Case Research Process

The case research process was initialised with market research database and market media searches. Then initial interviews with management were carried out, followed by gathering of company

documentation and records. Employee and market observation research was then carried out. Further interviews were carried out for any questions that arose during the observations and/or company investigation.

Designing the case study took place after an initial period of industry research. The initial period of industry research allowed for a greater understanding of how the market operated, allowing for the case study research design to align with the actual market operations. For instance, a standard consumer product would include engineering and manufacturing costs, where being a service, the motor insurance industry does not have these costs, but will have overhead and legal expenses and insurance payouts. This unique dynamic changes the lines of questioning and the search criteria for documentation. The design also clarified the target of the case study research. Initially the case study was focused on a single case of Endsleigh Insurance; however, given the theoretical aspect of the planned game theory research, it was determined that the research is more conducive to a single case study of the UK Motor Insurance industry with the ‘embedded case’ (Yin, 2009) relating to Endsleigh Insurance.

Before the bulk of the data is collected, a formal approval of the research coverage and plan was agreed upon with the case study company (Gunnels Porter, 2012). A full review of the research questions was also done. There are five levels of questioning in case study research (Yin, 2009). The research questions to be in place for the study, the research patterns, the case study specific questions and finally the planned interview questions.

Finally, the gathered case study data will be analysed in terms of the research questions. More information on the analysis can be found in the Analysis of Data chapter.

Before any in-depth interaction with the case company could occur, a thorough understanding of the workings of the market was required (Yin, 2009). The Industry research was first used to familiarise and focus the research on the relevant and industry issues and to gather an understanding of its structure and and workings. Then, after creating the research design, further industry research, data collection and review of reports were analysed for indicators of market structure and dynamic that would be relevant to the game format. The required information was gathered by utilising the market data sources, governing bodies and related media.

The market data was gathered from all available sources, including: Mintel Data Monitor,

MarketLine and Business Monitor International. Market reports by consulting firms and related private companies were also reviewed, including: Earnest Young, The Boston Consulting Group and Towers Watson. These market summaries, review documents and market data gave an overview of the market as a whole from a business prospective for their audience is primarily companies operating within the market wanting to gain more insight.

For a clearer prospective from a consumer and economic standpoint the results from surveys and investigations by UK and motor insurance governing bodies were reviewed. These included: Association of British Insurers (ABI) (2008 & 2012), Royal Automobile Club (RAC) foundation (2014), Department for Transport (2014) and the Crown (2009).

Finally, the media coverage of the market was reviewed. Although sources like BBC News and Financial Times were reviewed, a majority of coverage in the industry is done by the insurance market focused publication, the Insurance Times. The Insurance Times also provided great insight through the funded surveys and market investigations they carried out.

With the information gathered from the initial sweep of market data, the case study research design was completed. The design included the study questions and interview and observation questions, and a plan of action for continued research.

A secondary look at market data was more in-depth, targeting the case study company and the study specific questions. The market data was also reviewed for information relevant to understanding the changes in the market that lead to the current state (Yin, 2009) and the particulars of the current state. This review searched for evidence to the ‘why’ in the market dynamic (Eisenhardt, 1989).

3.2.2.2.

Interviews and Observation

Interviews are the most important source of information in case study research (Yin, 2009).

The question planning from the research design contains the focus of the interviews. Level 1 questions are those to be asked of the interviewees; however, level 2 questions are important to keep in mind when working with the flow and direction of the interview (Yin, 2009).

Interviewing allows for a flow of questioning that targets the study questions as well as allowing for flexibility during the interview if new issues or questions arise (Rubin & Rubin, 2011). All interviews undertaken were classified as shorter case study interviews (Yin, 2009), allow some included follow-up that extended the overall interview time to become classified as a prolonged case study interview. The shorter time was more appealing to the senior and mid-level employees interviewed, for whom time was valuable.

Notes were taken during interviews and compared to the transcriptions recorded after. Interviews were recorded on a digital recorder to enable the transcription within a week of the interview (Blaxter et. al., 2010). Transcriptions and notes were analysed (Gillham 2005), using thematic analysis (Aronson, 1994) for answers to the research questions, including common themes and concerns. Thematic analysis allowed for a clear coding system that highlighted, without bias, the themes, concerns and mechanics discussed during the interviews (Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2008).

A codebook was developed a priori, using the initial case study research used to develop the research structure and questions. This codebook was then utilised in the template approach as revealed by Crabtree and Miller (1999). The coded material was then connected to identify themes.

Observation is used to add new dimension to the study above and beyond what an interview can provide (Yin, 2009). Observation of Endsleigh took place in the corporate headquarters, as well as in one meeting and one orientation fair held at UK universities. Universities are a key market segment for Endsleigh and they maintain a close working relationship with the staff and students (Gunnels Porter, 2012). Regular notes were taken during the observation and themes extracted from the notes. These themes were compared to and matched to the themes uncovered during the interview process.

The interviews and observations were analysed, and compared, for detail in the mechanisms in the UK motor insurance market and the product value calculations considered in the company. This analysis will be discussed further in the Analysis of Data chapter.

3.2.2.3.

Company Documentation and Data

Company documentation regarding the product development and sales process were gathered to highlight any mechanisms not mentioned, and back-up any details given, during interviews. The thematic analysis discussed in the previous section was applied and compared to the results from the interviews and observations.

Sales data was also retrieved to get a typical view of risk, customer purchasing choices of product attributes and customer profiles. This data may have been used as the consumer purchase behaviour data; however, the survey was viewed as a more reliable option for it also would contain branding influence and no bias in the data set. Endsleigh sales data was only for Endsleigh potential customers, creating a volunteer bias in the data, where as the survey data covered a wider collection of respondents. The sales data from Endsleigh was used to verify the results obtained from the survey data. More information regarding this process can be found in the Analysis of Data chapter.