For marketing in turbulent times, an in-depth understanding of complex problems is invaluable. Case study research is well suited to investigating complexity (Eisenhardt, 1989; Yin, 2009) and generating context-dependent knowledge (Flyvebjerg, 2006) on which to base innovative strategies. In spite of these benefits, case study research has attracted criticisms. Reviewers, for example, have pointed to case study research where little insight has been provided (Beverland and Lindgreen, 2010; Dubé and Paré, 1999). To respond, case study researchers need to enhance the quality of the story whilst providing detail of careful analytical procedures (Eisenhardt, 1989), such as triangulation. The claims made for triangulation in establishing rigour in research are extensive and possibly even over-stated with Miles and Huberman (1994) referring to the powers of triangulations as talismanic—one assumes with a degree of irony. Case study researchers are nevertheless left in something of a quandary about the nature of the claims that they can make about the rigour of their research and how triangulation supports those claims. The purpose of this paper is therefore to investigate triangulation in case study research and generate insight into how to bolster claims for rigour.
Farquhar, JillianMichels, Nicolette
Oxford Brookes Business School
Year of publication: 2016Date of RADAR deposit: 2020-10-15
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