In-depth Multiple Case Study Research Articles

Inclusive marketing and disability: value creation strategies for organisations and society in the toy industry

ABSTRACT Issues of diversity and inclusion increasingly influence the purchasing process and brand loyalty of new generations of customers. Additionally, scholars and policymakers are calling for a more inclusive society and advocating for the integration of people with disabilities. However, there is a lack of research investigating these issues from a marketing perspective. Using a strategy of inquiry regarding in-depth multiple case studies from different players of the toy industry, this paper highlights how to set marketing strategies that develop and communicate new offerings by promoting both Marketing and Social Value and fostering the social inclusion of children with a disability. The proposed model contributes to the emerging literature of Inclusive Marketing and will help marketers implement a socially inclusive approach.

Sustainable value creation through customization for smart PSS models: a multi-industry case study

PurposeThis study is a reference for manufacturers who are promoting their product-service system (PSS) development. Currently, improvements in both digital customization and sustainability for various smart PSS categories have been considered rarely. This paper addresses this research gap by developing relevant models.Design/methodology/approachThe development trends of customization-oriented PSS are described in a literature review. An in-depth multiple-case study methodology is adopted, and seven manufacturing companies are sampled. The goal is to identify digital customization measures that can be employed on representative smart PSS models and to explore how these models can create sustainable value.FindingsThis study provides valuable insights by uncovering a synthesis framework for achieving customization of the product/use/result-oriented smart PSSs, and the relevant representative smart functions are summarized. This identifies how digital customization capabilities can improve sustainability, including direct economic value for customers as well as additional social benefits and environmental improvements during customization.Originality/valueCurrently, the influence of digitalization on customized offerings and the relevant impact on sustainability development have not been fully addressed to date. This study provides comprehensive information with a reference value for digital customization transformation among the three main types of smart PSS.

Level of sub-contracting design responsibilities in design and construct civil engineering bridge projects

PurposeIn the construction industry, an under researched area of study is how main contractor (MC) sub-contract design responsibilities to sub-contractor (SC). This lack of knowledge is particularly serious in the context of delivery methods such as design and construct where design responsibilities are pushed down the supply chain. In this study, it is aimed to explore which level of design responsibility MCs sub-contract to SCs, for what reasons, and what the impact of sub-contracting decisions is on projects.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative in-depth multiple case study was conducted. Six sub-contracting cases were examined in two civil engineering projects. In each project, the MCs sub-contracted pre-fabricated beams, reinforcement and railing to SCs. Data collection included document analysis and interviews. A within-case and cross-case analysis was conducted to examine emerging empirical patterns. These patterns were used to elaborate theory and develop propositions.FindingsMCs sub-contracted design responsibilities to SCs as suggested by literature. However, despite that sub-contracting was in keeping with literature, several problems were reported in the cases where MCs involved SCs no earlier than in the construction stage. This is not to be expected according to theory.Originality/valueThis study adds value to the sub-contracting field as it provides new insights in relationships between the level of design responsibilities sub-contracted and the impact of that on projects. The study also revealed new factors such as building information modelling (BIM) interoperability that should get more attention in sub-contracting.

In-between stability and adaptability

Innovation platforms are new collaborative organisations in the urban development context that aim to support innovation. They assemble different organisations and actors and act as flexible intermediary links between the same. By being intrinsically flexible and adaptable in form and function, the innovation platform can be seen as an organisational accomplishment or enactment of adaptive planning. Central to adaptive planning is the balance between organisational flexibility and stability, which is also intrinsic to any public innovation work. Public sector innovations are often perceived to require open and experimental trial and error strategies – while their institutional setting simultaneously requires stability. The aim of this article is to analyse how individuals working in innovation platforms make sense of their organisation at the intersection of adaptability and stability. We describe the tension between adaptability and stability inherent to innovation platforms, as the platforms are set to facilitate relationships between actors while maintaining their role as an independent organisation. This article is based on an in-depth multiple-case study of 15 innovation platforms in the Nordic countries, consisting of interviews with representatives, as well as extensive desktop material and participant observations. By adopting an organisational and sense-making perspective, we analyse how people working in platforms enact their organisations and their environment through processes of belief and action-driven sense-making. We conclude that despite innovation platforms’ strong advocacy – and sense-making – in terms of adaptability and chameleon-like characteristics, stability is enacted through making sense of themselves as a legitimate and necessary position/node in urban planning and development.

The Application of Role-Based Framework in Preventing Internal Identity Theft Related Crimes: A Qualitative Case Study of UK Retail Companies

This paper aims to examine the challenges of preventing internal identity theft related crimes (IIDTRC) in the UK retail sector. Using an in-depth multiple case studies of a selected number of cross-functional management teams in the UK retail companies, management roles were analysed. We used semi-structured interview as a qualitative data collection technique and used Nvivo aided thematic analysis and interpretivism underpinned by Role-Based Framework (RBF) for analysis. Our findings revealed that vagueness of roles and lack of clarity in sharing data security responsibilities are the major challenges of preventing IIDTRC in UK retail companies. We suggest an application of RBF which provides a conceptual analysis for cross-functional management team to address the challenges of preventing IIDTRC. RBF enables clarity of shared roles where both information security and crimes prevention teams work in unison is required to prevent IIDTRC to maximise internal data security. Contributions for policymakers are offered in this paper.

What Leads to Impactful Family Philanthropy? Family Incubation as a Missing Link

Despite a wealth of research on philanthropy, gaps remain with respect to how enterprising families successfully navigate their giving over time. Impactful philanthropy is needed, and now more than ever ? in the post COVID-19 world in which society at large is facing a major global health and economic crisis. Thanks to an in-depth multiple case study of ten impactful enterprising families, we induct a theoretical framework that explains how enterprising families navigate their philanthropic activities successfully. We identify a process model of impactful family philanthropy, introducing a new construct of family incubation. Overall, we contribute to the literature on contemporary philanthropy, family business research as well as entrepreneurship, crystallizing the pivotal role of family incubation in the impactful family philanthropy, and shed light on the dynamic evolution of family philanthropy.

The Next Billion in Business: Women Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets

Women-owned businesses are not only among the fastest-growing entrepreneurial ventures in the world but also have a significant impact on other women businesses and the economies at large. This paper uses an in-depth multiple-case study design to study twenty-two Women Entrepreneurs (WE) from diverse geographical, social, economic, and industrial sectors in two of the world’s fastest-growing emerging markets, India and the Philippines. The main message of our study is that in emerging markets, WEs ability to (simultaneously) sell products or offer solutions to niche segments and their capabilities to optimize resources by being innovative in identifying sources of funding, despite the institutional voids in emerging markets, enhances the competitive advantage of their businesses. To this extent, we introduce ‘A Framework to Explain the Paths of Building Women-Owned Businesses’ Competitive Advantage’ and identify some ‘propositions’ as anchors for further theory building. Finally, the findings of this study provide guidelines for entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers that boosting women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment requires systemic solutions at scale.

How do the non-economic goals of the current CEOs affect innovation in family firms?

ABSTRACT The paper investigates how the non-economic goals of the current CEOs affect innovation in family firms. A qualitative in-depth multiple case study of four family firms is carried out, in which the current CEOs’ non-economic goals are identified by direct interviews with the current CEOs themselves and with the members who managed the company before them (i.e., the predecessors). As a main result, the paper proposes a theoretical framework which explains the relationships between goals and innovation by identifying a series of managerial levers activated because of the peculiarity of the current CEOs’ non-economic goals.

The adoption of green modular innovations in the Dutch housebuilding sector

This article reports on an in-depth multiple case study into the adoption of green modular innovations in the housebuilding sector. This adoption of green modular innovations is important because it enables a substantial improvement in terms of sustainable building. For this study, three modular innovations were selected – a modular renewable energy system, a modular bathroom pod and a modular photovoltaic roof. The multiple case study helped to identify ten variables that influence the adoption of these modular innovations. A closer analysis also revealed interrelations between several of the identified variables. Based on this analysis, four paths leading to the potential adoption of green modular innovations were identified. For each path, propositions were developed. These paths enable one to explain how and why green modular housing innovations are adopted. From these findings we derived clear managerial and policy implications while future research directions are also addressed.

Understanding Successes and Failures of Family Group Conferencing: An in-Depth Multiple Case Study

Abstract Family group conferencing (FGC) is considered to be a promising method for empowerment and community building of people in need of care and their families. However, empirical studies on the effects of FGC show mixed results, and often fail to explain these. In this article, we critically reflect under which conditions FGCs may or may not become successful, on the basis of a small-scale longitudinal research of four cases in which FGC was used, supplemented by analysis of research on FGC, interviews with social workers and observations of trainings of social workers who intend to apply FGC. Our data point to four conditions for successful application of FGC, concerning (i) the presence of a (positive) network, (ii) the need for formal care in addition to informal care by way of the FGC, (iii) active protection against paternalism and humiliation and (iv) taking seriously client’s reluctance to ask social network members for help. The possible risks and conditions, we formulate, hopefully help social workers to decide case by case whether the use of FGC indeed promises to be helpful or, conversely, it may be harmful.

Strategies to manage product recalls in the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory case study of PPE supply chains

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate strategies to manage product recalls where shortages are a critical threat, with impacts such as loss of life. The authors aim to identify key supply chain strategies and opportunities for theoretical advancement by taking a resilience perspective on temporary supply chain design.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the authors conducted an impact event analysis of product recalls by exploring the RAPEX database and official statements of individual country regulators. Second, the authors conducted an exploratory case study with the Cambridge University Hospitals on Personal Protective Equipment to explore product recall risks, utilising an action research methodology.FindingsAdditional processes, mainly testing, can compensate for the risks that may arise from temporary supply chains, where changes in location and product design are not possible due to the immediate nature of demand caused by COVID-19 pandemic. This finding reflects on the resilience of designing and implementing temporary supply chains from the perspective of product, process and location.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not employ an in-depth multiple case study methodology. However, the authors argue that the role of institutional actors in global supply chains and its implications on product safety needs to be empirically studied in order to expand existing supply chain management theories to cover resilience in emerging, mature and temporary supply chain.Practical implicationsManagers can learn from the Cambridge University Hospitals case study that a downstream quality inspection system can be deployed to manage product quality and safety risks where recalls are not an option, such as during critical situations in the COVID-19 pandemic.Social implicationsThe authors’ observations suggest that governments may be socially responsible for implementing rigorous mechanisms to manage product recall risks that compromise consumer safety.Originality/valueThe authors’ study is uniquely designed and studies various specific phenomena of product recalls risks in COVID-19. The unique design features include a dynamic and recent database analysis involving a product, process and location centric perspective complemented with a Cambridge University Hospitals case study.

Finding the right tools for the job: Instrument mixes for land use and transport integration in the Netherlands

Governments have widely established policy goals, which span the domains of land use and transport. Despite these integrated ambitions, government action often remains fragmented. This study adopts an instrumental perspective to encourage land-use and transport integration (LUTI). So far, the existing literature on this subject has adopted a single-instrument perspective and has been primarily focused on technical, rather than governance-oriented, instruments. Using a comprehensive analytical framework derived from combining policy integration and policy instrument theory, this in-depth multiple case study of the Dutch provinces of Friesland, Overijssel and North Brabant investigates how governments use a mix of policy instruments throughout the policy process to achieve LUTI in collaboration with municipalities. These instruments are compared based on how they structure interaction — i.e., the transfer of resources — across horizontal and vertical boundaries. The study finds that there is not one right tool to achieve LUTI. Instead, it is about finding the right mix of instruments, which, in line with LUTI goals, helps overcome government fragmentation by structuring interaction patterns across horizontal and vertical boundaries. Interestingly, each province adopts a unique mix of instruments that reflects a specific approach, typical to the case.

Sustainability practices in container terminals in Brazil

Abstract Paper aims This paper aims to investigate which sustainability practices are being applied in port terminals in Brazil and to identify the driving forces and obstacles to the implementation of these practices. Originality The research contributes to fill gaps that still remain in the literature, such as the need to identify and analyze sustainability requirements in the port industry in a more tangible way, bringing new evidence to a better understanding of how the port industry perceives and addresses sustainability issues. Research method The paper presents an in-depth multiple case study in the five largest terminals in Brazil, which correspond to approximately 60% of the Brazilian handling of containers. Main findings The results present evidence of the evolution of the commitment to environmental preservation and the progressive dissemination of sustainability practices. The main difficulties are the high costs and lack of support from the port authority to encourage the implementation of some practices. Implications for theory and practice This study aimed to disclose sustainability practices adopted at container terminals in Brazil, as well as provide some content, both for academia and companies, that may assist in developing new research on this theme and implementing these practices in other organizations.

The role of shame in developmental trajectories towards severe targeted school violence: An in-depth multiple case study

Abstract Most research on severe targeted school violence (STSV) - defined as planned offenses committed by former or current students intending to kill one or more persons associated with their school - is related to risk factor approaches or theoretically informed models and thus lacks an empirical explanation of underlying mechanisms and the dynamic of contextual variables that caused or accompanied perpetrators' negative development towards violence. To contribute to a comprehensive and dynamic account of the social and psychological processes leading to STSV, a multiple in-depth case study analysis was conducted. Nineteen cases of STSV (perpetrated between 1999 and 2013 in Germany) were identified in a structured media search. Using data about offenses and perpetrators from police investigation files, qualitative analysis revealed that developmental trajectories need to be understood in terms of emotions in addition to rational cognitive processes, and that one key emotion is shame. Three relevant psychological turning points (episodes that alter offenders' life courses and impact later choices, behaviors and/or values) relating to experiences of and coping with shame (namely two shame crises and one trigger event) were found in all life histories under investigation. The perpetrators' coping differed between cases, which resulted in two types of trajectories: Eight perpetrators showed internalized shame coping strategies (e.g. social withdrawal), and eleven perpetrators responded with externalized coping strategies to feelings of shame (e.g. aggressive behavior). Relevant underlying mechanisms, time-related categories, and person-environment factors that have impacts on specific coping mechanisms and the resultant developmental pathways towards STSV are discussed.

Enhancing consumer trust in short food supply chains

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how consumers’ trust is enhanced by e-commerce-based agribusiness companies. It also aims to shed light on the role of social commerce in improving consumers’ trust.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the research purpose, an in-depth multiple case study is performed. In this study, three cases in short food supply chain (SFSC) in China are selected, and they are all e-commerce agribusiness companies. They adopted common ways to build up, maintain and reinforce consumers’ trust.FindingsIt is revealed that the companies innovatively adopted social commerce, both online and offline, to overcome the trust problems usually faced by e-commerce companies. It is also shown that offline contact with potential consumers is an important first step for agribusiness e-commerce entrepreneurs to build up trust with consumers.Research limitations/implicationsBy adopting a multiple case study method, the research has limited generalizability to other types of SFSCs. Since the findings are from Chinese agribusiness e-commerce companies, the generalization to other sectors must be done with caution.Practical implicationsSome managerial implications are given as follows: first, offline contact with consumers could be realized through different channels. Taking advantage of existing social network or trying to find consumers in urban communities might be effective ways. Second, trust building with consumers is not an easy task, managers need to emphasize trust building, trust maintaining, as well as trust reinforcing with consumers. In agri-food sector, managers might need to specifically address the importance of food safety and quality so as to not lose consumer trust in one night.Originality/valueThe study has mainly two contributions: first, it has managerial implications for agribusiness e-commerce entrepreneurs, addressing the important role of social presence in building up consumer trust. Second, it contributes to social presence and social relations literature by providing new empirical evidence from e-commerce in agri-food sector and in developing countries.

Frontline meetings as support for cross-boundary coordination in hospitals

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate frontline meetings in hospitals and how they are used for coordination of daily operations across organizational and occupational boundaries.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth multiple-case study of four purposefully selected departments from four different hospitals is conducted. The selected cases had actively developed and embedded scheduled meetings as structural means to achieve coordination of daily operations.FindingsHealth care professionals and managers, next to their traditional mono-professional meetings (e.g. doctors or nurses), develop additional operational, daily meetings such as work-shift meetings, huddles and hand-off meetings to solve concrete care tasks. These new types of meetings are typically short, task focussed, led by a chair and often inter-disciplinary. The meetings secure a personal proximity which the increased dependency on hospital-wide IT solutions cannot. During meetings, objects and representations (e.g. monitors, whiteboards or paper cards) create a needed gathering point to span across boundaries. As regards embedding meetings, local engagement helps contextualizing meetings and solving concrete care tasks, thereby making health care professionals more likely to value these daily meeting spaces.Practical implicationsHealth care professionals and managers can use formal meeting spaces aided by objects and representations to support solving daily and interdependent health care tasks in ways that IT solutions in hospitals do not offer today. Implementation requires local engagement and contextualization.Originality/valueThis research paper shows the importance of daily, operational hospital meetings for frontline coordination. Organizational meetings are a prevalent collaborative activity, yet scarcely researched organizational phenomenon.

Case Study Method: A Step-by-Step Guide for Business Researchers

Qualitative case study methodology enables researchers to conduct an in-depth exploration of intricate phenomena within some specific context. By keeping in mind research students, this article presents a systematic step-by-step guide to conduct a case study in the business discipline. Research students belonging to said discipline face issues in terms of clarity, selection, and operationalization of qualitative case study while doing their final dissertation. These issues often lead to confusion, wastage of valuable time, and wrong decisions that affect the overall outcome of the research. This article presents a checklist comprised of four phases, that is, foundation phase, prefield phase, field phase, and reporting phase. The objective of this article is to provide novice researchers with practical application of this checklist by linking all its four phases with the authors’ experiences and learning from recently conducted in-depth multiple case studies in the organizations of New Zealand. Rather than discussing case study in general, a targeted step-by-step plan with real-time research examples to conduct a case study is given.

Failure-based learning as Determinant of Business Model Design in Restart Entrepreneurship Context

Business failure is an ever present and severe threat for entrepreneurs. However, it also provides an opportunity for learning. In this paper, we enhance recent literature by pointing to behavioral outcomes of failure-based entrepreneurial learning in the context of restart entrepreneurship. We employ the business model concept as an objective unit of analysis to identify learning outcomes of entrepreneurs by comparing the business model designs of the failed business and the subsequent business against the background of an in-depth multiple-case study. Our findings show that in addition to cognitive aspects especially situation-specific, entrepreneur-related conditions affect failure-based learning and manifest in the business model design of the subsequent business. Namely outside options, network support, and the time span between failure and restart have to be highlighted in this context. In doing so, we emphasize that learning from failure does not automatically take place but is dependent on the willingness and the ability of the entrepreneur to reflect failure as well as on further conditions that are beyond the entrepreneur’s scope of influence.

No one can whistle a symphony: how hospitals design for daily cross-boundary collaboration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how and with which mechanisms health care professionals in practice design for collaboration to solve collective hospital tasks, which cross occupational and departmental boundaries.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth multiple-case study of five departments across four hospitals facing fast to slow response task requirements was carried out using interviews and observations. The selected cases were revealing as the departments had designed and formalized their daily hospital operations differently to solve collaboration and performance issues.FindingsLocal collaboration across occupational and departmental boundaries requires bundles of behavioral formalization elements (e.g. standardized plans, resource allocation decisions, assigned formal roles, and handoff routines), and liaison devices (e.g. huddles, boards, and physical proximity), which are used in parallel or sequence. The authors label this “designed collaboration bundles.” These bundles supplement the central organizational structures, processes, and support systems less capable of ensuring fluent coordination at the front line.Practical implicationsHealth care professionals and hospital managers can consider designing bundles of organizational design features to proactively develop and ensure collaboration capable of solving collective tasks and bridging departmental and occupational silos to improve health care delivery.Originality/valueThis research paper addresses the fundamental organizational challenge of how to achieve efficient collaboration by studying how formal structures and processes are used in combination on the hospital floor, thereby going beyond previous research that studies these mechanisms individually.

Technical Debt tracking: Current state of practice

Abstract Large software companies need to support continuous and fast delivery of customer value both in the short and long term. However, this can be hindered if both the evolution and maintenance of existing systems are hampered by Technical Debt. Although a lot of theoretical work on Technical Debt has been produced recently, its practical management lacks empirical studies. In this paper, we investigate the state of practice in several companies to understand what the cost of managing TD is, what tools are used to track TD, and how a tracking process is introduced in practice. We combined two phases: a survey involving 226 respondents from 15 organizations and an in-depth multiple case study in three organizations including 13 interviews and 79 Technical Debt issues. We selected the organizations where Technical Debt was better tracked in order to distill best practices. We found that the development time dedicated to managing Technical Debt is substantial (an average of 25% of the overall development), but mostly not systematic: only a few participants (26%) use a tool, and only 7.2% methodically track Technical Debt. We found that the most used and effective tools are currently backlogs and static analyzers. By studying the approaches in the companies participating in the case study, we report how companies start tracking Technical Debt and what the initial benefits and challenges are. Finally, we propose a Strategic Adoption Model for the introduction of tracking Technical Debt in software organizations.