Clarity and Depth: A [Mini] Case for the Iceberg Theory

Abstract

Business students who are capable with various analytical tools often have difficulty with integration and interpretation of information and data to derive overall meaning. Educators want their students to be fluent with supporting details, and students must provide such depth in order to avoid a cursory exploration. Synthesis, however, is also a vital component of strategic thinking, such that the clear and succinct communication of main points demonstrates an individual’s subject and analytical process mastery. With attention to research regarding case format, context, and timeliness, I suggest the usefulness of scope by applying the Iceberg Theory, also known as the Theory of Omission, to strategy case analysis in helping students hone these and other skills of strategic thinking, and I include the details of a mini-case assignment designed for this purpose.