2026/2027 – Complete Exam-Style Questions with Detailed
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SECTION A: FOUNDATIONS OF CASE STUDY RESEARCH (8 Questions)
Q1: A doctoral student proposes to conduct an intensive, holistic investigation of a
single organization's response to a supply chain disruption during the COVID-19
pandemic. Which term best describes the defining feature that distinguishes this as
case study research?
A. The use of statistical sampling
B. The focus on a bounded system [CORRECT]
C. The requirement for experimental control
D. The emphasis on hypothesis testing
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Case study research is defined by its focus on a bounded system—a single
entity with identifiable boundaries (time, place, context). It does not require statistical
sampling, experimental control, or hypothesis testing in the quantitative sense.
Q2: A researcher believes that reality is socially constructed and that understanding
emerges through interaction between the researcher and participants. Which
epistemological foundation best aligns with this researcher's approach to case study?
A. Positivism
B. Constructivism [CORRECT]
C. Post-positivism
D. Objectivism
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Constructivism holds that reality is socially constructed and meaning is
co-created between researcher and participants, aligning with interpretive case study
approaches. Positivism and objectivism assume an objective, external reality.
Q3: A doctoral student wants to understand the lived experience of entrepreneurs who
have failed in business. Another student wants to examine how a specific startup
, scaled from inception to acquisition. Which distinction best differentiates these two
approaches?
A. Both are case studies
B. The first is phenomenology; the second is case study [CORRECT]
C. The first is ethnography; the second is grounded theory
D. Both are grounded theory studies
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Phenomenology explores lived experiences of a phenomenon across
individuals, while case study examines a bounded system (the startup as an entity)
holistically. The first focuses on essence of experience; the second on a specific case.
Q4: A researcher asks, "How did the merger between Company A and Company B affect
employee retention over three years?" This question reflects which purpose of case
study research?
A. Exploratory
B. Descriptive
C. Explanatory [CORRECT]
D. Comparative
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Explanatory case studies address "how" and "why" questions to explain
causal relationships. Exploratory studies ask "what" to define questions, while
descriptive studies document "who, what, where."
Q5: Yin recommends which design when the researcher seeks to replicate findings
across multiple cases to strengthen external validity?
A. Embedded single-case design
B. Holistic single-case design
C. Multiple-case design [CORRECT]
D. Intrinsic case study
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Yin advocates multiple-case designs (replication logic) to enhance
generalizability through analytic generalization. Single-case designs are appropriate for
critical, extreme, or revelatory cases. Embedded and holistic refer to units of analysis
within a case.