Structured Reflective Practice Activity

Reflecting on Your Case Study Practice

Using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle to structure reflective practice
⏱ Allow around 45 minutes
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Step 1 of 5 Introduction & Gibbs' Model

Step 1: Familiarise Yourself with Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

About 10 minutes

Purpose: This activity will help you develop your reflective practice skills by using a structured reflective model. The ability to reflect on your learning — what went well, what was challenging, and what you would do differently — is a valuable skill both for your EMA and beyond your studies.

By the end of this activity, you will have produced a short reflective piece that you can download and draw on directly when preparing your EMA.

Why use a reflective model?

As your module materials note, when we ask people to reflect we are often "not very specific about what we want them to do, how we wish them to do it, or how critical we wish them to be" (B207, Section 2.2). Gibbs' model gives you a clear structure to follow, so you can focus on the quality of your thinking rather than wondering what to write.

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle provides six stages to guide your reflection. Read through each one below:

1

Description

What happened? Describe as accurately as possible without making judgements.

2

Feelings

What were you thinking and feeling? Catalogue your emotions without evaluating them yet.

3

Evaluation

What was good and bad about the experience? Make value judgements now.

4

Analysis

What sense can you make of the situation? Draw on theory and outside experience.

5

Conclusion

What else could you have done? What have you learned about yourself?

6

Action Plan

If it arose again, what would you do? What specific steps will you take forward?

The three phases

As explained in your module materials, these six stages form three phases:

  • Phase 1 (Stages 1–2): Gathering information — facts and feelings
  • Phase 2 (Stages 3–4): Understanding — looking deeply at what happened
  • Phase 3 (Stages 5–6): Drawing conclusions — learning and planning ahead
📖 Read a worked example ▼

Here is an example of a student reflecting on their experience of analysing the Starbucks coffee supply chain case study:

Description: I was asked to analyse Starbucks' supply chain using integration modes from Kim et al. (2003).
Feelings: At first I felt overwhelmed — the case had a lot of information and I wasn't sure which integration mode was most relevant.
Evaluation: On the positive side, I managed to identify that people-based integration was central to Starbucks' approach to supplier relationships. However, I struggled to connect this to the broader idea of a holistic perspective.
Analysis: Looking back, I think my difficulty came from trying to apply one concept in isolation rather than considering how multiple integration modes work together — something Section 1.4 of the module materials emphasises.
Conclusion: I could have started by mapping all four integration modes against the case before deciding which were most significant, rather than jumping to one too early.
Action Plan: Next time I work with a case study, I will use the seven-step case study analysis approach from Section 1.2 more systematically, especially steps 4 and 5, to organise my observations before committing to a particular analytical lens.

You don't need to memorise the model — the template in Step 3 will guide you through each stage. When you're ready, click Next to choose your case study.

Step 2: Choose Your Case Study Experience

About 5 minutes

Think back over the case studies you have worked with during B207. Choose one case study experience where you feel you learned something important — either because it went well, because you found it challenging, or because it changed how you think about a concept.

Select one of the options below, or choose "Other" to reflect on a different case study:

✓

Brompton Bicycle

Manufacturing, operations and business strategy

✓

Inmarsat PLC

Global operations and strategic decision-making

✓

Starbucks Supply Chain

Integration modes and global coordination

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Other

A different B207 case study of your choice

What made this experience significant for you? Was it particularly challenging, rewarding, or did it change how you think about something?

Step 3: Write Your Structured Reflection

About 20 minutes

Now work through each stage of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle in relation to your chosen case study experience. Write 2–4 sentences for each stage. Don't worry about producing polished prose — the goal is to practise using the structure.

📋 Phase 1: Gathering Information

1 Description

What case study did you work on? What were you asked to do? What happened?

2 Feelings

How did you feel when you first approached the case study? Did your feelings change as you worked through it?
🔍 Phase 2: Understanding

3 Evaluation

What went well in your analysis? What was difficult or less successful?

4 Analysis

Why do you think things went the way they did? Which B207 concepts, models or theories help you make sense of the experience? (e.g., integration modes, the holistic perspective, the seven-step case study approach)
🎯 Phase 3: Drawing Conclusions

5 Conclusion

What could you have done differently? What have you learned about how you approach case study analysis?

6 Action Plan

If it arose again, what would you do? What specific steps will you take forward into future study or your EMA?

Step 4: Self-Assess Your Reflection

About 10 minutes

Now review what you have written. Using the checklist below, assess your reflection by clicking on each criterion you feel you have met:

  • I have addressed all six stages of the model (even if briefly)
  • My reflection is about my own experience and learning, not just a summary of the case study content
  • I have connected my reflection to at least one B207 concept, model or theory
  • My Action Plan contains a specific, practical step I can take forward into future study or my EMA
  • I have been honest about what was challenging, not just what went well
0 / 5
criteria met

Step 5: Review & Download Your Reflection

Take a moment to review your work

Well done — you have completed a structured reflection using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle. Below is a summary of everything you have written. You can download this as a document to keep for your records and to draw on when preparing your EMA.

What to take forward

The structure you have practised here — using a reflective model to organise your thinking — is directly applicable to the reflective components of the EMA. You may also find it useful to apply this same approach to other areas of your studies and professional life. The more you practise, the more natural it will become.

📄 Download Your Reflection

Save your completed reflection as an HTML file that you can open in any browser, print, or convert to PDF.