Selection of Cases

The second stage in conducting a case study design after identifying the appropriateness of the method for studying the specific research question involves identifying the case or cases to study. As Stake (2005) argued, this is a critical process since achieving the greatest understanding of the phenomenon under the microscope of the researcher depends on choosing the cases well.

According to Yin (1994, cited in Easton, 2010) the evidence from multiple case designs is more compelling than single cases, since a multiple case study approach provides the researcher with the opportunity to investigate and explain patterns in different phenomena. Therefore in an attempt to successfully address the research question, the current study focused on ten different organisations acting as main sponsors of clubs competing in Division I of the football championship in Cyprus.

The rationale behind focusing on the “main” sponsors and not including any other types of sponsors is that the rest of the sponsorship categories, regardless of the designation of the sponsor (e.g. sponsor, equipment sponsor, supporter, etc.) were involved in very low budget sponsorships, and thus their decisions and management practices would probably be much differentiated and thus non-comparable with those of principal sponsors. With regard to the number of cases to be studied, as Creswell (2013) argues, that there is no correct answer in response to the question of how many cases should be selected for investigation.

For the purposes of this particular study, in selecting the cases to be examined, the researcher took into consideration the types of cases that are useful and promising in relation to answering the research question. Therefore, the cases

97 were purposefully selected, in an attempt to target organisations that were expected to depict different perspectives on sponsorship management and decision making processes.

Selection of cases was based on certain criteria that emerged from the systematic review analysis. Specifically, the systematic review revealed that different conceptualisations and subsequently different approaches to managing sport sponsorship exist between different kinds of sponsors. Therefore, based on a deductive categorisation of the findings of the systematic review, six criteria were invoked to inform the researcher’s selection of the cases for investigation.

i. Size of the organisation

The first criterion related to the factor of organisational size. Due to the differences that emerged in the literature review with regard to the size of the sponsor, the current study aimed at including both large and small organisations in an effort to identify the extent to which those differences apply to the Cypriot sponsorship domain. Although the categorisation of an organisation in terms of size is regarded by the researcher as being context-related, and thus, it is possible that a large organisation for the small country of Cyprus may be regarded as small for larger regions or industries, the criteria used for categorising the sponsors in the current study are the parameters recommended by the European Commission (Guide to EU definition of SME, n.d.). Those parameters are: a) the number of employees, and b) either turnover or balance sheet total.

Therefore, organisations employing more than 250 employees and having turnover >€ 50 m, or balance sheet total >€ 43 m, were considered as large, whilst organisations employing less than 50 employees or having turnover ≤ € 10 m, or balance sheet total ≤ € 10 m, were considered as small.

98 ii. Local/International status

The second criterion required that the study would focus on both local and international organisations acting as sponsors. Drawing on the findings of the systematic review which indicated that in certain cases national sponsors were approaching sponsorship on emotional grounds, it was expected that probably there would be a difference between more detached, international sponsors and local sponsors.

iii. Fit between sponsor & sponsee

Another factor taken into consideration when selecting the cases to be included in the study is the fit between the sponsor and the sponsee, since there is much research in the literature suggesting that successful sponsorships are largely defined by the fit between the two sponsorship actors. Therefore, it was speculated by the researcher that fit would be a factor defining the sponsorship management practices that the sponsor would be capable of using when investing in football sponsorship. Hence, both sponsorship arrangements that were regarded as having a natural fit between the two parties as well as sponsorship relationships regarded as exhibiting little fit, or having an unusual fit, or not having a match between the two sponsorship actors, were considered for inclusion.

iv. Private/ Governmental status

The governmental or private status of the organisation was also an aspect that was expected to be related to different sponsorship management approaches and practices as it is suggested in the literature (e.g. Apostolopoulou & Papadimitriou, 2004; Papadimitriou & Apostolopoulou, 2009). In addition, the findings of the systematic review suggested a strong involvement of the government on sponsorship related decisions when the government had the capacity to influence or direct the activities of the sponsor. It has to be mentioned, however, that for the purpose of the present study, the term governmental was broadened to involve also semi-governmental organisations in which the decision making activity is heavily influenced by the government, as well as cooperative organisations and

99 municipalities which although they were not governmental organisations, their status was not that of a private body.

v. Industry-Sector

Another criterion used when selecting the cases for inclusion in the study was the industry or the sector the sponsors operates in. Drawing on the evidence suggesting that certain types of sponsors demonstrate more professional approach to sport sponsorship (e.g. the financial sector as demonstrated by Thwaites, 1994), the researcher decided that the case studies selected should represent different sectors in an effort to identify the existence or not of such differences in the Cypriot sponsorship domain. Therefore, a number of different sectors were eventually included in the study representing both manufacturing and service industries.

vi. Single sponsors/Multiple sponsors

Although the final criterion used is not a factor emanating from the findings of the systematic review, it is important to mention that when examining the possible cases for inclusion in the study, the researcher noticed that the vast majority of the sponsors investing in football sponsorship had chosen to sponsor many different clubs simultaneously. Drawing on the certain observation, and considering the fact that sponsoring at the same time many different clubs that have completely different image and fan base is rather an unusual sponsorship practice, the researcher decided to use the number of the clubs sponsored (single and multiple sponsorships) as a criterion for selecting the cases. The aim was to explore possible sponsorship decision making and management differences between the two groups – single and multiple sponsors. It is possible that sponsorship structures evident in multiple sponsorships would be completely different to the mechanisms and powers motivating single sponsors.

Based on the criteria mentioned above, a total number of ten different organisations were included in the multi case study. Those organisations were

100 profit and non-profit making entities, large and small sized organisations, having a public or private status, operating at an international and local level, in a variety of industries, investing in single or multiple football sponsorships and having an obvious or unusual fit with the sponsored property. Furthermore, the sample spanned in manufacturing and service industries representing both small organisations and large corporations investing in football club sponsorship in Cyprus. Specifically, the multi case study relied on: a local media agency, an international betting company, an international telecommunications company, a local oil company, a local corporation operating in telecommunications and media sectors, a local distributor of beauty/styling products company, a local company operating in the construction industry, a municipality authority, and two cooperative financial organisations.