This document discusses case study research methods. It begins by outlining why case studies are useful for research reporting, as they allow analysis of real-life situations and immediate impacts. It then provides guidance on designing case studies, including defining the unit of analysis, collecting data from various sources, and formatting the written case study. The document concludes by emphasizing that case studies are well-suited to exploring ideas, identifying relationships, and relating theory to practice through in-depth analysis of complex situations.

1. Case Study Method:
Is it Best for Research Reporting !
MM Bagali,
JAIN University, India
mm.bagali@jainuniversity.ac.in

2. agenda
Why case study research !
Designing case studies !
Summary !

3. thinking
• How to make a Case Study Format for research
• How to write / report a HR/ Fin/ Mkt case study analysis
• How to analysis Business Case study
• How to write critical analysis

4. case study method
• Real life situation in real time
• Analysés of Situation
• Immédiate impact
• Immédiate relevance
• Interactive Discussion

5. value-benefits of case study
• Explore Ideas
• Identify relationships
• Test Theories
• Formulate Hypothesis
• Deep dive
• Higher Level of judgments
• Critical Thinking
• Relating Theory to practice
• Decision making

6. what's a case
– A description of a situation
– Sequence of events
– Problem for analysis
– Avenues for solutions
– Series of Events

7. Units for Case Study
• A person
• An organization
• A country
• An artefact: technology, product

8. Format Style
Brief Introduction
The Context
Theoretical framework
Overview
Focal point
Discussion

9. Types of Cases
– Incident case
– Background case
– Decision case
– Situation case
– Complex case

10. The Flow in Case
• Examines the characteristics of a particular entity,
phenomenon, or person
• A comprehensive story of a real situation, decision, event, or
managerial process
• Contains data and information for analysis
• Contains situations requiring decisions and/or
recommendations
• Simulates real-world experiences

11. Potential Sources of Information?
• Field • Project documents (including meeting minutes)
research
• Project reports, including quarterly reports, midterm
reviews
• Desk • Monitoring visits
Research
• Interviews
• Questionnaire/survey results
• Easy-arm
• Evaluation reports/ Company reports
chair
• Observation
• TV program/ Newspaper/ magazines
• Various Documents

12. Presenting the data
• Structuring
• Flow
• Body of text
• Conclusions Data on Mumbai Taj Attack
• The sequence
• The flow
• Time structure
• Narrative structure
• Telling Story
• Plot Structure

13. Writing the Case: Some relook
– Position the case
– Length
– Choice of words
– Use of quotations
– Degree of repetitions
– Representing data
– Consistency
– Focal point
– Is it Fresh….

14. Relook
– Is it specific
– Is it actionable
– Is it controversial
– Addressing broad/ narrow
– Logical shape/ structure
– Chronology flow
– Issue focused
– Cause-effect relationship

15. What type of case will you write
– Decision focused
– Compare-Contrast
– Implementation
– Quantitative
– Reporting
– Conflict / Controversy
– Summary

16. Style of Case Presenting
– Direct
– Avoid unnecessary statements/write-up
– Paragraph / Sections
– Headings…. Avoid tooo many
– Tabular
– Graphic
– Numbers

17. Ancillary materials
– Definitions
– Abbreviations
– Maps
– Tables
– Graphs
– Videotapes
– Computer exhibits
– Flow charts
– Organizational charts
– Process flow

18. Data Inclusion
– How much • Primary
– Where from
• Secondary
– What all
– Why • Multiple
– How to present
– Controversy
– Tension data
– Quotations
– Sayings
– Multiple level of analysis
– Interviews
– Observation
– Action research

19. Pitfalls of case Development
– Pet peeves
– Clear or no focus…. No clarity
– Unmanageable details
– No structure…. Confusion
– No Theoretical base
– No Actors / No controversy
– No drama
– Inadequate data to build story
– Weak language
– Shifting- Past / Present/ future/ again past

20. Last words
Case Drafting - Hints and clues
– Objectives clear
– Case Outline
– Case Opening
– Structure
– Time Structure
– Narrative Structure
– Plot Structure…. Drama
– Case difficulty
– Analysis
– Presentation
– Closure

21. Vol 37; No. 4
2012
493-501
Editors Comments':
Reflections on the Craft of
Clear Writing

22. some observation
• Clear sentence / clarity
• Straight to point
• Repetitions
• Logic flow
• Complex language
• Dense sentence
• Too many jargon
• Hanging at a point
• Connectivity / thread
• Lack of road map

23. Why case study research?

24. Why case study research?
• Systematic Analysis of cause –effect relation
• Quantitative and qualitative analysis
• Emphasis on (societal, historical) context
• Trying to reach a full explanation of a phenomenon within a unit of analysis
• Interpret events, uncovering
• ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions
• Problem solving: closeness to practitioners
• Group Thinking and cross ideas

25. Best Advantage
Case studies also allow one to present data collected
from multiple methods (i.e., surveys, interviews,
document review, and observation)

26. How To Write a Case Study Analysis
• Investigate and Analyze the Company’s History
and Growth
• Identify Strengths and Weaknesses Within the
Company
• Gather Information on the External
Environment
• Analyze Your Findings
• Identify Corporate Level Strategy
• Identify Business Level Strategy
• Analyze Implementations
• Make Recommendations

27. • Single instrumental case study focuses on an
issue or concern, and then selects one bounded
case to illustrate this issue
• Collective or multiple case study focuses on an
issue by analysing multiple cases. This approach
uses the logic of replication in which the
researcher replicates the procedures for each
case
• Intrinsic case study focuses on the case itself
because it presents an unusual or unique
situation

28. Philosophy of Case
Objectives
Theory Building
Theory Testing
Problem solving

29. Why Case Study Research in
Management

30. Real time situation
Cause X Effect relationship
Complex business administration
situation
Holistic view of a process
Understanding of complex social
phenomena & real-life events
• Suitable for "how" & "why" questions
• Suitable for analysis of process

31. What makes a good case?
What the objective
Relevant important issues
Provide for generalization
Adequate and enough data
Start and should end

32. • Object
• Case selection
• Literature review
• Propositions/hypotheses
• Data collection
• Data organization
• Data analysis
• Findings and theory building

33. Case Study data Collection
• Field work
• Real world situation
• Questionnaire / Schedule
• Already information / Secondary data
• Guide to Indian Literature
• Other collections

34. Scientific Method
• Make an observation
• Ask a question
• Formulate a hypothesis
• Design and conduct an experiment
• Analyze your results
• Draw conclusions
• Test and retest results

35. Be truthful
• Honest data
• Time spent
• Elements to observe
• Biases
• Don’t assume
• Facts as they are

36. Case Study Methodology
• Plan and chart techniques to be used
• Identify site(s) for access & convenience
• Schedule data collection
• Regular review
• Units to be included
• Strenght of questionnaire/ schedule

37. Recording
• Analysis is the key, so don’t gather
anything until you know how you will
use it
• Notes vs Audiotape vs videotape: too
little data or too much?
• Investigative journalist in the field: cold
scientist out
• Observe / listen / or what

38. Considerations
• Why is this a suitable situation for a case study?
• Aims & objectives
• Theoretical basis
• Appropriateness of data collected
• Appropriateness of data-gathering methods
• Credibility/validity/reliability of findings

39. How to Develop
Jain University
at Global Level
• How do you go about
• Methodology
• Case Questions
• Data Methodology
– Place of data collection
– Units
– Design of questionnaire
– Analysis/ interpretation

40. Interview as a Tool
Be alert for openings in responses to probe more deeply, starting with
mundane questions and gradually easing into more sensitive and more
complex questions

41. INTERVIEW
DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES
• lnclude taking notes during the interview notes after the
interview
• Tape recording
• Writing and transcribing the interview (the transcript is a
“verbatim”)

42. Interview
do’s and don’ts...
 Do listen more and talk less
 Do follow up on what is not clear and probe more deeply into
what is revealed
 Don’t use leading questions; do use open-ended questions
(“probes”)
 Don’t interrupt; do wait

43. SYNTHESIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE MEANINGS OF FIELD DATA...
 a formidable task because data are thick
and deep as well as voluminous and
unorganized (“field notes”)
 involves a systematic and iterative
process of searching, categorizing, and
integrating data (“managing data”)

44. FEATURES OF A GOOD CASE:
• Content
• Compatibility
• Multiple perspectives
• Pedagogical value
• Explicit/implicit concepts

45. • How to Write the Case Study
– There are usually eight sections in a case study

46. • Synopsis/Executive Summary
• Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Recommendations
• Implementation
• References
• Appendices (if any)

47. Synopsis/Executive Summary
• Outline the purpose of the case study
• Describe the field of research – this is usually an overview of the
company
• Outline the issues and findings of the case study without the specific
details
• Identify the theory that will be used.
• Here, the reader should be able to get a clear picture of the
essential contents of the study.
• Note any assumptions made

48. Findings
• Identify the problems found in the case. Each
analysis of a problem should be supported by facts
given in the case together with the relevant theory
and course concepts.
• • This section is often divided into sub-sections,
one for each problem.

49. Discussion
• Summarise the major problem/s
• Identify alternative solutions
• Briefly outline each alternative solution and
then evaluate it in terms of its advantages and
disadvantages
• No need to refer to theory or coursework
here.

50. Conclusion
• Sum up the main points from the findings and
discussion

51. Recommendations
• Choose which of the alternative solutions
should be adopted
• Briefly justify your choice explaining how
it will solve the major problem/s
• This should be written in a forceful style
as this section is intended to be
persuasive
• Here integration of theory and
coursework is appropriate

52. Implementation
• Explain what should be done, by whom and by
when
• If appropriate include a rough estimate of
costs (both financial and time).

53. References
• Make sure all references are sited correctly

54. Appendices (if any)
• Note any original data that relates to the study
but which would have interrupted the flow of
the main body.

55. FACTORS FOR JUDGING A GOOD CASE
RESEARCH
• What is new?
• So what?
• Why so?
• Well done?
• Done well?
• Why now?
• Who cares?

56. Summary
• All research includes cases, but not
everything is case study research
• Focus on context: uniqueness + analytical
generalization
• 3 types: theory building, theory testing,
problem solving
• Design choices: nr of cases, timeframe, type
of data

57. How to Outline a Case Study
• Instructions
– 1 State the problem in the first line of the outline. Create
subheadings under the problem statement to explain parts of
the problem that might not be self-evident.
– 2 Write the thesis statement as the next major point. The
thesis statement is the purpose of the paper. In this case, it
should outline the solution to the case study problem. Create
subheadings under the thesis statement to explain any parts
of the thesis that are not self-evident.
– 3 List the theories relevant to the case study and thesis
statement. Each theory should be its own main point. Create
subheadings under each theory to explain key parts or terms.

58. – 4 Explain your method of research in three or four main
points. This describes how you went about the case
study. Explain any variables or constants.
– 5 Write the main findings of the case study in two or
three points. These findings should be a direct result of
applying the theories to the case study. They should
support your thesis statement. Use subheadings to
explain each point, if necessary.
– 6 Summarize the problem, thesis statement and
theories in one or two points. This effectively wraps up
your paper and details any further research that should
take place.

59. SWOT

60. strengths
• Advantages of  Marketing - reach, distribution,
proposition? awareness?
• Capabilities?  Innovative aspects?
• Competitive advantages?
 Location and geographical?
• USP's (unique selling
points)?  Price, value, quality?
• Resources, Assets,  Accreditations, qualifications,
People? certifications?
• Experience, knowledge,
 Processes, systems, IT,
data? communications?
• Financial reserves, likely
returns?  Cultural, attitudinal,
behavioural?

61. weaknesses
• Disadvantages of  Cashflow, start-up cash-drain?
proposition?
 Continuity, supply chain
• Gaps in capabilities? robustness?
• Lack of competitive
 Effects on core activities,
strength?
distraction?
• Reputation, presence and
reach?  Reliability of data, plan
predictability?
• Financials?
• Own known vulnerabilities?  Morale, commitment,
leadership?
• Timescales, deadlines and
pressures?  Accreditations, etc?
 Processes and systems, etc?

62. opportunities
• Market developments?  Niche target markets?
• Competitors' vulnerabilities?  Geographical, export, import?
• Industry or lifestyle trends?
 Market need for new USP's?
• Technology development and
innovation?  Market response to tactics, e.g
• Global influences? surprise?
• New markets, vertical,  Major contracts, tenders?
horizontal?
 Business and product
• Market volume demand development?
trends?
• Seasonal, weather, fashion  Information and research?
influences?  Partnerships, agencies,
distribution?

63. threats
• Political effects?  Vital contracts and partners?
• Legislative effects?  Obstacles faced?
• Environmental effects?
 Insurmountable weaknesses?
• IT developments?
• Competitor intentions -  Employment market?
various?  Financial and credit
• Market demand? pressures?
• New technologies, services,  Economy - home, abroad?
ideas?
 Seasonality, weather effects?

64. • End
• Further Discussion: sanbag@rediffmail.com