Case study research with moderate constructionism: Conceptualization and practical illustration

This paper develops a case study approach that builds on the foundations of moderate constructionism and abduction. We discuss the case study method and its role in industrial marketing, especially in business-to-business networks. Moderate constructionism is compared with realist, critical realist, and relativist approaches. We argue that moderate constructionism takes better into account the multiple constructed, community-bounded realities that all case studies inevitably deal with. The power of moderate constructionism to produce valid and generalizable new knowledge is critically assessed. We also address abduction in relation to induction and deduction and its role in the moderate constructionist research approach. Finally, we develop a process model, illustrated by a case study of a specific network in the pharmaceutical industry.     

Testing management theories: critical realist philosophy and research methods

This study identifies the practical and philosophical difficulties associated with testing strategic management and organization theories. Working from a critical realist perspective, we affirm the importance of falsification and verification efforts for progress in theory development. We advocate a four‐step approach for advancing theory testing that prioritizes identifying and testing for the presence and effects of hypothesized causal mechanisms, rather than solely focusing on correlational methods to jointly test the set of effects composing a theoretical system. Going beyond prior critical realist writings, we provide practical guidance for deploying established research methods to test management theories. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Critical meta-analysis of servitization research: Constructing a model-narrative to reveal paradigmatic assumptions

The literature on servitization in the manufacturing context has grown rapidly. This study is the first systematic analysis of the paradigmatic assumptions of servitization research. Considering scientific research as a rhetorical activity, this study introduces the methododological approach to industrial marketing management research. This systematic review identifies both stylistic and structural aspects characterizing servitization research. The current review is based on a representative sample of 55 articles covering marketing, management, operations, innovation, and entrepreneurship research. The review discovered four paradigmatic assumptions that guide servitization research: 1) alignment to the Western narrative of constant development; 2) realist ontology; 3) positivist epistemology; and 4) managerialism. Following these findings, the study develops alternative directions for servitization research to challenge these paradigmatic dominances. The refined method of the model-narrative has the potential to generate insightful future research in the field of industrial marketing management. As an effective approach to analyzing research streams systematically, it facilitates critical meta-level reflection on servitization and could be widely applied beyond that topic.     

Behavioral assumptions and theory development: the case of transaction cost economics

From a critical realist perspective, I discuss the role played by behavioral assumptions in organization theories, and use transaction cost economics as an illustrative example. Core behavioral assumptions often constitute the foundation of the mechanismic explanations of a theory, and thus should play a pivotal role in theory development. I distinguish between assumption‐based and assumption‐omitted theory testing, and show that empirical research in transaction cost economics has been dominated by assumption‐omitted testing. To establish a solid foundation for a new theory, management researchers should pay more attention to assumption‐based testing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Generating new service ideas: the use of hybrid innovation tools to reflect functional heterogeneity of services

In many cases, new services are developed based on incremental innovation. Thus, how to identify functional characteristics and how to differentiate new service development are two critical questions. However, previous research has ignored the functional heterogeneity of service when using innovation tools for new service development. In response, we suggest a hybrid approach to differentiating the method of generating new service ideas. A Kano model is first employed to identify whether functional characteristics are core or peripheral, after which different methods are applied for each function. For core functions, a case‐based reasoning approach is used, which focuses on identifying similarity; for peripheral functions, we suggest instead a modified zigzagging approach to identify creative functions. To present the working of proposed approach, we conducted a case study using Appstore application, IreaditNow, and show how to generate alternatives for both core services and peripheral services.     

Re-appraising interaction and process for industrial network research: The future plunging mirror hall metaphor

Constructivist and realist research is undertaken in the business relationship and network approach of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group. These two divergent research perspectives seek a different form of contextual understanding vs. general knowledge. They are not incommensurable as one can gain insights from the other. But a researcher must know and understand both perspectives and sometimes be able to see when a writer is playing almost a middle ground to make a specific point. To provide a broader understanding of the ontological distinctions and their ramifications for researching and translating meanings concerning business networks we introduce the temporal mirror hall metaphor. We propose that: (i) researchers should avoid reading and understanding only a single research perspective, (ii) research is a social temporal process embedded in a research community, (iii) understanding different researcher perspectives is necessary for a constructivist scholar working in a world of realist education, and (iv) realist researchers need constructivist research to change and develop systematized theories. The paper extends specific advice to constructivist researchers undertaking longitudinal studies of interaction in business networks. Realist researchers will find intriguing the comparisons and refractions, as well as illusions, in the temporalities of the mirror hall.     

A radical constructivist approach to boundaries in business network research

We contribute to the business network literature by presenting and introducing a radical constructivist research approach, in which we foreground sharing the context of an actor's understanding of interaction. We elaborate the approach by illuminating the problematic issue of boundaries in business network research. We conceptualize boundaries as inter-action spaces and times where differences are created, maintained and changed in a physical-social setting. We make a distinction between boundaries and borders, with the latter being simply representations. We undertake a review of select realist and social constructivist business network literature to distinguish and elaborate the potential of a radical constructivist perspective, as an alternative approach. The approach appears most useful when the researcher and interview participant do not have a convergent understanding of the research phenomenon. Further, a radical constructivist approach is eminently suitable for settings where inter-action conditions and content are changing, for example in times of crisis or network change. We present the metaphors of castles and frontiers, as illustrative research tools suitable for a radical constructivist study of boundaries in business networks.     

The multiplicity of organizing visions

Research has shown that information systems adoption decisions are often influenced by organizing visions. Organizing visions provide a legitimation for technology related decision-making and involve a range of influences and perceptions from consultants, industry bodies, policy makers and other firms. This paper is concerned with identifying the mechanisms that underlie the structure of an organizing vision. A range of case studies and a morphogenetic approach, underpinned by critical realist philosophy, are used to demonstrate how organizations respond to organizing visions and how different response communities emerge. We identify and explain the characteristics of the shaper, resistor, coerced, follower and ambivalent communities, their relationship with an organizing vision and the importance of pre-existing conditions.     

Critical realism and constructivism in strategy research: toward a synthesis

We agree with Kwan and Tsang (2001) that critical realism represents an important point of epistemological departure from mainstream realism, and that it has the potential to inform strategy research. To that end, Kwan and Tsang's argument for a critical realist perspective is valid. There however exist substantial nontrivial differences between constructivism and critical realism. While critical realism contests some of the default assumptions of empiricism and realism which treat social systems as closed systems, it is still predicated upon an inherent order of things that is graspable by research. Constructivism instead focuses on the manner in which researchers constitute theories in the act of describing them. This important distinction makes constructivism far more of a departure from empiricism than critical realism, and therefore it has a different set of implications for strategy research. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Collaborating for New Product Development: Selecting the Partner with Maximum Potential to Create Value

The partner selection process in the formation stages of collaborative new product development (NPD) is a neglected topic. The present study investigated the partner selection processes to ascertain the potential of creating competitively advantageous products through collaboration. The goal was to develop a process theory of partner selection for collaborative NPD alliances using a theory development approach. The literatures on NPD, interfirm knowledge transfer and generation, and interorganizational relationships were tapped. These literatures motivated the approach and the research questions. Parallel with the analysis of the literature, a series of case study interviews were conducted with managers currently in collaborative dyads. Managers' inputs were used (1) to guide the theory development process and (2) to validate the relevance of the literature-based assertions. The method of narrative analysis for building theory from case studies was adopted: Multiple indicators were collapsed into single constructs, and recurring sequences or divergences were analyzed. This resulted in the unveiling of phases in the partner selection process. The study's findings suggest that technological alignment of the partners triggered the partner-evaluation process. This phase was followed, in order, by the strategic alignment and relational alignment phases. These later phases were as important as the initial phase in ensuring the transfer and integration of critical know-how and in creating product value through collaboration. In addition to clarifying the definition of codevelopment alliances, this study reveals a comprehensive theoretical model of the technological, strategic, and relational aspects of partner selection in codevelopment alliances, as well as the order in which these aspects are practiced.     

Sense and sensibility: Two approaches for using existing theory in theory-building qualitative research

The paper addresses the role and use of theory in theory-building case research. How to use existing theory in theory-building efforts is a crucial, yet somewhat overlooked challenge within qualitative research. On that background, the purpose of the paper is to explore, compare and discuss two distinct approaches for using existing theory and developing theoretical awareness in theory-building case studies. Upon discussing the role and use of theory in case study research in general, we identify two approaches for drawing on pre-existing theory, labeled the in vivo approach and the ex ante approach. The in vivo approach takes departure in a single theoretical framework, anchored in a single paradigm, and the aim of theory-building is to gradually deepen, refine and complement this framework. The ex ante approach suggests that researchers should look for paradox in the form of theoretical tensions and use these to develop theory, meaning that researchers should develop an elaborate theoretical understanding of meta-theoretical stances and use these to generate different readings of the case material, subsequently prioritizing and integrating them into a coherent pattern.     

New Product Development Practices and Early‐Stage Firms: Two In‐Depth Case Studies

New product development practices (NPD) have been well studied for decades in large, established companies. Implementation of best practices such as predevelopment market planning and cross‐functional teams have been positively correlated with product and project success over a variety of measures. However, for small new ventures, field research into ground‐level adoption of NPD practices is lacking. Because of the risks associated with missteps in new product development and the potential for firm failure, understanding NPD within the new venture context is critical. Through in‐depth case research, this paper investigates two successful physical product‐based early‐stage firms' development processes versus large established firm norms. The research focuses on the start‐up adoption of commonly prescribed management processes to improve NPD, such as cross‐functional teams, use of market planning during innovation development, and the use of structured processes to guide the development team. This research has several theoretical implications. The first finding is that in comparing the innovation processes of these firms to large, established firms, the study found several key differences from the large firm paradigm. These differences in development approach from what is prescribed for large, established firms are driven by necessity from a scarcity of resources. These new firms simply did not have the resources (financial or human) to create multi‐ or cross‐functional teams or organizations in the traditional sense for their first product. Use of virtual resources was pervasive. Founders also played multiple roles concurrently in the organization, as opposed to relying on functional departments so common in large firms. The NPD process used by both firms was informal—much more skeletal than commonly recommended structured processes. The data indicated that these firms put less focus on managing the process and more emphasis on managing their goals (the main driver being getting the first product to market). In addition to little or no written procedures being used, development meetings did not run to specific paper‐based deliverables or defined steps. In terms of market and user insight, these activities were primarily performed inside the core team—using methods that again were distinctive in their approach. What drove a project to completion was relying on team experience or a “learn as you go approach.” Again, the driver for this type of truncated market research approach was a lack of resources and need to increase the project's speed‐to‐market. Both firms in our study were highly successful, from not only an NPD efficiency standpoint but also effectiveness. The second broad finding we draw from this work is that there are lessons to be learned from start‐ups for large, established firms seeking ever‐increasing efficiency. We have found that small empowered teams leading projects substantial in scope can be extremely effective when roles are expanded, decision power is ground‐level, and there is little emphasis on defined processes. This exploratory research highlights the unique aspects of NPD within small early‐stage firms, and highlights areas of further research and management implications for both small new ventures and large established firms seeking to increase NPD efficiency and effectiveness.     

From complexity to transparency: managing the interplay between theory, method and empirical phenomena in IMM case studies

Theory, method and empirical phenomena are the three cornerstones of research. In this paper we contemplate the interplay between them when case research in industrial marketing is concerned. Developments in research depend on what empirical phenomena we are able to capture, how theories are developed to understand and explain these phenomena and what methods we use and/or develop in the process. While the emphasis is often put on one of these aspects alone, this paper focuses on the links and interplay between theory, case method and empirical phenomena in the development of research in industrial marketing. Specifically, we seek to provide common ground between orthodox (deductive) and unorthodox (abductive) approaches to managing the interplay by making a pragmatic call for transparency in research procedures. In this endeavour we use the papers included in this special issue as examples of various aspects of this interplay. We conclude by suggesting that there is a gamut of approaches possible to case research in industrial marketing, each with its specific links to theory and empirical phenomena, and that this is promising for the development of research in the field, as long as it helps reduce, rather than increase, the complexity of the case studied.     

案例研究方法价值提升路径研究

以工商管理学为研究场域，基于案例研究方法价值论的正反双方激辩，阐述案例研究方法价值论悖论。集中针对批判学派批评焦点进行反驳，提出案例研究方法价值提升的两条路径和对策：在认知层面上，通过对案例研究方法发展史的考察，例证了案例研究方法对工商管理学科理论发展所做出的贡献，强化了看待案例研究方法的价值观；在方法论的层面上，提出了提升案例研究方法过程及结论严谨性的理念及测度方向。     

Internal multi-channel conflict: An exploratory investigation and conceptual framework

Multi-channel distribution is an increasingly important phenomenon in marketing, and the internal organizational dynamics associated with its use are strategically critical in nature. In this study, we focus on conflict internal to the supplier firm among the groups and individuals responsible for managing the various channels. We utilize a research approach consisting of four in-depth case studies with business-to-business marketing organizations to develop a holistic conceptual framework of internal multi-channel conflict and fourteen propositions for research. Results indicate that the life cycle stage plays a moderating role in determining the functionality of multi-channel conflict, that the supplier firm's internal market orientation is a determinant of the extent to which it will engage in internal multi-channel integration behaviors (i.e., superordinate goals, internal coordination and internal communication) and that internal and external multi-channel conflict are closely interrelated constructs.     

Critical path method for introducing an industrial product

New product development continues to be a vital evil for most organizations. Considerable attention has been directed toward this function in the consumer goods field but relatively little research has been directed toward this critical task for producers of industrial goods. Industrial goods marketing managers seem to agree that error at the announcement/ introduction phase of the new product development process is responsible for the greatest number of new product failures. This article suggests use of the critical path method to ensure success at this crucial stage.     

Marketing capabilities and innovation-based strategies for environmental sustainability: An exploratory investigation of B2B firms

While emerging literature on sustainability shows that environmentally responsible strategies can contribute to competitive advantage and enhanced financial performance, little is known about specific marketing capabilities that lead to sustainable consumption behavior, and whether implementing such strategies leads to firm competitive advantage. Using the case method approach, this study explores marketing-related strategies and practices pertaining to sustainable consumption as reported by leading sustainable firms in the B2B context. We examine case studies of forty seven B2B firms and identify key marketing capabilities that tie to innovation-based sustainability strategies, sustainable consumption behavior and firm performance. We use our findings to develop a conceptual framework linking marketing capabilities to innovation strategies for firm sustainability, sustainable consumption behavior and firm competitive advantage, and put forward propositions for future research.     

Selling the Case for Gender Equality: Deregulation and Equality Bargaining

This article explores the implications of deregulation for gender equality. Comparative, outcomes-based analyses suggest that deregulated systems are characterized by inequality. A critical case study of British Gas is used here to evaluate the prospects for equality bargaining, that is the use of voluntary, joint regulation to further equality, in the wake of radical deregulation. Responsibility for equality in the workplace is found to have been privatized. The state as regulator has stood back and managers have reclaimed equality policy within managerial prerogative. Action on inequality has become conditional upon the existence of a business case, an approach that is insufficient for the task. Some re-regulation is required to help bargainers exploit fully the potential of joint regulation for equality.     

Food waste,catering practices and public procurement: A case study of hospital food systems in Wales

This article aims to address the need for more comprehensive studies on sustainable food systems through a case study of hospital food waste in Wales, UK. Based on a mixed-method research approach that focused on the links between hospital food waste, catering practices and public procurement strategies, the article shows that the hospital meal system, in the case studied, is responsible for overall levels of food waste that greatly exceed the official percentages provided by the Health Board. In addition to showing the theoretical benefits of research that accounts for the complex interrelations between different stages of the food chain, the study raises the need for a more integrated political approach that mobilizes all actors in the food system around a shared vision for sustainable development.