The role of context in case study selection

Author(s)
Konstantinos Poulis, Efthimios Poulis, Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki
Abstract

The extant methodological literature has challenged case selection in qualitative case study research for being arbitrary or relying too much on convenience logic. This paper aims to address parts of such criticism on the rigour of case selection through the presentation of a sampling framework that promotes contextualisation and thoroughness of sampling decisions in the study of international phenomena. This framework emerged from an inductive process following an actual case study project in international marketing and promotes the idea that context matters for sampling purposes, too. The proposed framework integrates methodological tools that complement the overarching principle of purposeful sampling and considers respective contextual challenges that the researchers encountered before and during fieldwork. It serves to highlight in an iterative fashion the role that context plays in the case selection process and the importance of contextualised sampling processes for qualitative case study research in international business.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
University of Essex, University of East Anglia, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Journal
International Business Review
Volume
22
Pages
304-314
No. of pages
11
ISSN
0969-5931
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2012.04.003
Publication date
02-2013
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
502016 SME-research
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Business and International Management, Finance, Marketing
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/36212b85-7fda-44ed-936c-eff8276088d5