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Chapter 3 - Of Talking Pigs and Black Swans

Single Holistic Case Study Design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2023

Lakshmi Balachandran Nair
Affiliation:
Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli, Italy
Michael Gibbert
Affiliation:
Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
Bareerah Hafeez Hoorani
Affiliation:
Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Management Research, The Netherlands
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Summary

We introduce and define the single holistic case study design in this chapter. The strengths of the design are discussed in detail, with examples. In particular, we discuss the potential of single holistic design in providing a detailed explanation of processes. Single holistic case studies also explore the theorizing potential of unique cases which hold the potential to reveal new dimensions of a phenomenon or falsify/refute an existing theory. Relatively high data access, construct validity, potential to include an unlimited number of variables, etc., are some other strengths that we discuss. The weaknesses of the design (i.e. low internal and external validity) are discussed afterwards. The chapter also addresses some common (mis)conceptions regarding single holistic designs and their external validity.

Type
Chapter
Information
Combining Case Study Designs for Theory Building
A New Sourcebook for Rigorous Social Science Researchers
, pp. 31 - 49
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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