A memo is a short piece of communication to a reader who wants to be enlightened. You
need to pay attention to two things: organization of ideas and the structure of your writeup.
Why do we write a case memo?
A good reason for the memo exercise is to help you prepare for class. Students find the
writing process helps them pay more attention to detail and dive deeper in to the issues. But
there are also applications of this skill in practical terms. If a manager asks you to consider a
problem and share your thoughts in a short memo (e.g., an email), you are to both define
the problem and provide insight. A summary of the facts is not going to be too helpful (as
the manager knows the facts already). Your memo must add value by either helping the
manager understand the problem better or providing some suggested actions. If you were
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the manager who are seeking advice, how would you judge the quality of a memo? Most
likely by how much new insight it provides.
How should a case memo be structured?
Have a clear introduction: what my memo is about and how you plan to make your
case. No need to be long.
A memo is not a summary of the case, but an analysis
Focus on a core issue (e.g., if the case ends with two questions, you may choose to
focus on one)
Have a core argument and state your position early in the memo (dont make your
reader wait; no need to create suspense)
Layout your evidence in a logical manner. Let the facts and your analysis speak for
themselves. Avoid statements like I strongly believe
Support argument will facts and evidence from the case. (Avoid citing subsequent
developments and information outside of the case.) Be specific and avoid
generalities. One useful test: if you replace the name of the company with Starbucks
and the memo still make sense, it is too general.)
Conclusion: what the reader should remember (key take away or suggested action)
The suggested length of your memo is 1 page, Times New Roman, 12, with 1.5 line
spacing. Please make sure your memo is in this appropriate format and does not
exceed 1 page.
Please submit the case via email before class
