Using Boolean- and Fuzzy-Logic-Based Methods to Analyze Multiple Case Study Evidence in Management Research

Abstract

The case study method has been widely used as a research strategy in the management field. The issues of comparability and of generalizability when using this method, however, continue to raise profound challenges for researchers. Boolean- and fuzzy-logic-based methods offer a valuable basis for a contribution in this respect because they enable researchers to derive valid meaning from data and to introduce additional analytical rigor into case study research. Inspired by this opportunity, the present article focuses on the possible applications of these methods in the field of management. The article demonstrates that analysis of multiple case-study evidence is drastically improved with the help of Boolean and of fuzzy-set methods. Overall, by bringing these nontraditional methods to the attention of management scholars, the article contributes to the analytical variety of studies conducted in the management discipline.