Chapter 12 Case study method CONTENTS Definitions Validity

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