The use of vignettes that are based upon fictionalised accounts is well-established in contemporary social science. Vignettes have been used in a variety of ways to contribute to studies with both a quantitative and a qualitative orientation. This paper reflects on two recent qualitative studies which have made innovative use of ‘real-life’ vignettes. In each case, the paper describes some of the unanticipated and overlapping benefits that accrued from their incorporation into the research design and reflects on the advantages that ‘real-life’ vignettes might bring to future research. Drawing on two different research projects, the paper highlights the further potential contribution of ‘real-life’ vignettes to the repertoire of research methods currently available to social scientists.

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Abstract. Inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR) operations of the subsea infrastructure off Norway's coast are performed from specialized vessels by multiteam systems. A case study shows how leadership is organized and practiced to coordinate interdependencies, and to cope with the risks inherent in this type of complex and tightly coupled operation. Leadership redundancy is proposed as a mechanism that can contribute to the smooth and safe functioning of a multiteam system operating in a volatile environment.

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