Entrepreneurship and SME development in post-conflict societies

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vernesa Djip
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Depth Analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions of entrepreneurship in transition and post-conflict societies, using Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) as a case study. There are many features of this country which make it an interesting case such. It was once a part of Yugoslavia and had a socialist regime. Post-socialism, B&H turned to creating and maintaining a market-based economy, making it a transition country. Lastly, the transition process has been disturbed and delayed due to the war that began in 1992. Design/methodology/approach – The author chose a single case study research design to present a unique case and to give in-depth analysis. The author has used the method of data triangulation to increase reliability and credibility of the case study research. Findings – The case study's findings reveal that three types of conditions influence entrepreneurship in B&H: socio-political, economic and legal. The paper has several implications; more specifically, inter alia, it has helped understand complexity of transitional environments and the implications of the same on entrepreneurship development. Originality/value – The paper adds to the existing literature on factors affecting entrepreneurial activity within a post-conflict context by simplifying categorization into three broad categories. By doing so, the paper emphasizes particular areas obstructing the development of the enterprise sector in B&H.

Civics education in Malaysia: a clash between ethics, religion and cultural norms

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishalache Balakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Civics Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Qualitative Approaches

PurposeTo showcase the importance of digital citizenship in the current era. This article compares the nine features of digital citizen provided by Ribble and Bailey (2007) with a case study conducted in a multicultural setting and identifies the tensions between ethics, religion and cultural norms in that environment.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach has been used in this research. Why case study? Because it is unique and provides in-depth, unique and invaluable findings. Case studies researchers have contributed to the development of case study research from diverse disciplines. Historical examples of case studies go back as far as the nineteenth century with the biography of Charles Darwin (Stewart, 2014). The dominance of positivism in science in the late 1940 and 1950s in social science sidelined qualitative approaches such as case studies. Although case study research was often criticized for its inability to support generalizations, and thus, provided limited validity and value as a research design (Merriam, 2009; Stewart, 2014), case study research provides intensive analysis of an issue. A Case study is intrinsic, instrumental and collective (Stake, 1995, 2006). Case study research encourages the detailed enquiry of a unit of analysis within its context.FindingsFindings show that current society needs to be educated on the nine aspects of digital citizenship. In the current era, changes are so rapid that every now and then, there must be collaboration and cooperation between different agencies to ensure that the tension between religiosity, cultural norms and ethics would be able to find some common ground. With more knowledge and wisdom on human rights, sustainability education and project-based learning in Civics Education, teachers, students, parents and community should often meet to decide on controversial issues and find ways to ensure that each one in society has the knowledge, skills and values for digital citizenship to grow and flourish.Originality/valueThe article is original in nature and has much social impact.

Leveraging resource ecologies for sustainability transitions – a waste management case

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rumy Narayan ◽  
Annika Tidström
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Addressing fundamental sustainability challenges has now become strategic for multi-national corporations. However, such challenges by their very nature are complex and require resources that are frequently beyond those that are traditionally accepted as relevant and crucial to a firm’s core business operations. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how firms identify and integrate diverse groups of actors using social intelligence to build an ecology of resources to tackle these complex challenges. Design/methodology/approach The empirical part is based on qualitative single case study research of a packaging company and its waste management program. Findings Organizing for sustainability requires business activities to be conceptualized as a continuous process of project building, involving actors in diverse settings and responsibilities divided thematically and spatially forming nets within a network to solve problems, collectively. There is a fundamental analytical problem of integrating a diversity of value spheres, and society has a set of rational methods for planning and action where decisions are made to privilege one aspect to the exclusion of others. Artificial separation of activities that are interdependent and failure to allow these activities to evolve through interactions in time and space could threaten sustainability. Research limitations/implications This is a single case study within a certain context, therefore ways for orchestrating resource ecologies need further investigation. Practical implications For managers, it is very important to recognize and appreciate the interconnectedness of resource ecologies but also that interactions resulting in joint actions can often have different rewards and benefits for the diverse range of actors implicated in such networks. This kind of social intelligence offers managers options to experiment with transitional pathways that match the objectives of diverse network actors and provide unique resource combinations for building competitive advantage. There is only so much that is under the control of managers or even firms, which means both must embrace uncertainty and the phenomenon of emergence. Social implications From a societal perspective, the findings of the study show how the open and transparent activities for the sustainability of one firm spread through different layers of the society through connecting, sharing and developing resources. Therefore, it is important for societies to enable and support the open sharing of resources for sustainability. Investments in large programs for transitions to sustainability tend to spread from a focal company into various projects for sustainability involving several layers of actors within society. This ensures that awareness, behaviors and attitudes related with sustainability become rooted in society and give rise to valuable innovations. Originality/value This study illustrates how resources are created and shaped through nets during transitions toward sustainability using social intelligence.

Mixed methods single case study research (MMSCR): Challenges in WP evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-237
Author(s):  
Roberts Zivtins ◽  
Tim Jay ◽  
Robert Winston ◽  
Annalisa Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Science Outreach ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Randomised Control Trials

Evaluating widening participation (WP) interventions is complex. Early efforts at WP evaluation were criticised for lacking rigour. These criticisms were accompanied with suggested approaches to research, typically favouring randomised control trials. Yet these recommendations have, in turn, become the focus of much discussion and debate within the WP evaluation sector.<br/> This paper presents the use of a 'mixed methods single case study research' (MMSCR) study design to WP evaluation. It describes the work of a PhD researcher evaluating the school – university partnership science outreach programme between the Wohl Reach Out Lab at Imperial College London and a local secondary school.<br/> The article highlights potential challenges when using MMSCR, namely in ensuring internal validity and trustworthiness of the study. Solutions to these challenges are presented and the case is made for broadening what is seen as meaningful research in the sector.

Case Study Research

2014 ◽  
pp. 454-470
Author(s):  
Helen Simons
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Political Interests

This chapter explores case study as a major approach to research and evaluation. After first noting various contexts in which case studies are commonly used, the chapter focuses on case study research directly Strengths and potential problematic issues are outlined and then key phases of the process. The chapter emphasizes how important it is to design the case, to collect and interpret data in ways that highlight the qualitative, to have an ethical practice that values multiple perspectives and political interests, and to report creatively to facilitate use in policy making and practice. Finally, it explores how to generalize from the single case. Concluding questions center on the need to think more imaginatively about design and the range of methods and forms of reporting requiredto persuade audiences to value qualitative ways of knowing in case study research.

Case studies in humanitarian logistics research

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Vega
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Humanitarian Logistics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Chain Of Evidence ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeConsidered a strong method for exploratory investigations, case study research has become part of the mainstream approach, particularly in the field of humanitarian logistics (HL) and supply chain management. Nevertheless, similar to other logistics and SCM-related fields, rigor is not at its best. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for crafting case study research in HL, based on an analysis of published case study-based research.Design/methodology/approachThe study classifies and compares the use of case studies in HL research, based on criteria developed from the methodology literature including purpose, type and volume of data, and type of analysis.FindingsWhile case studies become more frequent, the results point out a lack of rigor, particularly regarding chain of evidence and the use of frameworks for case study rationale and analysis.Research limitations/implicationsThe study proposes a framework for case study design, based on four “check questions” that can help researchers to go through the process of crafting a case study.Practical implicationsThe study provides practitioners with more understanding of case studies in HL research, which they can use when calling for or evaluating such studies in their organizations.Originality/valueThis paper offers an initial framework for conducting case studies in HL.

Behavioral patterns in born-again global firms

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Schueffel ◽  
Rico Baldegger ◽  
Wolfgang Amann
Keyword(s):  
International Entrepreneurship ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Established Firms ◽  
Born Again

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that influence so-called born-again global firms’ internationalization behavior. Specifically, this article explores the following questions: why do mature, domestically focused firms suddenly turn into born-again global firms, how do they do so and what elements are needed for born-again global firms to be sustainable. Design/methodology/approach – Using an established international entrepreneurship model as a starting point, we extract relevant factors for a conceptual framework on born-again global firms’ internationalization activities. Case study research among a cross-sectional sample of born-again global firms is being applied for that purpose. Findings – Driven by the insufficient size of their domestic market, born-again global firms typically embark on internationalization after a generational change at the chief executive officer level. Throughout their internationalization journey, they flexibly adapt toward new needs of their foreign environments. Due to their idiosyncratic characteristics, born-again global firms deserve consideration as a separate group of research objects in the field of international entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications – The investigated sample of case study firms was drawn across a variety of industries. As such, industry-specific conditions could not be observed and the findings from case study research run the risks of being generalized too broadly. In addition, the accuracy of the case study results may suffer from a certain degree of hindsight bias as the internationalization event took place in the past. Practical implications – Openness to learning from other markets and the flexibility to modify products according to client needs strengthen born-again global firms’ competitiveness. To endure, born-again global firms have to be innovative in adapting to changes, which makes it easier for them to launch their products in new markets. Originality/value – To date, international entrepreneurship has focused on the activities of small and newly established firms, largely neglecting the behavior of somewhat larger and established firms in traditional sectors. This study shows that established companies can exhibit the same innovative, proactive and risk-seeking behavior across borders as new ventures do. Despite their strongly rooted structures, strategies and cultures, born-again globals can flexibly adapt to new environments.

scholarly journals Comparative case study research: an international analysis of nine home warranty schemes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastien Royal ◽  
Nadia Lehoux ◽  
Pierre Blanchet
Keyword(s):  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
South Wales

PurposeConstruction defects in residential buildings are causing significant impacts both on consumers and the industry. As a consequence, several countries have established new home warranty schemes. However, designing a public policy for domestic building warranties can become a difficult task. In fact, many of these programs in the past have failed, collapsed or gone bankrupt. Therefore, the purpose of the current research is to provide a systematic comparative representation of various active programs internationally.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology relied on a multiple-case study research design. The case selection covered a total of nine jurisdictions with compulsory home warranty programs. Those included Japan, France, United Kingdom, three provinces in Canada (Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta), and three states in Australia (New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland). The study applied a data collection protocol to gather all the evidence in a replicable manner for each individual case. Subsequently, a cross-case analysis was conducted to identify similarities and variations between programs.FindingsThe findings unveiled institutional practices that aimed to resolve, compensate, or rectify defects in residential constructions within these countries. The review mostly suggested that every home warranty program presents certain unique characteristics. At the end, this paper proposed an analytical illustration representing the diversification of components adopted by each jurisdiction.Originality/valueNowadays, there is still not a consensus within the academic community on what is an optimal solution when conceiving a new home warranty program. Hence, the current study aims to fill this knowledge gap by presenting the plurality of methods employed by several countries. This paper seeks to help policy makers and industry leaders to improve their home warranty scheme based on awareness derived from observations and analyses of what has been accomplished elsewhere in the world.

Transparency and the rhetorical use of citations to Robert Yin in case study research

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Massaro ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Carlo Bagnoli
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Citation Practices ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
Structured Literature Review

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse “how”, “why” and “where” authors use citations of Robert Yin’s classic text, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, to determine the application of methodological transparency in published case study research.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is conducted using a structured literature review methodology.FindingsThe results reveal problems of obliteration by incorporation, miscitations, appeals to ethos, rhetorical convenience and a shadow effect, also known as adumbration. The authors argue that case study research relying, either in full or in part, on Yin’s methodology should transparently describe how and which parts of the methodology have been applied. Thus, the conclusions signal some opportunities for improving transparency in the use of citations in case study research.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis highlights behaviours that may lead researchers to questionable findings due to a lack of methodological transparency in developing case study research, along with some recommendations for avoiding such problems. Improving transparency is useful for readers to understand what was done, for reviewers and editors to evaluate the research, and to guide other researchers who wish to conduct case study research.Originality/valueThis research compares citation practices in case study research in accounting and management with a focus on citations of Robert Yin. The results build on previous studies that analyse how scholars apply case study methodology that encourages researchers to adopt greater transparency.

The Financial Potential of Sporadic Customers in E-Retailing

2009 ◽  
pp. 59-73
Author(s):  
Luiz Antonio Joia
Keyword(s):  
Research Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Real Value ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

The scope of this article is to explore the transaction profitability of frequent and sporadic buyers in the e-commerce arena. Evidence in relationship marketing literature stressing the impact of purchase frequency on customer transaction profitability as well as recent academic research challenging this approach and pointing out the importance of sporadic clients is analyzed and presented. A single case study research methodology was chosen for this article due to the exploratory facets associated with the subject and the industry under investigation. In order to gather relevant input to carry out this research, one of the largest retailing groups in Brazil was investigated. Conclusions are drawn showing that greater frequency of purchases does not necessarily translate into increased customer transaction profitability. Implications are presented, enabling practitioners and academics to grasp fully the real value of customers — both frequent and sporadic buyers — in order to develop coherent approaches for dealing with them adequately.

A Review of Single Case Study and Multiple Case Study Research Designs

2021 ◽  
pp. 102-118
Author(s):  
Stacey Sneed ◽  
Chau H. P. Nguyen ◽  
Chrissy L. Eubank ◽  
Aaron S. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology ◽  
Multiple Case

In the field of education, case study is a widely used qualitative research methodology. While there are a broad range of approaches to case study, the resources available to researchers is limited. Therefore, this chapter aims to shed some light on what defines a case study and some of the possible methodological variations. The goal of this chapter is to provide the reader with a foundational understanding of a case study as a methodology and how this methodology aligns within various research contexts in the field of education.

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