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The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the contribution of qualitative methods and techniques in extending the understanding of relationship marketing theory.

The study investigated six Australian sporting organisations using multiple data collection methods including semi‐structured interviews with several senior executives within each organisation, secondary and historical data sources and participant observation. The application of triangulation and multiple case studies is discussed in relation to their contribution toward a greater understanding of relationship marketing practice in the professional sport industry, as well as the barriers to the adoption of this strategy.

Using triangulation and a multiple case study approach provided a richness of information which, upon analysis within and across cases, revealed a number of commonalities and some limited diversity. Using this approach maximised the depth of information and increased the transferability of the findings to allow for the development of a conceptual model, which advances relationship‐marketing theory.

Triangulation has not been used extensively in case study research nor has a multiple case study approach been commonly applied to the sport industry. This paper deconstructs the methods and their subsequent contribution to the findings of this study.

Purpose: Case studies are detailed empirical investigations into a complex entity that emphasize the uniqueness of the case and are valuable for making a theoretical contribution. We aim to reveal the types of theoretical contributions case study research can make to the field of strategy and management and explore how case study design can create the opportunities for making a theoretical contribution.

Methodology/Approach: The dynamic capability approach focuses on the firm-specific processes through which firms integrate, build, or reconfigure resources. A comprehensive review of case studies in this field is conducted in five search engines, resulting in a data set of 13 in-depth case studies.

Findings: We demonstrate that using case studies to extend and refine theory enhances knowledge in the field of dynamic capabilities. In strategy and management research, case studies identify and refine constructs and their relationships, develop and confirm propositions, and embed constructs within a larger set of relationships. We reveal that sampling strategy, research setting, and multiple lenses are aspects of case study design that create opportunities for making a theoretical contribution.

Practical Implications: We suggest that case study researchers strategically and purposefully sample cases, vary the setting conditions, or draw upon numerous research fields to make a theoretical contribution.

Originality/Value of Paper: Going beyond the current discussion, we show that case studies have the potential to extend and refine theory. We shed new light on how dynamic capabilities can benefit from case study research by discovering the antecedents that shape the development of capabilities and determining the boundary conditions of the dynamic capabilities approach.

The global demand for food is expected to increase by 60 percent by 2050 when the world’s population reaches 9.1 billion. To meet this challenge significant investment in the agricultural sector is required to embrace innovative financing mechanisms that can benefit sustainable agricultural development, food security and nutrition. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the agricultural value chain (AVC) financing approaches and tools in India. It presents a proper understanding of the different case studies of Indian AVC financing models and related instruments. It also offers some useful recommendations to improve their efficiency.

The authors employ the multiple case studies approach to research which allows for a purposive sample and the potential for generalizability of findings. This provides a more rigorous and inclusive approach than a single case study research due to the triangulation of evidence. Subsequently, the authors offer an explicit description of AVC financing models. In the next phase, a thorough assessment of these models is made. Finally, the authors formulate some useful policy recommendations based on the findings of the analysis.

There is a need to review the value chain models that exist in the context of – lead actors, business model and sustainability strategy. Determining actual and critical points of finance such as the current flows of funds and their sources of financing, what is needed and in what point in time is significant to enhance the effectiveness of the models. Further, there is a need to analyze and compare financing options such as their relative strengths, risks and costs of financing for each level of participant in the chain. The authors observe that rather than investing in one component of the chain, the financial institution can grow expertise in the chain, share this knowledge and provide financing to support services. This not only benefits clients, but also expands lending opportunities while lowering the risks.

The study primarily focusses on AVC financing approaches and tools in India and attempts to analyze the inadequacies in the value chain models. The case study approach is adopted as the accurate data on value chain financing are not available for the analysis.

The study has come out with the following policy recommendations: the governments (union government as well as state governments) – in partnership with the private sector need to spearhead and develop measures aimed at making the operation of the value chain efficient, fair, profitable and sustainable; governments have to focus on creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment and, providing the necessary support services in order to attract more investments. These will lower the transaction costs, facilitate the smooth flow of finance along the chain and ultimately increase value-added; financing for processing and marketing is particularly crucial for growth and expansion of the chain; bank finance should not be limited to short-term production loans, but also include big-ticket loans with longer maturities to finance investments in farming equipment and machinery, transportation, storage, mills and other processing/post-harvest facilities.

This study is the first of its kind as it is based on a multiple case studies approach in understanding and analyzing the efficiency and effectiveness of AVC financing models in India by evaluating eight of such models. Besides, it offers quite useful policy recommendations to improve their efficiency.

This paper illuminates the distinction between individual and organizational actors in business-to-business markets as well as the coexistence of formal and informal mechanisms of coordination in multinational corporations. The main questions addressed include the following. (1) What factors influence the occurrence of personal contacts of foreign subsidiary managers in industrial multinational corporations? (2) How such personal contacts enable coordination in industrial markets and within multinational firms? The theoretical context of the paper is based on: (1) the interaction approach to industrial markets, (2) the network approach to industrial markets, and (3) the process approach to multinational management. The unit of analysis is the foreign subsidiary manager as the focal actor of a contact network. The paper is empirically focused on Portuguese sales subsidiaries of Finnish multinational corporations, which are managed by either a parent country national (Finnish), a host country national (Portuguese) or a third country national. The paper suggests eight scenarios of individual dependence and uncertainty, which are determined by individual, organizational, and/or market factors. Such scenarios are, in turn, thought to require personal contacts with specific functions. The paper suggests eight interpersonal roles of foreign subsidiary managers, by which the functions of their personal contacts enable inter-firm coordination in industrial markets. In addition, the paper suggests eight propositions on how the functions of their personal contacts enable centralization, formalization, socialization and horizontal communication in multinational corporations.

Case study research, most often associated with qualitative inquiry has gained significance as an effective approach to investigate complex issues in real-world settings. Conducting case research is considered to be appropriate when a contemporary phenomenon is to be studied. This chapter covers all related concepts, relating to this unique method of research. The focus is on bringing about rigor in case study research.

This study aims to explore the innovative strategies of business model of the free-to-fee switch, the relationship between the business model innovation and customer knowledge and further develop a conceptual model.

This study adopts a multiple case study method with abductive research logic, following the replication logic to select samples. A total of eight outstanding companies with altogether 312 free-to-fee switch events were selected from 1998 to 2021.

A strategic matrix with four innovative business models for the free-to-fee switch is generated. The parallelism between the models and customer knowledge orientations is also found. Further, the study develops the conceptual model regarding customer knowledge orientation as a key mediation.

The study highlights the conceptualization definition of customer knowledge orientation and its mediation effect to the business model innovation of free-to-fee switch, which is a new issue compared with previous research. Furthermore, it reveals that there exists organizational ambidexterity, which brings a new definition of customer knowledge orientation.

This study suggests how to integrate customer knowledge orientations to support the marketing process of the business model of free-to-fee switch. It also proposes a specific mechanism to conduct the free-to-fee switch with the introduction of four innovative strategic models and eight evolutional paths.

This study creatively proposes the strategic matrix and the conceptual model of business model innovation of free-to-fee switch. Moreover, a new conceptual definition of customer knowledge orientation is specified.

The creation and development of candidate-politician brands, otherwise known as political co-brands, remains an under-researched area of study. This is supported by calls for more understanding on political co-brands and how they are positioned and managed by their creators. Framed by the concepts of internal brand identity and co-branding, this paper aims to investigate how political co-brand identity is constructed and managed over time, exploring alignment between the political co-brand and political corporate party brand.

An interpretivist revelatory multi-case study approach, using in-depth interviews, was conducted with three political co-brands (candidates-politicians) from the UK Conservative Party. The three cases represented constituencies across the UK from the North, Midlands and South of the country. The in-depth elite interviews were conducted July 2015 to September 2015. Methodological triangulation was also adopted to assess the coherency of emerging themes with online and offline materials and documents. A two-stage thematic analytical approach was used to interpret the findings.

This multiple case study demonstrates how successful political co-brands create and develop identities tailored to their constituency, often distinct from the corporate political brand and developed several years before electoral success at the ballot box. In addition, this study reveals that political co-brands are dichotomous in terms of strategically managing a degree of alignment with the corporate political brand yet maintaining a degree of independence.

This study builds on limited existing concepts such as co-branding and political brand identity as a means of critical application. Existing research on co-branding remains a “relatively limited” and complex area of study and generally focuses on fictitious brands. Political brand identity remains an under-researched area. This in turn supports the development and advancement of political branding as an area of study. This paper highlights the opportunities of using the strategic approach of co-branding to help conceptualise “candidates-politicians” as political brands’ which up until now, “candidate-politician brands” have been difficult to define unlike the extensive research on corporate political brands.

This study has implications for practice too. Organisations and different typologies of political brands will be able to use this political co-brand identity framework as a diagnostic mechanism to investigate their co-brands current identity, assess alignment and make strategic changes or reposition the envisaged identity if desired. Similarly, organisations can use this framework, key dimensions and factors as a blueprint to design and build new political brands at a corporate and/or local level.

This study has implications for brands beyond the world of politics. Brands can adopt the political co-brand identity framework developed in this study as a pragmatic tool to investigate internally created co-brand identity and explore alignment with the corporate party brand identity. In addition, this research adds to the limited research on non-fictitious co-brands and co-branding literature at large and addresses the calls for more research on brand identity in new settings.

This paper aims to explain the occurrence of sustainable entrepreneurship in the underresearched sub-Saharan Africa context and to improve the understanding of how effectuation manifests in this context.

This study uses a qualitative research approach based on multiple case studies. Responses were sourced from owners, employees, suppliers, the community and customers of sustainable entrepreneurial firms. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews, document reviews and observations. The Gioia analytical approach was used.

Overall, the authors find the concept of effectuation to be well-suited to capturing the processes through which individuals with limited means seek to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship. The authors also identify three pervasive practices that are key to understanding effectuation in the developing country context: complementation of indigenous knowledge with modern science, compassion and pluriactivity.

This study underscores the importance of co-creation, diversification of revenue sources and the role of emotional awareness and interpersonal skills in entrepreneurial endeavors.

This study, therefore, contributes new knowledge about the mechanisms through which entrepreneurs faced with resource constraints use control as opposed to prediction strategies to exploit sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities. In so doing, this study contributes to entrepreneurship theory by proposing the integration of cognitive and affective dimensions in realizing sustainable entrepreneurship goals.

Information and findings from investigations of construction projects using qualitative methodologies such as the grounded theory methodology (GTM) are inevitably rich. When using multiple case studies, the cross‐case analysis procedure has been found overwhelming and difficult to grasp all at once. Hence, an approach using rich picture diagrams (RPD) has been applied specifically for the purpose of modelling case studies and capturing the richness of the information along the case studies' storylines. This paper aims to explain the reasoning behind and the development process of such diagrams.

The paper investigates the underlying concepts of the GTM, case study approach, and the soft system methodology (SSM) from which the RPD was originally derived. Based on the identified agreement between and consistency of both methodologies, the development of RPD to model case studies in an ongoing research project (using the GTM) is explained. The subsequent cross‐case analysis procedure is also discussed, leading to conclusions.

The paper demonstrates the applicability of the RPD originating from the SSM as a tool to present the storylines of case studies within the GTM, to improve presentation and enable thorough cross‐case analysis by providing a holistic view of the storylines.

In response to the scholarly challenge to contribute to the further development of the GTM, the paper presents the application of a tool from SSM (i.e. the RPD). Whilst enriching the techniques within the GTM, this application provides a solution for researchers and stakeholders to model case studies of construction projects.

Improved performance in operational (lean) and environmental (green) dimensions has been extremely critical to the global competitiveness of organizations. As the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is influenced by various external and internal factors, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the lean–green performance of Indian manufacturing SMEs by investigating the influential relationships of various factors along with the set of lean and green practices adopted by the firms.

The study employs a holistic approach by integrating multiple case study and data envelopment analysis (DEA) in eight manufacturing SMEs to verify a set of five propositions relating issues such as organizational factors, quality and environmental management certifications, implementation of lean and green practices with operational and environmental performance in Indian SMEs. Within-case analysis and cross-case analysis are used for a qualitative investigation of cases while DEA with four input variables, two desirable output variables and one undesirable output variable, is used for quantitative investigation with returns to scale (RTS) and damages to scale (DTS) analysis.

The RTS/DTS results suggest that Indian SMEs exhibit decreasing RTS and increasing DTS, implying that they need to decrease their operational sizes in order to improve the operational and environmental performance. The possible alternative and more practical strategy could be to introduce new technology innovation and holistic adoption of manufacturing excellence initiatives such as lean and green.

The research findings provide insights into the lean and green performance enhancement approach in the context of SMEs. The study extends key managerial implications and policy-related guidelines.