Case Study Assignments

During the semester, we will apply the principles of financial institution management that we discuss in class to problems introduced in the assigned cases. Each case discussion will be led by a management team.

It is the task of the team assigned to a case to present the facts and a proposed solution to the case. (See the accompanying note on case analyses.) This presentation should last 30 to 45 minutes. After a brief consultation period, each of the remaining teams will be called upon to comment on the case. The instructor will also comment and possibly pose questions to the presenting team. The presenting team members must all be ready to respond to the other teams’ and the instructor’s comments/questions. All non-presenting team members must, of course, have read the presented case and be familiar with the issues raised.

In preparing for the presentations, all team members must share equally in the work and all must participate in the presentation of the results. Regular face-to-face meetings where the team members prepare their analyses are encouraged.

Each team will receive a grade on the presentation based on clarity, style and content. In other words, the grade will be based on the collective work of all team members. In addition, however, each team member will be asked to grade the other members of his/her team on the overall case experience. These peer grades will be weighed in assigning a final grade to each team member.

I will meet with each team around midterm and again at the end of the semester to get feedback on the work of the team. In these brief meetings, please be prepared to assess your progress and discuss any questions or problems you are having or have had. In addition, I will ask you these questions:

1. How well are you functioning (did you function) as a group? What do you feel are (were) the major accomplishments of the group to date?

2. What could each of you do (have done) to improve the functioning of your group?

The cases will be discussed during the second half of the semester. The following lists the case assignments and the presentation schedule.

Presentation	Date	Case	Subject	Lead Group
1	10/29/02	Quigley Bank Corp.	Interest Rate Risk	Team 1

2	10/29/02	Hoosier Hose	Loan Restructuring	Team 2

3	11/12/02	General Casualty	P&L Insurance	Team 3

4	11/12/02	Rockhard Insurance	Life Insurance	Team 4

5	11/26/02	Signet Banking Corp.	Combining Financial Services	Team 5

Teams

Team 1 Joel Smeriglio Bill Rossiter John Tuttle Tony McCourt	Team 4 John Tomlinson M. J. Richardson Kathi Gallagher Louis Leeds
Team 2 Jerry Buettler Brian Scotto Arnold DeLeon Stephen Bontempo	Team 5 Jennifer Knaus J. P. Romano Marina Basin Ralph Kennedy
Team 3 Michael Restituto Jenna Hartley Paul Marconi Anita Kuchma

Note on Presenting Cases

Presenting Team

It is the task of each team to identify the main problems or questions raised in its assigned case and to present feasible answers to these questions. Each presentation should consist of:

1. A short summary of the facts of the case (the people involved, the situation, etc.).

2. A statement of the questions raised in the case or the problems to be solved by the institutions in the case.

3. An analysis of the problem. The principles of financial institution management discussed in the text should be utilized to uncover answers to the questions raised by the case. Tools used in your analysis (e.g., tables, pro-forma financial statements) and/or summaries of your results could be used at this point.

4. A summary of the team's answers to the questions and/or suggested solutions to the problems.

When making your presentation, avoid, if at all possible, the use of handouts. The audience will follow your discussion more easily if you present tables, outlines, etc. on an overhead or computer projector. All team members must participate in the presentation and all must be prepared to respond to questions on the presentation.

Other Teams

After the lead team has presented its analysis, each of the other teams will be called upon to comment on the case. If your team is in fundamental agreement with the lead team, you may say so, perhaps supporting its position with additional evidence. If you feel that the lead team's analysis or solutions are incorrect or incomplete, you must explain why and present your own views. A team consensus is not needed, but if one is not reached, all points of view should be expressed.

Notes on Written Case Reports

Each team is to submit a written analysis of its assigned case by the last night of the semester. In general, each report should be prepared with the following in mind:

1. Your report should include the following:

‑ Statement of Facts

Present the facts clearly. This is more or less a summary of the background of the case.

‑ Statement of the Problem(s)

Exactly what are the problems facing the firm and/or the people mentioned? These should be put in the form of questions to be answered in the next stage

‑ Analysis

Solve the problems (answer the questions) as efficiently as possible. All relevant data should be analyzed and all the interrelationships explored. You must decide on the most appropriate techniques and analytical procedures to use, given the data and the nature of the problem. All steps taken must be justified by explanation, the evidence in the case study or outside references.

‑ Conclusions

State the solution(s) to the problem(s) based on your analysis. This should include suggestions for improvement if, in fact, the problems were real and any qualifications you may have concerning your analysis.

2. Write the report using an internally consistent style (i.e., proper footnotes, list of references, headings, margins, equation and/or table numbers, etc.). Include any relevant computer printouts in appendices if they are too large for the body. Watch out for errors. As you know, success in business depends in large part on your ability to communicate clearly; neat, well constructed reports are mandatory.

3. Your reports will be graded using the following criteria:

1. Content (75%)

· Accuracy of computation and correct use of analytical techniques

· Completeness. All relevant information used and all alternatives explored.

· Feasibility. Your conclusions must logically follow from your analysis. Conclusions not supported by your evidence are not acceptable. Also, suggestions must be workable. For example, "get Congress to pass a law" is not usually a feasible suggestion since Congress is beyond the control of an individual firm.

2. Clarity (25%)

· logically organized and written clearly

· proper stylistic format used

· errors kept to a minimum (typographical, grammatical, numerical, etc.)