A management case study is an in-depth study of a project, challenge, or phenomenon within a business. By focusing on real-world examples, management case studies allow researchers to explore how businesses actually operate, revealing the systems, behaviors, and choices that drive success...or lead to failure. In this guide, we’re taking a closer look at the core purpose of management case studies, the different approaches you can take, and scenarios where case study research is helpful.

The Purpose of Case Study Research in Business and Academia

The main goal of case study research is to gain an in-depth understanding of how and why things happen in the real world. Unlike other research methods that examine variables in controlled environments, case studies focus on real-life settings involving real people.

Case Studies in Business

In business, case studies are useful for examining how certain strategies succeed (or fail) in practice. For example, a company might conduct a case study to explore how a regional office managed a digital transformation project, or how an engineering team solved a technical problem. This is helpful for identifying best practices, understanding decision-making processes, and uncovering the human factors that influenced any particular outcome.

Case Studies in Academic Research

In academia, case studies follow a more formal data collection process, but they still examine real-life scenarios. For example, in fields like clinical medicine, researchers often rely on case study design to understand complex phenomena, such as patient recovery patterns or the effectiveness of a new treatment, with the ultimate goal being to connect academic theory with the real world.

Types of Management Case Studies

Not all case studies are designed in the same way. Here are three different types of management case studies. Each type offers a slightly different lens for understanding how organizations work.

1. Exploratory Case Studies

   Exploratory case studies are often used in the early stages of research to identify new theories, patterns, or research questions. For example, a management researcher may set out to analyze how startups navigate rapid growth. They could use an exploratory case study to observe how different leadership styles, funding strategies, or team structures influence a company’s ability to scale.

2. Descriptive Case Studies

   Descriptive case studies aim to provide a detailed, factual account of events that actually happened. For example, a management researcher could build a case study around how a company implemented a new performance management system. The primary goal of descriptive case studies is to focus on what happened by documenting key processes, decisions, and outcomes in a real-life context. The case study can then serve as a guide with practical insights and best practices.

3. Explanatory Case Studies

   Explanatory case studies focus on understanding why and how certain events occur in management settings. For example, an explanatory case study might analyze how a flexible working scheme affects employee engagement. This approach goes beyond simply describing what happened. Instead, explanatory case studies go deeper to investigate underlying causes and contextual factors.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Management Case Studies

Like any research method, case studies come with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a quick look at each.

Advantages of Case Study Research

Case studies...

• Look at real, actual events (not theoretical models).
• Provide a structure for examining complex situations, which can be difficult to capture with one-off surveys or experiments.
• Look at the big picture and providing contextual understanding of specific environments, organizational cultures, and processes.
• Are flexible and easy to adapt as new findings and insights emerge.
• Are practical and relevant for organizations looking to solve similar problems.

Disadvantages of Case Study Research

Case studies can also...

• Have limited generalizability, meaning they may not apply to broader populations or different contexts.
• Be time-consuming and take up a lot of resources.
• Be prone to researcher bias, which may interfere with how data is interpreted.
• Face issues with access to information, especially when organizations are unwilling or unable to share confidential or sensitive details.

When Management Case Studies are the Most Effective

So, when might a case study be the right research approach? Here are just a few example scenarios.

When to Use Management Case Studies
If You Need to...	Explanation	Example
Explore complex contemporary phenomena in a business environment.	Case studies are ideal for examining complex social phenomena that can’t always be researched with traditional quantitative methods or controlled experiments.	Studying how a global company manages cross-cultural communication.
Investigate specific instances or situations.	Case studies are useful for documenting and analyzing a particular case, project, or event that might have broader relevance.	Reviewing how a hospital implemented a new patient care model or how a university adapted its curriculum for remote learning.
Understand contextual factors related to a situation.	Case studies can examine how contextual factors (like culture, leadership style, or environment) influence outcomes.	Investigating how workplace culture affects employee retention or how local regulations impact a business’s ability to expand into new markets.
Gain a holistic understanding of a particular phenomenon.	Case studies allow you to combine multiple data sources (such as interviews, user surveys, and reports) to get a complete picture of what’s occurred.	Combining interviews with sales data, customer feedback, and internal performance metrics to measure the success of a new product range.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, the purpose of a management case study is to uncover what happened, why it happened, and what the world can learn from it. These insights can then be used by leaders and organizations to make better, more informed decisions in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions About Management Case Studies

1. Are case studies a form of qualitative research?

   Yes. However, case study research often combines both qualitative data and quantitative data. This mixed-method approach allows researchers to capture measurable outcomes and all the additional insights from contextual factors (like behaviors and culture) that influence those outcomes.

2. Can case study findings be applied to other contexts?

   Sometimes. However, because each case study focuses on a specific context, the findings may not always be universally applicable.

3. What are some examples of case studies within healthcare systems?

   Case studies in healthcare environments often examine how hospitals or clinics improve patient care or implement new technologies. For example, researchers might analyze how a hospital reduced wait times or introduced a new electronic health record system.