Writing Cases for ICMC and SAJBMC

Which kind of cases get accepted?

The reviewers of ICMC (SAJBMC does not accept teaching cases) like research or teaching cases that demonstrate strong linkage with theory; relevant and appealing to the international audience; set in the context of a real firm or person; probed a recent (within past three years) event or phenomenon, and presented with the rigour of research.

Cases that are triggered by an event are better suited as teaching cases while those which study a phenomenon within a context produce research cases. ICMC and SAJBMC prefer to get research cases. For a teaching case to get accepted, the issue selected for discussion should have depth and appeal for an international audience of accomplished management scholars and professors and presented in a dilemmatic manner. If there is no dilemma or research question, there is no case.

Teaching note must accompany the case

Every teaching case must accompany its teaching note. There are two distinct parts of a teaching note: Content and Process. The content consists of the summary of the case, link to the theory, options or alternatives to resolve the dilemma, and case questions with suggested answers. The process details the teaching plan, the time needed class management and student engagement and evaluation plans.

What is a good teaching case?

GOOD TEACHING CASES of applied problem solving or applied decision type should demonstrate LINKAGE with theory must have a PROTAGONIST, who is facing a DILEMMA, that UNFOLDS before the reader within the first two paragraphs; the case must have DRAMATIZATION, must suggest different ALTERNATIVES to solve the dilemma and is told as a STORY in a fashion that ENGAGES readers.

If the dilemma (also known as case issue) in a case is detected and options/alternatives to solve have been identified, the scope of literature review in a case is limited. Even for detecting alternatives the author should take a deep dive into data collected for the case and need not look outside.

Except in the case of financial dilemma, a well-written case should not be data-heavy and, hence, should not require elaborate analysis tools.

A DILEMMA is the heart of a teaching case. Without a DILEMMA no teaching case can be written. The DILEMMA should be placed before the reader within the first two paragraphs of the case. The author should then suggest all the alternatives that the protagonist can select???

The discussion of a case tries to bring out ‘WHICH’ of the alternatives will work better and why? A case does not seek to answer as to ‘WHAT’ or ‘HOW’ the protagonist should proceed. For finding answers to ‘WHICH of the alternatives?’ a literature review is NOT NEEDED because all the options have been either identified or can be identified by delving deep into the case data. Generally, a literature review is required to find answers to questions like ‘What can be done?’ or ‘How to proceed?’.?

Other types of teaching cases such as critical incidents, descriptive or illustrative, contextual are not preferred by a management faculty.

What is Phenomenon based case study research?

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, phenomenon, or other types of subjects of analysis to extrapolate?key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or more subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm.

A case study encompasses

o??A problem contextualized around the application

o??Of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion,

o??Often resulting in specific recommendations for action

o??Or for improving existing conditions

?

Link to theory

To establish links to theory and understanding association of constructs and measurement variables following websites may be consulted:

Website 1: https://is.theorizeit.org/wiki/Main_Page

Website 2: https://inn.theorizeit.org/

These cannot be cited in a research case as references.

The approaches to link theory differ for the teaching and research cases.

Theory Linkage for Teaching Case

ICMC authors are expected to write teaching cases that show theoretical foundations (link to theory) in the accompanying teaching note of the case. In a teaching case the focus is to decide ‘which’ of the alternatives best suit the situation and ‘why’, a detailed literature review should be avoided. Brief references of the seminal type of literature should be cited without indulging in a detailed literature review.

Every case must end by raising a few questions (which normally form a part of the teaching note) to involve the reader and help him in reflecting on the case issues. Such questions also help in triggering discussions in a class.

Theory Linkage for Phenomenon Based Research Cases

For a phenomenon-based case study research, the link to theory will be evident. Such a case will need an extensive review of literature not to establish a knowledge gap but to help understand the phenomenon in depth. Cases that study phenomena such as leadership, team building, communication, engagement, user experiences of any kind particularly of coworking spaces, micro-stay hotels are of special interest for ICMC and SAJBMC.

Research Cases on topics such as the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work and organizations; the role and function of business in society; the phenomenon of start-ups; Do we need a manager in a digital workplace; Business of saving the planet and AI-driven leadership in boardroom, may set out several theoretical approaches and attract citations of other authors. Such topics may generate discussions and reviews on the subject. Such titles are welcome.

Case study research methods are commonly used in social sciences, and increasingly in information systems research. It is found to be useful to produce meaningful inferences from a holistic investigation into the complex and ubiquitous interactions among organizations, technologies, and people. The key decisions in designing a case study involve: (a) how to define the case being studied; (b) how to determine the relevant data to be collected; and (c) what should be done with the data once collected. These decisions remain crucial questions to ask when designing a case study research.

Case study research design is versatile and flexible; it can be used with any philosophical perspective (e.g., positivist, interpretivist, or critical); it can also combine qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Case study research can involve a single case study or multiple case studies; and can take the strategy of an explanatory, exploratory or descriptive approach. The quality of case studies relies on choosing appropriate study modes according to the purpose and context of the phenomenon. This context should also be described in detail in the study reporting; this will assist with demonstrating the credibility and generalizability of the research results.

One of the strengths of case study research is that the study findings are contextualized within the system implementation environment. Hence, it is a good practice to explain in the methodology of what system(s) is evaluated, including the technologies introduced, years and geography of implementation. Contextual variables also include those detailing the research study period and those contextual conditions that are relevant to the system implementation success or failure, for example, organizational structure. But describing the context only is not a case.

Establishing and writing about validity in case study research can be a challenging task as there are numerous viewpoints on what constitutes validity and varied nomenclatures, such as trustworthiness, credibility, dependability, confirmability,?authenticity, rigor, plausibility, goodness, soundness, transferability, and quality assessment. However, there is general agreement that establishing trust in the inferences that are made is necessary. Validity is dependent on the purpose and context of the research and refers to conclusions that are based on particular methods used to address validity threats that are pertinent to the particular research.?

Which are not cases?

Every case should be written with a clear purpose. The purpose of a teaching case is to provide students a situation to which the theory learned in the class can be applied to improve the problem solving or decisional skills. The case must have a linkage with either some theoretical concepts or a framework or a model. Further, it should satisfy some of the intended learning outcomes of a management course. It should also help in developing decision making and problem solving skills among students in applied environment.

A research case, on the other hand, studies a single phenomenon, or other types of the subject of analysis to extrapolate key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. Case studies are widely recognised in many social science studies especially when in-depth explanations of social behaviour are sought after.

Yin defines the case study research method “as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used.”

A description of the context without any theory linkage; narratives without any dilemma or research question; simply describing the context without any issue to probe; an autobiography without any learning; a problem solving or a decision focused applied scene without any protagonist; teaching Cases in which the identity of the firm is disguised; teaching cases in which the alternatives (options) to solve the dilemma is not given; teaching cases with extensive literature review; a single phenomenon based case study research in which literature review is done to establish the knowledge gap instead of understanding the phenomenon itself; a prescriptive list of recommendations without the support of theory; a case written with secondary sources of data but with insufficient citations; hypotheses based empirical studies; collections and presentations of news items without probing a phenomenon are NOT cases. ICMC and SAJBMC do not accept such cases.

Not all cases can be published

Authors must understand that clientele of a research journal are matured and more informed readers spread across diverse continents. Seldom the readers are students of postgraduate management class. So, a case on capital budgeting or financial ratios may be used very effectively in a class but will not be accepted for publication in a journal because the readers are more knowledgeable than students. For any research to get published has to pass through the triple sieves of relevancy, rigour and wider appeal.

How to Approach Writing a Case Study Research

(Following section is inspired by this shared open access resource: Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

Following link offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a case study research paper in the social and behavioral sciences: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/casestudy

Accessed on 13th April 2020)

Identifying a case to investigate involves more than choosing the research problem. A case study encompasses a problem contextualized around the application of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion, often resulting in specific recommendations for action or for improving existing conditions. As Seawright and Gerring note, practical considerations such as time and access to information can influence case selection, but these issues should not be the sole factors used in describing the methodological justification for identifying a particular case to study. Given this, selecting a case includes considering the following five directions of inquiry:

1.????Does the case represent an unusual or atypical example of a research problem that requires more in-depth analysis?

o??Cases often represent a topic that rests on the fringes of prior investigations because the case may provide new ways of understanding the research problem.

o??If the research problem is to identify strategies to improve policies that support girl's access to secondary education in India

o??Comparative case studies can be performed in

§?One urban and one rural community

§?In India and the other in a country with better access

o??Doing so may reveal important new insights

o??May recommend how government can formulate policies that support improved access to education for girls

2.????Does the case provide important insight or illuminate a previously hidden problem?

o??In-depth analysis of a case can be based on the hypothesis that it will reveal

§?trends or issues that have not been exposed in prior research

§?new and important implications for practice

o??Anecdotal evidence may suggest a pattern of

§?Access to education for the children of migrant workers and roles of father/mother

§?Integration of children of acquitted female jail inmates – the influence of father or mother

3.????Does the case challenge and offer a counter-point to prevailing assumptions?

o??Research on any given topic can fall into a trap of developing assumptions based on outdated?studies

o??Davis in 1989 used TAM to explain computer usage behavior

o??At present across all segments of society technology awareness and adoption are at a much higher level

o??If the research problem is to find out why the usage of mobile or Internet banking is very low, TAM may not be the right model

o??Case studies may be designed with diffusion theory, push-pull or migration theories to uncover the reasons for resistance to use?

?4.????Does the case provide an opportunity to pursue action leading to the resolution of a problem?

o??Take the case of closing the loop for assessing the Assurance of Learning (AOL)

o??A critical evaluation of the situation may help in developing a better understanding of the hindrances in student learning

o??In the next cycle, the hindrances may be removed or overcome to achieve a higher level of student learning outcome

5.????Does the case offer a new direction in future research?

o??A case study can be used as a tool for an exploratory investigation that highlights a need for further examination of the research problem

o??To investigate why some farmer producer firms perform better than others case studies can be used to understand why and how cohesive cooperative teams get formed

o??This knowledge can then be applied in other cases?