A Qualitative Case

Study
The who, the what, the why, and the
how.

Presented by: Larraine Carpeso

 Who started it?
• Robert Stake

• Robert Yin

– There are two key approaches that guide case study

methodology; one proposed by Robert Stake (1995) and
the second by Robert Yin (2003, 2006). Both seek to
ensure that the topic of interest is well explored, and that
the essence of the phenomenon is revealed, but the
methods that they each employ are quite different.
 Who started it?
• Both Stake (1995) and Yin (2003) base their approach to case
study on a constructivist paradigm. Constructivists claim that
truth is relative and that it is dependent on one’s perspective.
This paradigm “recognizes the importance of the subjective
human creation of meaning, but doesn’t reject outright some
notion of objectivity.
• Pluralism, not relativism, is stressed with focus on the circular
dynamic tension of subject and object” (Miller & Crabtree,
1999, p. 10). Constructivism is built upon the premise of a
social of reality (Searle, 1995).
How a case study is defined in many perspectives.

WHAT IS IT?
 What is it?
" … an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary
phenomenon within its real life context, when the
boundaries between phenomenon and the context are
not clearly evident, and in which the multiple source of
evidence are used. It is particularly valuable in answering
who, why and how questions in management research.“
(Yin, 1994)

It is a puzzle that has to be solved.

 What is it?
• It is an approach to research that facilitates exploration of a
phenomenon within its context using a variety of data
sources. This ensures that the issue is not explored
through one lens, but rather a variety of lenses which
allows for multiple facets of the phenomenon to be revealed
and understood. (Baxter & Jack, 2008)
• The case study research method is a technique for
answering who, why and how questions. The use of
multiple evidence allows the researcher to provide a
convincing argument as an answer to the questions.
• It is a holistic inquiry that investigates a contemporary
phenomenon within its natural setting.
 What is it?

Factual vs. Fictional

Intrinsic vs. Instrumental vs. Collective

Analytical vs. Problem-oriented

 What is it?

Factual vs. Fictional

•factual ones depicting real organizations, people, and
situations; advantages are that they can provide a wealth of
detail, give credibility to situations and problems, and, most
important, provide real outcomes. Actual
results give those who analyze a case real-world solutions.

•fictional ones that, although usually based loosely on actual

people and events, do not use real organization's or people's
names; advantages are that these are not constrained by the
facts. Case writers can exercise their poetic license and embellish
on problems, issues, situations, and people in order to focus only
on the problems they want to address.
 What is it?

Factual vs. Fictional

Drawbacks.

Factual:
Analysts tend to focus on the accuracy of the details rather than on the
appropriateness of the solutions.
Factual cases tend to become outdated as organizations, strategies,
problems, and people change over time.
If a factual case portrays real organizations or people in a negative way,
questions of taste, fairness, and even libel can arise.
In a factual case writers are limited to dealing with only those
management topics that are implicit in the case.
 What is it?

Factual vs. Fictional

Drawbacks.

Fictional:
Students can never know if a solution worked or not.
Fictional cases are theoretical ones, and thus often do not have
the credibility that factual ones do.
 What is it?
Intrinsic vs. Instrumental vs. Collective
Single approach:
Intrinsic case study is done to learn about a unique phenomenon which
the study focuses on. The researcher needs to be able to define the
uniqueness of this phenomenon which distinguishes it from all others;
possibly based on a collection of features or the sequence of events.

The instrumental case study is done to provide a general

understanding of a phenomenon using a particular case. The case
chosen can be a typical case although an unusual case may help
illustrate matters overlooked in a typical case because they are subtler
there.
• Need to provide and defend a rationale
 What is it?
Intrinsic vs. Instrumental vs. Collective
The collective case study is done to provide a general understanding
using a number of instrumental case studies that either occur on the
same site or come from multiple sites. Yin (1999) has described these as
analytical generalizations as opposed to statistical generalizations.

When multiple cases are used, a typical format is to provide detailed

description of each case and then present the themes within the
case (within case analysis) followed by thematic analysis across
cases (cross-case analysis). In the final interpretative phase, the
researcher reports the lessons learned from the analysis.
•Again, there is a need for a rationale
 What is it?
Analytical vs. Problem-oriented

The Analytical Approach

The case study is examined in order to try and understand what has
happened and why. It is not necessary to identify problems or suggest
solutions.

The Problem-Oriented Method

The case study is analysed to identify the major problems that exist and
to suggest solutions to these problems.
 When to use it?
• According to Yin (2003) a case study design should be
considered when:
(a) the focus of the study is to answer “how” and “why”
questions;
(b) you cannot manipulate the behaviour of those involved in
the study;
(c) you want to cover contextual conditions because you
believe they are relevant to the phenomenon under study;
or
(d) the boundaries are not clear between the phenomenon
and context.
 On bias
Case studies can rarely be objectively completed due to the bias of
both the supplier and the recipient of the information. Stake
(1994) regards this area of research as fraught with danger, primarily
due to the problem of subjectivity interpreting data after it has been
written down.
Three obstacles:
• The difficulties encountered by individuals in being able to accurately
remember.
• The inhibitions individuals have in disclosing important feelings.
• The suspicion individuals have about revealing information that might
reflect poorly on them or their superiors.

– The use of multiple sources of evidence can help substantially in improving the
validity and reliability of the research.
Case study methodology.

HOW TO DO IT?
 How to do it?
1. Determining the case or the unit of analysis.
2. Determine what your case will NOT be. (Binding the case)
3. Determine the type of case study to be conducted. (Single,
holistic, or multiple; Explanatory, exploratory, or descriptive)
4. Determine if you’ll have propositions, and what propositions
are these; have a conceptual framework.
5. Use multiple data sources; have a database to organize
your data.
6. Have data collection and data analysis, which occur
concurrently.
7. Report your case study. (a.k.a. defense)
 A final word
• Case study research is more than simply conducting research
on a single individual or situation. This approach has the
potential to deal with simple through complex situations. It
enables the researcher to answer “how” and “why” type
questions, while taking into consideration how a phenomenon
is influenced by the context within which it is situated.
• A case study is an excellent opportunity to gain tremendous
insight into a case. It enables the researcher to gather data
from a variety of sources and to converge the data to illuminate
the case.
 References
Baxter, P. & Jack, S. (2008, December 4). Qualitative Case Study
Methodology: Study Design and Implementation for Novice Researchers.
The Qualitative Report Volume 13 Number 4 December 2008 544-559.
Retrieved August 30, 2010 from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR13-
4/baxter.pdf.
Harling, K. An overview of case study. Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
Lubbe, S. The Development of a Case Study Methodology in the Information
Technology (IT) Field: A Step by Step Approach. Retrieved: August 30,
2010.
Warner, C. How to write a case study. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from
http://www.cpcug.org/user/houser/advancedwebdesign/Tips_on_Writing
_the_Case_Study.html.
A Qualitative Case
Study
The who, the what, the why, and the
how.

Presented by: Larraine Carpeso