MERCK CASE WRITE-UP QUESTIONS
The purpose of analyzing and discussing cases is to give you a chance to apply what you’ve been learning about in class to real problems faced by real people. These cases require you to put yourself in the shoes of the protagonist, analyze situations, and make decisions despite uncertainty, risk, and limited information.
MERCK CASE WRITE-UP QUESTIONS:
In your case write-up answer the following questions:
- What is at stake — for Vagelos, Merck, and society more broadly — in deciding whether to invest in Dr. Campbell’s idea?
- How does Merck pick from among the many ways to “do good” and the many drugs to invest in?
- What should Merck tell a shareholder who might complain about its decision to invest in research on river blindness?
GENERAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND GRADING CRITERIA
You will submit each homework assignments via Canvas. Assignments are due before the beginning of class (9:10AM for Section 1, 10:45AM for Section 2) on their respective due dates.
Write-ups should be at most 2 pages long double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. You may use bullet points or paragraphs, as you prefer, but make sure it is clear and easy to follow, and use complete sentences. You will be graded on substance, not on page length; if you can effectively communicate your points in less than 2 pages then by all means do so.
Your write-ups will be graded according to their: (1) accuracy, (2) strength of argument, and (3) style and grammar.
- Accuracy reflects the extent to which you demonstrate comprehension of the material through the correctness of your answers.
- Strength of argument reflects the extent to which you bolster your answers, assertions, and points with relevant evidence from the readings and from class.
- Style and grammar reflects the extent to which your write-ups are free from errors, and awkward or confusing writing.
Assignments will be evaluated using a 4-point scale for each criterion: 1=inadequate, 2=needs improvement, 3=good/some improvements needed, 4=excellent. Thus, overall scores of 3 would indicate an inadequate write-up, 6 would indicate a write-up that needs improvement, 9 would indicate a write-up that is good but has room for some improvements, and 12 would indicate an excellent write-up with no room for improvement.
As always, your answers must be your own (not plagiarized from another source). Please let me know if you have any questions about plagiarism or academic honesty.
