Qualitative Comparative Case Study Research Articles

“Responding to accelerating multicultural challenges: comparative cultural democracy in Korea and Thailand”

ABSTRACTThe major purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which multiethnic Korea and Thailand are cultural democracies. The primary conceptual framework guiding this study is the powerful but largely ignored concept of cultural democracy. Bereday’s classic model of comparative research is another major theoretical and methodological framework utilized. The major methodologies used are comparative qualitative case studies, meta-synthesis, and participant-observation. Comparative national case studies are rare. A number of striking similarities between the two countries are identified. The very low fertility rates of both nations drive a critical need for guest workers and international students. Both countries in general have pursued assimilationist policies not conducive to cultural democracy. The final part of the paper offers suggestions for strengthening cultural democracy in both nations. Their long-term potential can be enhanced if both these societies recognize the ‘diversity advantage’ and move actively to realize the ideal of cultural democracy.

Radically Self-Organized - Learnings from Transformation Towards Holacracy

Changes in societies and economies require evolutionary and agile organizations. In this comparative qualitative case study, we explore the organizational system of Holacracy, which promises to ful...

District agency in implementing instructional reform: A comparative case study of global education

As instructional reforms are shifting focus from reading and math achievement towards social–emotional learning and challenging coursework that prepares students for college, careers, and citizenship, this study addresses how leaders in two school districts actively served as mid-level implementers of global education, an instructional reform that extends teaching and learning beyond traditionally tested subject areas. This qualitative comparative case study of global education implementation in two school districts found that leaders in both districts strategically supported global education implementation by generating will, building capacity, and re-orienting the organization, but differed in specific strategies they deployed based upon preferences for top-down or top-and-bottom approaches to systems change. Common strategies found in both cases point to specific ways that district leaders can exert agency in supporting teaching and learning that prepares students with the twenty-first century skills needed to thrive in a pluralistic, interconnected world, and raises new questions about which district-level implementation approaches are most effective in enacting change in schools and classrooms.

Early risk and protective factors and young adult outcomes in a longitudinal sample of young people with a history of psychotic-like experiences.

Psychotic-like experiences (PEs) have been associated with childhood adversity and psychopathology. However, few studies have examined the dynamic interplay between risk and protective factors and later life outcomes in people with PEs. This study aimed to explore and compare patterns of early adverse and protective experiences and young adult outcomes in a sample of young people with a history of PEs. Longitudinal qualitative data spanning nine years were collected from a general population sample of seventeen young adults who had reported PEs in early adolescence. A qualitative comparative case study design was used to explore patterns of early life experiences and young adult outcomes. Four archetypal profiles of early life experiences and later outcomes were identified. Qualitative differences between types of early adverse experiences and the quality of attachment relationships were dominant discriminating factors between low-risk and at-risk archetypes for poor young adult outcomes. Experiences of multiple adversities, which included childhood trauma and occurred in the absence of secure attachment relationships was associated with the poorest young adult outcomes. The presence of secure attachment relationships was protective, even among individuals who had experienced adversity. Not all young people who report PEs have high levels of adversity. Those who experience multiple early adversities, childhood trauma and insecure attachment relationships are at highest risk for reoccurring PEs and poor young adult outcomes. Developing trusted attachment relationships and engaging in corrective experiences may be protective and could promote positive outcomes in youth with PEs.

Roadmap for a communication maturity index for organizations—Theorizing, analyzing and developing communication value

This study employed a constitutive (CCO) communication approach to advance the dynamic concept of communication maturity for the purpose of theorizing, analyzing, and developing communication value on an organizational level. A literature review resulted in six theoretical areas related to communication maturity: understanding, function, organization, prerequisites, competence and practices including assessments of communication. These were analyzed in a qualitative comparative case study including 85 key stakeholders from eleven organizations. Findings illustrated the relevance of the theoretical areas to stakeholders’ perceptions of their respective organizations’ communication maturity. A first version of a Communication Maturity Index including four levels of maturity; immature, emerging, established, and mature is proposed. Based on the qualitative analysis, organizations’ communication maturity levels varied from emerging to mature. Findings of this study are limited to participating organizations and interviewed stakeholders. The CMI can be further developed in quantitative studies to investigate the constitutive role of communication in organizations and to be used in practice to develop higher levels of communication maturity.

The integration of ICT in educational process in IB education - A comparative case study

This study aims to gain a deep understanding of international baccalaureate (IB) primary years programme (PYP) teachers' perceptions about the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in IB PYP classes. Moreover, it seeks to critically identify the teachers' barriers and needs in order to integrate ICT into teaching and learning. Following a qualitative comparative case study research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with IB PYP teachers and coordinators in Sweden and Greece. Critical theory, critical pedagogy and critical theory of technology (CTT) were used as the theoretical framework for analysing teachers' perceptions. From a critical point of view, the study reveals that deskilling of teachers, intensification of teachers' work, low school's financial budget, parents' financial burden, commodification and privatisation of IB education are the fundamental factors that negatively intervene in teachers' work in both schools and perpetuate the status quo of teaching and learning processes through integration of ICT. Keywords: International baccalaureate (IB), international and comparative education (ICE), integration of ICT, critical pedagogy, critical theory of technology (CTT).

Women’s progression through the leadership pipeline in the universities of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

ABSTRACT Using a qualitative horizontal comparative case study approach, this paper explores the experiences of female leaders in Central Asian academia to identify challenges they face in transition/performance, the sources of the challenges, and any differences in the experiences of the female leaders. The results of the study are consistent with prior studies conducted in other countries. One feature makes the experiences of women in the region distinctive. Unlike women in other contexts, women in Central Asia have to sort out several contradictory sets of gender expectations. The findings of this study also indicate that certain rules of operation of the informal power networks may create barriers to female advancement. Existing Western theories fail to explain the dynamics of informal exchange networks, which create barriers to female advancement. The contribution of this study is in bringing a new theoretical perspective to the analysis of female leadership in academia.

Pre-launch preparations for a peer observation initiative viewed through a concerns model

ABSTRACTThis study was a qualitative comparative case study of two secondary schools (one urban high school and one suburban middle school) where teams of teacher leaders were in the planning stages of implementing an initiative about a peer observation protocol called collegial visits. The primary research question was, ‘How does a team of teacher leaders plan for a collegial visits initiative within an urban and a suburban school district?’ The urban high school had a triad of teacher leaders planning for the initiative, which included completing two pilot collegial visit cycles with teacher volunteers. The suburban middle school had a pair of teacher leaders planning for their initiative, which culminated in a spring pilot cycle. Overall, feedback about the collegial visits as a professional learning vehicle was overwhelmingly positive. The planning process was analyzed through the Stages of Concern framework. Teacher leaders selectively and strategically used associations or dissociations with teachers’ prior experiences with initiatives to allay anticipated personal stage concerns about the initiative. Teacher leaders also provided participants anticipated benefits of collegial visits to increase positive consequence concerns. Formal leaders were largely left out of the planning, and this decision appeared to enhance buy in from teachers.

A comparative case study of Reserve Deputies in a Florida sheriff’s office and Special Constables in an English police force

Volunteers operating as ‘sworn’ police personnel with full policing powers are a common feature of policing organizations in many countries, including Special Constables in the UK and Reserve and Auxiliary police officers and deputy sheriffs in many law enforcement agencies in the USA. There has been only limited research into the experience of serving as a volunteer in such policing roles in either the US or UK settings, together with very little comparative research into volunteer officer experience across different international settings. This article presents a small-scale, comparative qualitative case study based upon interviews with volunteers from a Reserve Unit in a sheriff’s office in Florida and with volunteer Special Constables from an English police force, exploring their perspectives and experiences of volunteering in their respective policing organizations. The research identifies key differences between the settings in respect of past experience and volunteer pathways, models of training and confidence of operational capability, development and management of roles, the opportunities to develop specialization for volunteers, and leadership. The article points to the value of comparative research in police voluntarism and calls for more research in this area.

Children’s agency and reading with story-apps: considerations of design, behavioural and social dimensions

ABSTRACT A comprehensive understanding of children’s motivation to read e-books requires a multifaceted and contextualized conceptualization of children’s agency. In this study, agency was operationalized as a set of behaviour indicators of children’s control (behavioural agency), adults’ perceptions of reader identities afforded by the content and format of books (social agency), and specific multimedia and interactive features that afford personalisation (agentic design). In a comparative qualitative case study, seven preschool children and their mothers were observed reading four story-based interactive e-books (story-apps). Multimethod analysis that combined design evaluation with observational and interview data revealed behavioural agency was demonstrated in the children’s frequent, prolonged, and repetitive physical engagement with the story-apps. Social agency became foregrounded in relation to constitutive reader identities. Agentic design was related to children’s sense of autonomy. The findings have implications for how we theorize, operationalize, and apply the concept of agency in children’s e-books and reading for pleasure.

Do natural resources impede renewable energy production in the EU? A mixed-methods analysis

Since signing the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997, the European Union (EU) has been working on increasing its renewable energy supply. However, the progress has been uneven across member states. A vibrant literature advances several explanations for this variation, but pays insufficient attention to a critical structural factor – varying levels of natural resource wealth across the EU – and provides an incomplete account by focusing on consumption indicators. Reconciling divergent views in the literature in a single framework, we hold that while overall natural resource abundance can be conducive to renewable energy production within a country, specific natural resources, such as petroleum, are likely to be harmful. These hypotheses find empirical support in a mixed-methods study that combines a fixed-effects statistical analysis of comprehensive panel data between 1997 and 2015 with a comparative qualitative case study of the Netherlands and Belgium. The findings suggest that to achieve the ambitious goals on renewable energy deployment, the EU needs additional policies that explicitly tackle pernicious effects of specific natural resources, including rent-capturing by politicians, rent-seeking by corporate vested interests, and lack of economic incentives to diversify.

Competency-oriented education for sustainable development

PurposeEnergy poverty can be seen as a relatively new, but typical sustainability problem in which various dimensions (ecology, society and economy) are interlinked and in part conflict with each other. Moreover, the variety of involved stakeholders (planners, tenants, housing companies, private landlords, energy consultants, etc.) represents conflicting aims for solving this problem. This paper aims to present a systematic linkage between higher education for sustainable development (HESD) and education about energy poverty yet.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative comparative case study approach with a similar didactic approach is used.FindingsBased on the literature about HESD and an overall model in general didactics, ten criteria were identified and used for an overall reflection about similar courses dealing with the topic of energy poverty. The criteria covered the learning goals, the didactical approaches and the institutional support in the forms of organisation in the courses.Research limitations/implicationsThere was no competency measurement of the students in the described courses.Practical implicationsThere was no evaluation of the development of students’ key competencies for sustainability. However, the reflections of students and teachers revealed a positive development regarding the students’ learning process, especially because they worked on a real-world sustainability problem: energy poverty.Originality/valueThis contribution describes how university courses on energy poverty were designed and implemented at five German universities. Against the background of general criteria for HESD, it reflects on the experiences that the use of this concept evoked. Through a comparison of the five courses against these criteria, the paper outlines strengths and weaknesses of the approach and closes with recommendations and requirements for designing further courses.

Unleashing the watchdogs: explaining congressional assertiveness in the politics of US military interventions

This article contributes to a burgeoning literature on parliamentary war powers by investigating the case of the US Congress drawing on both International Relations (IR) research and traditional war powers studies. Applying a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and case study method, we examine the conditions shaping congressional assertiveness. The article shows that the lack of national security interests and divided government are important conditions for members of Congress to criticize presidential intervention policies. While previous US war powers studies focused on the influence of partisanship, this article holds that domestic as well as international factors influence congressional behavior. A short comparative case study of two US military interventions (Libya 2011, ISIS 2014–15) during the Obama presidency serves to illustrate the findings.

Towards mobile learning deployment in higher learning institutions: a report on the qualitative inquiries conducted in four universities in Tanzania


 
 
 Over the past two decades, mobile learning (m-learning) has been a purposeful area of research among educational technologists, educators and instructional designers whereby doubts and controversies over its relevancy and applicability have been keenly addressed. This paper explores stakeholders’ perceptions of m-learning deployment in Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs). Spe- cifically, we examine the potential of m-learning for HLIs in Tanzania and the challenges that hinder successful m-learning deployment. We adopt a comparative qualitative case study design in which four HLIs in Tanzania were purposefully selected. The study uses a combination of de- sign science research approach and qualitative methods including grounded theory, document re- views, and observation. The respondents included university lecturers, students and ICT experts, who were selected for the interviews through theoretical sampling. The transcripts were loaded, coded and analyzed in NVIVO software. The results indicate that mobiles (smartphone, tablets, laptops, feature-phones etc.) are widely used in the HLIs. Stakeholders perceive that m-learning deployment is important and useful because it improves the quality of the learning experience. The results further indicate that there are financial, pedagogical, technological, infrastructural, individuals – and policy – related challenges that hinder successful deployment of m-learning in HLIs in Tanzania, such as limited network coverage, some students ́ inability to afford mobiles, lack of qualified staff for preparation of mobile content and administration, gaps in the exist- ing policies, and faulty course design. However, our results show that participants are optimistic about the potential of m-learning in the HLIs of Tanzania. They expect that m-learning will im- prove access to learning resources, teacher-student and student-student interaction without being restricted by time or place. Thus, m-learning is considered to have the potential to address issues of crowded classrooms, expertise, access to learning materials, flexibility of the learners as well as remote connectivity.
 We recommend that HLIs should prioritize m-learning and commit resources to the success of the related projects. We also recommend that the governments and stakeholders provide policy interventions, subsidize mobile technologies, expand network coverage, build capacity within and outside HLIs, and improve digital literacy by integrating ICT education at all levels of education.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Key words: mobile learning, m-learning, mobile learning deployment, design science research, connectivism, critical theory of technology
 
 

Mayors’ leadership roles in direct participation processes – the case of community-owned wind farms

PurposeThe design of participation processes influences their effectiveness. In light of processes which include both mandated and non-mandated direct participation and take place in collaboration with other actors, adequate leadership roles are an indispensable but challenging process element. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how mayors exercise leadership roles in such processes and how this relates to effective participation processes.Design/methodology/approachApplying a qualitative comparative case study design (n=7), this study investigates mayors’ leadership roles relative to other actors’ roles in the process of establishing a community-owned wind farm. Data collection relied on 21 semi-structured interviews, triangulated with documentary analyses and nine field-level expert interviews.FindingsFindings reveal mayors’ exclusive roles of guarantor, formal convener, facilitator, and sponsor based on authority. Mayors’ various shared roles relate primarily to non-mandated participation. Mayors face tensions in their role exercise due to citizens’ expectations and their personal involvement. They experience a positive impact of shared leadership on the effectiveness of the participation process.Practical implicationsMayors need to exercise specific leadership roles relative to other actors to effectively manage participation processes. Adequate role exercise relates to sensitization and mobilization for the issue, weakened opposition, and project adjustment to citizen demands. A strategic approach to process design can support mayors in their leadership efforts.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the knowledge on mayors’ leadership roles in participation processes and concretizes tensions and effectiveness of collaborative leadership. The paper reflects on the inference of findings for administrators as compared to mayors.

Can chiropractors contribute to work disability prevention through sickness absence management for musculoskeletal disorders? - a comparative qualitative case study in the Scandinavian context

BackgroundDespite extensive publication of clinical guidelines on how to manage musculoskeletal pain and back pain in particular, these efforts have not significantly translated into decreases in work disability due to musculoskeletal pain. Previous studies have indicated a potential for better outcomes by formalized, early referral to allied healthcare providers familiar with occupational health issues. Instances where allied healthcare providers of comparable professional characteristics, but with differing practice parameters, can highlight important social and organisational strategies useful for informing policy and practice. Currently, Norwegian chiropractors have legislated sickness certification rights, whereas their Danish and Swedish counterparts do not. Against the backdrop of legislative variation, we described, compared and contrasted the views and experiences of Scandinavian chiropractors engaging in work disability prevention and sickness absence management.MethodsThis study was embedded in a two-phased, sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In a comparative qualitative case study design, we explored the experience of chiropractors regarding sickness absence management drawn from face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. We subsequently coded and thematically restructured their experiences and perceptions.ResultsTwelve interviews were conducted. Thematically, chiropractors’ capacity to support patients in sickness absence management revolved around four key issues: issues of legislation and politics; the rationale for being a sickness absence management partner; whether an integrated sickness absence management pathway existed/could be created; and finally, the barriers to service provision for sickness absence management.ConclusionAllied health providers, in this instance chiropractors, with patient management expertise can fulfil a key role in sickness absence management and by extension work disability prevention when these practices are legislatively supported. In cases where these practices occur informally, however, practitioners face systemic-related issues and professional self-image challenges that tend to hamper them in fulfilling a more integrated role as providers of work disability prevention practices.

Allocating human resources to projects and services in dynamic project environments

PurposeResource allocation is challenged by dynamic environments where changes are frequent. The purpose of this paper is to identify resource allocation challenges and practices in service units that perform both project and non-project activities in dynamic environments. Its goal is to show that top-down mechanisms of project resource allocation need to be replaced by or supplemented with mechanisms that are more flexible.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative comparative case study was conducted in two service units of two project-based firms. The main source of data consisted of semi-structured interviews with 17 service managers and staff members.FindingsThis study shows that resource allocation is not necessarily a top-down process at all, and the practices are context-dependent. Two more flexible approaches are revealed – hybrid resource allocation and bottom-up resource allocation – as examples of managing resource allocation in service units that engage in projects under uncertain conditions. The results of the analysis highlight prioritisation and adapting to change and delay as the main issues that managers face in allocating resources to different types of projects and service activities in dynamic environments.Research limitations/implicationsThe two target companies chosen for the qualitative research design limit the analysis to project-based firms in a business-to-business context. Further, the viewpoint of the service unit is central to the study. Studying project resource allocation in different organisational contexts and uncovering the perspectives of product development and delivery units would offer promising directions for future research.Practical implicationsThe study reveals that in dynamic project settings such as service organisations, top-down mechanisms of resource allocation need to be accompanied by other, more flexible approaches to ensure the sufficient resourcing of projects and related services in dynamic environments. Companies need to establish practices for resource allocation changes that are caused by re-prioritising tasks and accommodating changes and delays in their project and service activities.Originality/valueCompared to a top-down perspective taken in previous research, the study proposes a more flexible approach for resource allocation in constantly changing environments with different project and service activities. Previous studies have focussed on resource competition between projects, placing project managers in the central role for resource allocation. By contrast, this study discusses hybrid and bottom-up resource allocation, both of which involve broader personnel engagement in resource allocation tasks, drawing on the experience of all employees.

Nutrition and obesity care in multidisciplinary primary care settings in Ontario, Canada: Short duration of visits and complex health problems perceived as barriers.

Nutrition care in the primary care setting is integral in obesity management, but there is a substantial gap between patients who would benefit from this service and those receiving it. This study provides an in-depth understanding of how relatively new multidisciplinary primary care settings may be affecting nutrition care practices of family physicians and nurse practitioners. This qualitative comparative case study sought to assess nutrition care practices in three different types of multidisciplinary clinics (2 Family Health Teams, 3 Community Health Centers, 1 Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic) in Ontario, Canada. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurse practitioners (n = 13) and family physicians (n = 7) in fall 2017. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo Software. The integrated approach was used for elucidating codes and themes. Findings suggest that suboptimal duration of medical visits and increasing prevalence of complex patients were reported by most participants and were perceived as barriers for addressing nutrition and obesity. However, improved nutrition care was fostered through Electronic Medical Records, primary care providers' positive attitude towards nutrition and cost-free dietitian services at point of access. Site-specific challenges, such as duration of medical visits, incentive programs, access to dietitians on site, and continued professional development could enhance nutritional care for weight management in these multidisciplinary primary care settings.

Passenger rail SOEs as domestic institutional market actors

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to make an empirical-based conceptualization of the contemporary domestic state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as domestic institutional market actors (IMAs) in the marketization of public service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a qualitative comparative case study of the SOEs in passenger rail in Denmark and Sweden from 1990 to 2015.FindingsThe paper shows how marketization results in a layered institutional set-up of public service delivery based on both competition and monopoly where the SOE becomes what we call an IMA bridging sectorial challenges. In Sweden, this role has a new public governance form as the monopoly over time is fully dismantled. In Denmark, over time marketization is put on hold due to problems with the SOE as a market actor, but the SOE is nevertheless safeguarded in a new Weberian model as a sector coordinator.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the recent literature on SOEs and marketization with an original and novel conceptualization of contemporary SOEs in public governance.

Towards mobile learning deployment in higher learning institutions: a report on the qualitative inquiries conducted in four universities in Tanzania

Over the past two decades, mobile learning (m-learning) has been a purposeful area of research among educational technologists, educators and instructional designers whereby doubts and controversies over its relevancy and applicability have been keenly addressed. This paper explores stakeholders’ perceptions of m-learning deployment in Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs). Specifically, we examine the potential of m-learning for HLIs in Tanzania and the challenges that hinder successful m-learning deployment. We adopt a comparative qualitative case study design in which four HLIs in Tanzania were purposefully selected. The study uses a combination of design science research approach and qualitative methods including grounded theory, document reviews, and observation. The respondents included university lecturers, students and ICT experts, who were selected for the interviews through theoretical sampling. The transcripts were loaded, coded and analyzed in NVIVO software. The results indicate that mobiles (smartphone, tablets, laptops, feature-phones etc.) are widely used in the HLIs. Stakeholders perceive that m-learning deployment is important and useful because it improves the quality of the learning experience. The results further indicate that there are financial, pedagogical, technological, infrastructural, individuals – and policy – related challenges that hinder successful deployment of m-learning in HLIs in Tanzania, such as limited network coverage, some students´ inability to afford mobiles, lack of qualified staff for preparation of mobile content and administration, gaps in the existing policies, and faulty course design. However, our results show that participants are optimistic about the potential of m-learning in the HLIs of Tanzania. They expect that m-learning will improve access to learning resources, teacher-student and student-student interaction without being restricted by time or place. Thus, m-learning is considered to have the potential to address issues of crowded classrooms, expertise, access to learning materials, flexibility of the learners as well as remote connectivity. We recommend that HLIs should prioritize m-learning and commit resources to the success of the related projects. We also recommend that the governments and stakeholders provide policy interventions, subsidize mobile technologies, expand network coverage, build capacity within and outside HLIs, and improve digital literacy by integrating ICT education at all levels of education.