In Defense of the Case Method: A Reply to Argyris

Abstract

The Argyris critique of the case method in executive development programs contains methodological flaws. It omits other factors that might have affected learners' behavior, fails to distinguish between corporate and graduate education, and neglects the positive features of the case method. As a result, his paper raises the important question of whether the case method has limitations for corporate education, but it fails to provide an even-handed, scholarly answer.