Developing a Qualitative Single Case Study in the Strategic Management Realm: An Appropriate Research Design?
The objective of this article is to critically look at and advocate for the use of an in depth single case study design linked to qualitative research as a more practical and appropriate approach in the realm of strategic management for testing, extending or generation of theory. This article asserts that the combined use of a qualitative single case study research design and methodology not only complement research in the realm of strategic management but also offer rich data for in depth analysis and understanding of issues in their natural life context. This article is based on the successful testing of a new theoretical model of the activity resource based view (ARBV) of a consistent market leader in the motor service industry in Kenya, leading to the extension and generation of new theory. The article justifies and outlines the actual qualitative single case study research design and methodology used, including the place of theory and a study rationale to build rigour and to guide the research. In the study, a total of nine top managers at a consistently high performing firm were purposefully selected to be the key informants as they were deemed to be reliable and knowledgeable about the competitive and market conditions in the industry within which the case study firm operates. These key informants were the chairman of the Board, CEO, five divisional managers and two senior managers in supervisory positions. The article concludes by outlining some implications for policy makers, researchers and academics regarding the use of a single case qualitative study in the realm of strategic management research as an appropriate methodology of choice. "It may be that many of the insights of the resource based view can only be explored using a case study design or approach .which involves trading off the concept of generalisability obtainable from large sample econometric work for an in depth understanding of the complexity of firms. (Lockett Thompson 2001)