Is it desirable, necessary and possible to perform research using case studies?
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Published
18-09-2018
Oskar Villarreal Larrinaga
Abstract
Articles on the research methodology to be used in Business Economics generally address the key aspects involved in designing the research, such as procedure, techniques of evidence gathering and analysis and associated tests of rigor and quality. However, researchers involved in some of the more "uncommon" scientific research methodologies (albeit necessary in social science) such as case studies have some rather more existential questions (Why and for what purpose should one use case studies in research?). They need answers to these questions if they are to overcome the technical problems of the research process and, above all, the prejudice against such methodologies encountered amongst the scientific community. As well as addressing the key aspects of research design, this paper sets out to discuss the raison d'être of case study as a scientific research methodology. In doing so, it will use three principal questions in order to approach the discussion from a different perspective. These three questions are: is it desirable, is it necessary and is it possible to perform research using case studies? In answering these questions, it is hoped to provide robust arguments that will justify the use of this methodology, as well as substantial elements for building appropriate and rigorous designs for scientifically-based and focused case study research.
How to Cite
Villarreal Larrinaga, O. (2018). Is it desirable, necessary and possible to perform research using case studies?. Cuadernos De Gestión, 17(1), 147–172. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.140516ov
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Keywords
Case study, research methodology, business economics
References
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Applegate, L. M., 1994. Managing in an Information Age: Transforming the Organization for the 1990s. In: Baskerville, R., Smithson, S., Ngwenyama, O., DeGross, J.I., eds., Working Conference on Information Technology and New Emergent Forms of Organizations: Transforming Organizations with Information Technology. Amsterdam: North Holland, 15-94.
Arias, M., 2003. Metodologías de investigación emergentes en economía de la empresa. Papers Proceedings 2003, XVII congreso nacional XIII congreso hispano-francés AEDEM. Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV, Bordeaux, 19-28.
Beer, M., 1988. Towards a redefinition of O.D.: a critique of research focus and method, Academy of Management O.D., Newsletter Winter.
Bonache, J., 1999. El estudio de casos como estrategia de construcción teórica: características, críticas y defensas. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 3, 123-140.
Boyett, I. and Currie, G., 2004. Middle Managers Moulding International Strategy. An Irish Start-up in Jamaican Telecoms. Long Range Planning, 37 (1), 51-66.
Campbell, D. and Fiske, D., 1959. Convergent and Discriminant Validation by the Multitrait-Multi-method Matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81-85.
Céspedes, J. J. and Sánchez, M., 1996. Tendencias y desarrollos recientes en métodos de investigación y análisis de datos en dirección de empresas. Revista Europea de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 5 (3), 23-40.
Cepeda, G., 2006. La calidad en los métodos de investigación cualitativa: principios de aplicación práctica para estudios de casos. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 29, 57-82.
Cepeda, G. and Martin, D., 2005. A review of case studies publishing in management decision 2003-2004: guides and criteria for achieving quality in qualitative research. Management Decision, 43 (6), 851-876.
Cooper, H., 1984. The integrative research review. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Denzin, N., 1984. The Research Act. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Easton, G., 1994. Methodology and industrial networks. In Wilson, D. and Moller, K., eds. Relationships and networks: Theory and Applications. Kent: PWS.
Eisenhardt, K. M., 1989. Building Theories from Case Study Research. Academy of Management Review, 14 (4), 532-550.
Eisenhardt, K. M., 1991. Better Stories and Better Constructs: The Case for Rigor and Comparative Logic. Academy of Management Review, 16, (3), 620-627.
Fong, C., 2002. Rol que juegan los activos intangibles en la construcción de ventaja competitiva sustentable en la PYME. Un estudio de casos con empresas de Cataluña y Jalisco, Tesis, (Dr). Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona.
Galperin, B. and Lituchy, T., 1999. The implementation of quality management in Canada and Mexico: a case study. International Business Review, 8, 323-349.
Galve, C. and Ortega, R., 2000. Equipos de trabajo y perfomance: un análisis empírico a nivel de planta productiva. Management, 3, (4), 111-134.
Glasser, B. and Strauss A., 1967. The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Strategies for Qualitative Research. Chicago, Ill: Adine Publishing Company.
Gottschalk, L., 1968. Understanding history: A primer of historical method. New York: Knopf.
Gummesson, E., 1991. Qualitative Methods in Management Research. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
Hamel, J., 1992. The case method in Sociology, Introduction: New Theoretical and Methodological Issues. Current Sociology, 40 (1), 1-7.
Hamel, J., Dufour, S. and Fortin, D., 1993. Case Study Methods, Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
Helmer, O., 1983. Looking Forward. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications.
Helmer, O. and Rescher, N., 1959. On the epistemology of inexact sciences, Management Science, 6, 25-53.
Johnston, W., Leach, M. and Liu, A., 1999. Theory testing using case studies in business-to-business research. Industrial Marketing Management, 28, 201-213.
Karlsen, T., Silseth, P. R., Benito, G. R. G. and Welch, L. S., 2003. Knowledge, internationalization of the firm and inward-outward connections. Industrial Management Marketing, 32, 385-396.
Kaufmann, A. and Gil Aluja, J., 1991. Nuevas técnicas para la dirección estratégica. Barcelona: Publicacions de la Universitat de Barcelona. 312.
Kumar, S. and Arora, S., 1999. Efficient workforce scheduling for a serial processing environment: a case study at Minneapolis Star Tribune. Omega, 27, 115-127.
Lakatos, I., 1983. La metodología de los programas de investigación científica. Madrid: Alianza Universitaria.
Landeta, J., 1999. El método Delphi. Una técnica de previsión para la incertidumbre. Barcelona: Ariel.
Martínez, P. C., 2006. El método de estudio de caso. Estrategia metodológica de la investigación científica. Pensamiento y Gestión, 20, 165-193.
Maxwell, J. A., 1996. Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Maxwell, J. A., 1998. Designing a Qualitative Study. In Bickman, L. and Rog, D. J., eds. Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 69-100.
Mccutcheon, D. and Meredith, J. R., 1993. Conducting case study research in operations management. Journal of Operations Management, 11, 239-256.
Miles, M. and Huberman, A., 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis. An Expanded Sourcebook. 2ª ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Min, H. and Melachinoudis, E., 1999. The relocation of a hybrid manufacturing distribution facility from supply chain perspectives: a case study. Omega, 27, 75-85.
Oltra, V., 2003. Hacia la gestión del conocimiento: el papel clave de la Dirección de recursos Humanos. Una investigación empírica cualitativa. XIII Congreso ACEDE, Salamanca.
Popper, K. P., 1962. La lógica de la investigación científica. Madrid: Tecnos.
Ragin, C. and Becker, R., 1992. What is a case? Exploring the foundations of social enquiry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rialp, A., 1998. El método del caso como técnica de investigación y su aplicación al estudio de la función directiva. IV Taller de Metodología ACEDE, Arnedillo, La Rioja.
Rialp, A., Martínez, P. C. and Rialp, J., 2005. El Desarrollo Exportador de las PYMES Industriales Españolas Participantes en un Consorcio de Exportación: un Estudio de Caso. Cuadernos de Gestión, 5 (2), 95-116.
Rosenthal, R., 1966. Experimenter effects in behavioural research. New York: AppletonCentury-Crofts.
Ruiz, J. I., 1996. Metodología de la investigación cualitativa. Bilbao: Universidad de Deusto.
Rumelt, R. P., Schendel, D. E., and Teece, D. J., 1994. Fundamental Issues in Strategy. In
Rumelt, R. P., Schendel, D. E. and Teece, D. J., eds. Fundamental Issues in Strategy: A Research Agenda. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press, 9-47.
Sarabia, F. J., 1999. Metodología para la investigación en marketing y dirección de empresas. Madrid: Ed. Pirámide.
Shaw, E., 1999. A Guide to the Qualitative Research Process: Evidence from a Small Firm Study. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 2 (2), 59-70.
Stake, R. E., 1994. Case Studies. In Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S., eds. Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 236-247.
Stoeker, R., 1991. Evaluating and Rethinking the Case Study. The Sociological Review, 39 (1), 88-112.
Strauss, A., 1987. Qualitative Analysis of Social Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Trochim, W., 1989. Outcome pattern matching and program theory. Evaluation and Program Planning, 12, 355-366.
Vaillant, Y., Urbano, D., Rialp, J. and Rialp, A., 2006. Un estudio cualitativo y exploratorio de cuatro nuevas empresas exportadoras. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 29, 107-132.
Villarreal, O., 2007. La Estrategia de Internacionalización de la Empresa. Un Estudio de Casos de Multinacionales Vascas. Tesis, (Dr). Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao.
Villarreal, O., 2008. El caso de CIE Automotive: el crecimiento de un grupo empresarial mediante la internacionalización. Ekonomiaz, 68, 231-263.
Villarreal, O., 2011. Estudios Temáticos de Casos Innobasque “La Cooperación en la Internacionalización”, Zamudio: Innobasque.
Villarreal, O. and Calvo, N., 2015. From the Triple Helix model to the Global Open Innovation model: A case study based on international cooperation for innovation in Dominican Republic. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 35(1), 71–92
Villarreal, O. and Landeta, J., 2010. El estudio de casos como metodología de investigación científica en dirección y economía de la empresa. Una aplicación a la internacionalización. Investigaciones Europeas de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 16 (3), 31-52.
Weerd-Nederhof, P., 2001. Qualitative case study research. The case of a PhD research project on organising and managing new product development systems. Management Decision, 39 (7), 513-538.
Yin, R. K., 1982. Studying the implementation of public programs, In Williams, W., ed. Studying Implementation; Methodological and Administrative issues. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House, 36-72.
Yin, R. K., 1989. Case Study Research. Design and Methods. In Applied Social Research Methods Series 5, second edition. London: Sage Publications.
Yin, R. K., 1993. Applications of case study research. London: Sage Publications.
Yin, R. K., 1998. The Abridged Version of Case Study Research. In Bickman, L. and Rog, D. J., eds. Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 229-259.
Yin, R. K., 2014. Case Study Research. Design and Methods. In Applied Social Research Methods Series 5, fifth edition, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Angrosino, M., 2012. Etnografía y observación participante en investigación cualitativa. Madrid: Ed. Morata.
Applegate, L. M., 1994. Managing in an Information Age: Transforming the Organization for the 1990s. In: Baskerville, R., Smithson, S., Ngwenyama, O., DeGross, J.I., eds., Working Conference on Information Technology and New Emergent Forms of Organizations: Transforming Organizations with Information Technology. Amsterdam: North Holland, 15-94.
Arias, M., 2003. Metodologías de investigación emergentes en economía de la empresa. Papers Proceedings 2003, XVII congreso nacional XIII congreso hispano-francés AEDEM. Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV, Bordeaux, 19-28.
Beer, M., 1988. Towards a redefinition of O.D.: a critique of research focus and method, Academy of Management O.D., Newsletter Winter.
Bonache, J., 1999. El estudio de casos como estrategia de construcción teórica: características, críticas y defensas. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 3, 123-140.
Boyett, I. and Currie, G., 2004. Middle Managers Moulding International Strategy. An Irish Start-up in Jamaican Telecoms. Long Range Planning, 37 (1), 51-66.
Campbell, D. and Fiske, D., 1959. Convergent and Discriminant Validation by the Multitrait-Multi-method Matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81-85.
Céspedes, J. J. and Sánchez, M., 1996. Tendencias y desarrollos recientes en métodos de investigación y análisis de datos en dirección de empresas. Revista Europea de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 5 (3), 23-40.
Cepeda, G., 2006. La calidad en los métodos de investigación cualitativa: principios de aplicación práctica para estudios de casos. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 29, 57-82.
Cepeda, G. and Martin, D., 2005. A review of case studies publishing in management decision 2003-2004: guides and criteria for achieving quality in qualitative research. Management Decision, 43 (6), 851-876.
Cooper, H., 1984. The integrative research review. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Denzin, N., 1984. The Research Act. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Easton, G., 1994. Methodology and industrial networks. In Wilson, D. and Moller, K., eds. Relationships and networks: Theory and Applications. Kent: PWS.
Eisenhardt, K. M., 1989. Building Theories from Case Study Research. Academy of Management Review, 14 (4), 532-550.
Eisenhardt, K. M., 1991. Better Stories and Better Constructs: The Case for Rigor and Comparative Logic. Academy of Management Review, 16, (3), 620-627.
Fong, C., 2002. Rol que juegan los activos intangibles en la construcción de ventaja competitiva sustentable en la PYME. Un estudio de casos con empresas de Cataluña y Jalisco, Tesis, (Dr). Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona.
Galperin, B. and Lituchy, T., 1999. The implementation of quality management in Canada and Mexico: a case study. International Business Review, 8, 323-349.
Galve, C. and Ortega, R., 2000. Equipos de trabajo y perfomance: un análisis empírico a nivel de planta productiva. Management, 3, (4), 111-134.
Glasser, B. and Strauss A., 1967. The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Strategies for Qualitative Research. Chicago, Ill: Adine Publishing Company.
Gottschalk, L., 1968. Understanding history: A primer of historical method. New York: Knopf.
Gummesson, E., 1991. Qualitative Methods in Management Research. Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
Hamel, J., 1992. The case method in Sociology, Introduction: New Theoretical and Methodological Issues. Current Sociology, 40 (1), 1-7.
Hamel, J., Dufour, S. and Fortin, D., 1993. Case Study Methods, Newbury Park, California: Sage Publications.
Helmer, O., 1983. Looking Forward. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications.
Helmer, O. and Rescher, N., 1959. On the epistemology of inexact sciences, Management Science, 6, 25-53.
Johnston, W., Leach, M. and Liu, A., 1999. Theory testing using case studies in business-to-business research. Industrial Marketing Management, 28, 201-213.
Karlsen, T., Silseth, P. R., Benito, G. R. G. and Welch, L. S., 2003. Knowledge, internationalization of the firm and inward-outward connections. Industrial Management Marketing, 32, 385-396.
Kaufmann, A. and Gil Aluja, J., 1991. Nuevas técnicas para la dirección estratégica. Barcelona: Publicacions de la Universitat de Barcelona. 312.
Kumar, S. and Arora, S., 1999. Efficient workforce scheduling for a serial processing environment: a case study at Minneapolis Star Tribune. Omega, 27, 115-127.
Lakatos, I., 1983. La metodología de los programas de investigación científica. Madrid: Alianza Universitaria.
Landeta, J., 1999. El método Delphi. Una técnica de previsión para la incertidumbre. Barcelona: Ariel.
Martínez, P. C., 2006. El método de estudio de caso. Estrategia metodológica de la investigación científica. Pensamiento y Gestión, 20, 165-193.
Maxwell, J. A., 1996. Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Maxwell, J. A., 1998. Designing a Qualitative Study. In Bickman, L. and Rog, D. J., eds. Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 69-100.
Mccutcheon, D. and Meredith, J. R., 1993. Conducting case study research in operations management. Journal of Operations Management, 11, 239-256.
Miles, M. and Huberman, A., 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis. An Expanded Sourcebook. 2ª ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Min, H. and Melachinoudis, E., 1999. The relocation of a hybrid manufacturing distribution facility from supply chain perspectives: a case study. Omega, 27, 75-85.
Oltra, V., 2003. Hacia la gestión del conocimiento: el papel clave de la Dirección de recursos Humanos. Una investigación empírica cualitativa. XIII Congreso ACEDE, Salamanca.
Popper, K. P., 1962. La lógica de la investigación científica. Madrid: Tecnos.
Ragin, C. and Becker, R., 1992. What is a case? Exploring the foundations of social enquiry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rialp, A., 1998. El método del caso como técnica de investigación y su aplicación al estudio de la función directiva. IV Taller de Metodología ACEDE, Arnedillo, La Rioja.
Rialp, A., Martínez, P. C. and Rialp, J., 2005. El Desarrollo Exportador de las PYMES Industriales Españolas Participantes en un Consorcio de Exportación: un Estudio de Caso. Cuadernos de Gestión, 5 (2), 95-116.
Rosenthal, R., 1966. Experimenter effects in behavioural research. New York: AppletonCentury-Crofts.
Ruiz, J. I., 1996. Metodología de la investigación cualitativa. Bilbao: Universidad de Deusto.
Rumelt, R. P., Schendel, D. E., and Teece, D. J., 1994. Fundamental Issues in Strategy. In
Rumelt, R. P., Schendel, D. E. and Teece, D. J., eds. Fundamental Issues in Strategy: A Research Agenda. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press, 9-47.
Sarabia, F. J., 1999. Metodología para la investigación en marketing y dirección de empresas. Madrid: Ed. Pirámide.
Shaw, E., 1999. A Guide to the Qualitative Research Process: Evidence from a Small Firm Study. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 2 (2), 59-70.
Stake, R. E., 1994. Case Studies. In Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S., eds. Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 236-247.
Stoeker, R., 1991. Evaluating and Rethinking the Case Study. The Sociological Review, 39 (1), 88-112.
Strauss, A., 1987. Qualitative Analysis of Social Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Trochim, W., 1989. Outcome pattern matching and program theory. Evaluation and Program Planning, 12, 355-366.
Vaillant, Y., Urbano, D., Rialp, J. and Rialp, A., 2006. Un estudio cualitativo y exploratorio de cuatro nuevas empresas exportadoras. Cuadernos de Economía y Dirección de la Empresa, 29, 107-132.
Villarreal, O., 2007. La Estrategia de Internacionalización de la Empresa. Un Estudio de Casos de Multinacionales Vascas. Tesis, (Dr). Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao.
Villarreal, O., 2008. El caso de CIE Automotive: el crecimiento de un grupo empresarial mediante la internacionalización. Ekonomiaz, 68, 231-263.
Villarreal, O., 2011. Estudios Temáticos de Casos Innobasque “La Cooperación en la Internacionalización”, Zamudio: Innobasque.
Villarreal, O. and Calvo, N., 2015. From the Triple Helix model to the Global Open Innovation model: A case study based on international cooperation for innovation in Dominican Republic. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 35(1), 71–92
Villarreal, O. and Landeta, J., 2010. El estudio de casos como metodología de investigación científica en dirección y economía de la empresa. Una aplicación a la internacionalización. Investigaciones Europeas de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, 16 (3), 31-52.
Weerd-Nederhof, P., 2001. Qualitative case study research. The case of a PhD research project on organising and managing new product development systems. Management Decision, 39 (7), 513-538.
Yin, R. K., 1982. Studying the implementation of public programs, In Williams, W., ed. Studying Implementation; Methodological and Administrative issues. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House, 36-72.
Yin, R. K., 1989. Case Study Research. Design and Methods. In Applied Social Research Methods Series 5, second edition. London: Sage Publications.
Yin, R. K., 1993. Applications of case study research. London: Sage Publications.
Yin, R. K., 1998. The Abridged Version of Case Study Research. In Bickman, L. and Rog, D. J., eds. Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 229-259.
Yin, R. K., 2014. Case Study Research. Design and Methods. In Applied Social Research Methods Series 5, fifth edition, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
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