Case study design for short-term predictable disasters

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-419
Author(s):  
Emilia Grass ◽  
Kathrin Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Set Up

PurposeThe purpose of this work is the development of a structured case study design process for developing case studies in humanitarian logistics, in particular for short-term predictable disaster situations like floods and hurricanes. Moreover, useful public sources are presented in order to enable researchers to find relevant data for their case studies more easily.Design/methodology/approachA structured framework for case study design is set up, splitting the process into different steps and phases.FindingsThe framework is applied to an illustrative example, where case studies with different numbers and levels of detail of scenarios are designed based on the three-day forecast for hurricane Harvey in 2017. The corresponding solutions demonstrate the relevance of using as much forecast information as possible in case study building, and in particular in scenario design, in order to get useful and appropriate results.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study design process is mostly suitable for short-term predictable disasters, but can also be adapted to other types of disasters. The process has been applied to one specific hurricane here which serves as an example.Practical implicationsAlso for practitioners, the results of this work are highly relevant, as constructing realistic cases using real data will lead to more useful results. Moreover, it is taken into account in the case study design process that relief agencies are regularly confronted with disasters in certain areas and hence need to define the basic planning situation and parameters “once and for all” and on a long-term basis, whereas disaster specific data from forecasts are only available within a short time frame.Originality/valueThe new design process can be applied by researchers as well as practitioners, and the publicly available data sources will be useful to the community.

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.

scholarly journals Living in a care home during COVID-19: a case study of one person living with dementia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Davies-Abbott ◽  
Catrin Hedd Jones ◽  
Gill Windle
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to understand the lived experience of a person living with dementia in a care home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It responds to the absence in research of the voices of people with dementia living in care homes during the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a single case study design applied thematic analysis to semi-structured interview data to discover the experiences of one person living with dementia in a care home during a period of lockdown. Findings Five themes reveal how the participant responded to the practical and emotional challenges of the pandemic: autonomy; fears; keeping connected; keeping safe and other people living with dementia. These themes highlight the participant’s ability to adapt, accept and dispute lockdown restrictions, revealing considerable insight into their situation. Research limitations/implications The pandemic has restricted access to care homes, which informed the single case study design. This approach to the research may restrict the generalisability of the findings. Other researchers are encouraged to include the voices of people with dementia living in care homes in further studies. Practical implications Implications for practice, presented in this paper, promote quality psychosocial approaches when health-care workers engage with people living with dementia during periods of restricted activity. Originality/value Unlike other studies about the impact of the pandemic on care homes, this paper explores the experience of the pandemic in care homes from the perspective of a person living with dementia.

scholarly journals Case study: design of a vacuum gripper

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Dániel Kiss ◽  
Attila Szilágyi
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Finite Element Methods ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Its Analysis ◽  
The Right ◽  
Base Design

In this paper we present the design process of a vacuum gripper based on an existing design, which have to be modified. During the design process each step was analysed by finite element methods, to see that the change in the model was made into the right direction. During these steps an appropriate solution was selected to be used later. In the paper we present the base design and the results of its analysis. Later we discuss the modifications made on the model and the final result of simulations of the modified geometries.

How do takaful operators choose which model to adopt? A case study from the Kingdom of Bahrain

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1677-1688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mansoor Alkhan ◽  
M. Kabir Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design

Purpose This paper aims to provide an analysis on how takaful operators choose, which takaful model to adopt when managing their insurance operations. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a qualitative methodology and uses the Kingdom of Bahrain as a case study. A single/holistic case study design is used to holistically analyse how a takaful operator chooses which takaful model to adopt when managing its insurance operations. Findings The results reveal that generally, takaful operators adopt either the hybrid wakala-mudharaba or wakala model of takaful, depending on whether a takaful operator is managing/investing the participants’ general or family fund, respectively. Research limitations/implications As the empirical data and results pertain to one jurisdiction, it may be difficult to generalize the empirical findings upon other jurisdictions. Originality/value This research may have contributed to knowledge by adding to literature empirical data and results in relation to takaful in the Kingdom of Bahrain that may have not previously existed in literature.

scholarly journals Thinking With New Materialism in Qualitative Case Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 160940692097643
Author(s):  
Åsa Andersson ◽  
Peter Korp ◽  
Anne B. Reinertsen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Study Design ◽  
New Materialism ◽  
Qualitative Case Studies ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
New Materialisms ◽  
The World ◽  
Event Based

In this article, we discuss challenges and implications of thinking with new materialisms and the Deleuzian philosophy of immanence in qualitative case studies. The aim is to establish a terrain and language of “minor case studies.” Deleuze denies two-world ontologies and the ontologically status of single bodies, emphasizing instead how assemblages of human and non-human bodies together produce the world. In this terrain, cases are not objects of inquiry, but life-giving forces that create movement. This in turn changes the premises for how we can approach and explore cases. Rather than represent, comment and explain what cases are, we illustrate how a case-assemblage creates possibilities for event-based thinking regarding interesting phenomena (cases), and how these cases are twisted, stretched and pulled out of a conventional case study design. We conclude by discussing epistemological consequences of new materialist ontology.

Strategic manoeuvers in outsourcing arrangements

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Plugge ◽  
Mark Borman ◽  
Marijn Janssen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Context Dependency ◽  
Stable Set ◽  
Adaptation Period ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Retrospective Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adaptive Capabilities ◽  
Over Time

Purpose Adaptation is often seen as a key competitive advantage for outsourcing vendors. Outsourcing research has often assumed that vendor capabilities are static. However, as a result of uncertainties and/or changes in the client environment, vendors need to be able to adapt their outsourcing capabilities. The aim of our research is to compare two contrasting outsourcing approaches and illustrate how an adaptive approach may deliver better results for clients in the long term. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a combination of literature and case study research. A retrospective case study approach was adopted, using interviews, observations and analysis of reports. Two case studies utilizing contrasting clients approaches were investigated and compared. In one of the case studies, the client reorganized activities first and then outsourced them, while in the other, the client did the reverse – outsourced first and then reorganized. Findings The findings indicate that reorganizing first and outsourcing afterwards contributes to a more controlled implementation, which results in a more defined and stable set of vendor outsourcing capabilities that contributed to short-term success. In contrast, outsourcing first and reorganizing later demonstrates a less controlled redesign of the client’s organizational structure, which requires a malleable set of outsourcing capabilities to accommodate future change. The latter strategic manoeuver results in an extended adaptation period, as some capabilities need to be developed over time. However, it may improve success over time as subsequent changes in the client environment can be catered for in a better way. Research limitations/implications Only two explorative case studies were performed, limiting confidence in the degree of generalization of the results. We plea for more research on the effect of context dependency as various contingencies may impact the adaptation of outsourcing capabilities; for example, the volatility of the client’s market or the stability of the technology concerned. Practical implications When a client applies a proactive manoeuver, reorganizing first and then applying outsourcing, the number of adaptive capabilities required of the outsourcing vendor is reduced, limiting the risk for the client in the short term. In the longer term, however, subsequent change requirements may be less well-accommodated. Originality/value Strategic manoeuvers within an outsourcing context have received limited attention in research. As far as we know, this is the first empirical research that investigates the benefits of vendors having adaptive capability.

scholarly journals How to Conduct a Mini-Ethnographic Case Study: A Guide for Novice Researchers

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Fusch ◽  
Gene Fusch ◽  
Lawrence Ness
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Data Saturation ◽  
Reasonable Time Frame ◽  
Student Researchers ◽  
Study Designs

The authors present how to construct a mini-ethnographic case study design with the benefit of an ethnographic approach bounded within a case study protocol that is more feasible for a student researcher with limited time and finances. The novice researcher should choose a design that enables one to best answer the research question. Secondly, one should choose the design that assists the researcher in reaching data saturation. Finally, the novice researcher must choose the design in which one can complete the study within a reasonable time frame with minimal cost. This is particularly important for student researchers. One can blend study designs to be able to use the best of each design that can mitigate the limitations of each as well. The authors are experienced ethnographers who currently chair dissertation committees where a student has chosen a mini-ethnographic case study design.

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