Beyond theory? The workplace case study tradition in the 21st century

McGovern, Patrick ORCID: 0000-0003-3984-2080 (2020) Beyond theory? The workplace case study tradition in the 21st century. Industrial Relations Journal, 51 (3). pp. 136-152. ISSN 0019-8692

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Abstract

Workplace case studies have been valued by some for their ability to advance theory while others dismiss them as little more than descriptive stories. This paper presents a detailed content analysis of case study articles to assess the relative balance between theory, conceptual analysis and description. Drawing on a random sample of papers (n = 173) published in leading journals I find that fewer than one in seven are descriptive papers though fewer than one in ten are theory-oriented. Using three criteria I identify exemplars of theoretical and conceptual analysis and show how these may be used to advance the field.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14682338
Additional Information:	© 2020 Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Divisions:	Sociology
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date Deposited:	03 Apr 2020 08:15
Last Modified:	11 Sep 2025 10:14
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/103950

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