Case study research in HRD: a review of trends and call for advancement

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine how case study research has been applied in the field of human resource development (HRD). Design/methodology/approach The authors examined HRD case study research by analyzing 118 refereed, empirical case study articles published between 2000 and 2020 in three Academy of HRD-sponsored journals. Findings Findings suggest that case studies have an established place in HRD research. The disciplinary convention has been exploratory case studies, which, to a greater extent, draw on single-case research designs. When examining the proportion of case study articles in relation to all empirical, peer-refereed publications in the journals, the authors found a slight decline in case study research publications in recent years. The results of our post hoc exploratory analysis indicate that HRD case study research that contributes to theory development by eliciting concepts and their relationships is likely to receive more scholarly attention than case studies that provide rich descriptions of the phenomenon. The results also suggest that it is rather case study’s contribution to theory than selected features of case study that attracts scholars’ attention. Originality/value The study identified several approaches to conducting case study research that have received less attention by HRD researchers. The authors encourage HRD researchers to expand their repertoire of case study approaches. The authors also provide recommendations addressing the issues of methodological self-awareness, rigor and transparency in case study research.

The Landscape of Research Method Rigor in the Field of Human Resource Development: An Analysis of Empirical Research from 2016 to 2023

“…Although the journal accepts empirical studies, when we reviewed the abstracts of the published studies, many were predominantly theoretical or conceptual. Previous research has also valued the AHRD sponsored journals and has included these in their studies (Tkachenki et al, 2022). As part of our efforts to include studies published in other HRD journals, we purposefully selected European Journal of Training and Development (EJTD) , one of the major HRD journals that publishes 9 issues per year, alongside two AHRD sponsored journals.…”

Learning by Doing: Student & Faculty Reflections on a Collaborative Model for Conducting and Publishing Mixed Methods Research in a Graduate Course

“…According to Stake ( 1995 ), a flexible case study design allows for changes based on the research findings since the “course of study cannot be charted in advance” (p. 22). In addition to being widely used in education, case study research is also popular in the related field of training and development (Tkachenko et al, 2022 ). Since the three authors of this article were also participants in the collaborative model examined in this research (two as students and one as faculty), this study also employs elements of participatory action research (McIntyre, 2008 ) in that we (i.e., the authors of this article) had a “collective commitment” to engage in “collective reflection” that would lead to actionable knowledge beneficial to all participants (p. 1).…”