Infusing Yourself into the Backstory: A Multidimensional Case Study Perspective

Infusing Yourself into the Backstory: A Multidimensional Case Study Perspective

Renée L. Cambiano, Pamela Carter Speaks, Ronald M. Cambiano
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 27
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1837-2.ch048
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Abstract

The Ubiquitous Infusion Thinking (UIT) strategy is an innovative action strategy evidenced by the weaving of cognitive and affective thinking into organizational theories that serve to shape the understanding of multidimensional threads and themes that emerge in the problem-solving analysis of complex problems, situations, and/or dilemmas used in a multidimensional case study perspective. The UIT strategy utilizes a focus-refocus-focus–visualize-interpret technique allowing the researcher to engage the power of emotions by stepping in and out of a situation, observing, and then stepping back to acquaint and reacquaint the actions taking place in the setting, permitting clear thinking to emerge. There are four phases: Ubiquitous Investigation, Shaping One's Understanding, Building the Backstory, and Action. This chapter walks the researcher through the historical case study research methodology and the Multidimensional Perspective to case study research using ubiquitous infusion thinking strategy.
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Historical Approach To Case Study Research

Case studies are pertinent when your research addresses either a descriptive question “What is happening or has happened?”— or an explanatory question —“How or why did something happen?” (Yin, 2012, p. 5).

Most of the time, researchers seek the answers to problems under two branches of research: quantitative and qualitative. In fact in many venues, the quantitative and qualitative conversation/argument on how to best find the answers to problems is quite heated and the research questions drive the research. Quantitative research is statistically based, numerical, factual and non-interactive. Some types of quantitative research are experimental, quasi experimental, causal-comparative, and survey. Qualitative research according to Merriam, (2009) includes “four major characteristics: focus on the understanding meaning of experience; the researcher is the primary instrument in data collection and analysis; the strategy is inductive; and rich description characterizes the end product” (p. 19). Some types of qualitative research are naturalistic, case study, ethnography, grounded theory and phenomenology. Data are often collected through interviews, observations, focus groups and document analysis (see Table 1).

Table 1.
Two branches of research
QuantitativeQualitative
Based on induction and logical positivismFocused on understanding
ControlledNaturalistic observation
ObjectiveSubjective
Inferences beyond dataInferences of data
Solid repeatable dataData are rich & deep
GeneralizableNot generalizable
ParticularisticHolistic
Static RealityDynamic reality
InductiveDeductive

Source: López, Luis, & Hernández (2011)

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