Chapter 12:Case study

method

CONTENTS

• Definitions• Validity and reliability• Merits• Design• Analysis• Case studies in practice

Definitions

• John Gerring:• a case is: 'a spatially delimited phenomenon (a unit)

observed at a single point in time or over some period of time'

• a case study is: 'the intensive study of a single case‘• with two or more cases: the study becomes cross-case• the more cases the less intensity per case• from single case study to large cross-case study forms

a continuum

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

What the case study method is not

• It is not only qualitative – within a case-study any research methods may be used

• It is not only exploratory• It is not only small-scale

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Scale (Fig. 12.1)

Nation

PEOPLE/PLACES

Community/sub-group

Organisation

Family/friends

Individual

EVENTSNational/international sport/political event

Sport/cultural event

Centenary/ product launch

Birthday party/ wedding

Birthday/marriageA. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Case-study research: theory and practice (Fig. 12.2)

• Descriptive research:– Identify characteristics of a phenomenon

• Explanatory research:– Testing single existing theory– Testing alternative/competing theories– Develop theory where none exists

• Evaluative research:– Testing effectiveness of a single policy– Testing alternative/competing policies– Establish need for policy

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Validity and reliability

• Internal validity: use of multiple methods can achieve high level of validity

• External validity: strictly speaking, general-isation is a problem but: John Gerring:– To conduct a case study implies that one has also

conducted cross-case analysis, or at least thought about the broader set of cases. Otherwise, it is impossible for an author to answer the defining question of all case study research: what is this a case of ?

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Merits

• Places subjects in social/historical context.• Treats subject as a whole. • Multiple methods – triangulation• A manageable data collection task when resources

are limited.• Flexibility in data collection strategy.• No necessity to generalise to a defined wider

population.

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Design

• Define unit of analysis: what is the ‘case’?• Selecting cases:– Purposive– Illustrative– Typical/atypical– Pragmatic/opportunistic

• Data gathering– All data sources/data gathering methods may be used– Consistency in unit of analysis/definition of case– Temporal consistency

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Analysis

• Analysis procedures as in Part III apply• Burns (1994) and Yin (2009) also refer to:

– pattern matching – relating case features to existing theory– explanation building – often an iterative process – time series analysis – explanations based on observing change over

time.• George & Bennett (2005):

– Logic models – 1. initial conditions, 2. needs, 3. problems, 4. resources, 5. action, 6. outcomes, 7. impacts.

– Cross-case synthesis– Congruence method – equivalent to correlation– Process tracing – explanation building

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge

Case studies in practice

• 12.1: Activity profile: swimming – secondary data • 12.2: Nike, advertising and women – one company• 12.4: Leisure, Lifestyle and the New Middle Class –

one suburb and a sports club• 12.4: The Beckham brand – one sport celebrity • 12.5: Sport sponsorship – one company’s strategy

A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge