CASE STUDY

According to Yin (1994, p.13) a case study is ‘an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context especially when the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident’. In addition, Oates (2006) presented four elements characterised by the case study research:

 Focus on in-depth rather than breadth;

 Natural setting; the instance is studied in its natural setting, not in a laboratory;

 Holistic study the researcher recognises the complexity of social truths;

 Multiple sources and methods; the researcher employs a number of data sources.

Furthermore, Yin (1994) classified case studies into three main categories:

 A descriptive study: which aims to describe and analyse a particular phenomenon. Hence, Pare (2001) indicated that social scientific studies prefer to use the descriptive case study more than others;

 An exploratory study: this is used to define the questions, as well as to assist a researcher to understand a research problem. Yin (1994) clarified that this method occurs when the research topic is relatively new, or when the topic suffers from a shortage of information and literature;

 An explanatory study: this provides for further explanation than a descriptive study. It is “trying to explain why events happened as they did or particular outcomes occurred” (Oates, 2006; Yin, 1994).

From the discussion above and with reference to this study, the aim of this research and the type of questions has justified the use of an exploratory and explanatory case study research. In addition, the lack of evidence and very few studies on this particular area (sustainable social housing estate management in the Niger Delta, Nigeria), led the researcher to use an exploratory and explanatory research framework. These approaches will at first help the research to explore and gain an understanding of the areas that might need an explanatory intervention study.

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3.5.1. Single-Case Study Design Verses Multiples-Case Study Design

According to Yin (2009) a case study research may feature a single-case or multiple-cases; but, that a single-case study is appropriate in certain conditions, while, multiple-cases design is better in general (Yin, 2009). However, it is crucial at this juncture to identify a suitable case’s design to apply in order to address the research questions that have been posed (Yin, 1994). Although, Yin (2009) and Saunders, et. al. (2009) both assert that a single case study design can be approved when the case is a unique proposition. In addition, a single case is appropriate when the case is a critical one to use and tests a well formulated theory. But, the use of a single-case study design for this study would paralyse the achievement of the original nature, aim and objectives of the work, and also, the research questions will not be properly answered. Hence, a single-case study strategy would be inappropriate to be adopted for the work. As such, it is proposed that the research adopts a multiple-case study method to investigate the phenomenon even though single-case study is simpler to implement and more time-cost effective than a multiple-case study (Yin, 2009). A multiple-case study design is a study design that has more than one case within the same study (Yin, 2009). For instance, a study to develop a framework for the sustainable management of social (public) housing estates in the Niger Delta of Nigeria which involves both the state government housing and property development authority, and the federal government housing authority located in the Niger Delta. The rational for adopting multiple cases centres upon the need to ascertain whether the findings of the first case occur in the other case and, as a result enables a broader view from the findings for generalisation (Saunders, et. al., 2009; Yin, 2009). This can be compared with providing a conclusion that can be theoretically replicated somewhere else, and finally, to ensure that data from the fieldwork can provide greater confidence in the research findings (Yin, 2009).

It also provides a better base population for a purposive sample selection. Therefore, multiple- case study design is preferable to single-case study in this research work. However, because this investigation is based on the same units of analysis under two cases (different authorities) in a study with the same manner, the researcher has selected an embedded multiple-case study. The following section will clarify the differences between holistic and embedded multiple-case study designs.

3.5.2. Holistic Vs. Embedded Multiple-Case Study Designs

A multiple-case is one which involves more than one unit of analysis (in the same format) in two or more organisations or projects within a single study. However, as can be seen in Figure 3.3, a case study design involving embedded units is called an embedded case study design,

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while a case study design examining only the global nature is called a holistic design (Yin, 2009).

Figure 3.3: Basic Types of Designs for Single Case Studies(Adopted from Yin, 2009)

Following the discussion above and especially in this research, an embedded single-case study design was adopted for the following reasons. Firstly, this approach provides a means of integrating significantly more quantitative and qualitative data into a single research study (Scholz and Tietje, 2002). Secondly, it provides the potential of a deeper understanding of the work under investigation since it contains more than one unit of analysis in the same manner under two organisations (Yin, 2009). This research used all of the available units of analysis and was carried out on the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Rivers State Housing and Property Development Authority (RSH&PDA), which were similar regarding their features and facilities, yet differently owned and managed separately. This means the fundamental case participants in this study relate to: housing estate management staff; professionals/contractors; tenants/residents; and estate community representatives to these agencies.