Prof Hines

AUTHOR, ConsultANT, RESEARCHER AND PUBLIC SPEAKER

 Differing views of case study research

Here are four abstracts that indicate a range of views across disciplines about case study research. Your task is to read these four abstracts and consider points of difference and similarity. You may find it helpful to list these under the following question headings:-

What is a case?

What is the purpose of case research?

How do I select cases?

How do I set about researching cases once selected?

How do I analyse case research?

What type of knowledge can I contribute?

I have been running my Advances in Case Research workshops since 2010. I have developed a full day workshop that provides researchers with a wealth of experience from which to consider and develop their own strategies to do case study research that is rigorous. The workshops are interactive encouraging delegates to participate and contribute their own thoughts, ideas and questions to stimulate debate. There is also a book with essentials of case study research that may be purchased to accompany the workshop. You can hire me to do a day for you at your university just drop me an email or fill out the form.

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CASE ABSTRACT 4

Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research

Bent Flyvbjerg Aalborg University, Denmark

Keywords: case study; case selection; critical cases; validity in case studies

This article examines five common misunderstandings about case-study research: (a) theoretical knowledge is more valuable than practical knowledge; (b) one cannot generalize from a single case, therefore, the single-case study cannot contribute to scientific development; (c) the case study is most useful for generating hypotheses, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building; (d) the case study contains a bias toward verification; and (e) it is often difficult to summarize specific case studies. This article explains and corrects these misunderstandings one by one and concludes with the Kuhnian insight that a scientific discipline without a large number of thoroughly executed case studies is a discipline without systematic production of exemplars, and a discipline without exemplars is an ineffective one. Social science may be strengthened by the execution of a greater number of good case studies.

​​ CASE ABSTRACT 1

​What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?

JOHN GERRING Boston University

​Abstract

This paper aims to clarify the meaning, and explain the utility, of the case study method, a method often practiced but little understood. A “case study,” I argue, is best defined as an intensive study of a single unit with an aim to generalize across a larger set of units. Case studies rely on the same sort of covariational evidence utilized in non-case study research. Thus, the case study method is correctly understood as a particular way of defining cases, not a way of analyzing cases or a way of modeling causal relations. I show that this understanding of the subject illuminates some of the persistent ambiguities of case study work, ambiguities that are, to some extent, intrinsic to the enterprise. The travails of the case study within the discipline of political science are also rooted in an insufficient appreciation of the methodological tradeoffs that this method calls forth. This paper presents the familiar contrast between case study and non-case study work as a series of characteristic strengths and weaknesses—affinities—rather than as antagonistic approaches to the empirical world. In the end, the perceived hostility between case study and non-case study research is largely unjustified and, perhaps, deserves to be regarded as a misconception. Indeed, the strongest conclusion to arise from this methodological examination concerns the complementarity of single-unit and cross-unit research designs.

​​Gerring, J. (2004). What is a case study and what is it good for? American Political Science Review, 98, 341-354.

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CASE ABSTRACT 2

Building Theories from Case Study Research

KATHLEEN M. EISENHARDT Stanford University

This paper describes the process of inducting theory using case studies-from specifying the research questions to reaching closure. Some features of the process, such as problem definition and construct validation, are similar to hypothesis-testing research. Others, such as within-case analysis and replication logic, are unique to the inductive, case-oriented process. Overall, the process described here is highly iterative and tightly linked to data. This research approach is especially appropriate in new topic areas. The resultant theory is often novel, testable, and empirically valid. Finally, framebreaking insights, the tests of good theory (e.g., parsimony, logical coherence), and convincing grounding in the evidence are the key criteria for evaluating this type of research.

Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989) Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management. The Academy of Management Review 14 (4): 532-550.​

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CASE ABSTRACT 3

Case research in operations management

Chris Voss, Nikos Tsikriktsis and Mark Frohlich, London Business School, London, UK

Keywords Operations management, Research, Methodology, Case studies

Abstract This paper reviews the use of case study research in operations management for theory development and testing. It draws on the literature on case research in a number of disciplines and uses examples drawn from operations management research. It provides guidelines and a roadmap for operations management researchers wishing to design, develop and conduct case-based research.

Voss, C., Tsikriktsis, N. and Frohlich, M. (2002). Case research in operations management. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 22, 195-219.

Comments from past delegates who have attended my Advances in Case Study Research Workshops.

“I just wanted to thank you for the workshop, which I found very interesting and with great insights to potentially build a strong case study. Thank you very much for the time and effort that you have put together to design a very useful course.”  Sebastian, PhD programme, Manchester Business School

 
“I attended your workshop on Advances in Case Studies yesterday.  This session was really helpful and very informative as it provided insight into case studies particularly reinforcing its suitability for my PhD in internationalisation.” George PhD Researcher, Keele University


“We absolutely enjoyed and learnt a lot about 'case study' research in that workshop. Thank you for organising and offering such a great workshop.” Doctoral Researchers, Bradford University

“Thank you very much for your fantastic seminar last week and your generous will to help me with understanding/correct application of case studies”  Doctoral Researcher Manchester Business School

“The workshop was of enormous benefit to my research. Apart from the detailed understanding gained on case study applications, my research was enhanced through your clarification on how I could approach my research in the light of my experience in the field.” Doctoral Researcher, Sheffield University.