Case Study

Case study research is a commonly employed qualitative method used in information systems (Alavi and Carlson, 1992). Yin (2003 Page. 13) defines a case study as an empirical study that: "investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when

System Dynamics Approach

Beer Game

Case Study

Interview- Observation - Document Analysis

Interpretive Structural Modelling

A Stage based Model- Reachability Matrix

Survey Questionnaire Simulation Experiments Empirical Study C o n fo rm it y & v al id at io n s tu d y E x p lo ra to ry & E x p la n at o ry S tu d y Q u al it at iv e P h as e Q u an ti ta ti v e P h as e

Develop Conceptual Framework

Propose Solutions Enhancing SC performance

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the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident". A case study is

appropriate to adopt at the earlier stages of research due to its’ exploratory nature. Myers (1999) defines the difference between case study research and ethnographic research as “the extent to which the researcher immerses himself or herself in the life of the social group under study”. Ethnography focuses more on human and social issues which is appropriate for social or cultural field investigation. The poor credibility of case study is major issue which have to be considered as strategy limitation for generalisation issue (Oates, 2006).

Yin (2003) identifies six sources of evidence for collecting data in a case study. These are: documentation, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant observation, and physical artifacts. Multiple sources of evidence are required to ensure the validity of the study (Tellis, 1997). Collecting data from multiple sources could ensure data validation and as well as overcome the bias related to single method use (Polit and Beck, 2003 Page. 431). The study conducts a number of semi-structured and un- structured interviews with decision makers and middle managerial levels to capture more details about supply chain activities in these organisations. Additional evidence is provided by the Analysis of records and documents relevant to such activities provides additional evidence. Multiple case studies in an industrial sector have been investigated to arrive at the supply chain issues that reduce organisational performance in the investigated sector. Replication logic is applied using multiple case studies to ensure external validity while multiple data source are used to ensure construct validity (Yin, 2003 Page 34). This avoids the criticism of the case study methodology that relies on a single case and cannot be generalised (Tellis, 1997). Different samples of textile producers regarding organisational size, applied strategies and domestic or global market contributors are considered as case studies participants.

A definition of the logical sequences that can bind empirical data and the expected outcome to a study's question is required when designing the case study. (Yin, 2003 pp.21)

3.5.1.1 Case Studies Components

Five components of case studies research design are proposed by Yin (2003, pp. 21) and (Burns, 2000 Page. 464):

75 1. Fundamental questions.

2. Propositions, if any. 3. Unit(s) of analysis.

4. Logic linking the data to the propositions. 5. The criteria for interpreting the findings. • A study's questions and unit of analysis:

The current research in hand is an exploratory case study. According to the definition of exploratory type of procedure, the nature of the research question is related to the "what" question. The study uses a generic research question to define the challenges that face Egyptian industries. This type of research question justifies choosing an exploratory type for this study (Zainal, 2007). Sub-questions using "how" are mandatory in order to explain the cause and effect relations and interrelations between activities. These questions investigate how IT can deploy, a logistics system, the deficiency of other activities and the external factors that affect supply chain activities and cause problematic issues. Since the unit of analysis in a case study could be an individual, a community or an organisation under investigation (Tellis, 1997), supply chain activities and organisational behaviour is the unit investigated in the research and is investigated in multiple case-studies.

• Study propositions,

The study proposes that: Lack of seamless Information flow is a major issue which leads to

other supply chain deficiencies. This study will investigate accuracy of such a proposition

besides exploring any hidden proposition that might defect supply chain performance in Egypt.

• The logic linking the data to the propositions.

Yin suggests that every investigation should have an analytic strategy which is: a “pattern-

matching, explanation-building or time-series analysis” (Yin, 2003 pp. 26-27). Regarding the

current study, defining supply chain issues and explaining their influence; and relevance to research proposition enables the use of an explanation-building entails. Explanation building

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means identifying causal relationships to support the theoretical proposition. (Burns, 2000 Page. 473). The analysis is carried out by building an explanation for the supply chain deficiency issues and their leading factors using the iterative process based on Burns (2000 Page. 473) recommendation. Explanation-building is an iterative process which relies on comparison between proposition and findings and reforming the proposition on alterative bases. Since this study investigates multiple case studies, explanation building will be in the form of cross-case synthesis (Yin 2003 Page. 133) instead of that of an individual case. Providing empirical evidence from a set of cases to test a theoretical proposition is the core of the analysis process. This strategy is used to generate a hypothesis and propose issues for further investigation (Yin, 2003, P. 120). These hypotheses have been tested using the survey instrument. Several pieces of information from the same case study are related to the research proposition.

• The criteria for interpreting the findings,

Since the main objective of this study is to explore deficiencies faced by industrial organisations as well as build an explanatory pattern to examine existing organisational behaviour, therefore, explanation building involves testing the rival causality to link developed explanations with the proposition (Burns, 2000 Page. 473). The rival proposition has been used for comparison where the statistical data is not available (Yin, 2003 pp.27). The statistical data which indicates the importance of experienced deficiencies is analysed to determine the major and obvious issues from the respondents’ perspectives.

3.5.1.2 Used Evidence Types

Multiple types of evidence are used for data triangulation which ensures construct validity. Construct validity guarantees that the researcher did not reach findings subjectively (Tellis,1997). In the context of data collection, triangulation serves to correlate data gathered from different sources (Cresswell, 2003 P.196). When different sources of evidence address the same facts, the facts are supported by more than one source enabling the achievement of convergence of evidence (Yin, 2003 pp. 99).

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Interviews are one of the most important sources of case study information (Tellis, 1997). An interview can take one of several forms. By using an open-ended interview, the interviewer is able to acquire more information about respondents (Burns, 2000 Page. 467). Since the interview is considered as a guided conversation, it is more appropriate to be used initially rather than as a structured instrument. Due to the confidentiality of data collected, it is better obtained via dialogue (Yin, 2003 pp. 89). Cultural issues tend to make companies more reluctant to reveal their business issues and their deficiencies in the form of a structured survey; this makes an interview the best alternative to be used.

Informants are asked to report insight facts related to their supply chain performance and activities. Additionally, a participant’s perspective and their explanation regarding current deficiencies are taken into consideration. Face-to-face interviews reveal “invisible” issues that are important to the researcher’s view (Cresswell, 2003 Page. 187), this limitation is overcome by using multiple evidence. While open-ended interviews can provide an in-depth investigation for investigated situation, focused interviews have been employed to follow the line of inquiry (Tellis, 1997). Open-ended interviews are used to capture knowledge related to a deficiency existing in organisational performance in addition to the effect of environmental and cultural factors. A semi-structured interview was adopted for conformity and explanatory issues related to influence between issues and their driving power. Conducting interviews in the early stages of the current study enabled the researcher to acquire sensitive information which was difficult to capture through a structured questionnaire.

Direct observation is evidence that occurs when the investigator makes a site visit to conduct an interview. Ad hoc observations were made during an interview or while gathering other evidence as recommended by (Burns, 2000 Page. 468). This provides some sort of data validity to the research programme and enables the researcher to gage the effect of cultural issues and resistance to change on theoretical propositions.

Documents, archival records and physical artifacts were collected by the researcher during site visits as vital sources of data. These documents are represented in: administrative documents, annual reports, Forecasting charts, organisational records, computer output, system manual,

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exportation records, CAPMAS (Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, Egypt) information and other similar physical evidence.