Guidelines for Conducting a Critical Realist Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
Deepak Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Philosophical Orientation ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
Research Philosophy ◽  
Independent Reality

The case study is a widely used methodology among qualitative researchers irrespective of their philosophical orientation. While positivist and interpretive philosophies are the two most popular research philosophies across diverse research fields, critical realism offers a third alternative. Critical realism is a research philosophy that assumes the existence of an independent reality but also accepts that there may be varied interpretations of it due to a difference in context. Mechanisms are the theoretical building blocks of critical realism and presence, absence, or interaction of certain mechanisms may result in the presence or absence of certain events. However, limited guidelines are available on conducting a critical realist case study. This paper fills this gap by providing some practical guidelines on how a CR-based case study may be planned and executed. Practical guidelines are offered for framing the research question, data collection, writing a narrative, coding, and explanation building while following a critical realist philosophy.

Guidelines for Conducting a Critical Realist Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 38-56
Author(s):  
Deepak Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Philosophical Orientation ◽  
Research Fields ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
Research Philosophy ◽  
Independent Reality

The case study is a widely used methodology among qualitative researchers irrespective of their philosophical orientation. While positivist and interpretive philosophies are the two most popular research philosophies across diverse research fields, critical realism offers a third alternative. Critical realism is a research philosophy that assumes the existence of an independent reality but also accepts that there may be varied interpretations of it due to a difference in context. Mechanisms are the theoretical building blocks of critical realism, and presence, absence, or interaction of certain mechanisms may result in the presence or absence of certain events. However, limited guidelines are available on conducting a critical realist case study. This chapter fills this gap by providing some practical guidelines on how a CR-based case study may be planned and executed. Practical guidelines are offered for framing the research question, data collection, writing a narrative, coding, and explanation building aligned with a critical realist philosophy.

The role of discourse in transforming digital infrastructures

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-242
Author(s):  
Egil Øvrelid ◽  
Bendik Bygstad
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Theory Of Discourse

Radical shifts in large information technology programmes or digital infrastructures are unusual, but they do occur, usually as a consequence of problems or misalignment. What we know less about is the role of discourse in these shifts. Our interest in this article is to investigate the role of discourse when digitalisation programmes encounter problems. Building on Foucault’s theory of discourse, our research question is: what is the role of discourse in the transformation of digital infrastructures? Our research approach is a critical realist case study, discussing three cases from eHealth innovation. We use Foucault’s archaeological methodology to identify the emerging discursive formations when a programme encounters difficulties. This enables us to analyse the causal relationship between discursive formations and other mechanisms in the infrastructure. We offer two contributions: first, we outline a framework to understand the role of discursive formations in digital transformation; second, we propose a set of configurations to explain how contextual factors and causal mechanisms contingently lead to the transformation of a digital infrastructure.

Museums for the Planet : Critical Realist Philosophy and the Possibility of an Eco-decolonial Museology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thomas Carnegie Jeffery
Keyword(s):  
Human Nature ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Museum Practice

This study introduces dialectical critical realism into museology as a philosophical underlabourer for the development of new theoretical potentials for the transformation of museum practice. The idea of the museum is in a moment of fluidity evident in emergent decolonial and ecological perspectives and in the International Council of Museum’s process of redefinition of the museum. The potential to reimagine the museum lacks a coherent philosophical and theoretical foundation. The persistence of museological dualism separates the social from the ecological and absents the emergence of relational modes of thinking and practice. This study conceives an ecological-decolonial or eco-decolonial mode of museology that is disruptive of dualism and generative of relationality, and is thus generative of agency for deeper, more effective and enduring social-ecological justice. The core of this thesis is the development of the eco-decolonial mode of museology through the DCR onto-axiological chain or ‘MELD’ schema. At 1M a depth ontological analysis augmented by interviews with key informants establishes a dialectic of society and ecology in the museological context. 1M surfaces capitalism and the implicit neoliberal ontology of museology as deep causal mechanisms of the 2E persistence of museological human-nature dualism. The paradox of ‘emancipatory neoliberalism’ is a policy-practice contradiction that absents potentials for transformation of the museum and that is held in place by the grounding ontological activity of museology, collection. The 2E perspective on absences enables the emergence of new transformative pathways towards the 3L vision of the eco-decolonial mode of museology as a (4D) new way of thinking and working to resolve neoliberal restrictions. The fundamental 4D change envisioned for museum philosophy, theory and practice is an ontological transformation from traditionalist human-nature dualism to a progressive human-nature dialectic. A case study considers instances where museum workers exercised the agency to expand practice in this way. Future work using the expansive learning methodology of Change Laboratories will develop and implement the potentials generated by the onto-axiological chain for the eco-decolonial mode to bring real change to traditional, dualist museum practice, in order to ensure the relevance and the agency of the museum as a social structure in and for a changing world.

Small Firms, Institutions and Interactions: Low-Technology Innovations from the Perspective of Critical Realism

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Nouman ◽  
Mohammad Sohail Yunis ◽  
Owais Mufti
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
North West ◽  
Technology Innovations ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Main Barrier

Sectors or industries characterized by limited or no use of technology to innovate are called lowtechnology (LT) sectors. They are usually dominated by small firms. Identifying a dearth of academicand practitioner work, this paper helps explain how institutions within a small-firm sector and interactions of these firms with institutions influence the occurrence or non-occurrence of LT innovation. Marble sector firms primarily located in north-west Pakistan have been selected for this purpose. Advocating the need for critical realism that has been an often ignored paradigm in management research, this paper offers a unique perspective on the paradigm's fundamental tenets which are events, objects, mechanisms and causal powers through an extensive and robustqualitative analysis using case study methodology. Findings reveal strong normative and cognitive institutions but weak regulative institutions with varying levels of consistencies or otherwise in terms of small firms' interactions with these institutions. Interestingly, cognitive institutions emerge as the main barrier to LT innovation which is a key contribution of this paper along with a hard tofind critical realist perspective. Keywords: Low-technology innovation, LT innovation, institutions, interactions, critical realism

Exploring family business decline with socioemotional wealth perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orlando Antonio Llanos-Contreras ◽  
Muayyad Jabri
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Socioemotional Wealth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Philosophical Orientation ◽  
Turnaround Strategies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine how family and business priorities influence organisational decline and turnaround in a family business.Design/methodology/approachFollowing critical realism as philosophical orientation, this research is based on an exploratory single case study.FindingsThis research identified specific socioemotional wealth priorities driving this organisation decline and turnaround. The study also determined how the family and business dynamic leads to decisions that first trigger the organisational decline and then explain the successful implementation of turnaround strategies.Research limitation/implicationsFindings of this research provide limited and contingent theoretical generalisation. Accordingly, replication and further quantitative research is required for a better understanding of this phenomenon.Practical implicationsManagers can benefit from this paper by noting which behaviour could lead to organisational decline and which factors could lead to a turnaround. Similarly, managers can learn about the importance of the alignment of socioemotional wealth priorities as a critical response factor to determine whether to follow exit strategies or turnaround (succession) actions.Originality valueThe study contributes to the organisational decline literature and family business literature. It advances the understanding of how family businesses should balance family and business priorities to avoid organisational decline and identify strategies successfully implemented for turning around.

Getting real about BIM

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Fox
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Goals ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Realist Analysis ◽  
Business Outcome

Purpose – For some years, it has been claimed that Building Information Modelling (BIM) will bring about major improvements to the productivity of the building industry. Yet, productivity has declined while claims for BIM have expanded. Often, BIM descriptions comprise the naïve framing and multiple fallacies of hype. The purpose of this paper is to present critical realist descriptions and explain their advantages compared to BIM hype descriptions. Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal critical realist case study of BIM causal mechanism and causal context. Findings – Critical realist analysis reveals that hype about BIM underplays many inter-related causal requirements: all of which are needed to bring project business outcome from management action. Practical implications – Many inter-related non-trivial causal factors need to be taken into account to achieve business outcome from BIM implementation action. Further, factors claimed at the outset to be adequate to achieve outcome from action may be less than adequate. Originality/value – The originality of this paper is that critical realism analysis across six years is presented. This longitudinal data reveals that claims for BIM can be more future goals than current certainties. The value of this paper is that detailed analysis of hype descriptions is provided alongside critical realist descriptions.

scholarly journals Everything Counts in Large Amounts: A Critical Realist Case Study on Data-Based Production

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksi Aaltonen ◽  
Niccoló Tempini
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Mobile Network ◽  
Semantic Content ◽  
Network Operator ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Business Operations ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Telecommunications Network ◽  
Shape Data

Contemporary digital ecosystems produce vast amounts of data every day. The data are often no more than microscopic log entries generated by the elements of an information infrastructure or system. Although such records may represent a variety of things outside the system, their powers go beyond the capacity to carry semantic content. In this article, we harness critical realism to explain how such data come to matter in specific business operations. We analyse the production of an advertising audience from data tokens extracted from a telecommunications network. The research is based on an intensive case study of a mobile network operator that tries to turn its subscribers into an advertising audience. We identify three mechanisms that shape data-based production and three properties that characterize the underlying pool of data. The findings advance the understanding of many organizational settings that are centred on data processing.

EXPLORING EX-ANTE IMPACTS AND SOCIAL AND SPORTIVE CHALLENGES OF HOSTING A FUTURE NEW INTERNATIONAL MAJOR EVENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE WORLD ROLLER GAMES IN BARCELONA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Saló ◽  
Laia López
Keyword(s):  
Social Economic ◽  
Research Question ◽  
City Image ◽  
Local Council ◽  
The World ◽  
Future Consequences ◽  
Mega Event ◽  
The City ◽  
The Postponement

Research Question: This analysis arises from the decision of the current local council of Barcelona regarding the postponement of the sporting mega-event ‘World Roller Games’, due to a lack of a social and sportive implication in this event. This research tries to shed some light on the matter and give evidence to the local council to become the world capital of skating. The research question is to analyse whether non-economic impacts could be relevant enough to organise a mega-event.Research Methods: The methodology is based on the perception and experience of spectators and participants on four main impacts (social, economic, sports city image and sports practice) using a survey from a National Roller Skating Championship in Spain, considering that this profile of respondents have a better knowledge of the current situation of this sport.Results and Findings: There are positive expected future consequences of this mega-event to be held in Barcelona in social and sportive terms. We can also conclude that the local council must still introduce some social and sportive policies in the city in order to improve the chances of success in social, sports practice and sportive brand image development.Implications: It is demonstrated that a mega-event should not be seen purely from a perspective of business generation, especially with minority sports like roller skating. There is a clear opportunity to develop social and sportive practice initiatives that can push social cohesion throughout the city thanks to a mega-event such as this one.

The Role of Mobile Money in Moderating Financial Exclusion: A Tanzanian Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deogratius Joseph Mhella
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Mobile Money ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Financial Exclusion

Prior to the advent of mobile money, the banking sector in most of the developing countries excluded certain segments of the population. The excluded populations were deemed as a risk to the banking sector. The banking sector did not work with cash stripped and the financially disenfranchised people. Financial exclusion persisted to incredibly higher levels. Those excluded did not have: bank accounts, savings in financial institutions, access to credit, loan and insurance services. The advent of mobile money moderated the very factors of financial exclusion that the banks failed to resolve. This paper explains how mobile money moderates the factors of financial exclusion that the banks and microfinance institutions have always failed to moderate. The paper seeks to answer the following research question: 'How has mobile money moderated the factors of financial exclusion that other financial institutions failed to resolve between 1960 and 2008? Tanzania has been chosen as a case study to show how mobile has succeeded in moderating financial exclusion in the period after 2008.

scholarly journals Attrition as a bottom-up pathway to subnational democratization

2021 ◽  
pp. 019251212110192
Author(s):  
Trix van Mierlo
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Causal Process ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
System A ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
Democratic System

Oftentimes, democracy is not spread out evenly over the territory of a country. Instead, pockets of authoritarianism can persist within a democratic system. A growing body of literature questions how such subnational authoritarian enclaves can be democratized. Despite fascinating insights, all existing pathways rely on the actions of elites and are therefore top-down. This article seeks to kick-start the discussion on a bottom-up pathway to subnational democratization, by proposing the attrition mechanism. This mechanism consists of four parts and is the product of abductive inference through theory-building causal process tracing. The building blocks consist of subnational democratization literature, social movement theory, and original empirical data gathered during extensive field research. This case study focuses on the ‘Dynasty Slayer’ in the province of Isabela, the Philippines, where civil society actors used the attrition mechanism to facilitate subnational democratization. This study implies that civil society actors in subnational authoritarian enclaves have agency.

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