how to do a case study

how to do a case study

How to Conduct a Successful Case Study

1. Introduction

There has been little use of case study in testing the efficacy of university counseling centers. However, two studies evaluated the presence of a counseling center in terms of its relationship to the overall campus. Milliken (1978) considered the growing mindfulness of organization theorists to the importance of the environment in influencing behavior and suggested that organization theory research should shift from a focus on internal dynamics to studying organizations in context. He called for research methods that would allow organizational process to be tracked over time within a particular context. This was precisely what Huff and Muller (1979) aimed to do in their examination of the rise and fall of a police intelligence unit in response to a radical protest at one Midwestern university. They made a strong argument for the use of police records and other documents as a superior method for reconstructing events in a particular place and time. In evaluating the success of that particular intelligence unit, a case study approach would be ideal.

2. Choosing a Case Study Topic

A case study analyzes a particular issue or situation within the context of real life. In understanding the subject, a case study can generate unexplored ideas that could help establish wider generalizations about supplementary concerns. A case study is the best approach when the research question being posed is complex in nature, as it provides insight into the orders and offers roundabout ways of resolving the problem. When you have conducted all the necessary research and taken the required notes, it’s time to make a comprehensive list of possible topics for your case study. What troubles are you trying to address? What were the circumstances that led to the problem? Further inquiry and analysis will lead you to refine the topic, and it will soon become evident.

3. Collecting and Analyzing Data

Most case studies require that students collect data either from a review of existing records or through their field gathering of information. For example, the case might be to ascertain why a public health issue didn’t show expected improvement, with topics to follow including where the smallpox eradication program is still in place when it was intended to be global and what happened when efforts to stop infectious diseases in developing countries shifted to other priorities. In the former, a “how” question might be why the case has not been closed in Nigeria; a data analysis question would likely be what financial and other resource allocation decisions led to the program being curtailed before its time, a study in unintended consequences. In the latter, all case study teams were expected to address the topic based on what, if anything, was different from the strategy with targeting childhood vaccination. There are eight data collection methods that are used: Archival records are the reports of organizations or individuals about what has happened in the past; the case is providing a useful source about an issue that the group is interested in understanding, e.g. i) a study of Rapid Assessment and Response to Adverse Drug Events where Safety Net and FORUM projects are cases learning what led up to the undifferentiated closure of the latter ii) a study of the European Union and the Health Care System. Archived data is the main source for this type of case and is very familiar to students, often resembling an extended paper trail exercise. A variation on the theme is using a real-time case tracking method in data collection where students are told to locate and report developments of the current issue at clear intervals, simulating the development of a longitudinal case. This was a popular method with the Singapore and Harvard case simulation project using weekly reports of events across a three-year project period. Interviews and questionnaires: these are methods used to get an idea of the perspectives of the organizations involved with a case. Both offer direct contact with the person or people who have the best information about the case’s “how” and “why” questions.

4. Presenting Findings and Analysis

1. During & After Data Collection: prepare and compile the most important information from the case in regards to the company and its situation. 2. Identify the various elements of the case in relation to the situation (i.e. identification of problem or need) and list the factors internal and external to the company, which will help resolve it. Step two is done using the SWOT matrix.

An alternative way to present findings is by a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). This provides a nice quick snapshot for the reader who may have little time to read the full case study. The SWOT analysis provides an effective method for determining the company’s internal and external environments. It also defines the situation and develops and recommends specific action alternatives. Unfortunately, many case studies do not have a logical sequence of presenting the problem. Usually, it is identified briefly or not at all. Analysis of the case in regards to defining the problem is often done at the end. In order to effectively utilize the SWOT analysis in a case study, you need to follow these steps:

The easiest way to present findings is by structuring the facts and findings in a chronological story: beginning with a brief description of the company and the product being studied. Provide the data collected in a descriptive and simple manner so that it is understood by both the reader and the case study’s participants. The story should be a combination of visuals and text that best describe the problems and solutions. Many case studies provide the solution in two parts. The first part shows the steps taken to identify the problem and the second part shows the steps taken to solve the problem. This is a summary and would not be helpful to the reader who has skipped reading the case study. A better approach is when the problem and solutions are presented as the story unfolds. This method is best as the problem and solutions are likely to be identified and understood by the reader.

5. Conclusion and Recommendations

The case study has discovered clear indications that the observed behaviour was influenced by the set of circumstances in respect to the severity of the offence and the resources provided to deal with it. This would suggest that a best value approach does not simply require product reports to be read and understood, but varying reports into different types of behaviour allowing for the subsequent analysis of the best course of action for dealing with each and the likely resource requirements. This may have direct implications on resource allocation by the providing bodies in the criminal justice system and will be discussed in a report on the best value duty and allocations in the Home Office.

Conclusion The case study has answered the initial set of questions and provided a process for further investigation. Despite this, the answers are limited as peculiarities of the observed cases restricted the scope of both the data available and the extent to which it was practical to address each question. Nevertheless, the case study has provided valuable insights which would otherwise have been impossible, discovering the importance of a holistic approach in influencing behaviour which can be linked directly to the many fields of the public services and injunctions in terms of legislation in service provision.