Case Studies in The Workplace

When people think of case studies, they usually imagine a psychological case study. And while case studies are most prevalent in the sciences, they are also heavily used in the business world.

Think about it. What better way to learn about business than to look back at those that have succeeded or failed in the past? Here are some of the most well-known case studies in the business world. How many are you familiar with?

Tylenol Scandal

We have discussed this study many times in this course, as it is the most well-known business case study. This case study was so valuable, because it detailed a unique event that could not be replicated. This study is used today for many different reasons.

In 1982, when it was discovered that people were dying of cyanide poisoning after ingesting Tylenol capsules, the Tylenol brand almost collapsed. No one knew how the cyanide got into the capsules, but that didn't matter to people who took the medication. No one was willing to take the risk.

The parent company of Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson, started a marketing campaign to turn the product around. First, they stopped selling capsules, and only sold tablets or "caplets" in tamper-resistant packaging. Also, when the new safer packaging was released, they offered coupons for $1.50 off each bottle. This strategy worked, and Tylenol quickly regained the market share it had lost.

Key Takeaway: Being open, honest, and proactive will help the company and/or product survive.

Workplace Drug Abuse

The Amber case study detailed employee drug abuse. "Amber" was an administrative assistant at a large company. When she started, she was an excellent employee. But over time, her behavior changed and her work product suffered.

She started arriving late to work, and would often call in sick. She would borrow money from co-workers, and fail to pay it back. She started treating customers poorly. Eventually, she was found using cocaine in the bathroom, and promptly fired.

This termination left a vacancy in the company that took months to fill.

This case study set up most of the employee drug use protocol that is used in business today. It is believed that if the employer addressed the problems earlier, they could have saved money and time, and might have also helped Amber. This study led to programs to help identify drug use in the workplace, along with programs to help employees who might have a drug problem.

Key Takeaway: Identifying employee drug issues as early as possible are better for the employee and employer. ]]>