Qualitative Case Study Analysis Research Articles

Seven behaviors to advance teamwork: findings from a study of innovation leadership in a simulation center.

Traditional notions of individual-based leadership behaviors are no longer adequate to achieve innovation in health care organizations. A major contributing factor for limited innovation is that outdated leadership practices, such as leader centricity, linear thinking, and poor readiness for innovation, are being used in health care organizations. Through a qualitative case study analysis of innovation implementation, 7 characteristics of innovation leadership, founded in team behaviors, were uncovered. The characteristics that were uncovered included boundary spanning, risk taking, visioning, leveraging opportunity, adaptation, coordination of information flow, and facilitation. These characteristics describe how leaders throughout the system were able to influence and implement innovation successfully.

Immigration, local policy, and national identity in the suburban United States

Since 2000, the American suburb has emerged as a principal destination for new immigrants to the United States, both documented and undocumented. Whereas some suburban communities have responded to perceived undocumented immigrants with hostility in the form of exclusionary local immigration policies, others have introduced policies designed to welcome immigrants independent of federal legal status. In this article, I employ a qualitative comparative case study analysis of four local immigration policies in the Chicago and Washington DC metropolitan areas to explain how suburbs justify their policy positions. I find that these suburban communities relied on conceptions of American identity and the ‘American Dream’ in support of their policies, but leveraged these tropes in vastly different ways depending on the broader strategic purposes of the policies. These divergent suburban immigration policies both challenge traditional notions of suburban political and cultural homogeneity and reveal how such heterogeneity has produced a distinct unevenness in contemporary local policy responses to undocumented immigration within metropolitan regions.

Mossad directors and the media: a historical perspective

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between Mossad directors and the media on a historical timeline. It combines different methods such as qualitative research and comparative analysis of case studies from the history of the Mossad. This study is based on a database created from sources such as newspapers, books and in-depth interviews with former directors of the Mossad, Shin-Bet, senior journalists and politicians. It provides a glimpse into a fascinating dimension of Israel’s intelligence services which has been hidden from sight for many years and took place for the most part behind the scenes and far from the public eye. The study demonstrates the significant role the intelligence services’ directors play in shaping approaches to the media, mainly but not just in crisis situations.

Framing sustainability: A case study analysis of the environment and sustainability discourse in the Indian English language press

The definition and local cultural adoption of globally generated terms such as environment and sustainable development happen largely through an imbricated process of meaning negotiation within democratic public discourse. Framing behaviour by media and influential opinion makers shapes and moulds local and national discourse about environment and sustainability, particularly in developing countries where pro-development forces face off against pro-conservation groups over resource use choices. Using elements of framing and grounded theory, a qualitative interpretive case study analysis of environment and sustainability related articles from a leading English language fortnightly magazine in India reveals that highly emotive frames are being used in media construction of the environment and sustainability discourse in India. While the research findings suggest that stock themes from the international framing repertoire are in use, they also indicate that distinctive new frames are being employed that could assist in instigating social change and refashioning public attitudes.

Pain Without Gain: Land Assembly & Acquisition for Infrastructure Megaprojects the Indian Experience with the Bangalore International Airport

This presentation was made in the International Public Policy Conference in IIM Bangalore in August 2013. It traces the complex and meandering process of land acquisition and the micro managerial processes of decision making for the Bangalore international Airport. The qualitative case study analysis on infrastructure PPP mega projects throws up surprising findings that challenge popular perceptions about this slice of contemporary history; as well as theoretical perceptions in scholarship about the way governments work.

Finance, Marketing, Management and Strategy Planning. A Qualitative Research Method Analysis of Case Studies in Business Hotels in Patras and in Athens

In this paper I am going to present the theoretical framework concerning the fundamentals of Finance and Marketing – Management approaches seen from the perspective of Business Planning in the micro-environment and with a view of further and long-term Development and Growth (concerning the macro-environment) in Tourism. Moreover, in the name of such a Development and Growth, I am going to discuss the findings of my primary research in 4 and 5 star business hotels (ten-10 case studies). More specifically, it is going to be a comparative qualitative analysis between 4 and 5 star business hotels of two towns in Greece, Patras and Athens.I decided to conduct such a research of ten (10) case studies as a first and remote research in order to find out which of the Financial Ratios are used in the Financial Statement Analysis of 4 and 5 star business hotels, in two big towns in Greece- In Patras and in Athens.According to UNWTO (World Tourism Barometer), tourist arrivals grew by 5% during the first half of 2013 compared to the same period of 2012, reaching 500 million and Growth was stronger in emerging economy destinations (+6%) than in advanced economies (+4%), a trend which has marked the sector for many years now. The fact that international tourism, grew above expectations confirms that travelling is part of consumer patterns for an increasing number of people in both emerging and advanced economies. Moreover, it becomes evident that Tourism is one of the key pillars of socio-economic development, being a leading contributor to economic growth, exports and jobs.Even in the past there were inferences that Tourism is a major industry (40% of GDP for developing countries and 65% for developed or industrial countries) (Cooper et al., 1998, Gee et al., 1997).Corporate Strategy seems to include the whole corporate's culture towards to its being competitive in the marketplace while strategic planning makes the firm focus on a high level productivity and profitability by promoting the firm's competitive advantage (s) (Thomson et al., 2008).Taking into account the fact that Tourism is a major industry (40% of GDP for developing countries and 65% for developed or industrial countries (Cooper et al., 1998: 125, Gee et al., 1997), I am going to further examine the relation between Financial Statement Analysis based on Ratios and Microeconomic theory and thus with Strategic Planning and Entrepreneurship, Knowledge Management and Human Recourses. (Getz &Nilsson 2003).This analysis is based on Ratios and Microeconomic theory and thus on Strategic Planning, Entrepreneurship, Knowledge Management and Human Resources.

Internationalization of the forest industry: a corporate-level analysis

With far-reaching impacts of economic globalization, the internationalization process of the forest industry has been accelerated. Particularly since the 1990s, internationalization has progressed intensively through industry consolidation and production relocation. Within the wood and wood products sector, for example, world inward foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks increased from 20 billion US dollars in 1990 to more than 120 billion US dollars in 2011. Forest industry firms have geographically shifted their operations from traditional production bases in developed countries to emerging Asian and Latin American countries. The share of FDI flows into developing and transition economies has grown from 18.8% in 1990–1992 to 73% in 2009–2011. The internationalization process of the forest industry has induced multifaceted concerns from economic, strategic, and environmental perspectives at both country and corporate level. However, the actual consequences of such expansion are still largely unknown. It is therefore important to study the current status of the forest industry’s internationalization process and to explore drivers and goals of this process. The theoretical background of this thesis is mainly based on the internationalization and FDI theories portrayed in international business literature. A systematic literature review, a qualitative case study and cross-sectional regression analysis have been applied methodologically. China is used as an example in two of the empirical studies, as it is the most attractive FDI destination in the global forest sector. This thesis conceptually depicts a framework of the systematic internationalization process of the forest industry. Empirically, three themes are identified as focal topics; namely corporate financial performance, corporate sustainability, and corporate entry mode choice. Managerial implications derived from this thesis indicate that (1) firms could aim for either internationalized or domesticoriented operational strategies to pursue higher financial performance; (2) firms should implement social and environmental assessment to maintain sustainable overseas operations; and (3) firms ought to accumulate operational experience and familiarity with local culture before investing in a wholly owned subsidiary. In general, this thesis concludes that internationalization is a dynamic process of pursuing sustainable development to tackle physical forest resource constraints, socio-economic challenges, and corporate operational risks at the global operations scale. Topics related to the analysis of new innovative products, collaboration with supporting industries, and the consideration of sustainability as corporate core competitive advantages are worthy of future research aiming to analyze the further internationalization process of the forest industry.

Developing a framework for the internationalization of British Healthcare institutes: A qualitative dual case study analysis

Internationalization of healthcare represents an exciting strategic opportunity, offering new revenue streams to western health institutes experiencing declining growth potential in their current markets. British healthcare institutes stand to gain significantly from this, but currently lack significant presence and experience in the international sphere. We conducted a qualitative case study analysis of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and Imperial College Diabetes Centre, Abu Dhabi, the only two British institutes to have internationalized thus far, to identify key strategic factors for successful overseas expansion. This involved a literature review, semi-structured interviews with top management personnel, and review of official documentation from each institute. Analysis of our findings led to the creation of the Drivers Region Management strategic considerations model, integrating the key factors identified, as a means of systematically guiding decision-making for future internationalization attempts. This will be further refined with stakeholder input and comparison with other countries, with the ultimate aim of developing a generalizable tool for British healthcare institutes.

Additive manufacturing: A framework for implementation

As mass production has migrated to developing countries, European and US companies are forced to rapidly switch towards low volume production of more innovative, customised and sustainable products with high added value. To compete in this turbulent environment, manufacturers have sought new fabrication techniques to provide the necessary tools to support the need for increased flexibility and enable economic low volume production. One such emerging technique is Additive Manufacturing (AM). AM is a method of manufacture which involves the joining of materials, usually layer-upon-layer, to create objects from 3D model data. The benefits of this methodology include new design freedom, removal of tooling requirements, and economic low volumes. AM consists of various technologies to process versatile materials, and for many years its dominant application has been the manufacture of prototypes, or Rapid Prototyping. However, the recent growth in applications for direct part manufacture, or Rapid Manufacturing, has resulted in much research effort focusing on development of new processes and materials. This study focuses on the implementation process of AM and is motivated by the lack of socio-technical studies in this area. It addresses the need for existing and potential future AM project managers to have an implementation framework to guide their efforts in adopting this new and potentially disruptive technology class to produce high value products and generate new business opportunities. Based on a review of prior works and through qualitative case study analysis, we construct and test a normative structural model of implementation factors related to AM technology, supply chain, organisation, operations and strategy.

Supporting Cooperative Forest Management among Small-Acreage Lifestyle Landowners in Southeast Queensland, Australia

Effective landscape-level biodiversity conservation requires cooperative forest management across public and private-tenure boundaries. This study explores the potential for cooperative cross-boundary forest management among small-acreage lifestyle landholders in southeast Queensland using 17 in-depth qualitative case-study analyses. Landholders typically possessed mutual objectives concerning forest management, a sense of neighborly stewardship, and positive predispositions toward cooperative cross-boundary forest management. However, capacity, institutional, and neighbor-related barriers were limiting landholder interest and involvement. We find that peer-mentoring networks have a critical role to play in promoting and delivering programs that support cross-boundary forest management. Government should ideally play a background “out-of-sight” facilitator role. We also find the capacity for urbanizing rural landscapes to retain their natural values can be greatly enhanced by facilitating small-acreage landholder cooperation to maintain and restore their contiguous forests, mitigate wildfire hazards, and revegetate paddocks to buffer existing forests or create new fire-retardant forests.

ImMEDIAte Gratification: Examining the Use of Digital Media in Adolescents’ In-School and Out-of-School Lives

Using a mixed method research approach of qualitative case study analysis and quantitative surveying, this research1 investigates the development of adolescent digital literacies and their use of mobile devices to further their understandings. More specifically, this article focuses on how a class of adolescents, ages 12-13, reflected on the impact of digital technologies and media on their lives while immersed in a rich media setting, using a social networking site and a combination of their own mobile devices and tablets that were provided to them by their classroom teacher.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Workings of Public-Private Partnerships in the Democratic South Africa since 1994: A Socio-economic and Infrastructural Development Perspective

The main objective of this paper was to analyse the functionality and performance of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the new democratic South Africa. The study identified four characteristics of a functional and performing PPP, namely, (a) commitment; (b) hard- work; (c) clear intentions and expectations; and (d) honesty and trust and used them as a basis for analysis. The analysis adopted a qualitative exploratory approach and used qualitative data collection methods such as participant observation; in-depth interviewing; qualitative document study; qualitative case study, as well as qualitative data analysis techniques such as qualitative content analysis and qualitative case study analysis, to collect and analyse data. Purposive non-probability sample extra cted from the population of participating government departments and was used for the purpose of this study. The a nalysis established that the functionality and performance of PPPs in South Africa could not be ascertained precisely due to the lack of commitment and hard-work; clear intentions and expectations; and dishonesty and mistrust from the part of both partners alike. On the basis of the findings, the study suggested the commitment and hardwork; the clear intentions and expectations ; and the honesty or trust PPPs model, that it is believed, if properly implemented, could lead to the improvement of the functionality and performance of PPPs in the country.

The Roles of Size and Size Difference in Australian and Chinese Inter-firm Collaborations

There has been considerable debate on the contribution and significance of firm size to the establishment, operation and success of business collaboration. One important source of this debate arises from differing definitions of firm size used in previous research. This paper uses firm size categories and size differences between collaborating firms to examine their contribution to the formation and performance of inter-firm collaboration in Australia and China. Both qualitative case study and quantitative data analyses are adopted in this paper. Results from both the qualitative case study and quantitative study in Australia and China show that size plays a significant positive role in the formation and performance of business collaboration. Firms prefer collaborating with larger partners. Bigger firms are more likely to achieve success collaborations. However, size difference plays a negative role in business collaboration. Collaborating with a bigger partner makes it harder to succeed. On the other hand, size and size difference play very different roles in performance and outcomes of business collaboration in different countries. This paper compares the roles of firm size and size difference in Australian and Chinese inter-firm collaboration. The results provide important strategic implications for business managers, industry regulators, and policy decision makers regarding international business collaboration.

Using Facebook to explore adolescent identities

This study examines the construction, deconstruction and reconstruction of adolescent identities through an exploration of their social practices within a digital landscape using mobile devices and Facebook for learning in the classroom and in their lives. Using a mixed methods research approach of qualitative case study analysis and quantitative surveying, the research investigates the relationship between a multiliteracies pedagogy and the development of adolescent digital literacies and identity. More specifically, it answers the following research questions: 1) How are adolescents’ identities shaped and performed, as they use new media tools and social media in the classroom? 2) How does the use of mobile devices and Facebook in the classroom potentially transform teaching and learning literacy practices? The researchers found that using social networking sites such as Facebook can motivate students to engage with the content and explore how they perform their identities to others, but privacy issues are still a concern to some students.

Trade Union Responses to Labour Immigrants: Selective Solidarity

The Finnish service sector trade union Palvelualojen ammattiliitto or Service Union United has the largest amount of migrant members of all Finnish trade unions. It walks the narrow line between defending the perceived interests of its members from the ‘threat’ of labour immigration, and simultaneously trying to act as an immigrant-friendly force. This qualitative case study analyses the outcomes of the union’s strategies in questions related to immigration. The outcomes affect different immigrant groups in a different manner. Furthermore, the established quasi-state character of the Finnish trade union movement affects both the strengths and weaknesses of its strategies. The politicized anti-immigration views in the Finnish society indirectly to some degree impact trade union strategies. Results suggest that the lay distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them’ based on nationality still shapes trade union strategy in a way that can be labeled selective solidarity.

COMPETENCIAS PARENTALES EN EDUCACIÓN SEXUAL

Esta investigación describe las competencias que madres y padres están utilizando en la educación sexual y prevención del abuso sexual de sus hijos en etapa escolar (en la VIII Región, Chile); considerando la prevención del abuso sexual como área relevante en una educación sexual integral. Desde la teoría sistémica de la sexualidad y un enfoque de género (con un diseño cualitativo de estudio de casos), padres y madres, apoderados, de una escuela municipalizada relataron sus experiencias. Considerando las categorías de género y la existencia de experiencia parental previa o su ausencia, se observa que los padres y madres desarrollan considerables competencias en su rol de educadores sexuales, con una visión que incorpora -en la educación cotidiana y de manera progresiva- una sexualidad integral, desde la apertura y desde el desarrollo de estrategias concretas.

Enhancing Literacy Instruction for Fluent Readers in the Early Elementary Grades

Local school districts are under pressure to have elementary reading teachers understand how phonics, during teacher-led small group literacy instruction, can help students who read below grade level. Elementary teachers need research-based strategies regarding which reading instructions of letter-sound components are necessary to help students with daily reading. This study was grounded in social-cognitive theory. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine why students who are already grade level readers need to receive this additional literacy instruction. The primary research question focused on whether or not elementary students reading at grade level should continue to receive teacher-led small group literacy instruction, including phonics, throughout the school year. Data were collected from 12 elementary teachers, who completed a survey regarding their views towards literacy instruction, from 4 of those teachers who participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews and classroom observations, and documents. Themes were developed using qualitative case study analysis. Findings revealed that instruction in reading fluency and letter or sound development improved students’ reading fluency. Teachers and school administrators at the data site and teacher organizations may benefit from having an awareness of the benefits of additional letter-sound instruction for grade 2 students. The awareness of the benefits of additional letter-sound instruction has implications for positive social change by increasing grade 2 students’ reading fluency.

Barriers and bridges to infection prevention and control: results of a qualitative case study of a Netherlands' surgical unit

ObjectivesThe objectives of the study are to observe the overall work environment including infection prevention and control (IP&C) practices on the target surgical unit; to analyse the policies and procedures...

Political action through environmental shareholder resolution filing: applicability to Canadian Oil Sands?

Research on the efficacy of social and environmental shareholder resolutions often fails to consider their strategic value in the context of policy outreach. Research on investor-driven governance networks and shareholder activism as a social movement illuminates strategies for organized shareholder coalitions to use a coordinated resolution filing campaign to shape the rules and norms under which business operates. These strategies are examined through qualitative case study analysis of two environmental shareholder campaigns: one organized by Ceres (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) addressing climate change and the other organized by Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) addressing hydraulic fracturing. These case studies show that resolution filing with broad investor appeal and linked to a policy agenda can achieve change beyond targeted companies. Case study insights may contribute to the formation of a Canadian shareholder coalition organized around improved corporate disclosure of Oil Sands risks and improved government monitoring of environmental impacts. Investor groups, mostly Canadian, have framed the environmental and social issues in terms that resonate with the investment community and policy makers. Investor activists in Canada, the US and Europe have filed a number of shareholder resolutions at Oil Sands companies. This marks progress towards investor coalition formation with coordinated shareholder action and a multi-jurisdictional reach.

Responsible Leadership in Organizational Crises: An Analysis of the Effects of Public Perceptions of Selected SA Business Organizations’ Reputations

‘The loss of a stable state’ (Schon 1973) in organizational transformation can both be regarded as lamentable and inevitable. Transformation causes disruption and invasions of comfort zones to those affected by it, but it is nevertheless inevitable. The article maintains that while the loss of a stable state is inevitable in the stream of change confronting organizations today, points of stability and methods of dealing with instability are attainable through responsible management. The article postulates that steps taken by responsible leadership in response to specific business crises will reduce the effects of instabilities brought about by such transformational situations and reassert a stable state more rapidly. Utilizing Weber’s ‘ideal type’ model format (Morrison 2006) with a specific example of international best practice of remedial steps taken by management in reaction to a specific crisis experienced by an organization, the article uses a qualitative historical case study analysis and quantitative time series research design to investigate South African firms which had recently faced crises impinging on their current corporate reputations. Findings suggest that both the number of remedial steps taken by companies and the speed in which they are implemented in conformance with the model are negatively associated with the size of the share price falls immediately post crises. The findings also suggest that larger share price appreciations over 6-month post-crises are associated with greater perceived corporate reputations and brand strengths. Tentative conclusions and possibilities for further research are briefly discussed.