Chapter 12:
Case study
method
CONTENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Definitions
Validity and reliability
Merits
Design
Analysis
Case studies in practice
Definitions
• John Gerring:
• a case is: 'a spatially delimited phenomenon (a unit)
observed at a single point in time or over some period
of time'
• a case study is: 'the intensive study of a single case‘
• with two or more cases: the study becomes cross-case
• the more cases the less intensity per case
• from single case study to large cross-case study forms a
continuum
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
What the case study method is not
• It is not only qualitative – within a case-study
any research methods may be used
• It is not only exploratory
• It is not only small-scale
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Scale (Fig. 12.1)
PEOPLE/PLACES
Nation
EVENTS
National/international
sport/political event
Community/
sub-group
Sport/cultural
event
Organisation
Centenary/
product launch
Family/friends
Individual
Birthday party/
wedding
Birthday/marriage
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Case-study research: theory and practice (Fig. 12.2)
• Descriptive research:
– Identify characteristics of a phenomenon
• Explanatory research:
– Testing single existing theory
– Testing alternative/competing theories
– Develop theory where none exists
• Evaluative research:
– Testing effectiveness of a single policy
– Testing alternative/competing policies
– Establish need for policy
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Validity and reliability
• Internal validity: use of multiple methods can
achieve high level of validity
• External validity: strictly speaking, generalisation is a problem but: John Gerring:
– To conduct a case study implies that one has also
conducted cross-case analysis, or at least thought about
the broader set of cases. Otherwise, it is impossible for an
author to answer the defining question of all case study
research: what is this a case of ?
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Merits
•
•
•
•
Places subjects in social/historical context.
Treats subject as a whole.
Multiple methods – triangulation
A manageable data collection task when resources
are limited.
• Flexibility in data collection strategy.
• No necessity to generalise to a defined wider
population.
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Design
• Define unit of analysis: what is the ‘case’?
• Selecting cases:
–
–
–
–
Purposive
Illustrative
Typical/atypical
Pragmatic/opportunistic
• Data gathering
– All data sources/data gathering methods may be used
– Consistency in unit of analysis/definition of case
– Temporal consistency
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Analysis
• Analysis procedures as in Part III apply
• Burns (1994) and Yin (2009) also refer to:
– pattern matching – relating case features to existing theory
– explanation building – often an iterative process
– time series analysis – explanations based on observing
change over time.
• George & Bennett (2005):
– Logic models – 1. initial conditions, 2. needs, 3. problems, 4.
resources, 5. action, 6. outcomes, 7. impacts.
– Cross-case synthesis
– Congruence method – equivalent to correlation
– Process tracing – explanation building
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge
Case studies in practice
• 12.1: Activity profile: swimming – secondary data
• 12.2: Nike, advertising and women – one company
• 12.4: Leisure, Lifestyle and the New Middle Class –
one suburb and a sports club
• 12.4: The Beckham brand – one sport celebrity
• 12.5: Sport sponsorship – one company’s strategy
A. J. Veal and S. Darcy (2014) Research Methods for Sport Studies and Sport Management: A practical guide. London: Routledge