem if you choose to adopt one approach over another. 

Executive summaries

What we would certainly recommend, however, is that you begin the body of your document with an executive summary which sets out your document’s key conclusions. In a real business setting, executive summaries are useful in that they save people time and allow them to read the document in question with purpose. These kinds of documents are not meant to be novels with cliff-hangers. Readers want to know the findings before they decide to get into all the detail.

An executive summary can take a few forms. 

• Some executive summaries are formatted as a series of bullet or numbered points. This approach keeps the summary focused and concise. 
• Other executive summaries are written as a short paragraph that acts as an abstract for the rest of the document. This approach has more flair, but you run the risk of making it lengthy or verbose. You must remember that it is an executive summary. Skip some of the nuances and deliver the most important points to the reader upfront.

Finally, it is likely that you will need to write your executive summary last. There is a lot of information contained within the bundle of documents and you are being asked to analyse numerous points. It is unlikely you know what all of your conclusions are when you begin writing your document. This is fine. 

Once you finish the bulk of your document, you can return to the beginning and insert an executive summary. In the unlikely event you are required to handwrite your document, you should leave additional space at the beginning of your response. In this case, it may be best to leave a few lines too many than too few.