The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive view of the case study process from the researcher's perspective, emphasizing methodological considerations. As opposed to other qualitative or quantitative research strategies, such as grounded theory or surveys, there are virtually no specific requirements guiding case research. This is both the strength and the weakness of this approach. It is a strength because it allows tailoring the design and data collection procedures to the research questions. On the other hand, this approach has resulted in many poor case studies, leaving it open to criticism, especially from the quantitative field of research. This article argues that there is a particular need in case studies to be explicit about the methodological choices one makes. This implies discussing the wide range of decisions concerned with design requirements, data collection procedures, data analysis, and validity and reliability. The approach here is to illustrate these decisions through a particular case study of two mergers in the financial industry in Norway.

No abstract

No abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore how experience with organizational change influences employees' reactions to change. While exposure to an increasingly frequent organizational change can lead to change fatigue and cynicism, it can also generate more positive reactions to change. The authors identify experience-based change capabilities and explore conditions for developing such capabilities. Design/methodology/approach -The paper draws on qualitative interview data from two studies of reactions to planned change. The authors probe employees' accounts of their reactions to change and show how they vary depending on employees' level and type of experience. Findings -The findings suggest that experience provides opportunities for employees to develop their change capabilities, which leads to milder and more constructive reactions to subsequent change initiatives. However, negative experiences can lead to loyal behavior that is based on cynical attitudes.Research limitations/implications -The findings contribute by identifying experience-based capabilities among change recipients. The limitations of the study include the threat of self-selection as employees who remain in the organization may be more prone to loyal behavior. Practical implications -When employees have extensive change experience, managers must adjust their way of thinking about change. Managers need to be alert to the prominence of more loyal behavior. They should also recognize their own role in generating positive process experience, which is a precondition for developing change capabilities at the employee level. Originality/value -The study adds to the increasing focus on change recipient perspectives during change and shows how change capabilities can be developed among employees.

The aim of this paper is to explore the problems of incompatible strategies in international mergers. Studying a failed merger between the two state-owned Scandinavian telecom corporations, we examine how the parties' strategies were incompatible. We find that the parties' strategies were incompatible in three distinctive areas, and study how the companies tried to resolve these incompatibilities. Owing to national governance structures established to protect national interests, the parties were unable to resolve these strategic incompatibilities. Journal of International Business Studies (2008) 39, 508–525. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400354