Case study research is qualitative research that focuses on investigating a specific problem, situation, or phenomenon. A case study research example design usually involves an in-depth, multi-faceted investigation of a single event, person, group, or organization. The case study research method involves interviews, observing the subject of interest, and analyzing documents.
A case study is often used when many variables at work cannot be easily quantified or studied in a controlled experiment. This type of research is particularly well suited for social science fields such as business management, marketing, human resources and psychology. It can also be used in other fields, such as law and medicine, to describe and solve specific problems. A case study researcher may have one primary goal in mind or conduct the research to gather data for a larger study.
A case study researcher typically begins with a hypothesis and then collects relevant data through interviews, observation, historical documents and other sources. The findings are analyzed statistically to test the original hypothesis or used as a basis for further investigation. A case study is generally quite detailed because it focuses on one particular individual or group; however, it can also be extended to include several similar cases with common characteristics. In this way, a case study can be used to investigate trends and general patterns.
Understanding With Examples
Case Study #1: PepsiCo, Inc. (P)
In this first case study, we will learn about the challenges faced by PepsiCo and how they plan to overcome them in the future. The company is a multinational manufacturer and distributor of beverages and food products with over 100 brands worldwide and net revenues of $15 billion in 2010.
- The Problem: Despite its dominance in the global soft drink market and success with other product lines, PepsiCo is facing some major challenges. The first challenge PepsiCo faces is a growing health consciousness among consumers worldwide. Consumers are more likely to choose healthy foods over unhealthy ones, which puts PepsiCo at a disadvantage compared to competitors such as Coca-Cola (KO). Another challenge for PepsiCo is its need to increase capital expenditure to maintain and grow its product line. However, they are currently experiencing difficulties due to a decrease in cash flows and an increase in debt levels over the past few years.
- The Solution: PepsiCo has taken steps towards addressing these issues, including increasing spending on R&D, launching new products and reducing costs by closing down some manufacturing plants and cutting jobs. The company plans to reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 through increased use of solar power at certain manufacturing plants.
Benefits of Conducting Case Study Research
The following are a few advantages of conducting case study research:
- Case study research is often conducted by business managers or marketing professionals who need information about the success or failure of particular products or services to make decisions about future investments. A case study researcher may also be called upon to identify ways companies can improve their products or services to increase profits.
- Case studies are often used to identify problems in the workplace and find ways to correct them. Human resource managers may interview employees, supervisors and executives to determine what went wrong and why. They can also use case study research to help predict future behaviour based on past events or discover reasons for current trends.
- A sociologist conducting case study research may be interested in learning more about a particular social problem or how people interact within their environment. This research can also be used to test a theory or hypothesis about society. The results of a case study can help decide the best course of action to take in order to improve society as a whole.
Conclusion
From the above, you may have gotten an idea of what is case study research and how we approach it with an example of PepsiCo. AssignmentsHelp can even provide a non-AI case study research by its experts. The research, case study writing, including both problem statement and solution statement and the analysis will be done their professionals at an affordable price.