4. GOALS "Goals" is the identification of the "end-state" conditions that are required for the company in question in order for it to be "effective." This is a critical part of

every analytical assignment. These describe the future circumstance and are concrete and measurable conditions that you must assess the alternative courses of action (see next paragraph). It requires the analyst to list three or four conditions that are critical for the future of the organization. Sales and profit are easy to identify but making these concrete and measurable is more difficult. Production effectiveness or increased output is easier and showing enhanced communication capacity is easier still. The key is to be able to express most goals in measurable terms. It is strongly recommended that you concentrate on the goals you identify as they will provide you with tremendous insight regarding all the other elements of qualitative case analysis. They will allow you to assess the relative impact of the problems in the case and allow you to prioritize them. You will be able to assess the impact and significance of the causal relationships you have uncovered. And, most importantly, these "goals" will help you to rank order the various alternative action strategies you identify.