HOW MANY OF CASES & UNITS OF ANALYSIS IN CASE STUDY

1)    Case – represents somehow the interesting topic of the study empirically (e.g. the role of the United States in the world economy)
2)    Unit of analysis – is the actual source of information: individual, organizational document, artifact, for example (e.g. the capital flow between countries, an economic policy)

1)    Cases:
A) Single cases – if case seems to represent a critical test to existing theory; rare or unique events -> Important to select case & unit of analysis properly
B) Multiple cases – if a “replication logic” is supposed to reveal support for theoretically
   Similar results
   Contrasting results for predictable reasons
-> Theoretical framework must identify clearly the conditions, when a particular phenomenon is likely to be found (i.) and when it is not likely (ii.)
-> Theoretical framework is the vehicle for generalizing to new cases; if empirical cases do not work as predicted, modifications must be made to the theory
-> Number of case replications depends upon the certainty wanted to achieve & richness of the underlying theoretical propositions

2) Units of analysis:
A) Holistic designs – include a single unit of analysis; if aim is to study the global nature of the phenomenon; when no logical sub-units can be pointed -> danger of abstractness
B) Embedded designs – include multiple units of analysis; study may include main & smaller units on different levels -> looking for consistent patterns of evidence across units, but within a case

Note: The flexibility of case study design is in selecting cases different from those initially identified, not in changing the purpose or objectives of the study to suit the cases

Thanks