CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
4.3 R ESEARCH S TYLE
This study used a case study style. In this section, a case study style is unpacked discussing the types of case studies including critical, descriptive, multiple and single. The benefits and drawbacks of this style are highlighted later in the discussion. The case study style was used in this study to investigate the experiences of women who are recipients of the Inhlanyelo Fund. Case studies are a qualitative research style. A case study is a broad term that refers to an investigation of a person, group, or event (Sturman, 1997). It is a detailed description of a single case and its analysis, including case features and events, as well as a description of the process of discovering these features, which is the research process itself (Mesec, 1998). The unit of analysis, the study procedure, and the result or outcome all have their own aspects for the case study (Merriam, 2009). It is a comprehensive investigation that investigates an
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existing phenomenon within its real-world context, particularly when the boundaries between the phenomenon and the context are ambiguous (Harling, 2012). The case study is a useful style for understanding cases and exploring a situation in order to comprehend it (Cousin, 2005). From a postpostivist perspective, the purpose of a case study is to gather basic initial data that could be used to identify a particular question for a larger study (Yin, 2009). A case study answers the "how" or "why" questions about a current set of events over which the investigator has little or no control (Creswell, 2015). According to Yin (2009), a case study is a type of observational study that focuses on data collection from a single or multiple case of occurrences. It is defined by the interest in a single case or a series of cases rather than the method of investigation (Creswell, 2015).
A case study has been labelled as an intensive, systematic exploration of a single individual, group, community or certain units to discover in-depth data relating to numerous variables, (Singleton & Straight, 2010). Different case studies are used in qualitative approaches and are categorised as types of case studies for example, exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory and critical case studies (Crowe et al., 2011).
An exploratory case study is used if the researcher is seeking to answer questions that explain the presumed casual links in real-life interventions that are complex and cannot be tested because there is no single set of results (Yin, 2003). This kind of study is not designed to produce detailed data from which any conclusion could be drawn, but its nature is simply exploratory.
Critical case studies are used to examine situations of distinctive interest or to challenge a universal or generalized belief. In such studies, they may create new or challenge previously held assertions.
A descriptive case study is used to describe an intervention or phenomenon and the real-life context in which it occurred (Merriam, 2009). The descriptive case study is used to explain or describe an event or situation in such a way that participants can become familiar with the topic investigated and possibly become acquainted with the terminology associated with the topic. It uses a single or multiple case studies. A multiple case study permits the researcher to explore differences within and between cases. The main aim is to replicate the outcome across cases. Because comparisons will be drawn, it is imperative that the cases are chosen carefully so that the researcher can predict similar outcomes across cases, or predict distinct findings based on a theory (Yin, 2003).
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At the same time, a case study should not be seen as a method in itself, rather it is a planned frame that may incorporate a number of methods. Simons (2009) concurs with Stake’s (2005) idea that a case study is not a methodological choice but rather a choice of what is to be investigated. Thus, a case study was appropriate for understanding the women’s different experiences of the Inhlanyelo Fund. Stake (2005) states that a case study enables an analysis, holistically, analytically, hermeneutically, and culturally of each case whether using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. I have employed a case study as it has been influenced by the interpretative paradigm, and qualitative approach used in this study.
The difference between a single case study and multiple case studies is that in multiple cases studies can be used to compare findings (Yin, 2003). The strength of multiple case studies is that they create more convincing theories when the suggestions are more intensively
grounded in numerous empirical evidences. Multiple cases allow wider exploration of research questions and theoretical evolution (Eisenhardt & Greebner, 2007). Multiple case studies, however, can be extremely expensive and time consuming to implement (Baxter &
Jack, 2008). The more case studies a scientific researcher has, the less observation time the researcher has to study the phenomenon (Dyer & Wilkins, 1991). Single case studies are sometimes more useful than multiple cases because a single case can be more in-depth and focus on theory. If an investigator wants to use a single case study or to study one single thing, such as a person from a specific group or a single group of people, a single case study is the best choice (Yin, 2014). For these reasons I decided on a single case study where the case is the group of 10 women participating in the Inhlanyelo Fund.
This study uses a single case of the exploratory style which has power and ability to look at sub-units that are located within a broader case (Yin, 2003). In this study, the case is the Inhlanyelo Fund where I have explored women’s experiences. A case study style is used because it fits a qualitative approach and an interpretivist paradigm. However, in order to know how to deal with the limitations, I discuss its strengths and weaknesses.
4.3.1 Limitations of a Case Study
A case study has unique data which means that it is not able to be duplicated. Case studies have a certain level of subjectivity and researcher bias may be problematic. Because of the in- depth nature of the data, it is not possible to conduct the research on a large scale. There are concerns about the validity, reliability, and generalization of the results (Lawrence et al., 2015).
87 4.3.2 Strength of a Case Study
Case studies are more flexible than other types of research because of their ability to discover and explore as the research develops (Simons, 2009). The different stories collected through the interviews with the participants provided in-depth information. This created in-depth content. I used multiple data collection sources and gained a complete picture as the data was collected in their real-life setting. I was able to study and analyse situations, events and behaviours that could not be created in a laboratory setting.
I opted to use a case study style because it was suitable for the purpose of exploring learning of women in the Inhlanyelo Fund. This style also fits my interpretative paradigm and a qualitative approach. I used the case study style in this study because it is well suited to answering the research questions properly and sufficiently. The study focuses on explaining and describing rather than on prediction (Merriam, 1988). The strong point of the case study style is that it allows for the examination of the phenomenon in depth using several kinds of evidence obtained from interviews with the participants, through observation of events, analysis of documents and objects (Yin, 2003). It allows for practical investigation of phenomenon within its real-life context, more so when the limitations between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. The purpose of using a case study was to get in-depth detailed information about the women who benefited from the fund and how they improved their lives through access to credit.