A casing approach to analyse connected changes in business networks

The paper addresses methodological challenges in conducting case studies of changes in business networks. Capturing change in business networks is difficult in case research since every change relates to many activities, resources, and actors that are subject to other changes. The aim is to develop a casing approach that supports researchers in capturing and determining which connected changes are analytically relevant to include in a case study and why. The approach is illustrated by a case study exploring how business actors address sustainability challenges by considering various changes of activities and resources. The approach suggests that a single case can be expanded by incorporating connected changes as embedded sub-cases, rather than ignoring them or treating them as background context. Furthermore, case boundaries are expanded during the research process, as data is continuously analysed. The approach shows how the distinction between context and causal contingencies can be elaborated and supports researchers in decisions related to this. A key implication is that aspects initially viewed as contextual may later be considered as contingent, and central to the case. The paper thus offers insights into how multiple changes co-evolve, helping researchers avoid simplistic explanations of why certain change initiatives succeed or fail. • Connectedness among changes is a key feature of business network dynamics. • Case research is a suitable method to capture dynamics in business networks. • How to treat ‘context’ has been a main challenge for case researchers. • The proposed casing approach can be used to uncover connected changes. • The casing approach reduces the risks of simplifying ‘causation of change’.