Analyzing changing organizational environments: Methodological approach and the academic health center case

Abstract

Purpose

Recognizing the difficulty inherent in studying organizational change stimulated by the external environment, this paper seeks to present a four‐phase model useful for collecting information and for analyzing the impact of organization‐environment dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

In the context of a case study of academic health centers, a research methods model is offered with four phases: case study; comparative case study; experimental/quasi experimental; and meta analysis. This four‐phase methodology relies on varying information styles and data streams within the context of exploratory, comparative, and large dataset analysis.

Findings

The synthesis of research approach highlights the strengths, weaknesses, and the linkage to system thinking in theory and in practice and are illustrated by the case.

Practical implications

Mixed methods approaches are increasingly sought and used in multi‐disciplinary research and applied settings. The model is useful for examining the multiple effects of the organization environment on a wide range of industries, with medical/health care demonstrated here.

Originality/value

Few models of mixed methods approaches exist – this one synthesizes existing approaches incorporating many types of “data”.

Citation

Ziegenfuss, J.T. (2011), "Analyzing changing organizational environments: Methodological approach and the academic health center case", Journal of Systems and Information Technology, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 81-97. https://doi.org/10.1108/13287261111118368