+1 862 207 3288 Purpose of Case Study
1. Qualitative and quantitative analytical skills, including problem identification skills, research skills, data interpreting and critical thinking skills
2. Decision making skills, including generating different alternatives, selecting decision criteria, evaluating alternatives, choosing the best one, and formulate congruent action and implementation plans; despite the complexity and partial knowledge characterising the situation being studied
3. Application skills, using various tools, techniques and theories.
4. Time management skills, dealing with individual preparation, team discussion and in-class presentation.
5. Interpersonal or social skills, dealing with peers, solving conflicts and practicing the art of compromise, in small or large teams.
6. Creative skills, looking for and finding solutions geared to the unique circumstances of each case.
7. Written communication skills, involving effective note taking, developing key themes and writing case reports.
Question for the Case Study Analysis
a) In the 19th Century, Claus Spreckels had to address the above fundamental elements of the entrepreneurial process. Choose any three of these theoretical constructs and analyse how Claus Spreckles evolved his business according to the three chosen constructs in context to that period of history. Provide theoretical arguments and specific examples from the case study in support of your position.
b) Choose another three of these theoretical constructs and analyse how these constructs would apply to entrepreneurship in the 21st Century. Support your answer with relevant theoretical foundation and practical examples of business scenarios.
• Creativity, Innovation and knowledge, Intellectual Property (IP)
• Ethnicity, culture, networks and seed capital
• Opportunity identification, PESTEL, capacity to identify market
• Value chain
• Access to finance/funding models
• Legal and regulatory considerations
• The competitiveness of the industry (Porter’s Five Forces Model)
• What an entrepreneur has to give up to succeed in business (dark side of entrepreneurship)
• Ethics, social responsibility and environmental sustainability
• Marketing
Report Structure
Essentially your report will contain three sections:
(1) Prefatory
(2) Text
(3) Supplemental
(1) Prefatory Section
This states information that identifies and introduces the report to the reader. It tells the reader what to expect. Some common parts of the prefatory section are:
• Title Page
• Abstract (Executive Summary)
• Acknowledgement
• Table of Contents
(2) Body/Text
1. Generally, the body of a research report presents a logical argument that supports the main theme or proposition of the study. Since this is a case study analysis report, below is a thematic structure recommended for you to consider in preparing your report:
• Introduction i.e., setting the scene/context. You should have a common introduction for your report. Tell the reader what this assignment is about. What is the purpose of this assignment? What are the major themes to be discussed /analysed in this assignment?
• Critical literature review of the 6 major themes/key theoretical constructs you have decided to address in part a and b.
• Background research – you will need to discuss the socio-economic and political contexts of the 19th and the 21st centuries separately in relation to answering part A and part B. For example, in part a, you need to explore the nature of the political and the social systems of the time and both the direct and the indirect impacts they had on the entrepreneurial process. Similarly, you will need to do the same for answering part b.
• Research protocols i.e., briefly discuss the processes undertaken to identify relevant literature and information pertaining to your assignment. If you have consulted with any individual as a key informant for your analysis pertaining to the 19th or 21st century together with the secondary information, you should mention it in your report. What are the various types of secondary information have you used in your research and why did you choose them?
• Analysis and discussion – This is the most important section of your report. You should analyse and discuss the 6 key constructs in relation to part A and part B separately through extensive use of relevant research and examples to validate your arguments and expand your position.
• Conclusions and limitations – you should have a common conclusions and limitations section for the entire assignment. You will briefly state a concluding note on the key issues and/or lessons on the entrepreneurial process that has emerged from this case study analysis. You should also indicate the overall limitations of the report in relation to your research and analysis and what could have been done better.
2. As mentioned before, in presenting your analysis, discussion and conclusion, you must use theory and other relevant literature and practical examples to provide evidence in support of your arguments.
3. Remember that you are trying to present a logical, cohesive and clear analysis of the six key constructs that you have chosen to investigate, analyse and report on, and to use these to support your proposition or key themes in a systematic way.
4. A conclusion is not just a list of the key points you have made. You need to draw together and summarise your key points to demonstrate that you have supported your themes or position.
5. The overall conclusion must be linked to each question and needs to be consistent with the introduction, the research and analysis of key issues.
(3) Supplemental
This section contains additional information that the reader finds useful. The supplemental section of your report must contain the followings:
• ‘References’ which is a formal listing of the sources cited in the case study report that may include books, journal articles, reports, news media articles and other publications. A minimum of 10 academic journal articles and 10 other relevant sources must be cited.
• ‘Appendices’ (if appropriate) that contain related and supportive items such as, contact details of key informants, photographs, newspaper clips, tables, figures etc.
Vol. H
Claus Spreckels: A Biographical Case Study of
Nineteenth-Century American Immigrant
Entrepreneurship
Uwe Spiekermann
Claus Spreckels (1828-1908) was perhaps the most successful
German-American immigrant entrepreneur of the late nineteenth
century. The career of the “sugar king” of California, Hawaii, and
the American West consisted of building and breaking monopolies
in sugar, transport, gas, electricity, real estate, newspapers, banks,
and breweries. This essay uses a biographical approach to discuss
central questions of American immigrant entrepreneurship. First,
it analyzes the family and ethnic background of Spreckels’
business. Second, it examines the business development of his
widespread investments. Finally, it discusses the significance of
Spreckels’ immigrant status and experience for his successful
career.
Claus Spreckels was perhaps the most successful German-American
immigrant entrepreneur of the late nineteenth century.1 When the self-
made man unofficially retired in 1905, his estate was valued at
approximately $50 million. The “sugar king” of Hawaii and the West was
one of the ten richest Americans of his time. In 1998, he was ranked
1 Whether Frederik Weyerhaeuser was even more successful is still an open
question. See Michael Klepper and Robert Gunther, The Wealthy 100: From
Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates-A Ranking of the Richest Americans, Past and
Present (Secaucus, N.J., 1996) or-with different information-“Fr. Weyer-
haeuser, Lumber King, Dead,” New York Times, 5 April 1914. Similarly,
Spreckels’ fortune was often overestimated. See Thomas William Herringshaw,
“Claus Spreckels,” in Herringshaw, The Biographical Review of Prominent Men
and Women of the Day (Chicago, 1889), 491-92, at 491, who speculated about an
estate of from one to two hundred million dollars.
Uwe Spiekermann <spiekermann@ghi-dc.org> is deputy director of the
German Historical Institute in Washington, DC.
Business History Conference, 2010. All rights reserved.
URL: http: / / www.thebhc.org/ publications / BEHonline / 20 10 / spiekermannpdf
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