Within-case Analysis Research Articles

The Linkage Between Ethnicity and Opportunity Recognition: A Case Study of Micro-Women Entrepreneurs

This paper examines the opportunity recognition of micro-women entrepreneurs by investigating the linkages of opportunity recognition with ethnicity. This study focuses on the cultural theory and the theory of mixed embeddedness as two of the most frequently used theories in ethnic entrepreneurship literature. Micro-women business operators from three main ethnicities in Sri Lanka: Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim operating in a selected locality have been chosen as the participants of the study. The data were gathered through face-to-face in-depth interviews using a topic guide. The data were analyzed adopting three simultaneous stages: within-case analysis, cross-case analysis, and comparison of findings with the theory. The findings revealed five themes; support from family, social networking, culture, and geographical location that influence the micro-women business of different ethnicities to recognize business opportunities. Also, findings showed that there are several similarities and differences identified among ethnic micro women business operators when recognizing an opportunity. The findings further revealed that opportunities for women of one ethnicity are not opportunities for women of another ethnicity due to their ethnicity-related specific contextual factors.

Towards Programs Sustainability: Assessment of Institutional Determinants for Effective Community Participation in Development Programs in Tanzania

This paper brings to the fore an assessment of institutional determinants for effective community participation in development programs for the case of Tanzania. It is highly acknowledged in various scholarly literature that there is a strong link between community participation and development programs. In fact, literature shows that community-based development programs that have allowed community members to be fully involved in various programs have been successful when compared to those where community members are seen as spectators.However, in order for community members to take part in the programs, there are several determining factors, ranging from socio-economic, socio-cultural to institutional based factors.This study therefore sought to assess institutional determinants with the aim of identifying the major institutional determinants capable of influencing effective community participation in development programs. The study used four programs that were categorized as Locally Funded, Government Funded, Donor Funded and Joint Funded development programs. A combined sample size of 316 participants from all the four programs was employed. Collected data were analyzed through the within-case analysis and the comparative analysis approaches.Results of the study revealed that program benefits, objectives and leadership were the major institutional determinants for promoting effective community participation in development programs. when compared to methods used in the other three examined programs. Hence, the study concluded by emphasizing on the need to ensure these institutional based factors (program benefits, objectives and leadership) should always be given due attention in any development program.

Lessons Learned Framework for Efficient Delivery of Construction Projects in Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has the largest construction market in the gulf region. Nevertheless, the sector faces issues related to inefficiency and ineffectiveness in project delivery. This research aims to explore the impact of current practices across projects lifecycles, and to utilize findings to develop an integrated strategic construction project management framework (ISCPMF) that may pave the way to efficient and effective project implementation. To achieve this objective, the authors have traced the implementation processes of nine projects for data collection. This was based on a deductive approach with preconceived themes. Within-case and cross-case analysis was conducted. The data was complemented by holding three separate focus-group discussions with a total of nineteen participants, and the initial findings were cross-checked with six experts. The deficiencies that surround the pre-construction phase and disconnected activities that are carried out in different timespans represent the first barrier to implement projects successfully. This is coupled with low capacities contractors and non-proactive construction teams that lack a management toolbox to alleviate accumulated issues and control project progress. The unavailability of infrastructure and utilities did not ease construction nor made inspection possible, which led to late occupancy of facilities, waste of resources and failure to deliver the desired benefits effectively. The adoption of ISCPMF will institutionalize and bridge project phases. This may play a vital role in implementing projects efficiently and effectively and building data to benefit future projects. Though the research is limited to higher education facilities, the findings may be generalized to public construction projects.

Objective and subjective performance indicators of clutch performance in basketball: A mixed-methods multiple case study

Clutch performance refers to improved or successful performance under pressure. Whether such performances should be assessed using objective indicators (e.g., performance statistics) or subjective indicators (e.g., athletes’ perceived performance) remains an important unresolved issue within the field. The aim of this study was to examine the types of performance indicators that basketballers use to identify clutch performance. A mixed-methods multiple case study design was adopted involving four semi-elite basketballers (3 male, 1 female). Four sources of data were collected: (1) performance statistics; (2) a screening questionnaire measuring pressure and perceived performance; (3) observations; and (4) event-focused interviews. As two participants reported on two different performances, a total of six cases were included. Within-case analysis was conducted to become familiar with each case, followed by an integrated cross-case analysis. Results suggested that whilst objective indicators are important for identifying clutch performance, these were often viewed through a subjective lens. Further, subjective indicators such as perceived effort and control appear similarly important in assessing clutch performance. Lastly, it was reported that clutch performances do not always require winning, but may rather be about a sense of contributing to the team performance. Overall, these findings suggest that operationalizations of clutch performance should consider athletes’ subjective interpretations, and not rely solely on objective indicators. Lay summary: An important step in facilitating performance under pressure is understanding how to measure such performances. This study suggests that athletes’ perceptions of their performance under pressure are important to consider, and may not align with traditional objective performance indicators, such as performance statistics. Implications for practice When examining performance under pressure, practitioners should consider athletes’ own interpretations of objective performance indicators Practitioners may also consider examining subjective indicators of performance, such as perceived effort or control when measuring performances under pressure Encouraging athletes to contribute toward the team performance, rather than focusing on the outcome, may facilitate assessments of clutch performance.

Community Participation Methods and their Influence on Effective Community Participation in Development Programs in Tanzania

It is the wish of every stakeholder to see to it that development programs are successful and beneficial to the intended community. Literature shows that successful development programs must provide opportunities for the intended program beneficiaries to effectively participate in the programs. This implies that program beneficiaries ought to be seen as stakeholders in the program and not as recipients of final program results. This is a community engagement thinking deeply rooted in the stakeholder theory. Hence, by taking into account the importance of community participation in development programs, this study explored community participation methods that were being employed in four different categorized programs and how such methods were influencing effective participation in such programs in Tanzania. These programs were categorized as Locally Funded, Government Funded, Donor Funded and Joint Funded development programs. A combined sample size of 316 participants from all the four programs was employed. Collected data were analyzed through the within-case analysis and the comparative analysis approaches. Results of the study revealed that methods used in Government funded programs were not effective enough in promoting effective community participation when compared to methods used in the other three examined programs. As such, the study concluded by emphasizing on the need to improve on the participation methods used in Government funded programs.

Conflict and cooperation in the age of COVID-19: the Israeli–Palestinian case

Abstract How do disasters influence conflict and diplomacy in conflict areas? The scholarship shows that while they can provide opportunities for cooperation and ‘disaster diplomacy’ between parties to a conflict, they can also intensify tension and hostility. This article uses the Israeli–Palestinian conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, exploring the impact of the crisis on relations between the rival parties and examining the conditions under which an ongoing pandemic might lead to either conflict or cooperation in a conflict area. The research is based on within-case analysis, comparing three conflict arenas: Israel–Palestinian Authority relations in the West Bank; relations between Israel and the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem; and Israel–Hamas government relations in the Gaza strip. The article outlines the possibilities and limitations of ‘disaster diplomacy’ in intractable conflicts and contributes to the literature by identifying how different contexts, relations and actors in each conflict arena affect the development of patterns of conflict and cooperation with regard to the pandemic. The study analyses the factors that shape how the pandemic affects the conflict, and the COVID-19-related diplomacy, in each sub-case, with attention to three main variables: the structure of the conflict arena, domestic politics and the developments in the pandemic. The analysis addresses the unique conditions of an ongoing global pandemic, as opposed to an isolated disaster event, and traces the changing impact of the pandemic on the conflict and on disaster-related cooperation at various stages.

Evolutionary Model of e-Procurement Adoption: A Case of the Vietnam Construction Industry

In order to propose more effective solutions to improve the diffusion of e-procurement technologies in the construction sector, it is very important to get a better understanding on the practical evolutionary process of e-procurement adoption at the enterprise level. This cases-study seeks to investigate the strategic evolution of e-procurement adoption in construction companies. Data collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews was analyzed by within-case and cross-case analyses to understand well the similarities and differences between the company cases regarding the way e-procurement technologies have been adopting and implementing. The present study found out a six-stage evolutionary model of e-procurement implementation specific for the context of Vietnamese construction industry. Further, it also proposed the best practical solutions for the casesstudied as well as for the general context toward more collaborative e-procurement environment. Although this study is based on the experience of the construction section in a specific country, it is believed its results may be applicable to other developing countries. Using the evolutionary model developed, construction companies are able to self-assess and locate their e-procurement adoption level, and so that establish appropriate practical solutions to move forward a higher level of e-procurement applicability.

The politics of COVID-19 on the island of Ireland

Abstract Background Political systems are the means through which the science of public health achieves its objectives. This is a qualitative study of public health policies for COVID-19 in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that seeks to establish if inter-jurisdictional commitments have led to co-ordination and co-operation on the island of Ireland. Methods 10 indicators from the OxCGRT codebook directed data collection with directed qualitative content analysis supporting comprehensive reading of policy documents. Cross-case and within-case analysis of policy alignment and divergence across ten OxCGRT indicators was undertaken. Results Closing Schools Republic of Ireland: 12th March 2020 Northern Ireland: 23rd March 2020; Workplace Closing - Republic of Ireland: 12th and 15th March and 24th March 2020. Northern Ireland: 20th March 2020 followed by mandatory closure on 28th March 2020. Cancelling events and mass gatherings (St Patrick's Day, 17th March)-Republic of Ireland: 9th March 2020-Northern Ireland: 9th March 2020;Lockdown/Shelter-in-place policies. Republic of Ireland: 27th March 2020- Northern Ireland: 28th March 2020; Restrictions on Internal Movement Republic of Ireland: 27th March 2020 Northern Ireland: 28th March 2020. Physical Distancing Measures -Republic of Ireland: 2-metres 24th March 2020 Northern Ireland: 2 metres 23rd March 2020. Mandatory Face Masks in Enclosed Spaces-Republic of Ireland: 10th August 2020 -Northern Ireland: 10th August 2020. Conclusions The historical and constitutional politics of the island of Ireland is the obstacle to an all-island response to COVID-19 and this has almost certainly been compounded by Brexit. Defying the odds, however, this study has demonstrated substantial public health policy alignment brought about through ongoing dialogue and co-operation between the health administrations in each jurisdiction. Key messages Historical and constitutional politics of the island of Ireland is the obstacle to an all-island response to COVID-19. Even pandemics cannot overcome realpolitik.

Changing Commitments: Shifts in External State Support to Rebels

ABSTRACT The provision of external state support to non-state armed groups in civil wars is a dynamic process. While we know much about the initiation of external support and its effects, we know less about why state sponsorship changes over time. Based on a within-case analysis of the United States’ support commitment to the armed opposition in Nicaragua in the 1980s, this article demonstrates the utility of focusing on shifts in leaders’ perceptions and domestic attribution processes rather than structural features of the international system or rebel behaviour to understand temporal variation in external support.

Factors affecting access to administrative health data for research in Canada: a study protocol.

IntroductionIn Canada, most provinces have established administrative health data repositories to facilitate access to these data for research. Anecdotally, researchers have described delays and substantial inter-provincial variations in the timeliness of data access approvals and receipt of data. Currently, the reasons for these delays and variations in timeliness are not well understood. This paper provides a study protocol for (1) identifying the factors affecting access to administrative health data for research within select Canadian provinces, and (2) comparing factors across provinces to assess whether and how they contribute to inter-provincial variations in access to administrative health data for research.MethodsA qualitative, multiple-case study research design will be used. Three cases will be included, representing three different provinces. For each case, data will be collected from documents and interviews. Specifically, interviews will be carried out with (1) research stakeholders, and (2) regulatory stakeholders (10 individuals/group * 2 groups/province * 3 provinces = 60). During within-case analysis, interview data for each stakeholder group will be analyzed separately using constant comparative analysis. Document analysis will occur iteratively, and will inform interview guide adaptation, and supplement interview data. Cross-case analysis will involve systematic comparison of findings across cases.DiscussionThis study represents the first in-depth examination of access to administrative health data in Canada. The main outcome will be an overarching mid-range theory explaining inter-provincial variations in access to administrative health data in Canada. This theory will be strengthened by the inclusion of the perspectives of both researchers and those involved in the regulation of data access. The findings from this study may be used to improve equitable and timely access to administrative health data across provinces, and may be transferable to other jurisdictions where barriers to access to administrative health data have been reported.

The Story is in the Structure: A Multi-Case Study of Instructional Design Teams

Although instructional designers are experienced and positioned to be leaders in online learning (Shaw, 2012), it was not previously known how organizational structures influenced their ability to act as leaders in their institutions. This problem warranted a deep exploration of the organizational structures for instructional design teams in higher education. This qualitative, multi-case study consisted of 3 individual universities each with a different organizational structure profile. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and document analysis with participants in 3 key roles at each institution: dedicated instructional designer, online faculty member, and online learning administrator. The research culminated in within-case analyses of each institution and a comparative case analysis of all 3 studied institutions. The results of the study revealed that the organizational structure that most positively influenced instructional design leadership was a centralized instructional design team with academic reporting lines. The results also showed that decentralized instructional designers experienced significant disempowerment, role misperception, and challenges in advocacy and leadership, while instructional designers with administrative reporting lines experienced a high level of role misperception specifically related to technology support. Positional parity between dedicated instructional designers and faculty, in conjunction with implementation of the recommended organizational structure, was found to be critical to empowering designers to be partners and leaders.

Benchmarking corporate water reporting in emerging economies: the case of Peru

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a framework to examine corporate water reporting (CWR) that considers the context in emerging economies and determine if and how companies are addressing the distinct water-related challenges and opportunities that they face in any given location.Design/methodology/approachThis study combines a concise profile of the context of water resources management in Peru with a review of CWR guidelines and thematic content analysis of water information in sustainability reports for 34 companies operating in Peru. These data are then used to inform the development of a CWR typology via the use of a cluster analysis complemented by within-case and cross-case qualitative analysis of companies.FindingsThis study highlights the incomplete nature of most CWR practices of companies in Peru, with an emphasis on internal firm operations. Where companies do provide information on water risk and stakeholder engagement, there is insufficient detail to provide a clear picture of contributions to sustainable water management at the local level. The main drivers for CWR in Peru appear to be pressure from international markets, regulation and other normative issues.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that companies need to place more emphasis on the local context when reporting on water risks and activities, which could be achieved through the use of CWR frameworks that integrate both international and sectoral CWR guidelines, along with indicators related to good water governance, water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery and the sustainable development goals, as together they provide a more comprehensive reflection of the broader challenges and opportunities related to corporate water management.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first framework specifically developed to evaluate CWR practices with consideration of the context of an emerging economy.

Process evaluation of a brief messaging intervention to improve diabetes treatment adherence in sub-Saharan Africa

BackgroundThe SMS text Adherence suppoRt for people with type 2 diabetes (StAR2D) intervention is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial, testing the effectiveness of brief text messaging for improving clinical outcomes and medication adherence. The intervention did not impact glycaemic control. We conducted a pre-and post-trial process evaluation alongside the StAR2D study in Malawi and South Africa, exploring the experiences and perceptions of patient participants, to better understand potential underlying reasons for the trial outcomes.MethodsWe employed a qualitative research design, including conducting semi structured in-depth interviews and focus groups at both trial sites. Purposive sampling was used to ensure representation of a wide range of patients with type 2 diabetes with regards to age, gender, ethnicity, language, and duration of diabetes. We interviewed the same participants at baseline and at the end of the trial. We used within-case and across-case thematic analysis to identify key themes.ResultsBrief messages delivered by text were acceptable and useful for addressing informational and support needs for participants. Some participants reported behaviour changes because of the text reminders and advice on a healthy lifestyle. Both participating in the trial and the messages were experienced as a source of support, caring, and motivation. Participants’ ability to act on the messages was limited. A common theme was frustration over the lack of ability to effectively control one’s blood glucose level. They reported a range of routinised, partial diabetes care adherence behaviours, shaped by complex and interacting individual, social, and health service factors. Participant responses and intervention impact were similar across sites, despite differences in health services.ConclusionThis process evaluation provided context and insight into the factors influencing participants’ engagement with the text messaging intervention. The complex context in which patients take their diabetes medication, may explain in part, why brief text messaging may have been insufficient to bring about changes in health outcomes. The scale of need for self-management and health service support, suggests that health system strengthening, and other forms of self-management support should accompany digital communication interventions. (Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN70768808, registered 03/08/2015.)

Integration of Industry 4.0 technologies into Total Productive Maintenance practices

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), an important maintenance management approach grounded on lean principles, has found widespread applicability in the manufacturing sector since the 1950's. More recently, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has promoted the digitalization of several functional areas bringing disruptive innovation to manufacturing environments. This paper aims at examining the integration of I4.0 technologies into Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) practices in multiple large-sized manufacturing companies. Case-based research is adopted to investigate four manufacturers located in Southern Brazil. Guided by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT) as a theoretical lens, within-case and cross-case analyses are performed. Findings indicate that the integration of I4.0 into TPM results in benefits and barriers associated with DIT's attributes (real advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability), although their degree and orientation vary according to the attribute. Identifying aspects that could constrain a successful digitalization of TPM may help companies develop countermeasures to promote innovation adoption. Our results may help practitioners with the digitalization of TPM by offering a more realistic vision of the difficulties and benefits they may experience in practice. We conclude the paper with five research propositions derived from the multiple case data findings.

BRIDGING TO ANOTHER DIMENSION: THE RELATIONAL SYSTEM OF SHAMANISM AND RELIGIOUS ENCOUNTER AMONGST THE TEMIAR SENOI OF MALAYA

This paper aims at finding the relational system, religious encounter, and modernity of the Temiar community in Malaysia. The form of this research has focused on literature research (library research) by using literature as a source of research. The method used is an analysis of documents by conducting content analysis. This within-case analysis is followed by a thematic analysis across the case. The data patterns emerging from the within-case and cross-case analysis of theme, the information of Temiar’s world view is compared from several documents. Having discussed the relational systems in shamanic society and religious encounters and modernity amongst Temiar, this paper concludes that: Firstly. Shaman creates the cultural experience in the inter-subjective space of the ritual as the flow of the spirit guide through the healing ritual. The shaman is the spirit medium, a person who can receive songs from the spirit guide during dreams. Secondly, singing and dancing is an activity that in itself bridges the gulf between the physical world and the metaphysical. Thirdly, Temiars have begun to incorporate representations of varying spirit entities associated with religious conversion and modernization into their cosmology.

Congruity and contradiction: student and institutional perspectives of learning and quality in higher education

Purpose This paper aims to examine graduate student learning experiences and perceptions of quality and the extent to which these learners were living the intended experiences that academic programs are seeking to foster. Design/methodology/approach Using a multiple case-study design, a three-stage interview protocol used with six PhD candidates across three faculties as well as 25 institutional, provincial and national documents served as principal sources of data. A within-case analysis was performed for each case and compared via a cross-case analysis. Findings The four principal factors that characterized the PhD candidate learning experience emerged as the significance of intentional individualized guidance; the importance of social interactions and community; becoming an independent scholar; and the transformative nature of learning. Gaps were identified between institutional intent and the learner experience. Recommendations are made regarding the adoption of indicators of quality that focus on student learning and notions of transformation. Originality/value This investigation attempts to tell distinct and shared stories of the highly contextualized and complex phenomenon of quality in PhD student learning. With limited information regarding how programmatic development is lived by students, this study’s comparison of institutional characterizations and student perceptions of quality sheds light on existing strengths to leverage, and gaps to invest in, at the institutional and program levels.

Prisoners' rights implementation in Japan: breaking the shackles with suspects

AbstractSeveral decades have passed since the first call was made toward political scientists, among other social scientists, to devote attention to human rights and enrich, through empirical investigations, our understanding of how human rights implementation works. Today, the political science discipline is finally beginning to respond to this appeal, with an increasing number of scholars making it their goal to isolate variables that obstruct or facilitate human rights implementation. The current paper joins this burgeoning body of literature by offering a within-case analysis of Japanese prison policy-making. In particular, I compare the 2005 bill updating the Prison Law (Kangoku hō) that had been in force in Japan since the Meiji era with an earlier draft version of that bill which appeared in parliament on three occasions since the early 1980s. On the basis of the convergence of these bills in terms of seeking to align Japan with the evolved new global standards for convicted prisoners' treatment, I argue that a three-decade delay occurred in the implementation of prisoners' rights in Japan. To account then for this delay, I point to a provision pertaining to the criminal procedure (i.e., pre-conviction) which was incorporated in the law in question in 1908 merely for pragmatic reasons, and with regard to which the modern-time stakeholders of the bar and the police could not find agreement. Ultimately, the message that this case deals to the political science of human rights is that institutional–infrastructural factors, such as ties of legal nature, matter to human rights implementation.

Development and implementation of a transmural palliative care consultation service: a multiple case study in the Netherlands

BackgroundIn the Netherlands, healthcare professionals attending patients in the last phase of life, can consult an expert palliative care team (PCT) in case of complex problems. There are two types of PCTs: regional PCTs, which are mainly consulted by general practitioners, and hospital PCTs, which are mainly consulted by healthcare professionals in the hospital. Integration of these PCTs is expected to facilitate continuity of care for patients receiving care in different settings. We studied facilitators and barriers in the process of developing and implementing an integrated transmural palliative care consultation service.MethodsA multiple case study was performed in four palliative care networks in the southwest Netherlands. We aimed to develop an integrated transmural palliative care consultation service. Researchers were closely observing the process and participated in project team meetings. A within-case analysis was conducted for each network, using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Subsequently, all findings were pooled.ResultsIn each network, project team members thought that the core goal of a transmural consultation service is improvement of continuity of palliative care for patients throughout their illness trajectory. It was nevertheless a challenge for hospital and non-hospital healthcare professionals to arrive at a shared view on goals, activities and working procedures of the transmural consultation service. All project teams experienced the lack of evidence-based guidance on how to organise the service as a barrier. The role of the management of the involved care organisations was sometimes perceived as unsupportive, and different financial reimbursement systems for hospital and out-of-hospital care made implementation of a transmural consultation service complex. Three networks managed to develop and implement a transmural service at some level, one network did not manage to do so.ConclusionsHealthcare professionals are motivated to collaborate in a transmural palliative care consultation service, because they believe it can contribute to high-quality palliative care. However, they need more shared views on goals and activities of a transmural consultation service, more guidance on organisational issues and appropriate financing. Further research is needed to provide evidence on benefits and costs of different models of integrated transmural palliative care consultation services.

FAMILY MEDIATION: THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF UNMARRIED PARENTS AND MEDIATORS

While there have been significant developments regarding mediation, parental responsibilities and the rights of unmarried fathers, fathers remain challenged in acquiring their parental rights through mediation in terms of Section 21 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of parents and mediators regarding mediation since the inception of the Children’s Act in 2007. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with unmarried fathers, unmarried mothers and mediators. Data were analysed using within-case analysis. The findings highlighted the positive experiences of mediation, challenges in mediation and strategies to enhance the quality of mediation.

The role of international intervention in managing refugee crises: lessons from Vietnamese and North Korean refugee cases in China

This article examines the role of international intervention for refugee protection by conducting a within-case analysis of two similar groups in China: Vietnamese and North Korean refugees. It argues that states make refugee policy decisions based on cost-benefit calculations, but this self-centered behavior can be mitigated by international intervention. Without amending national laws and official policies, the international community can improve refugee protection in authoritarian regimes through external assistance and support that shares and reduces the burden on host states and persuades state behavior toward refugees. The evidence of this study further suggests that international intervention matters, but the formats of intervention are even more critical to improving a state’s refugee protection, especially in dealing with a powerful authoritarian state like China in the context of the Post-Cold War era. More specifically, positive inducements are preferable than sanctions and criticism to address China’s human rights violations regarding North Korean refugees because the strategies help China to leverage its power in the Korean peninsula and the Asian region more broadly by providing them enough political coverage to save its face from allies and constituents and maintain close diplomatic relationships with its all neighbors, including the two Koreas.