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11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
• Cases and examples: What are they good for?• What is a case?• Different types of case studies• The role of theory• Generalisation• Data for case studies• Problems and critique of case studies• Exercises
AGENDA
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
CASES AND EXAMPLES: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?
Understand general issues through examples and cases
• Relevance• Emotions • Enables communication• We remember the concrete and stories better
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
CASES AND EXAMPLES: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?
Development of new theories and concepts (e.g. psychoanalysis)
Surprising results (e.g. the Hawthorne studies)
Falsification or the explanatory force of theories (e.g. Essence decision)
Processes
Depth and detail (richness/thickness)
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
CASES AND EXAMPLES: WHAT ARE THEY GOOD FOR?
Cases (qual) versus Surveys (quants)
• How and why?• Importance of context• Detailed descriptions• Complex relations
How, why, and under what conditions does lighting affect crime in parking lots?
• What and how much?• Scope and extent• Precise
quantifications• Statistical
generalisation
How much does crime decrease on average with introduction of lighting?
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
WHAT IS A CASE?
”a bounded system”
Can be (reasonably) defined in time and space
Examples:
Organisations Individuals Processes Projects Places Etc.…
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
WHAT IS A CASE?
A case of what?
If we want to say something general with our case
CASE CLASS/GROUP/PHENOMENONTHEORY
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
WHAT IS A CASE?
A case of what?
If we want to say something general with our case
Does not matter if the case is unique
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
WHAT IS A CASE STUDY?
Study of one or more cases
In depth data collection
Over time
Multiple data sources
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CASE STUDIES
Intensive
Extensive
• Intrinsic• Single case• Depth and richness in data
• Instrumental• Multiple cases• Comparison and replication
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
EXERCISE
Based on where you come from
Identify a case of intrinsic value - unique/worth exploring in and of itself (intensive case studie)
Identify two or more cases that would be useful for studying differences in motivation between part time and full time employees (extensive case studies)
Explain why
5 minutes
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
INTENSIVE CASE STUDIES
Understanding a unique case through detailed, holistic and contextualised description
Particularly relevant or interesting case
Study of case over time (process)
Selection of critical, unique or extreme case
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
INTENSIVE CASE STUDIES
”Unique” is relative
What is specific to the case and what is general?
What is resulting from the case and what is resulting from the context?
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
EXTENSIVE CASE STUDIES
Cases as instruments for exploring a theoretically interesting issue (instrumental approach)
Purpose is to develop, extend, or test theory
Comparative approach
Replication logic
Less detailed analysis of individual cases
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
EXTENSIVE CASE STUDIES
Development of propositions, tested on different cases
Replication of results strengthens the reliability and validity of results
Patterns of similarity and difference (e.g. systematic differences between full- and parttime employees)
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
EXTENSIVE CASE STUDIES – CASE SELECTION
Purposeful sampling (not representative)
Different strategies (Patton)› Extreme cases› Typical cases› Maximum variation› Critical cases› Sensitive cases
Must incrementally enhance the ability to generalise
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
CASE SELECTION EXAMPLES
Business development in a rural municipality› Locals and in-migrants› De novo and spin offs
Strategic use of clothing for female managers› Different age groups› Different educational levels› Different managerial levels
Variation on the most important dimensions
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
EXERCISE
Theme: Motivation and learning for university students
8 cases (students)
4 dimensions where we want variation
Explain why
5 minutes
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
THE ROLE OF THEORY IN CASE STUDIES
Inductive Deductive
• Develops concepts and theory from scratch (data)
• No prior assumptions • Limited structure
• Enables unforeseen results
• Difficult to manage• Single case/intensive
• Uses existing theory• Develops
assumptions/propositions from theory
• Highly structured
• Inhibits unforeseen results Easier to manage
• Extensive/multiple cases
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
GENERALISATION
Is not necessarily the purpose (intensive case studies)
Analytical generalisability › Generalise to theory › Tendencies and mechanisms (not populations)
Division of labour between inductive (qualitative) and deductive (quantitative) methods
Learning and inspiration› Converting to practice
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
DATA FOR CASE STUDIES
Important to use multiple data sources
Deeper and more detailed data basis
Different data sources have different advantages and disadvantages (e.g. interviews, observations, documents)
Triangulation› Results from one source supported by another source
11. FEBRUAR 2015AARHUS UNIVERSITET
AU
PROBLEMS AND CRITIQUE
(Statistical) generalisability
Ideosyncratic theory
Overly narrow theory (specific to the cases)
Dependent on subjective interpretations
Data biases
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