This article discusses the research strategy of theory building from cases, particularly multiple cases. Such a strategy involves using one or more cases to create theoretical constructs, propositions, and/or midrange theory from case-based, empirical evidence. Replication logic means that each case serves as a distinct experiment that stands on its own merits as an analytic unit. The frequent use of case studies as a research strategy has given rise to some challenges that can be mitigated by the use of very precise wording and thoughtful research design.

Theory Building From Cases: Opportunities And Challenges

We will review some of the major results in random graphs and some of the more challenging open problems. We will cover algorithmic and structural questions. We will touch on newer models, including those related to the WWW.

Random graphs

This article presents some helpful suggestions on how researchers can write an interesting and convincing paper based on case-based research. A single case study, unless the subject is extremely interesting, will be hard to make interesting enough to hold readers' attention. Case-based research is often criticized for having a biased sample of cases. The main object of case studies should be to provoke thought and new ideas, rather than to poke holes in existing theories. Theories are only simplifications of a much more complex reality.

Persuasion with case studies

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The Theory of Industrial Organization

Exploration and exploitation have emerged as the twin concepts underpinning organizational adaptation research, yet some central issues related to them remain ambiguous. We address four related que...

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The interplay between exploration and exploitation

Using a data set comprising almost all equity and bond funds in existence in 1996, we find that fund providers shift advertising and distribution expenses via so-called 12b-1 fees onto fund shareholders. It is further shown that bond funds with 12b-1 fees are more risky, while having similar returns, than bond funds without 12b-1 fees. Lastly, we find that fund providers shift part of their research expenses onto fund shareholders by generating soft dollars (rebates in form of research services provided by brokers in return for excess commissions paid by fund providers) and not reducing explicit fees.

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Expense Shifting: An Empirical Study of Agency Costs in the Mutual Fund Industry

While the effects of focus have been studied primarily in the context of diversification across industries, a study of focus within one industry can further our understanding of the drivers that underlie focus effects. In particular, we study the effects of focus in the mutual fund industry. We find that funds belonging to more focused fund families outperform similar funds in more diversified families. Moreover, it is the relatedness among funds within a family, rather than the mere narrowness of product offering, which is responsible for this positive focus effect. Total cash inflows into fund families are, however, negatively affected by family focus. Since focus boosts the return of individual funds but reduces the scale of the total fund family, and thereby the fees that fund families receive, the interests of fund shareholders and the incentives of the owners of mutual fund families are potentially in conflict.

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Why Focus? A Study of Intra-Industry Focus Effects

Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage

Complexity and Competitive Advantage

This special issue is devoted to exploring new methods for addressing questions in strategic management. This introduction synthesizes the collective contribution of the articles for strategy research. The articles draw on methods from other fields, extending and adapting them to address strategy questions. The innovations provide new, different, or more nuanced measures and findings as compared to prior research. We conclude by discussing more general implications for scholarship in strategic management. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nicolaj Siggelkow

Papers

Expense Shifting: An Empirical Study of Agency Costs in the Mutual Fund Industry

Why Focus? A Study of Intra-Industry Focus Effects

Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage

Complexity and Competitive Advantage

Question-based innovations in strategy research methods