FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Please note that not all the
links in this document are activated during the beta phase. For any unanswered
questions, please contact us at
support@hotmommasproject.org with your questions.
Beta Phase Functionality
Is my information secure
while you test the website?
Keeping your information secure is
our prime concern. We want to assure you that during the beta phase, your cases
and profile information is not published publicly and only you can view your
content under My Cases section.
Is my content made publicly
available after you launch website?
We want you to have total control
of your information. All content submitted on the website will remain private
by default unless you choose to publish it on the website.
What are the limited
functionalities during Beta Phase?
During the beta phase you might
notice the following errors:
·
Not all links are activated
·
You will not be able to publish your case studies in the case
library
·
Case writers profiles are not publicly available
·
The audio tutorial on how to write a case study (podcast) is not
available
We are working round the clock to
test our software and appreciate your patience and support.
General
What is Hot Momma? What is
Cool Daddy?
Hot Mommas and Cool Daddies are
women and men who want to achieve success in multiple facets of their life and
career. These individuals tend to be driven both professionally, and
personally. You don’t need to be a mom or dad.
What is a case study?
What is a case study? A case study
is an educational tool made famous by Harvard Business School. Cases can range
in length from 2 to 30 pages and relay a story about a business or person. Each
case has one or more teaching objectives. Overall, case studies serve as a
bridge between theory and reality and move the reader as close as possible to a
real-life experience.
Why both a professional and
personal challenge?
Professional challenges are
included in our case studies based on key learning objectives. Our approach
adapts the traditional case study model to add a key additional learning
objective from the personal side: Research shows that family and other
outside-of-work factors are high-impact when it comes to women’s success in
business. Thus, how someone manages outside-of-work is just as critical as their
work skills for success. These issues are here to stay: Work-life balance is a
top 3 future concern in virtually every region of the world.
Using the Website
The website looks funny on
my computer screen. What is the optimal screen resolution to browse the site?
We recommend using Internet
Explorer 6 or above or Firefox 2 or above with a screen resolution of at least
1024x768 pixels.
Do I need to create an
online account to read a case study?
Yes. You can browse case titles
and short description in our library without creating a user id but will be
required to login before you could read the whole case.
What if I want to read a
case in another language?
Currently we do not provide
official translation of case studies on our website. You may use a translation
service such as Yahoo! Babelfish at
http://www.babelfish.yahoo.com. Type in the URL of the case study and
choose your language.
How can I email/contact the
author of a case study?
You can send an email to a case
authors from the contact link provided in their profile page. You have to be
logged in as a registered user to see a user profile page. We do not share our
case writers’ email address but the recipient will receive your email address
when you send a message.
When and how can I terminate
my relationship with The Hot Mommas® Project?
Please note that by using the Hot
Mommas® Project website you are bound by the Terms of Service as they
may change from time to time. You can withdraw your participation from our
website according to the rules mentioned under title “Termination” in the Terms
of Service. Please click here to read our
Terms of Service and the contract termination clause. For more information,
feel free to contact us at
support@hotmommasproject.org.
Profile Questions
Why are you asking these
questions in the profile?
The Hot Mommas Project is focused
on research and curriculum development. The data you provide is critical for two
reasons:
1. It helps us learn about women
and real-time trends to impact the field of education.
2. Your case will be searchable
using certain pieces of profile (e.g., if you are an employee, or if you own
your company; the sector in which you work, etc.)
What does “public” and
“private” mean?
Public means available to case
readers around the world. To see your case, readers must provide a valid email
address and join our community. Private means your information will be used for
research purposes only by the Hot Mommas® Project and will not be
visible online.
Why do you need my Contact
Information?
If you win the case study
competition, or there is a question about your case, we need to be able to
contact you. We do not make your email and phone public. You have the option
to make public or private any part of your information prior to publishing your
case. We are very concerned about your privacy and give you total control over
your public and private settings. The only exception to this is that we ask
that you name your case after yourself (e.g., Julie K or Julie Kirk or Julie M
Kirk).”
Why do you need my
Demographic Information?
In addition to supporting the
knowledge base of research on women conducted by the Hot Mommas Project, filling
in demographic information allows other case readers to find your case. For
instance, if I am a health policy professor in London and I am looking for a
good US-based healthcare case, I may try to find a case using the following
criteria: US, healthcare. If I am a single mom in Nebraska, I may try to find a
role-model/mentor case using the following critieria: kids, divorced. You have
the option to make ANY parts of your profile private. We are very concerned
about your privacy and give you total control over your public and private
settings. The only exception to this is that we ask that you name your case
after yourself (e.g., Julie K or Julie Kirk or Julie M Kirk).”
Publishing
Do you review all content
before publishing?
No. We are a distributor of
content similar to a blog site. The only cases in which we are involved in
editing are the top winning cases that are notified and published in a leading
Prentice Hall textbook.
We rely on our writers to comply
with our community rules that content does not contain any sexually explicit,
racially discriminating, unlawful, or other inappropriate material. For further
information please read the Content sections in our Terms of Service.
When will my case be
published and what will be visible online?
Your profile and case will be
public when you click “Publish” at the end of the case writing process. At that
point, your case and any information where you check the “public” box will be
available online. Your case will be the first page viewers come to. They will
have to click the “about the case protagonist” section of the case to see
information about you. At any time, you can change your settings to “private”
(not available with your case online) or “public” (viewable along with your case
online).
When and how can I withdraw
my participation and/or my content from publishing on the website?
You can withdraw your case study
from participation in case competition and/or publishing online anytime by
choosing to do so under My Cases.
Case Study Competition
What do people receive for
writing their case studies?
The top 3 winners will be
published in a major Prentice Hall textbook plus other media outlets plus prizes
worth literally HUNDREDS of dollars (we're kidding, they really are good
prizes). The top 1O scoring cases will receive Hot Mommas Project "SWAG" bags.
See this link for more information -
http://hotmommasprojectprizes.wordpress.com/
If their stories are
published in your book, are their names used?
Yes. A version of the case
protagonists name is used (e.g., Julie K). Among other reasons, anonymous cases
are discouraged because if the case protagonist wins, they will be featured in
the media.
Do case writers retain all
rights?
Case writers grant Vision Forward,
LLC (of which Hot Mommas is a registered trademark) a non exclusive license.
This means we have the right to use the material on the site and for other
publications (books, research publications, media outlets) as well edit for
publishing. They can use their own case as they wish, but will have limitations
on using the "Hot Mommas" or "Cool Daddies" brand. For more information read
the sections Contents in the Services and Proprietary Rights in our
Terms of Service.
How is the contest judged?
The contest will be judged by a
select panel. Cases will be divided up among judges by category (e.g.,
geography, industry). No judge will score more than 10 cases. Cases will be
judged on the quality of:
a. Business or
professional issue set forth in case,
b. Personal or
family issue set forth in case,
c. Formatting,
grammar, spelling, and adherence toward word limit,
d. Discussion
questions & answers,
e. Clear,
compelling writing style including use of stories,
f. Additional
useful information provided to enhance learning experience for reader (links,
appendices, etc.).
What, exactly, do you want
in the case studies?
The summary version: Case studies
will be 500 to 1500 words and include no more than 5 discussion questions plus
an optional appendix and case labels/links. The cases will set forth a primary
professional issue/challenge as well as a primary personal/family/life challenge
plus discussion questions leading the reader to ponder the resolution of the
issue. See the links at the column of "Case Competition" section for a full list
of resources.
Writing a case study
Why write a case study?
Role models are tied to success,
and you can be a role model by sharing your story. Studies
show women are less likely to network and promote themselves than their male
counterparts and that girls and women are more likely to limit their career
aspirations due to lack of confidence in their abilities (Bandura, 1992, 2001).
Access to role models in the form of case studies is a known successful
intervention or solution to this issue (Cox, 2002). The Hot Mommas® Project
provides curricula focused on role modeling and personal leadership - as well as
key business and professional skills - housed within a credible, proven,
award-winning case study framework. Your lessons are important to other
women/case readers.
I am a Cool Daddy, where do
I write my case?
No worries. Your case will be
categorized within the "Cool Daddies" section if you select "male" as your
gender. Here is an example -
http://cooldaddies.org/uploads/TED_10-8-07_ABSTRACT.pdf. Just proceed
through the case wizard and don't mind the "Hot Mommas" logo.
Can I see a sample case
study?
Yes. Links to sample case studies
are located under Helpful Links in the Case Competition section of the website.
What kind of time commitment
will writing a case study involve?
From a half-hour to 3 hours
depending on the ease and speed with which you write. Some may take longer as
they revise and add to their case. It’s up to you!
We have heard from our testers
that they enjoyed the process and reflecting on their career and personal life,
and that it was helpful for them to break it into sections (e.g., "about me" and
"warm up question" and starting of the case, then "appendix" and rest of later
in the day).
What MUST be in my case?
Here are the basics:
- All case
sections (see Case Template under Helpful Links)
- Proper
punctuation and grammar (A nice guide to written English can be found here
http://www.writingcenter.emory.edu/writing.html)
- Adherence
to Terms of Service
What enhances a case?
- Use of
stories
- Clear,
compelling writing style
- Use of
links and appendices
- Thought
provoking discussion questions
What is the purpose of case
study generation wizard? Why do I have to follow this format?
The case sections are based on a
tested format which works in classrooms. It also correlates to many of the
judging criteria. You are free to write your own case in the way you see fit.
However, make sure that – if you are interested in winning the case study
competition – you are familiar with the judging criteria as described in the
answer to a question above.
Can I skip the case study
generation wizard and copy-paste/write my case study in the last step?
The case study generation wizard
is designed to collect important information about the case and case author at
each step. You may skip a section and continue with any other and you can
copy-paste your case in the editor but you are still required to complete each
section before you can submit your case study for publishing.
Why does the case have my
name in it?
To create personal identification
with you as a role model. People, not companies, are role models.
What if I want to write a
case, but not submit it for the competition?
You may write a case with only a
professional or a personal challenge, however, it will not be eligible for
competition. It will be available on our website after vetting in a “non
competition” section.
I have not achieved my
personal or professional goals. Should I write a case?
Yes. Most of our case writers
have personal or professional goals they still want to achieve. Instead of
thinking about what you have NOT achieved, we encourage writers to think about
what they have LEARNED or EXPERIENCED that might be valuable for students both
young and old.
“I thought I had nothing to
teach. But, I started going through the case writing wizard and realized others
could identify personally with my struggles with divorce. I felt good knowing I
could turn a challenge and painful time in my life into a learning objective in
my case. Others will read my case and know they are not alone.”
“I spent a lot of time and
money finding the right marketing approach for my business. I really wanted to
take students and readers of the case through that experience. I still have a
ways to go, but it felt good to retrace my steps and realize how far I had
come.”
“Writing my case was fun! The
case wizard made it easy.”
“It is important to me that I
help serve as a role model.”
How long should my case be?
Your case should be a minimum of
500 and a maximum of 1500 words. This word limit is case text only and does not
included title, tagline, discussion questions, or answers.
What if I want to do an
anonymous case?
Next year we may offer this
option, however, while we are getting our feet wet with this competition and
library, we need to keep it simple. Your case is about you.
Do the issues about which I
am writing have to be taking place right now?
No, you can write about issues
from any point in your life. We are looking for top learning points vs.
something that is happening now. Protagonists can always use the discussion
questions section or a follow-on or “B” case (not part of the competition) to
reflect what has happened between the time of the case and today.
Can I include links in my
case?
Yes, links can be included
throughout the case, in the discussion questions, and as part of the appendix.
Do not include links in your case, or discussion questions, which might not be
valid in a few years. Strong links around primary documents or articles from
established websites are your best bet.
I have very strong
religious and political views, can I share them in my case?
Sharing strong religious or
political views in cases is not encouraged. Make sure that none of the
prohibited content (such as spam, virus, hate content) appear in your case study
or get linked to from your case study. Content that attack a specific person or
group of people (e.g. racist, sexist, or other hate groups) will not be
tolerated. Such content will result in the immediate termination of your Hot
Mommas Project registration. For complete information on conduct read Terms of
Service.
My experiences are shaped
by my culture and/or ethnicity, can I share them in my case?
Sharing such experiences is
encouraged, however, in an objective manner, e.g., “Growing up in India with
entrepreneurial parents, Sameera was very familiar with …….” Make sure that none of the prohibited content (such as spam, virus,
hate content) appear in your case study or get linked to from your case study.
Content that attack a specific person or group of people (e.g. racist, sexist,
or other hate groups) will not be tolerated. Such content will result in the
immediate termination of your Hot Mommas Project registration. For complete
information on conduct read Terms of Service.
Can I upload a video, audio
or document to share with my case study?
Right now we do not support
uploading multimedia or document files with your case study. Please use Youtube
or Google Documents to upload your files and add a link to the content in your
case study.
What are my rights as a Case
Study Author?
Case writers grant Vision Forward,
LLC (of which Hot Mommas is a registered trademark) a non exclusive license.
This means we have the right to use the material on the site and for other
publications (books, research publications, media outlets) as well edit for
publishing. Case writers can use their own case as they wish, but will have
limitations on using the "Hot Mommas" or "Cool Daddies" brand. For more
information read the sections Contents in the Services and Proprietary Rights in
our Terms of Service.
What if I want to finish my
case at another time?
Want to come back later? Click
“Save” and re-enter through “My Cases.”
Using the Online Case Study
Editor
How do I add hyperlinks in
my case study?
Select the text you want to add a
hyperlink to and click the insert/edit link button. You can insert link
the URL in the pop-up window.
Can I paste my case study
from other text editors such as MS Word?
You can paste your case study from
other text editors but we recommend using the online text editor to maintain the
styling and formatting. When you paste text from some other editors, check for
any styling code that might appear at the beginning of the pasted text after you
save the case. It’s completely safe to remove that styling code.
There is no spell check in
the case study editor
We recommend using the latest
version of Mozilla Firefox for editing your case study. The in-build spell
check of Firefox works well with our editor.
Legal agreements
What are you the term and
conditions of using the website?
You can read our Terms of Service
by clicking on the Terms of Service at the bottom of any webpage.
Privacy Policy
How do you use my personal
information throughout your website?
Please read our Privacy Policy on
information about how we collect, manage, and use your information. You can
read our Privacy Policy by clicking on the Privacy Policy at the bottom of any
webpage.
Other
Don’t see your question listed
here; contact us at
support@hotmommasproject.org to receive a response.