Comparative Case Study Method Research Articles

PPP project price mode typologies: a China-based comparative case study

PurposePublic–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are crucial to the procurement of global infrastructure projects. Moreover, a price mode based on a cluster of core concessionary items is key to the delivery of value-for-money and successful project outcomes. However, existing research has yet to fully identify PPP concessionary items, nor yet described the range of practical price modes. This study provides taxonomy of core concessionary items impacting PPP projects, systematically classifies price modes, and assesses the applicability and risk impacts of those price modes on PPP projects.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a comparative case study method in analyzing core concessionary items and alternative price modes. China is taken as the context, as it is one of the world’s largest PPP markets. In ensuring research validity and reliability, diverse data sources are utilized, with a graphic content analysis tool developed to capture the structure of price modes.FindingsEight PPP price modes are identified. These are: (1) UP (Unit Price) mode, (2) ALS (Annual Lump Sum) mode, (3) IRR (Internal Rate of Return) mode, (4) RP (Return for Investing Capital (RIC) - Profit Rate of O&M (PROM)) mode, (5) RFP (RIC - Financing Interest Rate (FR) - PROM) mode, (6) RFPL (RIC - FR - PROM - Lower Limit of User Charge (LLoUC)) mode, (7) RFL (RIC - FR - Lump Sum/Fixed Unit Price O&M Contract (LSOM/FUP)) mode, and (8) RFLL (RIC - FR - LSOM/FUP - LLoUC) mode. Other main findings are as follows: (1) Five risk allocation configurations can be achieved via these price modes. Yet while different price modes enable the allocation of specific risks, these do not always align with contracting parties’ original intentions. (2) IRR and RP modes may be less applicable in general because of their vulnerability in allocating critical risks and capacity for spurring opportunistic behavior.Originality/valueBy depicting the paths by which concessionary items in price modes affect cash flow, a systematic analysis of price modes was conducted exposing structural characteristics, along with risk allocation choice implications. The study is unique in: (1) Providing a systematic classification of PPP price modes used in PPP projects, (2) Presenting a comprehensive identification and streamlining of concessionary items in PPP practice, and (3) Analyzing the risk effects of different price modes. Together, these outcomes offer a hitherto unavailable perspective on PPP project risk management. The value of the study lies in the following: (1) Existing studies employ diverse concessionary items, but their applicability varies. This study offers an overarching framework facilitating decision-making in selecting appropriate PPP price modes and in determining concessionary items. (2) This study adds to the understanding of PPP price modes in significant ways that will aid local governments and potential sponsors in crafting and administrating more workable contract designs.

Remedial, institutional or radical? Explaining community responses to violence against women in an NGO programme to prevent violence in Mumbai, India

Despite ambitions in development and global health policy to transform communities into supportive environments for women facing risks of violence, our understanding of how to best engage communities remains incomplete. In particular, there is little evidence on the types of strategies that communities employ to address violence against women (VAW). We aimed to describe and analyse the processes involved in community responses to incidents of VAW in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) violence prevention programme in Mumbai, India. We conducted a grounded theory study involving 30 focus group discussions and 36 semi-structured interviews with 113 community members and 9 NGO staff, as well as over 170 h of field observation. Informed by comparative case study methods, we compared community actions across six informal settlement neighbourhoods. We found considerable variation in the type of action taken across neighbourhoods. This variation was not arbitrary, but reflected systematic cost-benefit considerations in heterogeneous environments, accounting for factors such as trust in neighbours, violent (armed or gang-related) crime, and corruption in state institutions. We found that institutional action was only favoured in neighbourhoods with strong state capacity and high social capital, whilst remedial action—resolving violence through ‘private’ talks in the family and community—and radical action involving extra-judicial violence—became favourable under conditions of weak social capital or low state capacity. Institutional action was, however, sometimes as violent as radical action, as police were reported, sometimes even relied upon, by residents to use force against perpetrators of VAW. We argue that these contextual features oblige policymakers and prevention researchers to grapple with contentious issues such as the legitimate use of force by the state. We caution against maximising community action without a clear vision of the type of action hoped for.

Інноваційні засади публічної політики у сфері продовольчої безпеки в Україні: аналіз сучасного стану та рекомендації для України

The article is devoted to studying innovative principles of public policy in Ukraine's food security sphere. The author analyzed the current state and challenges of food security in Ukraine due to globalization, military conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other threats. The author also considered the main directions and tools of public policy aimed at ensuring food security at the national and regional levels, as well as Ukraine's contribution to global food security. The research used comparative analysis, statistical analysis, case study, and SWOT analysis methods. Food security affects the development of countries and the world. Ukraine has the potential to improve it but faces challenges such as a low level of the economy, corruption, underfunding of education and science, weak state policy, and military aggression of Russia. A comprehensive and innovative strategy is needed to improve food security in Ukraine, which would consider all aspects of the food system. Ukraine can benefit from the experience of other countries that have successfully implemented innovative principles of public policy, such as Estonia, Israel, Singapore, and South Korea. Food security of Ukraine and the world in the conditions of war and pandemic is a dangerous scenario that requires an immediate and joint response from the international community. Based on the obtained results, the author developed recommendations and proposals for improving public policy in the sphere of food security in Ukraine, in particular regarding the creation of a national system of monitoring and early warning of food threats, development of sustainable agricultural production, diversification of production and markets, increasing competitiveness and innovativeness of cultural and creative industries, strengthening participation and accountability in the cultural sphere, as well as using the experience and best practices of other countries. It is necessary to show political will and leadership of the authorities and interested parties to improve the situation, introduce an effective system of monitoring and evaluation of food security using modern technologies, and implement innovative principles of public policy, which would contribute to the development of the agricultural sector, standards and safety of food products, information culture and awareness of the population. The article has theoretical and practical significance for researchers, practitioners, authorities, public organizations, and other interested parties who deal with food security issues in Ukraine and the world. Keywords: innovative principles, public policy, food security, Ukraine, competitiveness, analysis, current state, rec-ommendations, indicators, modeling, improvement.

Analisis Komparatif Model Dialektika Pos-Islamisme di Dunia Islam antara Arab Saudi dan Iran

<p><em>This study aims to analyze the relationship between Islam and the state in Saudi Arabia and Iran, using the approach of post-Islamism. Post-Islamism is a concept that refers to the shift of Islamist groups towards modernity and democracy. It was first introduced by Iranian intellectual, Asef Bayat, in the 1990s. Since then, it has been used to analyze the phenomenon of political Islam in different countries, especially after the Cold War. In Saudi Arabia, changes have occurred since Mohammed bin Salman was appointed as crown prince in 2016. In Iran, civil society actions, such as the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, have driven the change. The research problem is to compare the post-Islamism model that occurs in Saudi Arabia and Iran. The comparative case study method with library research techniques was used. The research findings show that the pattern of post-Islamism in Saudi Arabia differs from that of Iran. In Saudi Arabia, post-Islamism is top-down, starting from state politics without civic movement. However, Iran illustrates the opposite - it is bottom-up and initiated by civil society against the state.</em></p>

A New Angle to Ease Consumers Pain of Large Consumption - Based on a Comparative Case Study of NIO

Compared to the former essays, this essay proposes a new perspective on the existing theory of the pain of paying, which refers to the unpleasant emotional experience generated during the payment process that may affect consumer purchasing behavior since the economic and cultural trends have changed in recent years. The paper uses a comparative case study method with NIO, an innovative electric vehicle company in China, as the main case and traditional fuel vehicle companies (BMW Brilliance) as the auxiliary case, accompanied by field investigations, interviews, and secondary data analysis. Analyzing the existing literature review, market marketing problems of traditional fuel vehicle brands, market marketing innovation of NIO, and comparison between the two, the study aims to provide future trends and enlightenment at the end of the article, which is that extending service duration, improving service quality, and building a sense of community belonging do help NIOs customers reduce the pain of paying and can be the new future perspectives.

When Stories Travel: A Review of Transcultural Film Adaptation

Transcultural film adaptation has long been an obscure branch of adaptation studies, yet its history is equivalent to the film adaptation, and almost as long as cinema. Since its ongoing and growing adaptation activities are inconsistent with insufficient and limited theoretical research, this study reviews transcultural film adaptation research to bring fresh insights into the adaptation area. Based on adaptation research results, it alludes to related studies, such as cross-cultural communication and international communication, and defines transcultural film adaptation-related terms. It then reviews comparative case study method and fidelity studies to, on the one hand, summarize the research methodology and adaptation strategies and, on the other hand, respond to the two foundational questions surrounding adaptation raised by Leitch: the value of case study and the notion of fidelity. Instead of attacking fidelity or exaggerating the value of creativity, this paper contends that a reconciling relationship exists between fidelity and creativity in transcultural film adaptation, i.e. the creative transformation of culture.

Influence of integration of multimodal writing portfolios into academic writing courses on novice researchers' academic writing

PurposeMultimodal writing portfolios were introduced and integrated into an undergraduate course and a graduate course in a research-oriented university in northwest Taiwan. This study aims to examine the influence of multimodal writing portfolios of novice researchers' academic writing.Design/methodology/approachComparative case studies involve collecting data from several cases and analyzing the similarities, differences and patterns across cases (Merriam, 2009). To address this underdeveloped area of research, a comparative case study method was employed to understand undergraduate and graduate students' multimodal writing portfolios in academic writing in two courses in Taiwan.FindingsFirst, multimodal writing portfolios enabled novice researchers to be more familiar with the structure of academic paper and they had better performance in intrapersonal and linguistic aspects. Second, novice researchers held positive attitude toward multimodal writing portfolios because they regarded process of making multimodal writing portfolios as preparation for their future academic writing. Finally, participants highly valued the class PowerPoint slides, weekly writing tasks and the instructor's modeling as effective facilitation for making multimodal writing portfolios.Research limitations/implicationsLimited studies focus on multimodal writing portfolios (e.g. Silver, 2019). The present case study explores the integration of a multimodal writing portfolio into one undergraduate and one graduate course to explore learners' attitude and performance in academic writing.Practical implicationsNovice researchers can learn to compose multimodal academic texts for the academic writing community.Social implicationsSuggestions on effective integration of multimodal writing portfolios into academic writing instruction were provided based on the research findings.Originality/valueThe findings of the study provide the field of L2 writing with insights into the pedagogical development of multilingual writing portfolios and help educators to be better prepared for teaching novice researchers to comprehend and compose multimodal texts and enter the academic writing community. The framework in Figure 1 and suggestions on course designs for academic writing can inform educators on the integration of multimodality in academic discourse. Moreover, this study moves beyond general writing courses at the tertiary level and could contribute to L2 writers' deeper understanding of how multimodal writing portfolios can be constructed.

Higher education student intentions behind becoming an entrepreneur

PurposeThis research aims to identify the intentions behind becoming an entrepreneur and the perception of entrepreneurial failure among different groups of students. There has been significant research discussing the motivations behind becoming an entrepreneur. However, such a research study is often focused on individuals who are already in the entrepreneurial process. Therefore, this research focuses on the understanding of the entrepreneurial process specified on the intentions of becoming an entrepreneur and the associated risk, in the context of a learning process.Design/methodology/approachThe perspectives of students towards becoming an entrepreneur and their perception of associated risk are identified. A comparative exploratory case study method is used. Three cases developed in the light of empirical evidence consist of Business, Law and Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.FindingsMajor results show that the law and STEM students were on the same line in terms of motivational factors, such as being career driven. In contrary, the business students were more driven by personal factors such as leaving something behind and building something meaningful.Originality/valueWhilst studies have attempted to understand entrepreneurial intentions, little work has considered students and their views on becoming entrepreneurs. Even with studies that looked at this subject matter, the focus was mainly business students. The authors build on previous work and construct the authors' views based on multi-disciplinary student base to know more about their intentions to become an entrepreneur. The science and law students were more influenced by external factors, whereas business students were focused more on their personal goals. Such classification of the diverse intentions based on student discipline opens a new and promising research avenue to better develop entrepreneurial education not only for business students but across all disciplines in higher education.

Public Health Policies and The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Business Performance: A Comparative Case Study

Although the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses has been addressed in previous studies, there has been a significant gap in terms of sectoral and geographical focus. The purpose of this study is to understand the necessity of public health policies and the sectoral and geographical impact of COVID-19 on small business performance. To this end, the study applied a comparative case study method and collected secondary longitudinal data to get insights into the disparity between the sectoral and geographical impact of COVID-19 on small business performance. The results show that the severity and timing of impacts varied, in part due to different approaches to reopening and reclosing. While improvements were seen, businesses were still operating well below the pre-pandemic levels. The long-term recovery of these sectors will depend on the ongoing management of the pandemic and further policy measures, customizing on their sensitivity and adaptivity.

Decoupling of a management standard: how decision-makers reinterpret, renegotiate, and modify the adoption of ISO 9001

PurposeThe authors extend the literature on decoupling by analyzing the microlevel effects of institutionalized practices within the framework of international standards. This study investigates the specific informal management practices that decision-makers embrace in order for organizations to achieve ISO 9001 certification without all regulations being adopted and followed according to the standard's original design and purpose.Design/methodology/approachAs the basis for its research framework, this paper adopts the neo-institutional theory. The research employs the comparative case study method and draws its data from a sample of 21 ISO 9001:2008 certified organizations in Bulgaria.FindingsThe results show ambivalent behavior toward the ISO 9001 standard's formal requirements. This behavior is expressed through targeted noncompliance with (certain) regulations and procedures regarding top management commitment, as well as documented information which are formally adopted within the organization and certified as complying with the standard.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has implications for future research into decoupling, organizational learning, and standardization. In terms of limitations, the authors examined the process of decoupling from a micro perspective in Bulgaria only. Noncompliance with international standards such as the ISO 9000 may exhibit specific regional or national characteristics.Practical implicationsFindings from this research encourage the International Standards Organization to respond to previous calls for revising the formal structure of ISO 9000 and other international management standards by considering a more flexible and liberal point of view.Originality/valueAs opposed to previous studies which have explored decoupling from a macro perspective, this study focuses on how the internal constraints imposed by the standard's universal requirements are being mitigated at a micro level. That is, the authors provide a detailed account of the specific informal management practices which managers (deliberately) adopt in order to achieve certification without fully integrating the formal criteria imposed by international standards (e.g. ISO 9001).

Strategic thinking dimensions between Malaysians’ and Palestinians’ dynamic and complex environment in the banking sector

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of the external environment on the strategic thinking dimensions in Malaysia and Palestine on the banking sector. Design/methodology/approach This paper focuses on dynamism and complexity in political and economic external environments. This study uses qualitative methodology through a comparative case study method. Purposive sampling was used to collect data from in-depth semistructured interviews with 33 bank executives from Malaysia and 17 from Palestine. Findings The findings revealed that the banking sector in both Malaysia and Palestine shared five common strategic thinking dimensions, including vision, creativity, conceptual thinking, futurism and opportunity. However, a sixth dimension, intent-focused, was unique to Palestinian bank executives. This study indicates that Palestine’s financial strategic thinking environment is more dynamic and complex than Malaysia’s. Additionally, the study highlights the significant influence of both microenvironments (such as types of banks) and the macroenvironment (such as political and economic situations). These findings hold important implications for decision-makers in the banking sector of both countries. Research limitations/implications As with many studies, this study has some limitations. First, the analysis examines only the turbulent and stable environment in the two countries by using a qualitative approach which enables the analysis of thoughts and actions and exposes the beliefs, perceptions, mental maps and structures of belief in their perceptions (Cavana et al., 2001). As such, the results are limited to a particular time, date and geographical location; thus, opinions and perceptions might be altered due to changes in the external political and economic environment. The second limitation of this work is that the case study might not be appropriate for generalization (Stake, 1978). Finally, the limited number of female participants in Palestine shows a high level of inequality compared to Malaysian participants. Practical implications This study explores the implication of uncertain environments at the national level on executives’ cognition and actions, links the micro- and macro-environment of the banking industry to a theoretical perspective and develops a conceptual circular model to show the effect of macro environments on bank performance. The findings offer practical contributions to the current literature, providing insights for executives to navigate a dynamic and complex banking industry. Originality/value This study fills the literature gap by exploring how strategic thinking dimensions triggered by macro- and micro-environments impact banking sector performance in Malaysia and Palestine.

Evidence-Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) in the pre-implementation phase: key steps and activities.

Evidence-Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) involves researchers and local partners working collaboratively to support the uptake of an evidence-based intervention (EBI). To date, EBQI has not been consistently included in community-engaged dissemination and implementation literature. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the steps, activities, and outputs of EBQI in the pre-implementation phase. The research team applied comparative case study methods to describe key steps, activities, and outputs of EBQI across seven projects. Our approach included: (1) specification of research questions, (2) selection of cases, (3) construction of a case codebook, (4) coding of cases using the codebook, and (5) comparison of cases. The cases selected included five distinct settings (e.g., correction facilities, community pharmacies), seven EBIs (e.g., nutrition promotion curriculum, cognitive processing therapy) and five unique lead authors. Case examples include both community-embedded and clinically-oriented projects. Key steps in the EBQI process included: (1) forming a local team of partners and experts, (2) prioritizing implementation determinants based on existing literature/data, (3) selecting strategies and/or adaptations in the context of key determinants, (4) specifying selected strategies/adaptations, and (5) refining strategies/adaptations. Examples of activities are included to illustrate how each step was achieved. Outputs included prioritized determinants, EBI adaptations, and implementation strategies. A primary contribution of our comparative case study is the delineation of various steps and activities of EBQI, which may contribute to the replicability of the EBQI process across other implementation research projects.

LIQUID CONSUMPTION IN THE PLATFORM ECONOMY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THREE PLATFORMS AND SIX USER GROUPS

The notion of “liquid consumption” draws on Bauman’s theory of liquid modernity to describe shifts in consumer behavior in recent years. Liquid consumption is contrasted to more traditional “solid” consumption and is characterized by ephemerality (rather than endurance), access (rather than ownership), and dematerialization (rather than material possessions). Despite the popularity of liquid consumption theory and the prominent role of digital platforms in shaping liquid consumption, a thorough analysis how digital platforms enable or constrain liquid consumption is missing. In our research, we address this gap and study the role of liquidity on three key digital platforms in the platform economy: Airbnb, Uber, and Fiverr. The research relies on a comparative case study method and is informed by the walkthrough approach, answering three distinct research questions: 1. How inherent is liquidity in a certain product/service category in the first place (pre-platform)? 2. Where do different platforms fall on the dimensions of the liquid-solid consumption spectrum? 3. How does the solidity/liquidity of the consumption/use/experience differ between providers and consumers?

Global Development by Public Participation: An Approach to Achieve SDGs

Research on public participation in the policy process often focuses on the localization and participation activities, and pay less attention to the empowerment of civil societies and their meaningful participation; what kind of institutional setups are required and what types of reforms are needed. To address these major gaps, this research theoretically illustrates that the presence of institutional setups that help to empower civil societies not only ensure meaningful involvement of civil societies in their development but also help to develop pressure on the governments to fulfill their commitments towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goal of this study is to analyze in-depth the relationship between institutionalization of Participatory Development (PD) and SDGs. This study will help not only to understand the logic behind the emphasis on PD in the UN agenda 2030 but also to find out socio-political institutions that are required to make the relationship between PD and SDGs successful. To evaluate this relationship, I used comparative case study method. I developed theoretical framework to analyze the practical implications of incremental reforms in the socio-political setup of both case studies. After careful analysis, this research finds out the institutional setups that help to empower and strengthen civil society, are useful not only to institutionalize PD but also to achieve SDGs.

Knowledge trajectories in the internationalization of the firm

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze how the internationalizing firm accumulates knowledge from different domains throughout time, during entry and post-entry moves in a foreign market. This paper focuses on market, institutional, internationalization and technological knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a comparative case study method, relying on three longitudinal cases of multinational firms' (MNEs) internationalization processes, particularly concerning MNEs' entry and post-entry moves in one foreign market (Brazil).FindingsThroughout the internationalization processes, the internationalizing firms unevenly developed experiential knowledge within Brazil. As a result, the market, internationalization, institutional and technological knowledge followed different accumulation patterns, distinguished based on precedence, simultaneity and speed. More specifically, (1) the market and institutional knowledge trajectories evolved simultaneously; (2) the market knowledge trajectory preceded that of technological knowledge and (3) the accumulation of internationalization knowledge happened faster than that of the market, institutional and technological knowledge.Originality/valueThis paper shows how knowledge accumulation in internationalization processes varies throughout time and according to the type of knowledge involved. While most of the literature relies on cross-sectional studies that discount the changing nature of knowledge, this paper shows that the internationalizing firm accumulates market, internationalization, institutional and technological knowledge following three temporal dimensions: precedence, simultaneity and speed.

A post-pandemic look at short-term tourist accommodations and World Heritage Site management

ABSTRACT Overtourism is a novel and complicated phenomenon that has hastened the rapid expansion of short-term tourist accommodations (STTA) in many European art cities. This study aims to establish a link between the rapid growth of the STTA and the likely dissemination of novel COVID-19 variations in World Heritage Sites (WHS). Using a comparative case study method, we assert that the atypical evolution of STTA renders WHS more vulnerable to novel COVID-19 variations. The findings highlight that until there are no feasible multi-sectoral and multi-level approaches to management, policy agreements on what overtourism means, and measuring tools for the proper number of visitors, the STTA issue persists, which makes WHS more vulnerable to novel COVID-19 variations in the post-pandemic time.

The European Union Strategy for Partnership in the Indo-Pacific Region

The aim of the paper is to study the European Union’s geoeconomics policy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. In recent times, the Indo-Pacific has been gaining attention of the global economic powers. On this issue, the EU has launched a cooperation policy in the IndoPacific. This study examines the EU’s comprehensive strategy for the expansion of its presence in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The EU wants economic and security partnerships among the Indo-Pacific countries. Among the EU member states, the French government is much enthusiastic about strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The European Union’s policy has been operating in the regions as an instrument of soft and hard power. The research highlighted that the EU implies the construction of structural strategic networks to intensify the high capacities in the projection of power. The EU uses the key approaches of hard and soft power to achieve transatlantic goals. The comparative case study method is useful to know the objectives and results of the research. In conclusion, the EU needs to establish a much stronger relationship among the pacific countries to counter the Chinese aggression and expansion in maritime diplomacy.

Ideas and Policy Response to the COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from Jakarta, Indonesia

Coronaviruses have emerged as a potential disruptive force in policymaking. Using a comparative case study method, we examine two social policy responses in Jakarta, Indonesia: the Social Safety Nets (SSN) programme and the health policy. Such examples demonstrate an aggressive change in policy direction from means-tested systems and government-centred approaches to a total relaxation of conditions with the involvement of non-state actors in the provision of services. Our study analyses the ideational dimensions of the policy process that produces abrupt and radical change. From our analysis, the policy change may be explained by the emergence of a new policy paradigm created through the emulation-contextual process – an alternative model of policy learning. The theoretical implication of our research is that policy response in this study cannot be viewed in a completely path-dependent process. Instead, we propose a ‘path-creation accelerator,’ which represents an infrequent instance of policy change.

Optimum systems integration architecture for monitoring to manage an electricity utility

Background: A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system is critical for remote monitoring and control of devices in various industries such as power utilities, oil and gas refineries, and manufacturing. Previous generations of SCADA systems have numerous limitations in today’s business environment. The latest technological advancements have brought forth new SCADA architecture variants that can be configured to ensure optimised operations. There is a need to assess the latest SCADA architectures that are posed to replace previous generations.Objectives: This research study aims to review various SCADA architectures and proposes an optimum SCADA system architecture for power utility. The proposed architecture is compared with the existing power utility SCADA system to highlight the impact and benefits of the proposed architecture.Methods: The research uses a qualitative approach and a comparative case study method to compare 10 SCADA architectures against a literature review-based criterion. A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) matrix is used to evaluate SCADA architectures and proposes an optimum Internet-of-Things (IoT)-SCADA system architecture for the power utility case study.Results: The research proposed an IoT-SCADA system architecture for optimum system functioning and compared the proposed architecture with the existing utility SCADA architecture. Moreover, the impact and benefits of the proposed architecture to the utility company are presented.Conclusion: The proposed IoT-SCADA system architecture has the potential to resolve many of the challenges encountered with previous generations of SCADA system architectures.

Introduction to Special Issue on comparative criminology: Context, scope and applicability in critical criminological research

This Special Issue highlights the value of the comparative case study method for theory-building and refinement in criminology. Early figures in criminology, including those in the Chicago School, were aware of the importance of scope and applicability, which refer to the temporal, geographic, or other contextual boundaries of a theory, yet the field as a whole has not always given these issues due attention. While the discipline already deploys comparisons, the contributions in our collection showcase how a more structured and deliberate use of a comparative case study approach engages issues of context, scope and applicability of criminological theory including recent discussions about Anglocentrism and the Global North/South divide.