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Case studies: Research and link to theory

Begin your research with information from your course, for example: lectures, course notes and readings.

Research the specific issues you identified to find additional academic and authoritative sources to support your analysis of the case. As your understanding of the topic develops, your research becomes more focused and effective.

For more information about using the library search tools and study guides, go to Library orientation.

The next step is to link the identified problems to theory. In fact, integrating theory into your case study answer is vital. It allows you to:

  • establish how theory relates to the actual issues/problems
  • demonstrate your understanding of your course content.

How to map case evidence to relevant theory

Use a simple strategy such as a table to organise evidence from the case and link it to the broader problem or issue the evidence describes.

This will help you target your research to relevant theory, models or practice which are directly linked to your case evidence.

Your research will also help you select appropriate solutions to the problems that you first identified.

The following example uses information from a management case study.

Evidence Problem Relevant theory Solution
CEO

  • Office location on top floor
  • 'mythical figure'
  • Focussed on results
  • HealthCo is 'his baby'
 CEO leadership style

  • 'autocratic'
  • Weber (Bureaucratic management)
    (Houghton 2010)
  • Taylor (Scientific theory of management)
    (Van Vugt et al. 2004
  • No respect for staff ('only a number')
  • No rewards ... only punishment ('super snoops')
  • No initiative allowed
    • staff leaving
 Management culture

  • 'distrustful'
  • controlling
  • Mechanistic
  • Autocratic leadership style
    (Bass & Bass 2008)
  • Communication 'top down'
 Communication

  • memos only
  • Impersonal communication style
    (De Hoog et al. 2015)

Example case study

The example from the following management case study shows how the student has identified an issue based on actual examples from the case. They have then used theory to explain how this behaviour affects the organisation. Note how the student has used only one issue in their paragraph, which is a good model to follow.

Case study

2. Discussion

2.1 Identification of issues and problems
A major problem for HealthCo is its organisational culture, typified by the CEO's autocratic leadership style. This is demonstrated in HealthCo's management of its frontline staff, which includes standardisation of work methods, enforced cooperation, and the belief that money is the only motivation for employees. Taylor's (2021) scientific management theory describes this leadership style as being characterised by control of decision making and domination (Devi & Dubois 2022), and is most often found in organisations with a rigidly defined hierarchy. Although Taylor believed that control and enforcement are required to ensure the most effective and efficient completion of tasks, this management style has been criticised for often causing resentment, low morale and lack of innovation in employees (Akass 2020). These are all issues that have led to the current situation at HealthCo and, as a consequence, will limit the company's ability to remain an industry leader.

Further resources

Integrating references

Not sure how to introduce the ideas of other workers in your work? This page has you covered.

Writing paragraphs

Learn how to structure paragraphs effectively using the TEEL method.

Keywords