Embedded Case Study Methods

Roland W. Scholz holds the Chair of Natural and Social Science Interface in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich, Switzerland). He is also adjunct professor (Privatdozent) of Psychology at the University of Zurich and from 2011 to 2013 he is extraordinary professor at the School of Management and Planning, Stellenbosch University (S.A.). Scholz graduated in Mathematics (Dipl.-Math.), Social Psychology (Dr. phil.), and Cognitive Psychology (Dr. phil. habil.). After specializing in game theory and decision sciences he switched to systems analysis, and environmental modeling, evaluation and risk assessment. Scholz was elected as the fifth holder of the King Carl XVI Gustaf's Professorship 2001/2002 hosted at the Center of Environment and Sustainability of Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenborg University (Sweden). Since 2002, he is speaking at the International Transdisciplinarity Network on Case Study Teaching (ITdNet). His work relates transdisciplinarity as a methodology of organizing sustainable transition processes and interdisciplinary research on inextricably coupled human-environment systems. Since 1994 Scholz has run large-scale transdisciplinary studies on sustainable transitions of urban and regional systems, organizational development, and of policy and decision processes.

1. Introduction Methods of Knowledge Integration Embedded Case Studies for Complex, Contextualized Problems Historical Landmarks PART I: CASE STUDY DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS 2. Types of Case Studies Design Motivation Epistemological Status Purpose Format Data Collection and Methods of Knowledge Integration 3. The Use of Case Studies in Different Disciplines Neuropsychology Educational Sciences Law Business Environmental Sciences 4. The Architecture of Knowledge Integration in Embedded Case Studies The Architecture of Embedded Case Studies Strategies of Synthesis The Brunswikian Lens Model Types of Knowledge Integration 5. The ETH-UNS Case Study Zurich North The Zurich North Case Case Prospects and History Understanding the Case Faceting the Case for Embedded Case Design Constraints of the Study Organizing the Study PART II: METHODS OF KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION 6. Overview 7. The Methods in Brief 8. How to Choose the Right Method PART III: THE METHODS IN DETAIL 9. Formative Scenario Analysis The Rationale The Method in Detail 10. System Dynamics The Rationale The Method in Detail 11. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory The Rationale The Method in Detail 12. Integrated Risk Management The Rationale Incorporating Different Perspectives The Method in Detail 13. Mediation: Area Development Negotiations The Rationale The Method in Detail 14. Future Workshops The Rationale The Method in Detail 15. Experiential Case Encounter The Rationale The Method in Detail 16. Synthesis Moderation and Group Techniques The Rationale The Method in Detail 17. Material Flux Analysis The Rationale The Method in Detail 18. Life Cycle Assessment The Rationale The Method in Detail 19. Bio-Ecological Potential Analysis The Rationale The Method in Detail PART IV: VALIDATION PERSPECTIVES 20. The Validation of Embedded Case Studies The Rationale Validation of Embedded Case Studies: A Practical View References Index About the Authors

"If you were part of a study team trying to figure out what to do in a complicated (i.e., multi-party, multi-issue, technically complex) situation, you would want to rush out and get a copy of Embedded Case Study Methods by Roland Scholz and Olaf Tietje. Using their own Zurich North case study to explain the proper use of case study methods, they demonstrate how eleven different techniques -- including integrated risk assessment, multi-attribute utility theory, scenario analysis, future workshops, and a kind of mediation called Area Development Negotiation -- ought to be used to develop collaborative solutions. Along the way, they destroy conventional distinctions between quantitative and qualitative methods and offer (finally!) an integrated approach that applies equally well to problem framing, option generation, and the management of stakeholder encounters. Most of the relevant literature (from more than a dozen disciplines) is reviewed in detail. What more could a study team member want?" -- LAWRENCE SUSSKIND "Scholz and Olaf have developed an important methodology to integrate complex cases. Their approach combines the best of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to create new insights that would not be available to researchers using more conventional approaches." -- MAX H. BAZERMAN "This is an excellent book that serves an important purpose. It should become a valuable resource in research methods courses covering issues of case research. Doctoral students especially, should find the book particularly helpful. The conceptual material and methods of knowledge integration presented in this book provide scholars with the background and tools necessary to conduct case studies that meet the field's most rigorous scientific standards." -- Organizational Research Methods This book should be required reading for anyone involved with case study analysis. -- CANADIAN JOURNAL OF URBAN RESEARCH