Case Study Research Articles

Navigating inherent challenges of locally focused action research in graduate education

ABSTRACT Action research seeks to address pressing local issues through research and collaboration with community partners while also contributing to social science. Through cyclical processes of research, action, and reflection, action research provides not only a methodological framework for addressing social issues but also a potential pedagogical approach for training students. This article explores the challenges and benefits of integrating action research into graduate-level curricula, using graduate action research classes at Vanderbilt University and their multi-semester research on short-term rentals (e.g. Airbnbs and VRBOs) in Nashville, TN, as a case example. The article first outlines inherent challenges that arise when conducting action research, particularly in higher educational contexts. It then describes some distinctive features of the Vanderbilt courses that have enabled long-term engagement in action research projects. By examining the classes’ work on short-term rentals, the article illustrates how features like frequent offerings, opportunities for multiple semester enrollment, collaborative instruction, and a research ‘studio’ design can be helpful in addressing some of the perennial challenges of conducting and teaching action research in academic settings. The article concludes by discussing strategies for course design and instruction to navigate these challenges in order to realize the potential for simultaneously cultivating student learning and development while contributing to beneficial community impacts.

International human resource management and political risks: Nestlé in the Global South during the Cold War (1950–1980)

ABSTRACT This article demonstrates how international human resource management (IHRM) has been used by multinational enterprises (MNEs) as a strategic tool to mitigate political risks such as nationalization, boycotts, or labor activism. Based on a qualitative embedded case study of the world’s largest food company, Nestlé, this study develops a typology of three major IHRM strategies designed to deal with political risk in Asia, Africa, and Latin America between 1950 and 1980: (a) the training of local managers and indigenization, (b) the reshuffling of managers’ nationality and (c) rewards for the future career of expatriates. This article therefore contributes to the resource-based view of political risk, which has identified how MNEs can develop capabilities to secure and expand their operations in times of political unrest and deglobalisation trends.

Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in River Water and Sediment Surrounding Abandoned Coal Mining Areas: A Case Study of Yudong River in Guizhou Province

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to collect the water and sediment samples from upstream, midstream, and downstream of this study area, which was used to assess the status of Heavy metal (HMs) pollution and their health risks to local resident. The results showed that the health risk of HMs exposed to local residual was lower than that of the recommended maximum acceptable annual average risk value (1.0 × 10−4) proposed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), while the health risk of children was obviously higher than that of adults. The trophic level index values exceeded 70 in upstream, midstream, and downstream, showing a state of severe eutrophication. Nutrient indices and eutrophication coefficient indicated the most severe eutrophication in downstream sediment, followed by upstream and midstream sediments. Structural equation model revealed an interdependence between Heavy metal (HMs) pollution in water and sediments, and a path coefficient of 0.59 indicated the influence of sediments on HMs concentrations in water. Although Heavy metal (HMs) pollution in this region has been treated over the past several years, our results suggested that Heavy metal (HMs) pollution in this region was still continuously concerned. Our suggestion was that local governments still need to strengthen pollution control measures, and phytoremediation maybe a green, feasible, and locally appropriate solution. .

Simulation project quality and validation profiling

ABSTRACT This article presents a methodological and “reflective practice” perspective on the elements of successful projects. Confidence in the trustworthiness and assurance of models will always be essential, with validation usually interpreted as concerning issues of accuracy and consistency with data. However, prior modelling research, corroborated in separate literature, indicated that a broader view of model validation is needed than focusing solely on the technical accuracy of the core model itself. This entailed adding client interaction processes, project impacts and considering how appropriate the model is for the way it is used, pointing to an overall project quality assessment. Therefore, this article adapts a content-quality-outcome quality triad that synthesises these perspectives, leading to potential scorecard and quality profiling visualisations. Even without these explicit artefacts, profiling can be done semi-qualitatively to stimulate thinking and for project review. This can aid clarity about simulation model types and project purposes by pre-specifying tests and their categories. Additionally, apart from ex-post evaluation, quality profiling could be useful ex-ante to aid planning and design of a simulation project at the proposal stage—particularly for conceptual or qualitative models used for exploratory or Proof Of Concept tasks. This therefore encourages design thinking about the interactive and communication aspects of simulation projects. The implication is that if more attention is directed towards identifying the germane process and outcome factors, as well as typical validation concerns, then project communication and management could become more effective. Some simulation project case studies are given to illustrate how quality profiling augmented model reviews.

From courtyard to atrium: spatial differentiation in the spontaneous evolution of vernacular architecture and its response to geo-climate

ABSTRACT Vernacular architecture is deeply rooted in specific regions and evolves under urbanization while maintaining a close connection to the natural environment. Using the case study of vernacular courtyards evolving into vernacular atriums, this study examines the spatial distribution characteristics of vernacular atriums in 37 counties (districts) in southern Hebei, China, by mining data through deep learning networks. The results reveal a tendency for vernacular atriums to concentrate in the southwest, while regions less frequented, such as the east and north, hold potential for promotion. Furthermore, the correlation between 15 geo-climatic factors and vernacular atriums is explored. Geodetector analysis indicates that altitude, slope, rainfall, wind speed, sunshine duration, shortwave radiation intensity and PM2.5 provide varying levels of explanatory power for different types of vernacular atriums. The response of different factors reflects the similarities and differences in the needs of various vernacular atriums to improve the living environment and adapt to the climate conditions, such as insulation, sunshade, lighting, rain protection, and ventilation, while adapting the geographical environment through house form and culture. With AI-assisted fieldwork, this study offers insights into the macro-scale climate adaptability of vernacular courtyards, inspiring sustainable development in vernacular architecture.

Non-uniform Brillouin zone sampling for thermal transport in layered materials.

Lattice thermal conductivity in layered materials is typically dominated by long-wavelength phonon modes and is traditionally computed by uniform phonon sampling in the Brillouin zone, which is often computationally demanding. In this work, we develop and implement a non-uniform Brillouin zone sampling approach to efficiently predict the thermal conductivity of layered materials within the Boltzmann transport equation framework. Using single-layer graphene and bulk MoS2 as case studies, our method optimizes phonon sampling through two key parameters: grid cutoff distance, which defines a dense phonon mesh near the Γ-point, and grid ratio, which sets the resolution of the coarser grid in the remaining regions. This selective sampling reduces the computational cost involved in phonon scattering calculation by a factor of 10 while maintaining thermal conductivity prediction accuracy within 12% compared with the uniform grid approach.

A predictive production-logistics cooperation method for service-oriented smart discrete manufacturing system

Production logistics cooperation plays an important role in the service-oriented manufacturing system. However, most of the existing manufacturing systems use passive mode to assign the production and logistics machines, which often leads to long waiting times for work-in-progresses and unfeasibility of assigned tasks. To address these issues, a predictive production-logistics cooperation method is discussed. Firstly, a cloud service encapsulation method is applied in the discrete manufacturing system to create an intelligent service-sensing environment. Secondly, the deep learning-based key manufacturing service performance prediction model is designed to forecast the future service capacity of the production and logistics machines. Thirdly, a multi-objective production-logistics cooperation decision-making method is proposed to obtain the optimal predictive manufacturing task allocation and corresponding logistics assignment results. Lastly, a case study from a typical discrete manufacturing system is used to demonstrate the presented method. The results show that the proposed method can largely improve production efficiency.

Shared screens, shared lives: theorizing screencapture as method in a postdigital age

ABSTRACT This paper discusses critical and participatory approaches to screencapture to account for the layered, embodied, and mobile ways people work with/across screens in a postdigital era. While screencapture methods have been a mainstay of multimodal, video-based research in education, there has been less theorizing of screens as active participants in broader sociotechnical assemblages. In this paper, we theorize screencapture from a sociomaterial lens that frames all activity as comprised of human and technological actors acting as dynamic participants in sociotechnical systems. We propose three approaches to screencapture – self-generated screencapture video, researcher-generated screencapture, and elicited screencapture – as a heuristic for researchers to look at and not through screens. Through three case study examples of each approach to screencapture, we trace five critical considerations: ethics, positionality, ephemerality, layering, and co-construction. These critical considerations emerge differently across the three approaches to screencapture, helping researchers challenge extractive or voyeuristic procedures for recording screens in educational research.

Meaningful learning beyond the textbook: a case study of student experiences during an authentic historical inquiry on local heritage

Increasingly, scholars advocate placing historical inquiry to the fore as a teaching strategy. Moreover, they stress making such inquiries relevant for students by setting up meaningful activities that explicitly establish connections between past, present and future. Nevertheless, the implementation of this pedagogical approach remains limited, and little is known about how students actually perceive and work with meaningful historical inquiry. This case study, conducted as part of teacher research, aims to explore students’ perspectives and to gain an in-depth understanding from their point of view during an authentic historical inquiry that revolved around local heritage. The findings show that the students became actively involved in the project, and reveal that all aspects of the work of historians, from archival investigations through to public presentation, may be offered to students. The findings also provide reflections on the implications for educational practice, particularly regarding what counts as meaningful learning for students in relation to heritage and the role of local cultural resources in the curriculum.

Simple Python-based methods for analysis and drift-correction of STM images.

A successful scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) experiment relies on both delicate sample preparation and measurement, and careful image filtering and analysis to provide clear and solid results. Processing and analysis of STM images may result in a tricky task, due to the complexity and specificity of the probed systems. In this paper, we introduce our recently developed, simple Python-based methods for filtering and analysing STM images, with the aim of providing a semi-quantitative treatment of the input data. Case studies will be presented using images obtained through electrochemical STM. Additionally, we propose a straightforward yet effective universal drift-correction tool for SPM image sequences.

Social Media Geopolitics: The “Unofficial Geopolitics” of Chinese Vloggers in Pakistan

ABSTRACT Chinese nationals living temporarily in Pakistan have produced and posted thousands of widely viewed and popular videos on Douyin, a China-exclusive video-sharing app owned by the same company behind the international social media app TikTok. Many of these videos are of the Chinese vloggers’ friendly and casual interactions with Pakistani locals. These interactions seem random and apolitical, but, in actuality, the videos are highly curated and replete with official Chinese state geopolitical discourses that highlight China’s ability to develop Pakistan and improve the lives of Pakistanis. While there are many ways that people on social media engage in geopolitical production, the vloggers in our case study are recycling official geopolitical discourses in their own personalised style, which we refer to as ‘unofficial geopolitics’. In this paper, we examine Douyin videos to illustrate the recycling of official discourses on social media, but we also stress how social media users, who are outside of traditional circles of power, engage with geopolitical discourses in ways that were not possible a decade ago. Considering the reach and influence of social media, the commonality of geopolitical topics being circulated within, and the ability of nearly anyone with a phone and an internet connection to participate, we see a great opportunity for critical geopolitics to develop new theories, concepts, and methods to examine social media geopolitics.

Sepsis in the hospital setting: A case study

Early recognition and treatment saves lives.

Exploring communication supports for children with visual impairment and blindness: A case study

Exploring communication supports for children with visual impairment and blindness: A case study

Supply chain management administrative burdens: A case study of five South African municipalities

Supply chain management administrative burdens: A case study of five South African municipalities

Measurement of livelihood resilience and its influencing factors for farmers in poverty alleviation areas: a case study of Yunnan Province, China

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on farmers in poverty alleviation areas of Yunnan Province, China, and constructs an evaluation index system for livelihood resilience based on buffering, self-organization, and learning capacities. Utilizing methods such as the entropy method, obstacle degree model, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we measure livelihood resilience and explore its influencing factors. The results indicate significant differences in livelihood resilience levels among different livelihood types. Diversified farmers demonstrate the strongest resilience, while farming-oriented farmers show the weakest. Buffering capacity is identified as the core element for enhancing livelihood resilience, with business-oriented and diversified farmers performing notably well, while labour-oriented and farming-oriented farmers are relatively weaker. Differences in self-organization and learning capacities also significantly affect the livelihood resilience levels of various types of farmers. The obstacle degree model analysis reveals that arable land area, labour force, income level, information acquisition capacity, and social networks are the main obstacles affecting farmers’ livelihood resilience. The configurational analysis proposes two pathways to achieve high livelihood resilience, further emphasizing the critical role of buffering capacity. This study offers empirical and theoretical support for targeted policies to enhance farmers’ capacity to manage livelihood risks in poverty alleviation areas.

Exploring People-Centred Approaches in the Intersections of Planning History and Heritage Management: The Case of Phrae, Thailand

ABSTRACT The ‘People-Centred Approach (PCA)’ emphasises the need to identify the capacity-building requirements of different actors and to actively engage people in the heritage process. However, how to effectively apply PCA in historically significant urban environments, and how to facilitate the integration between planning history and heritage research remain critical research gaps. To answer these questions, our study combines theoretical analysis with a case study to construct a multi-scalar conceptual framework that connects PCA, planning history, and policy adaptation. Through a literature review, archival research, and interviews, this paper analyses Phrae’s heritage conservation practices, examining how the PCA has been applied in practice over the past 20 years, particularly in the relationship between planning historians, heritage managers and policymakers. The findings reveal that PCA facilitates intergenerational communication, enhances civic identity, and empowers local communities. Planning historians primarily assume roles as historical researchers, value interpreters, interest coordinators, and policy consultants. However, they face challenges such as unclear management outcomes that hinder early dialogue and incomplete governance reforms that impede interdisciplinary collaboration. The paper further argues that adopting a systems-thinking approach within PCA can enhance the integration of planning history into heritage research and governance, providing historical insights that inform sustainable policy adjustments.

Redesigning the future for person-centric care through organisational integration and coordination across the health and community sectors: experience from Australia

PurposePerson-centred care with enhanced care coordination promotes high-quality, safe health services and organisational resilience and meets community expectations. There is a need to overcome fragmentation and integrate services within the health sector – between acute, primary and aged care – and across the health and community care sectors. The study aim was to identify changes for person-centric care with enhanced care coordination across health and community care sectors.Design/methodology/approachThe case study focuses upon the inTouch Residential Aged Care Facility Pathway (RACFP) implemented by Western Sydney Local Health District across 2022–2023. The study uses document analysis (n = 10 documents, 186 pages and n = 15 websites) and discussions with key informants (n = 9).FindingsThree contextual drivers were primarily responsible for changes through three mechanisms: redesigned community care pathways, a dedicated access point for acute services and enhancements to virtual care capacity, decision-making tools and quality and safety measurements. To realise and sustain, integration and improvements changes occurred at four levels: cultural – governance and attitudinal approaches to delivering care; system – incentives and models directing how care is planned, monitored and evaluated; technical – sharing of information and knowledge and practice – decision-making and care-coordinating on a daily basis.Originality/valueThe inTouch RACFP approach is a demonstration of improved health planning and system improvement. The study demonstrates how to achieve change for person-centric care with enhanced care coordination across health and community care sectors.

Applications of wavelet transform in climatic time series: a case study of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Applications of wavelet transform in climatic time series: a case study of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

A robust service composition for a resilient cloud manufacturing service network

ABSTRACT Modern manufacturing systems are undergoing a profound transformation through digitalization and interconnected processes, culminating in advanced paradigms like cloud manufacturing. However, ensuring the resilience of these systems against disruptions remains a critical challenge. This research addresses this gap by introducing a robust service composition strategy to enhance the resilience of cloud manufacturing networks. A Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) model is developed, incorporating subentropy to handle uncertainties across diverse scenarios. To solve the model, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Simulated Annealing (SA) are employed, with PSO demonstrating superior performance. The proposed framework is validated using a real-world case study of ventilator production during the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing its ability to enhance resilience through efficient resource allocation and industry collaborations. For Solving, PSO, GA, and SA algorithms are employed which PSO demonstrated superior performance. Comparative results highlight robustness of the model and efficacy of PSO in optimizing service compositions. This study makes a novel contribution by introducing subentropy-based uncertainty management to the field of cloud manufacturing and provides practical insights for designing resilient manufacturing networks. These findings have significant implications for both academics and practitioners, offering a comprehensive framework to improve the adaptability and continuity of cloud-based manufacturing systems.

Implementing a Clinical-Community Program to Address Menstrual Poverty: An Advocacy Case Study.

Implementing a Clinical-Community Program to Address Menstrual Poverty: An Advocacy Case Study.