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Perspective—The Infeasibility of Invariant Laws in Management Studies: A Reflective Dialogue in Defense of Case Studies

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  • Tsuyoshi Numagami

    (Institute of Business Research, Department of Commerce, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan and Visiting Fellow, Centre for Corporate Strategy and Change, Warwick Business School, United Kingdom)

Abstract

The author questions the possibility of establishing invariant laws for social phenomena and presents an argument for the case study method. Despite the many alleged advantages of the case study method, its validity remains in doubt. Various concepts and techniques have been developed to make the method rigorous enough to meet the stringent criteria of nomothetical social science, but it often fails to meet two of them: (1) reliability and replicability, and (2) external validity. Those two criteria can be met only when social researchers find an invariant law. The author examines whether those two criteria are really necessary and attempts to clarify the conditions under which they are relevant, that is, the conditions under which an invariant law can be discovered in social phenomena. He argues that the conditions are so stringent that the search for an invariant law should not be the main objective of management studies, and he contends that reliability/replicability and external validity are irrelevant not only for the case study, but for any method of management studies. Without those two criteria, the validity of the case study can be forcefully reasserted. The author concludes by suggesting that serious consideration be given to whether the objective of management studies should be changed from a search for invariant laws of practical use to the encouragement of reflective dialogue in society.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsuyoshi Numagami, 1998. "Perspective—The Infeasibility of Invariant Laws in Management Studies: A Reflective Dialogue in Defense of Case Studies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:9:y:1998:i:1:p:1-15
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.9.1.1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dorothy Leonard-Barton, 1990. "A Dual Methodology for Case Studies: Synergistic Use of a Longitudinal Single Site with Replicated Multiple Sites," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(3), pages 248-266, August.
    2. Lex Donaldson, 1992. "The Weick Stuff: Managing Beyond Games," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 461-466, November.
    3. Mayer N. Zald, 1993. "Organization Studies as a Scientific and Humanistic Enterprise: Toward a Reconceptualization of the Foundations of the Field," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(4), pages 513-528, November.
    4. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Valérie-Inès de La Ville, 2000. "La recherche idiographique en management stratégique: une pratique en quête de méthode?," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 3(3), pages 73-99, September.
    2. Jennifer A. Howard-Grenville, 2005. "The Persistence of Flexible Organizational Routines: The Role of Agency and Organizational Context," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(6), pages 618-636, December.
    3. Cei, Leonardo & Stefani, Gianluca & Defrancesco, Edi, 2021. "How do local factors shape the regional adoption of geographical indications in Europe? Evidences from France, Italy and Spain," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    4. Michel Avital, 2000. "Dealing with Time in Social Inquiry: A Tension Between Method and Lived Experience," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(6), pages 665-673, December.
    5. Paul C. Nutt, 2008. "Investigating the Success of Decision Making Processes," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 425-455, March.
    6. Paul Bate & Raza Khan & Annie Pye, 2000. "Towards A Culturally Sensitive Approach To Organization Structuring: Where Organization Design Meets Organization Development," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(2), pages 197-211, April.
    7. Matsuo, Kenji, 2022. "When a dominant CEO hinders exploration in a firm: A longitudinal case study from Japan," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 143-154.
    8. A. Georges L. Romme, 2003. "Making a Difference: Organization as Design," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(5), pages 558-573, October.
    9. Eero Vaara & Philippe Monin, 2010. "A Recursive Perspective on Discursive Legitimation and Organizational Action in Mergers and Acquisitions," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 3-22, February.
    10. Wang, Yue & Tanaka, Akira, 2011. "From hierarchy to hybrid: The evolving nature of inter-firm governance in China's automobile groups," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 74-80, January.
    11. Henry Wai-chung Yeung & Jessie Poon & Martin Perry, 2001. "Towards a Regional Strategy: The Role of Regional Headquarters of Foreign Firms in Singapore," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 38(1), pages 157-183, January.
    12. Su-Ann Mae Phillips & Henry Wai-chung Yeung, 2003. "A Place for R&D? The Singapore Science Park," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(4), pages 707-732, April.
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