Does forecasting have all the answers? A case study of elections in India
Publication date: 20 June 2018
Abstract
Subject area
Forecasting.
Study level/applicability
The case is intended for Postgraduate level management students.
Case overview
The purpose of this case study is to explain various forecasting techniques, their applicability and the importance of forecasting to the students. This case also explains the management situations where the application of one technique may not be sufficient, thereby explaining the importance of simultaneous usage of qualitative and quantitative techniques for making crucial decisions. The case is focused on the district of Etah of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The real-life situation of elections in this district of an Indian state has been taken to explain the critical nature of forecasting accuracy in a management situation where the manager has only one chance to execute his project. Discussion in this case is limited to explaining various techniques available for forecasting and their applications and does not provide a solution to a management problem.
Expected learning outcomes
The students are expected to understand various forecasting methods and the managerial situations where these can be applied. The case also explains situations where it becomes extremely important to have fairly accurate estimates of future requirements and the application of one technique may not be sufficient, thereby explaining the importance of simultaneous usage of qualitative and quantitative techniques for making crucial decisions.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to take this opportunity to express special gratitude and sincere thanks to his academic advisors, Dr Mohit Goswami and Dr PRS Sarma for their encouragement, motivation and extending valuable guidance and support. The author is grateful to both the professors for being kind enough to make themselves available all the time and to answer all queries regarding the case. The author would also like to extend sincere thanks to Dr B.S. Sahay, the author’s first academic advisor, for sharing his practical experiences and providing initial direction for writing this.
Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making. The authors may have disguised names; financial and other recognizable information to protect confidentiality.
Citation
Dhagarra, D., Goswami, M. and Sarma, P. (2018), "Does forecasting have all the answers? A case study of elections in India", , Vol. 8 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-05-2017-0082
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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