case study method business

What is the Case Study Method?

Overview Dropdown up

Overview dropdown down, celebrating 100 years of the case method at hbs.

The 2021-2022 academic year marks the 100-year anniversary of the introduction of the case method at Harvard Business School. Today, the HBS case method is employed in the HBS MBA program, in Executive Education programs, and in dozens of other business schools around the world. As Dean Srikant Datar's says, the case method has withstood the test of time.

Case Discussion Preparation Details Expand All Collapse All

In self-reflection in self-reflection dropdown down, in a small group setting in a small group setting dropdown down, in the classroom in the classroom dropdown down, beyond the classroom beyond the classroom dropdown down, how the case method creates value dropdown up, how the case method creates value dropdown down, in self-reflection, in a small group setting, in the classroom, beyond the classroom.

How Cases Unfold In the Classroom

How cases unfold in the classroom dropdown up, how cases unfold in the classroom dropdown down, preparation guidelines expand all collapse all, read the professor's assignment or discussion questions read the professor's assignment or discussion questions dropdown down, read the first few paragraphs and then skim the case read the first few paragraphs and then skim the case dropdown down, reread the case, underline text, and make margin notes reread the case, underline text, and make margin notes dropdown down, note the key problems on a pad of paper and go through the case again note the key problems on a pad of paper and go through the case again dropdown down, how to prepare for case discussions dropdown up, how to prepare for case discussions dropdown down, read the professor's assignment or discussion questions, read the first few paragraphs and then skim the case, reread the case, underline text, and make margin notes, note the key problems on a pad of paper and go through the case again, case study best practices expand all collapse all, prepare prepare dropdown down, discuss discuss dropdown down, participate participate dropdown down, relate relate dropdown down, apply apply dropdown down, note note dropdown down, understand understand dropdown down, case study best practices dropdown up, case study best practices dropdown down, participate, what can i expect on the first day dropdown down.

Most programs begin with registration, followed by an opening session and a dinner. If your travel plans necessitate late arrival, please be sure to notify us so that alternate registration arrangements can be made for you. Please note the following about registration:

HBS campus programs – Registration takes place in the Chao Center.

India programs – Registration takes place outside the classroom.

Other off-campus programs – Registration takes place in the designated facility.

What happens in class if nobody talks? Dropdown down

Professors are here to push everyone to learn, but not to embarrass anyone. If the class is quiet, they'll often ask a participant with experience in the industry in which the case is set to speak first. This is done well in advance so that person can come to class prepared to share. Trust the process. The more open you are, the more willing you’ll be to engage, and the more alive the classroom will become.

Does everyone take part in "role-playing"? Dropdown down

Professors often encourage participants to take opposing sides and then debate the issues, often taking the perspective of the case protagonists or key decision makers in the case.

View Frequently Asked Questions

Subscribe to Our Emails

• Business Essentials
• Leadership & Management
• Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Digital Transformation
• Finance & Accounting
• Business in Society
• For Organizations
• Support Portal
• Media Coverage
• Founding Donors
• Leadership Team

• Harvard Business School →
• HBS Online →
• Business Insights →

Business Insights

Harvard Business School Online's Business Insights Blog provides the career insights you need to achieve your goals and gain confidence in your business skills.

• Career Development
• Communication
• Decision-Making
• Earning Your MBA
• Negotiation
• News & Events
• Productivity
• Staff Spotlight
• Student Profiles
• Work-Life Balance
• AI Essentials for Business
• Alternative Investments
• Business Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Business and Climate Change
• Design Thinking and Innovation
• Digital Marketing Strategy
• Disruptive Strategy
• Economics for Managers
• Entrepreneurship Essentials
• Financial Accounting
• Global Business
• Launching Tech Ventures
• Leadership Principles
• Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
• Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
• Leading with Finance
• Management Essentials
• Negotiation Mastery
• Organizational Leadership
• Power and Influence for Positive Impact
• Strategy Execution
• Sustainable Business Strategy
• Sustainable Investing
• Winning with Digital Platforms

5 Benefits of Learning Through the Case Study Method

• 28 Nov 2023

While several factors make HBS Online unique —including a global Community and real-world outcomes —active learning through the case study method rises to the top.

In a 2023 City Square Associates survey, 74 percent of HBS Online learners who also took a course from another provider said HBS Online’s case method and real-world examples were better by comparison.

Here’s a primer on the case method, five benefits you could gain, and how to experience it for yourself.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is the Harvard Business School Case Study Method?

The case study method , or case method , is a learning technique in which you’re presented with a real-world business challenge and asked how you’d solve it. After working through it yourself and with peers, you’re told how the scenario played out.

HBS pioneered the case method in 1922. Shortly before, in 1921, the first case was written.

“How do you go into an ambiguous situation and get to the bottom of it?” says HBS Professor Jan Rivkin, former senior associate dean and chair of HBS's master of business administration (MBA) program, in a video about the case method . “That skill—the skill of figuring out a course of inquiry to choose a course of action—that skill is as relevant today as it was in 1921.”

Originally developed for the in-person MBA classroom, HBS Online adapted the case method into an engaging, interactive online learning experience in 2014.

In HBS Online courses , you learn about each case from the business professional who experienced it. After reviewing their videos, you’re prompted to take their perspective and explain how you’d handle their situation.

You then get to read peers’ responses, “star” them, and comment to further the discussion. Afterward, you learn how the professional handled it and their key takeaways.

HBS Online’s adaptation of the case method incorporates the famed HBS “cold call,” in which you’re called on at random to make a decision without time to prepare.

“Learning came to life!” said Sheneka Balogun , chief administration officer and chief of staff at LeMoyne-Owen College, of her experience taking the Credential of Readiness (CORe) program . “The videos from the professors, the interactive cold calls where you were randomly selected to participate, and the case studies that enhanced and often captured the essence of objectives and learning goals were all embedded in each module. This made learning fun, engaging, and student-friendly.”

If you’re considering taking a course that leverages the case study method, here are five benefits you could experience.

5 Benefits of Learning Through Case Studies

1. take new perspectives.

The case method prompts you to consider a scenario from another person’s perspective. To work through the situation and come up with a solution, you must consider their circumstances, limitations, risk tolerance, stakeholders, resources, and potential consequences to assess how to respond.

Taking on new perspectives not only can help you navigate your own challenges but also others’. Putting yourself in someone else’s situation to understand their motivations and needs can go a long way when collaborating with stakeholders.

2. Hone Your Decision-Making Skills

Another skill you can build is the ability to make decisions effectively . The case study method forces you to use limited information to decide how to handle a problem—just like in the real world.

Throughout your career, you’ll need to make difficult decisions with incomplete or imperfect information—and sometimes, you won’t feel qualified to do so. Learning through the case method allows you to practice this skill in a low-stakes environment. When facing a real challenge, you’ll be better prepared to think quickly, collaborate with others, and present and defend your solution.

3. Become More Open-Minded

As you collaborate with peers on responses, it becomes clear that not everyone solves problems the same way. Exposing yourself to various approaches and perspectives can help you become a more open-minded professional.

When you’re part of a diverse group of learners from around the world, your experiences, cultures, and backgrounds contribute to a range of opinions on each case.

On the HBS Online course platform, you’re prompted to view and comment on others’ responses, and discussion is encouraged. This practice of considering others’ perspectives can make you more receptive in your career.

“You’d be surprised at how much you can learn from your peers,” said Ratnaditya Jonnalagadda , a software engineer who took CORe.

In addition to interacting with peers in the course platform, Jonnalagadda was part of the HBS Online Community , where he networked with other professionals and continued discussions sparked by course content.

“You get to understand your peers better, and students share examples of businesses implementing a concept from a module you just learned,” Jonnalagadda said. “It’s a very good way to cement the concepts in one's mind.”

4. Enhance Your Curiosity

One byproduct of taking on different perspectives is that it enables you to picture yourself in various roles, industries, and business functions.

“Each case offers an opportunity for students to see what resonates with them, what excites them, what bores them, which role they could imagine inhabiting in their careers,” says former HBS Dean Nitin Nohria in the Harvard Business Review . “Cases stimulate curiosity about the range of opportunities in the world and the many ways that students can make a difference as leaders.”

Through the case method, you can “try on” roles you may not have considered and feel more prepared to change or advance your career .

5. Build Your Self-Confidence

Finally, learning through the case study method can build your confidence. Each time you assume a business leader’s perspective, aim to solve a new challenge, and express and defend your opinions and decisions to peers, you prepare to do the same in your career.

According to a 2022 City Square Associates survey , 84 percent of HBS Online learners report feeling more confident making business decisions after taking a course.

“Self-confidence is difficult to teach or coach, but the case study method seems to instill it in people,” Nohria says in the Harvard Business Review . “There may well be other ways of learning these meta-skills, such as the repeated experience gained through practice or guidance from a gifted coach. However, under the direction of a masterful teacher, the case method can engage students and help them develop powerful meta-skills like no other form of teaching.”

How to Experience the Case Study Method

If the case method seems like a good fit for your learning style, experience it for yourself by taking an HBS Online course. Offerings span seven subject areas, including:

• Business essentials
• Leadership and management
• Entrepreneurship and innovation
• Finance and accounting
• Business in society

No matter which course or credential program you choose, you’ll examine case studies from real business professionals, work through their challenges alongside peers, and gain valuable insights to apply to your career.

Are you interested in discovering how HBS Online can help advance your career? Explore our course catalog and download our free guide —complete with interactive workbook sections—to determine if online learning is right for you and which course to take.

About the Author

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

What the Case Study Method Really Teaches

• Nitin Nohria

Seven meta-skills that stick even if the cases fade from memory.

It’s been 100 years since Harvard Business School began using the case study method. Beyond teaching specific subject matter, the case study method excels in instilling meta-skills in students. This article explains the importance of seven such skills: preparation, discernment, bias recognition, judgement, collaboration, curiosity, and self-confidence.

During my decade as dean of Harvard Business School, I spent hundreds of hours talking with our alumni. To enliven these conversations, I relied on a favorite question: “What was the most important thing you learned from your time in our MBA program?”

• Nitin Nohria is the George F. Baker Jr. and Distinguished Service University Professor. He served as the 10th dean of Harvard Business School, from 2010 to 2020.

Partner Center

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

Methodology

• What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

• Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
• Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
• Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
• Open up new directions for future research

TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.

Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

• Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
• Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
• Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Ecological validity

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, primary vs. secondary sources | difference & examples, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is action research | definition & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Case Study Methods and Examples

By Janet Salmons, PhD Manager, Sage Research Methods Community

What is Case Study Methodology ?

Case studies in research are both unique and uniquely confusing. The term case study is confusing because the same term is used multiple ways. The term can refer to the methodology, that is, a system of frameworks used to design a study, or the methods used to conduct it. Or, case study can refer to a type of academic writing that typically delves into a problem, process, or situation.

Case study methodology can entail the study of one or more "cases," that could be described as instances, examples, or settings where the problem or phenomenon can be examined. The researcher is tasked with defining the parameters of the case, that is, what is included and excluded. This process is called bounding the case , or setting boundaries.

Case study can be combined with other methodologies, such as ethnography, grounded theory, or phenomenology. In such studies the research on the case uses another framework to further define the study and refine the approach.

Case study is also described as a method, given particular approaches used to collect and analyze data. Case study research is conducted by almost every social science discipline: business, education, sociology, psychology. Case study research, with its reliance on multiple sources, is also a natural choice for researchers interested in trans-, inter-, or cross-disciplinary studies.

The Encyclopedia of case study research provides an overview:

The purpose of case study research is twofold: (1) to provide descriptive information and (2) to suggest theoretical relevance. Rich description enables an in-depth or sharpened understanding of the case.

It is unique given one characteristic: case studies draw from more than one data source. Case studies are inherently multimodal or mixed methods because this they use either more than one form of data within a research paradigm, or more than one form of data from different paradigms.

A case study inquiry could include multiple types of data:

multiple forms of quantitative data sources, such as Big Data + a survey

multiple forms of qualitative data sources, such as interviews + observations + documents

multiple forms of quantitative and qualitative data sources, such as surveys + interviews

Case study methodology can be used to achieve different research purposes.

Robert Yin , methodologist most associated with case study research, differentiates between descriptive , exploratory and explanatory case studies:

Descriptive : A case study whose purpose is to describe a phenomenon. Explanatory : A case study whose purpose is to explain how or why some condition came to be, or why some sequence of events occurred or did not occur. Exploratory: A case study whose purpose is to identify the research questions or procedures to be used in a subsequent study.

Robert Yin’s book is a comprehensive guide for case study researchers!

You can read the preface and Chapter 1 of Yin's book here . See the open-access articles below for some published examples of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods case study research.

Mills, A. J., Durepos, G., & Wiebe, E. (2010).  Encyclopedia of case study research (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412957397

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Open-Access Articles Using Case Study Methodology

As you can see from this collection, case study methods are used in qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research.

Ang, C.-S., Lee, K.-F., & Dipolog-Ubanan, G. F. (2019). Determinants of First-Year Student Identity and Satisfaction in Higher Education: A Quantitative Case Study. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019846689

Abstract. First-year undergraduates’ expectations and experience of university and student engagement variables were investigated to determine how these perceptions influence their student identity and overall course satisfaction. Data collected from 554 first-year undergraduates at a large private university were analyzed. Participants were given the adapted version of the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education Survey to self-report their learning experience and engagement in the university community. The results showed that, in general, the students’ reasons of pursuing tertiary education were to open the door to career opportunities and skill development. Moreover, students’ views on their learning and university engagement were at the moderate level. In relation to student identity and overall student satisfaction, it is encouraging to state that their perceptions of studentship and course satisfaction were rather positive. After controlling for demographics, student engagement appeared to explain more variance in student identity, whereas students’ expectations and experience explained greater variance in students’ overall course satisfaction. Implications for practice, limitations, and recommendation of this study are addressed.

Baker, A. J. (2017). Algorithms to Assess Music Cities: Case Study—Melbourne as a Music Capital. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017691801

Abstract. The global  Mastering of a Music City  report in 2015 notes that the concept of music cities has penetrated the global political vernacular because it delivers “significant economic, employment, cultural and social benefits.” This article highlights that no empirical study has combined all these values and offers a relevant and comprehensive definition of a music city. Drawing on industry research,1 the article assesses how mathematical flowcharts, such as Algorithm A (Economics), Algorithm B (Four T’s creative index), and Algorithm C (Heritage), have contributed to the definition of a music city. Taking Melbourne as a case study, it illustrates how Algorithms A and B are used as disputed evidence about whether the city is touted as Australia’s music capital. The article connects the three algorithms to an academic framework from musicology, urban studies, cultural economics, and sociology, and proposes a benchmark Algorithm D (Music Cities definition), which offers a more holistic assessment of music activity in any urban context. The article concludes by arguing that Algorithm D offers a much-needed definition of what comprises a music city because it builds on the popular political economy focus and includes the social importance of space and cultural practices.

Brown, K., & Mondon, A. (2020). Populism, the media, and the mainstreaming of the far right: The Guardian’s coverage of populism as a case study. Politics. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395720955036

Abstract. Populism seems to define our current political age. The term is splashed across the headlines, brandished in political speeches and commentaries, and applied extensively in numerous academic publications and conferences. This pervasive usage, or populist hype, has serious implications for our understanding of the meaning of populism itself and for our interpretation of the phenomena to which it is applied. In particular, we argue that its common conflation with far-right politics, as well as its breadth of application to other phenomena, has contributed to the mainstreaming of the far right in three main ways: (1) agenda-setting power and deflection, (2) euphemisation and trivialisation, and (3) amplification. Through a mixed-methods approach to discourse analysis, this article uses  The Guardian  newspaper as a case study to explore the development of the populist hype and the detrimental effects of the logics that it has pushed in public discourse.

Droy, L. T., Goodwin, J., & O’Connor, H. (2020). Methodological Uncertainty and Multi-Strategy Analysis: Case Study of the Long-Term Effects of Government Sponsored Youth Training on Occupational Mobility. Bulletin of Sociological Methodology/Bulletin de Méthodologie Sociologique, 147–148(1–2), 200–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0759106320939893

Abstract. Sociological practitioners often face considerable methodological uncertainty when undertaking a quantitative analysis. This methodological uncertainty encompasses both data construction (e.g. defining variables) and analysis (e.g. selecting and specifying a modelling procedure). Methodological uncertainty can lead to results that are fragile and arbitrary. Yet, many practitioners may be unaware of the potential scale of methodological uncertainty in quantitative analysis, and the recent emergence of techniques for addressing it. Recent proposals for ‘multi-strategy’ approaches seek to identify and manage methodological uncertainty in quantitative analysis. We present a case-study of a multi-strategy analysis, applied to the problem of estimating the long-term impact of 1980s UK government-sponsored youth training. We use this case study to further highlight the problem of cumulative methodological fragilities in applied quantitative sociology and to discuss and help develop multi-strategy analysis as a tool to address them.

Ebneyamini, S., & Sadeghi Moghadam, M. R. (2018). Toward Developing a Framework for Conducting Case Study Research .  International Journal of Qualitative Methods .  https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406918817954

Abstract. This article reviews the use of case study research for both practical and theoretical issues especially in management field with the emphasis on management of technology and innovation. Many researchers commented on the methodological issues of the case study research from their point of view thus, presenting a comprehensive framework was missing. We try representing a general framework with methodological and analytical perspective to design, develop, and conduct case study research. To test the coverage of our framework, we have analyzed articles in three major journals related to the management of technology and innovation to approve our framework. This study represents a general structure to guide, design, and fulfill a case study research with levels and steps necessary for researchers to use in their research.

Lai, D., & Roccu, R. (2019). Case study research and critical IR: the case for the extended case methodology. International Relations , 33 (1), 67-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117818818243

Abstract. Discussions on case study methodology in International Relations (IR) have historically been dominated by positivist and neopositivist approaches. However, these are problematic for critical IR research, pointing to the need for a non-positivist case study methodology. To address this issue, this article introduces and adapts the extended case methodology as a critical, reflexivist approach to case study research, whereby the case is constructed through a dynamic interaction with theory, rather than selected, and knowledge is produced through extensions rather than generalisation. Insofar as it seeks to study the world in complex and non-linear terms, take context and positionality seriously, and generate explicitly political and emancipatory knowledge, the extended case methodology is consistent with the ontological and epistemological commitments of several critical IR approaches. Its potential is illustrated in the final part of the article with reference to researching the socioeconomic dimension of transitional justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Lynch, R., Young, J. C., Boakye-Achampong, S., Jowaisas, C., Sam, J., & Norlander, B. (2020). Benefits of crowdsourcing for libraries: A case study from Africa . IFLA Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/0340035220944940

Abstract. Many libraries in the Global South do not collect comprehensive data about themselves, which creates challenges in terms of local and international visibility. Crowdsourcing is an effective tool that engages the public to collect missing data, and it has proven to be particularly valuable in countries where governments collect little public data. Whereas crowdsourcing is often used within fields that have high levels of development funding, such as health, the authors believe that this approach would have many benefits for the library field as well. They present qualitative and quantitative evidence from 23 African countries involved in a crowdsourcing project to map libraries. The authors find benefits in terms of increased connections between stakeholders, capacity-building, and increased local visibility. These findings demonstrate the potential of crowdsourced approaches for tasks such as mapping to benefit libraries and similarly positioned institutions in the Global South in multifaceted ways.

Mason, W., Morris, K., Webb, C., Daniels, B., Featherstone, B., Bywaters, P., Mirza, N., Hooper, J., Brady, G., Bunting, L., & Scourfield, J. (2020). Toward Full Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Case Study Research: Insights From Investigating Child Welfare Inequalities. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 14 (2), 164-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689819857972

Abstract. Delineation of the full integration of quantitative and qualitative methods throughout all stages of multisite mixed methods case study projects remains a gap in the methodological literature. This article offers advances to the field of mixed methods by detailing the application and integration of mixed methods throughout all stages of one such project; a study of child welfare inequalities. By offering a critical discussion of site selection and the management of confirmatory, expansionary and discordant data, this article contributes to the limited body of mixed methods exemplars specific to this field. We propose that our mixed methods approach provided distinctive insights into a complex social problem, offering expanded understandings of the relationship between poverty, child abuse, and neglect.

Rashid, Y., Rashid, A., Warraich, M. A., Sabir, S. S., & Waseem, A. (2019). Case Study Method: A Step-by-Step Guide for Business Researchers .  International Journal of Qualitative Methods .  https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919862424

Abstract. Qualitative case study methodology enables researchers to conduct an in-depth exploration of intricate phenomena within some specific context. By keeping in mind research students, this article presents a systematic step-by-step guide to conduct a case study in the business discipline. Research students belonging to said discipline face issues in terms of clarity, selection, and operationalization of qualitative case study while doing their final dissertation. These issues often lead to confusion, wastage of valuable time, and wrong decisions that affect the overall outcome of the research. This article presents a checklist comprised of four phases, that is, foundation phase, prefield phase, field phase, and reporting phase. The objective of this article is to provide novice researchers with practical application of this checklist by linking all its four phases with the authors’ experiences and learning from recently conducted in-depth multiple case studies in the organizations of New Zealand. Rather than discussing case study in general, a targeted step-by-step plan with real-time research examples to conduct a case study is given.

VanWynsberghe, R., & Khan, S. (2007). Redefining Case Study. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 80–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690700600208

Abstract. In this paper the authors propose a more precise and encompassing definition of case study than is usually found. They support their definition by clarifying that case study is neither a method nor a methodology nor a research design as suggested by others. They use a case study prototype of their own design to propose common properties of case study and demonstrate how these properties support their definition. Next, they present several living myths about case study and refute them in relation to their definition. Finally, they discuss the interplay between the terms case study and unit of analysis to further delineate their definition of case study. The target audiences for this paper include case study researchers, research design and methods instructors, and graduate students interested in case study research.

More Sage Research Methods Community Posts about Case Study Research

Use research cases as the basis for individual or team activities that build skills.

Find an 10-step process for using research cases to teach methods with learning activities for individual students, teams, or small groups. (Or use the approach yourself!)

How do you decide which methodology fits your study? In this dialogue Linda Bloomberg and Janet Boberg explain the importance of a strategic approach to qualitative research design that stresses alignment with the purpose of the study.

Case study methods are used by researchers in many disciplines. Here are some open-access articles about multimodal qualitative or mixed methods designs that include both qualitative and quantitative elements.

Case study methodology is both unique, and uniquely confusing. It is unique given one characteristic: case studies draw from more than one data source.

What is case study methodology? It is unique given one characteristic: case studies draw from more than one data source. In this post find definitions and a collection of multidisciplinary examples.

Find discussion of case studies and published examples.

Istanbul as a regional computational social science hub

Experiments and quantitative research.

Breadcrumbs Section. Click here to navigate to respective pages.

Case Study Methodology in Business Research

DOI link for Case Study Methodology in Business Research

Get Citation

The complete guide for how to design and conduct theory-testing and other case studies… Case Study Methodology in Business Research sets out structures and guidelines that assist students and researchers from a wide range of disciplines to develop their case study research in a consistent and rigorous manner. It clarifies the differences between practice-oriented and theory-oriented research and, within the latter category, between theory-testing and theory-building. It describes in detail how to design and conduct different types of case study research, providing students and researchers with everything they need for their project. The main aims are to: * present a broad spectrum of types of case study research (including practice-oriented case studies, theory-building case studies and theory-testing case studies) in one consistent methodological framework. * emphasize and clearly illustrate that the case study is the preferred research strategy for testing deterministic propositions such as those expressing a necessary condition case by case and that the survey is the preferred research strategy for testing probabilistic propositions. * stress the role of replication in all theory-testing research, irrespective of which research strategy is chosen for a specific test. * give more weight to the importance of theory-testing relative to theory-building. Case Study Methodology in Business Research is a clear, concise and comprehensive text for case study methodology. Templates are supplied for case study protocol and how to report a case study. A modular textbook primarily aimed at serving research methodology courses for final year undergraduate students and graduate students in Business Administration and Management, which is also useful as a handbook for researchers. Written by Jan Dul, Professor of Technology and Human Factors, RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam and Tony Hak, Associate professor of Research Methodology, RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam, in collaboration with other authors from RSM Erasmus University.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part i | 59  pages, introduction, chapter chapter 1 | 16  pages, aims and overview of this book, chapter chapter 2 | 11  pages, a review of case studies in business research, chapter chapter 3 | 30  pages, principles of research, part ii | 112  pages, theory-testing research, chapter chapter 4 | 27  pages, theory-testing research (general), chapter chapter 5 | 48  pages, testing sufficient and necessary conditions with a case study, chapter chapter 6 | 18  pages, testing a deterministic relation with a case study, chapter chapter 7 | 17  pages, testing a probabilistic relation with a case study, part iii | 41  pages, theory-building research, chapter chapter 8 | 9  pages, theory-building research (general), chapter chapter 9 | 30  pages, the theory-building case study, part iv | 38  pages, practice-oriented research, chapter chapter 10 | 12  pages, practice-oriented research (general), chapter chapter 11 | 24  pages, the practice-oriented case study.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Taylor & Francis Online
• Taylor & Francis Group
• Students/Researchers
• Librarians/Institutions

Connect with us

Registered in England & Wales No. 3099067 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG © 2024 Informa UK Limited

• Boston University Libraries

Business Case Studies

• Case Method (Teaching)
• Getting Started
• Harvard Business School Cases
• Diverse Business Cases
• Databases with Cases
• Journals with Cases
• Books with Cases
• Open Access Cases
• Case Analysis
• Case Interviews

Online Resources

• Writing Case Studies
• Citing Business Sources

The case method is a teaching approach that uses cases to place students in the role of people who were faced with difficult decisions at some point in the past. Below are some resources that may be helpful to instructors who are using the case method.

• The HBS Case Method Brief overview of the HBS case method.
• How They Teach The Case Method At Harvard Business School From the September 29, 2015 issue of Poets & Quants. Provides detailed background on how the case method is taught at Harvard Business School.
• Teaching by the Case Method: Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning Harvard Business School Explores the case method in practice and provides tip sheets for effective case method teaching.
• Teaching with Case Studies: Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence ( PennState) Describes how to use case studies as strategies to provide active learning experiences for students.
• Using Case Studies to Teach: BU Center for Teaching & Learning Provides a brief overview of how to most effectively use cases in Boston University classes.

• << Previous: Case Interviews
• Next: Writing Case Studies >>
• Last Updated: Jun 25, 2024 1:35 PM
• URL: https://library.bu.edu/business-case-studies

• Privacy Policy

Home » Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation.

It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Case studies typically involve multiple sources of data, including interviews, observations, documents, and artifacts, which are analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, and grounded theory. The findings of a case study are often used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Types of Case Study

Types and Methods of Case Study are as follows:

Single-Case Study

A single-case study is an in-depth analysis of a single case. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand a specific phenomenon in detail.

For Example , A researcher might conduct a single-case study on a particular individual to understand their experiences with a particular health condition or a specific organization to explore their management practices. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a single-case study are often used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Multiple-Case Study

A multiple-case study involves the analysis of several cases that are similar in nature. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to identify similarities and differences between the cases.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a multiple-case study on several companies to explore the factors that contribute to their success or failure. The researcher collects data from each case, compares and contrasts the findings, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as comparative analysis or pattern-matching. The findings of a multiple-case study can be used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Exploratory Case Study

An exploratory case study is used to explore a new or understudied phenomenon. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to generate hypotheses or theories about the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an exploratory case study on a new technology to understand its potential impact on society. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as grounded theory or content analysis. The findings of an exploratory case study can be used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Descriptive Case Study

A descriptive case study is used to describe a particular phenomenon in detail. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a descriptive case study on a particular community to understand its social and economic characteristics. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a descriptive case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Instrumental Case Study

An instrumental case study is used to understand a particular phenomenon that is instrumental in achieving a particular goal. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand the role of the phenomenon in achieving the goal.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an instrumental case study on a particular policy to understand its impact on achieving a particular goal, such as reducing poverty. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of an instrumental case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Case Study Data Collection Methods

Here are some common data collection methods for case studies:

Interviews involve asking questions to individuals who have knowledge or experience relevant to the case study. Interviews can be structured (where the same questions are asked to all participants) or unstructured (where the interviewer follows up on the responses with further questions). Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing.

Observations

Observations involve watching and recording the behavior and activities of individuals or groups relevant to the case study. Observations can be participant (where the researcher actively participates in the activities) or non-participant (where the researcher observes from a distance). Observations can be recorded using notes, audio or video recordings, or photographs.

Documents can be used as a source of information for case studies. Documents can include reports, memos, emails, letters, and other written materials related to the case study. Documents can be collected from the case study participants or from public sources.

Surveys involve asking a set of questions to a sample of individuals relevant to the case study. Surveys can be administered in person, over the phone, through mail or email, or online. Surveys can be used to gather information on attitudes, opinions, or behaviors related to the case study.

Artifacts are physical objects relevant to the case study. Artifacts can include tools, equipment, products, or other objects that provide insights into the case study phenomenon.

How to conduct Case Study Research

Conducting a case study research involves several steps that need to be followed to ensure the quality and rigor of the study. Here are the steps to conduct case study research:

• Define the research questions: The first step in conducting a case study research is to define the research questions. The research questions should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the case study phenomenon under investigation.
• Select the case: The next step is to select the case or cases to be studied. The case should be relevant to the research questions and should provide rich and diverse data that can be used to answer the research questions.
• Collect data: Data can be collected using various methods, such as interviews, observations, documents, surveys, and artifacts. The data collection method should be selected based on the research questions and the nature of the case study phenomenon.
• Analyze the data: The data collected from the case study should be analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, or grounded theory. The analysis should be guided by the research questions and should aim to provide insights and conclusions relevant to the research questions.
• Draw conclusions: The conclusions drawn from the case study should be based on the data analysis and should be relevant to the research questions. The conclusions should be supported by evidence and should be clearly stated.
• Validate the findings: The findings of the case study should be validated by reviewing the data and the analysis with participants or other experts in the field. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Write the report: The final step is to write the report of the case study research. The report should provide a clear description of the case study phenomenon, the research questions, the data collection methods, the data analysis, the findings, and the conclusions. The report should be written in a clear and concise manner and should follow the guidelines for academic writing.

Examples of Case Study

Here are some examples of case study research:

• The Hawthorne Studies : Conducted between 1924 and 1932, the Hawthorne Studies were a series of case studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues to examine the impact of work environment on employee productivity. The studies were conducted at the Hawthorne Works plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago and included interviews, observations, and experiments.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment: Conducted in 1971, the Stanford Prison Experiment was a case study conducted by Philip Zimbardo to examine the psychological effects of power and authority. The study involved simulating a prison environment and assigning participants to the role of guards or prisoners. The study was controversial due to the ethical issues it raised.
• The Challenger Disaster: The Challenger Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. The study included interviews, observations, and analysis of data to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.
• The Enron Scandal: The Enron Scandal was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Enron Corporation’s bankruptcy in 2001. The study included interviews, analysis of financial data, and review of documents to identify the accounting practices, corporate culture, and ethical issues that led to the company’s downfall.
• The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster : The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011. The study included interviews, analysis of data, and review of documents to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.

Application of Case Study

Case studies have a wide range of applications across various fields and industries. Here are some examples:

Business and Management

Case studies are widely used in business and management to examine real-life situations and develop problem-solving skills. Case studies can help students and professionals to develop a deep understanding of business concepts, theories, and best practices.

Case studies are used in healthcare to examine patient care, treatment options, and outcomes. Case studies can help healthcare professionals to develop critical thinking skills, diagnose complex medical conditions, and develop effective treatment plans.

Case studies are used in education to examine teaching and learning practices. Case studies can help educators to develop effective teaching strategies, evaluate student progress, and identify areas for improvement.

Social Sciences

Case studies are widely used in social sciences to examine human behavior, social phenomena, and cultural practices. Case studies can help researchers to develop theories, test hypotheses, and gain insights into complex social issues.

Law and Ethics

Case studies are used in law and ethics to examine legal and ethical dilemmas. Case studies can help lawyers, policymakers, and ethical professionals to develop critical thinking skills, analyze complex cases, and make informed decisions.

Purpose of Case Study

The purpose of a case study is to provide a detailed analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. A case study is a qualitative research method that involves the in-depth exploration and analysis of a particular case, which can be an individual, group, organization, event, or community.

The primary purpose of a case study is to generate a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the case, including its history, context, and dynamics. Case studies can help researchers to identify and examine the underlying factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and detailed understanding of the case, which can inform future research, practice, or policy.

Case studies can also serve other purposes, including:

• Illustrating a theory or concept: Case studies can be used to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and frameworks, providing concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
• Developing hypotheses: Case studies can help to generate hypotheses about the causal relationships between different factors and outcomes, which can be tested through further research.
• Providing insight into complex issues: Case studies can provide insights into complex and multifaceted issues, which may be difficult to understand through other research methods.
• Informing practice or policy: Case studies can be used to inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.

Advantages of Case Study Research

There are several advantages of case study research, including:

• In-depth exploration: Case study research allows for a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. This can provide a comprehensive understanding of the case and its dynamics, which may not be possible through other research methods.
• Rich data: Case study research can generate rich and detailed data, including qualitative data such as interviews, observations, and documents. This can provide a nuanced understanding of the case and its complexity.
• Holistic perspective: Case study research allows for a holistic perspective of the case, taking into account the various factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the case.
• Theory development: Case study research can help to develop and refine theories and concepts by providing empirical evidence and concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
• Practical application: Case study research can inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.
• Contextualization: Case study research takes into account the specific context in which the case is situated, which can help to understand how the case is influenced by the social, cultural, and historical factors of its environment.

Limitations of Case Study Research

There are several limitations of case study research, including:

• Limited generalizability : Case studies are typically focused on a single case or a small number of cases, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The unique characteristics of the case may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, which may limit the external validity of the research.
• Biased sampling: Case studies may rely on purposive or convenience sampling, which can introduce bias into the sample selection process. This may limit the representativeness of the sample and the generalizability of the findings.
• Subjectivity: Case studies rely on the interpretation of the researcher, which can introduce subjectivity into the analysis. The researcher’s own biases, assumptions, and perspectives may influence the findings, which may limit the objectivity of the research.
• Limited control: Case studies are typically conducted in naturalistic settings, which limits the control that the researcher has over the environment and the variables being studied. This may limit the ability to establish causal relationships between variables.
• Time-consuming: Case studies can be time-consuming to conduct, as they typically involve a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific case. This may limit the feasibility of conducting multiple case studies or conducting case studies in a timely manner.
• Resource-intensive: Case studies may require significant resources, including time, funding, and expertise. This may limit the ability of researchers to conduct case studies in resource-constrained settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Questionnaire – Definition, Types, and Examples

Qualitative Research Methods

Triangulation in Research – Types, Methods and...

Descriptive Research Design – Types, Methods and...

Experimental Design – Types, Methods, Guide

Transformative Design – Methods, Types, Guide

• Harvard Business School →
• Case Method Project →

Case Method Teaching

• Teacher Workshops
• Student Experience
• Case Method Teaching →

What is the Case Method?

The core pedagogy of Harvard Business School since the early 20th century, the case method boasts a unique ability to make complex concepts accessible and develop students’ leadership skills, all while creating an engaging intellectual atmosphere.

A “case” is a short narrative document – a story – that presents a particular challenge facing an individual or organization. Each case reflects the information available to decision-makers at the time, and builds to a particular decision point, but without revealing what decision was actually made. For each class, students are asked to read the case and to put themselves in the shoes of the actual decision-makers to consider what they themselves would have done given the information available at the time.

To help situate the decision, each case also provides background history on the most relevant issues and events leading up to the decision point. For example, a case that focuses on a decision facing Martin Luther King Jr. during the campaign for black voting rights in 1965 also traces the broader civil rights movement, as well as the history of segregation and black disenfranchisement in the U.S. since the Civil War.

In the classroom, the instructor poses questions to guide student discussion. These carefully designed questions are the key to any successful case-method course. An experienced case-method teacher is often thinking several steps ahead, anticipating what points and questions might be raised and standing ready with follow-up questions to guide the group. Active participation in class is essential to the case method’s success, and the grading metrics reflect its importance. Students quickly learn to speak up, to challenge each other, and to build on each other’s ideas.

Any professor or teacher can teach by the case method. Content expertise beyond the case itself is helpful but not required. To assist both experienced and new case-method teachers, each case has its own teaching plan: a flexible road-map for the instructor that suggests specific questions, strategies for eliciting key insights, and ideas for organizing student responses visually on a blackboard. For some cases, more extensive supporting documents known as “teaching notes” are available to fully brief the instructor on the relevant history and the multiple levels of questions he or she might consider.

“ I’ve never had this experience as a teacher before, and it's explicitly due to the case method — it's a game changer. ”

Case Studies

Case studies are a popular research method in business area. Case studies aim to analyze specific issues within the boundaries of a specific environment, situation or organization.

According to its design, case studies in business research can be divided into three categories: explanatory, descriptive and exploratory.

Explanatory case studies aim to answer ‘how’ or ’why’ questions with little control on behalf of researcher over occurrence of events. This type of case studies focus on phenomena within the contexts of real-life situations. Example: “An investigation into the reasons of the global financial and economic crisis of 2008 – 2010.”

Descriptive case studies aim to analyze the sequence of interpersonal events after a certain amount of time has passed. Studies in business research belonging to this category usually describe culture or sub-culture, and they attempt to discover the key phenomena. Example: “Impact of increasing levels of multiculturalism on marketing practices: A case study of McDonald’s Indonesia.”

Exploratory case studies aim to find answers to the questions of ‘what’ or ‘who’. Exploratory case study data collection method is often accompanied by additional data collection method(s) such as interviews, questionnaires, experiments etc. Example: “A study into differences of leadership practices between private and public sector organizations in Atlanta, USA.”

Advantages of case study method include data collection and analysis within the context of phenomenon, integration of qualitative and quantitative data in data analysis, and the ability to capture complexities of real-life situations so that the phenomenon can be studied in greater levels of depth. Case studies do have certain disadvantages that may include lack of rigor, challenges associated with data analysis and very little basis for generalizations of findings and conclusions.

John Dudovskiy

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

• Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

• Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

• Google Tag Manager
• Infographics
• Daily Infographics
• Popular Templates
• Accessibility
• Graphic Design
• Graphs and Charts
• Data Visualization
• Human Resources
• Beginner Guides

Blog Beginner Guides 6 Types of Case Studies to Inspire Your Research and Analysis

6 Types of Case Studies to Inspire Your Research and Analysis

Written by: Ronita Mohan Sep 20, 2021

Case studies have become powerful business tools. But what is a case study? What are the benefits of creating one? Are there limitations to the format?

If you’ve asked yourself these questions, our helpful guide will clear things up. Learn how to use a case study for business. Find out how cases analysis works in psychology and research.

We’ve also got examples of case studies to inspire you.

Haven’t made a case study before? You can easily  create a case study  with Venngage’s customizable case study templates .

Click to jump ahead:

What is a case study?

6 types of case studies, what is a business case study, what is a case study in research, what is a case study in psychology, what is the case study method, benefits of case studies, limitations of case studies, faqs about case studies.

A case study is a research process aimed at learning about a subject, an event or an organization. Case studies are use in business, the social sciences and healthcare.

A case study may focus on one observation or many. It can also examine a series of events or a single case. An effective case study tells a story and provides a conclusion.

Healthcare industries write reports on patients and diagnoses. Marketing case study examples , like the one below, highlight the benefits of a business product.

Now that you know what a case study is, let’s look at the six different types of case studies next.

There are six common types of case reports. Depending on your industry, you might use one of these types.

Descriptive case studies

Explanatory case studies, exploratory case reports, intrinsic case studies, instrumental case studies, collective case reports.

We go into more detail about each type of study in the guide below.

Related:  15+ Professional Case Study Examples [Design Tips + Templates]

When you have an existing hypothesis, you can design a descriptive study. This type of report starts with a description. The aim is to find connections between the subject being studied and a theory.

Once these connections are found, the study can conclude. The results of this type of study will usually suggest how to develop a theory further.

A study like the one below has concrete results. A descriptive report would use the quantitative data as a suggestion for researching the subject deeply.

When an incident occurs in a field, an explanation is required. An explanatory report investigates the cause of the event. It will include explanations for that cause.

The study will also share details about the impact of the event. In most cases, this report will use evidence to predict future occurrences. The results of explanatory reports are definitive.

Note that there is no room for interpretation here. The results are absolute.

The study below is a good example. It explains how one brand used the services of another. It concludes by showing definitive proof that the collaboration was successful.

Another example of this study would be in the automotive industry. If a vehicle fails a test, an explanatory study will examine why. The results could show that the failure was because of a particular part.

Related: How to Write a Case Study [+ Design Tips]

An explanatory report is a self-contained document. An exploratory one is only the beginning of an investigation.

Exploratory cases act as the starting point of studies. This is usually conducted as a precursor to large-scale investigations. The research is used to suggest why further investigations are needed.

An exploratory study can also be used to suggest methods for further examination.

For example, the below analysis could have found inconclusive results. In that situation, it would be the basis for an in-depth study.

Intrinsic studies are more common in the field of psychology. These reports can also be conducted in healthcare or social work.

These types of studies focus on a unique subject, such as a patient. They can sometimes study groups close to the researcher.

The aim of such studies is to understand the subject better. This requires learning their history. The researcher will also examine how they interact with their environment.

For instance, if the case study below was about a unique brand, it could be an intrinsic study.

Once the study is complete, the researcher will have developed a better understanding of a phenomenon. This phenomenon will likely not have been studied or theorized about before.

Examples of intrinsic case analysis can be found across psychology. For example, Jean Piaget’s theories on cognitive development. He established the theory from intrinsic studies into his own children.

Related: What Disney Villains Can Tell Us About Color Psychology [Infographic]

This is another type of study seen in medical and psychology fields. Instrumental reports are created to examine more than just the primary subject.

When research is conducted for an instrumental study, it is to provide the basis for a larger phenomenon. The subject matter is usually the best example of the phenomenon. This is why it is being studied.

Take the example of the fictional brand below.

Assume it’s examining lead generation strategies. It may want to show that visual marketing is the definitive lead generation tool. The brand can conduct an instrumental case study to examine this phenomenon.

Collective studies are based on instrumental case reports. These types of studies examine multiple reports.

There are a number of reasons why collective reports are created:

• To provide evidence for starting a new study
• To find pattens between multiple instrumental reports
• To find differences in similar types of cases
• Gain a deeper understanding of a complex phenomenon
• Understand a phenomenon from diverse contexts

A researcher could use multiple reports, like the one below, to build a collective case report.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

A business or marketing case study aims at showcasing a successful partnership. This can be between a brand and a client. Or the case study can examine a brand’s project.

There is a perception that case studies are used to advertise a brand. But effective reports, like the one below, can show clients how a brand can support them.

Hubspot created a case study on a customer that successfully scaled its business. The report outlines the various Hubspot tools used to achieve these results.

Hubspot also added a video with testimonials from the client company’s employees.

So, what is the purpose of a case study for businesses? There is a lot of competition in the corporate world. Companies are run by people. They can be on the fence about which brand to work with.

Business reports  stand out aesthetically, as well. They use  brand colors  and brand fonts . Usually, a combination of the client’s and the brand’s.

With the Venngage  My Brand Kit  feature, businesses can automatically apply their brand to designs.

A business case study, like the one below, acts as social proof. This helps customers decide between your brand and your competitors.

Don’t know how to design a report? You can learn  how to write a case study  with Venngage’s guide. We also share design tips and examples that will help you convert.

Related: 55+ Annual Report Design Templates, Inspirational Examples & Tips [Updated]

Research is a necessary part of every case study. But specific research fields are required to create studies. These fields include user research, healthcare, education, or social work.

For example, this UX Design  report examined the public perception of a client. The brand researched and implemented new visuals to improve it. The study breaks down this research through lessons learned.

Clinical reports are a necessity in the medical field. These documents are used to share knowledge with other professionals. They also help examine new or unusual diseases or symptoms.

The pandemic has led to a significant increase in research. For example,  Spectrum Health  studied the value of health systems in the pandemic. They created the study by examining community outreach.

The pandemic has significantly impacted the field of education. This has led to numerous examinations on remote studying. There have also been studies on how students react to decreased peer communication.

Social work case reports often have a community focus. They can also examine public health responses. In certain regions, social workers study disaster responses.

You now know what case studies in various fields are. In the next step of our guide, we explain the case study method.

In the field of psychology, case studies focus on a particular subject. Psychology case histories also examine human behaviors.

Case reports search for commonalities between humans. They are also used to prescribe further research. Or these studies can elaborate on a solution for a behavioral ailment.

The American Psychology Association  has a number of case studies on real-life clients. Note how the reports are more text-heavy than a business case study.

Famous psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Anna O popularised the use of case studies in the field. They did so by regularly interviewing subjects. Their detailed observations build the field of psychology.

It is important to note that psychological studies must be conducted by professionals. Psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists should be the researchers in these cases.

Related: What Netflix’s Top 50 Shows Can Teach Us About Font Psychology [Infographic]

The case study method, or case method, is a learning technique where you’re presented with a real-world business challenge and asked how you’d solve it.

After working through it independently and with peers, you learn how the actual scenario unfolded. This approach helps develop problem-solving skills and practical knowledge.

This method often uses various data sources like interviews, observations, and documents to provide comprehensive insights. The below example would have been created after numerous interviews.

Case studies are largely qualitative. They analyze and describe phenomena. While some data is included, a case analysis is not quantitative.

There are a few steps in the case method. You have to start by identifying the subject of your study. Then determine what kind of research is required.

In natural sciences, case studies can take years to complete. Business reports, like this one, don’t take that long. A few weeks of interviews should be enough.

The case method will vary depending on the industry. Reports will also look different once produced.

As you will have seen, business reports are more colorful. The design is also more accessible . Healthcare and psychology reports are more text-heavy.

Designing case reports takes time and energy. So, is it worth taking the time to write them? Here are the benefits of creating case studies.

• Collects large amounts of information
• Helps formulate hypotheses
• Builds the case for further research
• Discovers new insights into a subject
• Builds brand trust and loyalty
• Engages customers through stories

For example, the business study below creates a story around a brand partnership. It makes for engaging reading. The study also shows evidence backing up the information.

We’ve shared the benefits of why studies are needed. We will also look at the limitations of creating them.

Related: How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

There are a few disadvantages to conducting a case analysis. The limitations will vary according to the industry.

• Responses from interviews are subjective
• Subjects may tailor responses to the researcher
• Studies can’t always be replicated
• In certain industries, analyses can take time and be expensive
• Risk of generalizing the results among a larger population

These are some of the common weaknesses of creating case reports. If you’re on the fence, look at the competition in your industry.

Other brands or professionals are building reports, like this example. In that case, you may want to do the same.

What makes a case study a case study?

A case study has a very particular research methodology. They are an in-depth study of a person or a group of individuals. They can also study a community or an organization. Case reports examine real-world phenomena within a set context.

How long should a case study be?

The length of studies depends on the industry. It also depends on the story you’re telling. Most case studies should be at least 500-1500 words long. But you can increase the length if you have more details to share.

What should you ask in a case study?

The one thing you shouldn’t ask is ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions. Case studies are qualitative. These questions won’t give you the information you need.

Ask your client about the problems they faced. Ask them about solutions they found. Or what they think is the ideal solution. Leave room to ask them follow-up questions. This will help build out the study.

How to present a case study?

When you’re ready to present a case study, begin by providing a summary of the problem or challenge you were addressing. Follow this with an outline of the solution you implemented, and support this with the results you achieved, backed by relevant data. Incorporate visual aids like slides, graphs, and images to make your case study presentation more engaging and impactful.

Now you know what a case study means, you can begin creating one. These reports are a great tool for analyzing brands. They are also useful in a variety of other fields.

Use a visual communication platform like Venngage to design case studies. With Venngage’s templates, you can design easily. Create branded, engaging reports, all without design experience.

Discover popular designs

Infographic maker

Brochure maker

White paper online

Newsletter creator

Flyer maker

Timeline maker

Letterhead maker

Mind map maker

Ebook maker

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

The Case Study Method in Business

Social science researchers have made wide use of case study method to investigate contemporary real-life situations and provide the basis for the application of ideas and extension of methods. Hence, this article discusses several aspects of case study method in business. These include the definition, types and design of case study. It also confers on data collection method in case study that discusses in detail about interview, observation, and document analysis. The quality in case study and previous research that relate with case study also converse in this article. This study contributes and assists individuals or researchers to obtain ideas particularly in studies of real-life context governing social issues and problems.

Related Papers

SAGE Research Methods Foundations [online]

Mark N K Saunders , Bill Lee

Despite having a relatively recent history compared to other social sciences, the business and management field has proliferated into a number of largely independent disciplines. These include: accounting; corporate governance; entrepreneurship; finance; human resource management; international business and international management; leadership; management and business history; marketing and retail; operations and logistics; organizational behaviour; public management and governance; and strategy. Each of these disciplines has its own methodological predilections and as a corollary, a view of what constitutes a case study, where case studies should feature in a research project and the relative usefulness of case study research. Given this breadth of disciplines, only a provisional definition of a case study will be provided at this point; namely, a case study is research into a phenomenon, organization, process, or event that is studied as a unit of analysis that is interesting in its own right. Rather than attempting to summarise all that has been written about case studies across the management disciplines, this entry will elaborate upon thinking around this definition using the metaphor of a kaleidoscope.

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

ansar waseem

Qualitative case study methodology enables researchers to conduct an in-depth exploration of intricate phenomena within some specific context. By keeping in mind research students, this article presents a systematic step-by-step guide to conduct a case study in the business discipline. Research students belonging to said discipline face issues in terms of clarity, selection, and operationalization of qualitative case study while doing their final dissertation. These issues often lead to confusion, wastage of valuable time, and wrong decisions that affect the overall outcome of the research. This article presents a checklist comprised of four phases, that is, foundation phase, prefield phase, field phase, and reporting phase. The objective of this article is to provide novice researchers with practical application of this checklist by linking all its four phases with the authors’ experiences and learning from recently conducted in-depth multiple case studies in the organizations of N...

Khullar Junior

Although case study methods remain a controversial approach to data collection, they are widely recognised in many social science studies especially when in-depth explanations of a social behaviour are sought after. This article, therefore, discusses several aspects of case studies as a research method. These include the design and categories of case studies and how their robustness can be achieved. It also explores on the advantages and disadvantages of case study as a research method.

EmmsMt Ntuli

Ali Haj Aghapour

Case-study as a qualitative research is a strongly debatable research strategy among all academicians and particularly practitioners. Therefore, in order to provide some upto-date insights into this controversial issue, the current paper seeks to investigate and document some aspects of case-study research. In fact, after reviewing some literatures in order to define, clarify and classify case-study research, the paper tries to consider and trade-off this qualitative strategy from different philosophical perspectives and approaches. Then, by relying on some recently outstanding papers and other highly recognized written resources, the paper gets into the appropriateness of casestudy including Generalizability, Validity, Construct validity, Internal validity and Reliability. Next, the role of case-study to build a social theory is investigated that leads to preset a step-bystep process to achieve this visionary goal. At the end, a brief comparison between case-study, as a common representative of qualitative research, and survey, an indicator of opposite view, is done. This paper contributes to research method’s development used by scholars looking to establish a case research by improving the level of understanding regarding the discussed issues. Index Terms- case-study appropriateness, case-study classification, case-study approaches.

Sreeramana Aithal

Many business schools have adopted case method in management research and in teaching pedagogy with the belief that it is a most powerful way to study and learn new lessons required to identify, understand, and solve the problems in the process of managing and leading the organizations. Analysing business cases of companies force students to grapple with exactly the kinds of situations, decisions, and dilemmas managers confront every day. A good business case will include the problem, identify all the possible options to solve the problem, and provides adequate information along with uncertainties to the decision-makers to choose which course of action will be best for the organisation. Case analysis is a participatory method in which the students play a lead role in their own and each other's learning. The instructors moderate the discussions ask questions, monitors the dialogue, supports debate, and records the frameworks used for analysing situations, concepts, models, strategies used in the problem of the system/organization to engage students in a decision-making process of a challenging, interactive learning environment. Both types of cases can be analysed in a classroom setup provided the instructor finds them as appropriate for the topic and subject under discussion. Company analysis is a powerful tool in developing both research case study and teaching case study in business management subject. In this paper, we have discussed the case studies based on company analysis, case studies published by top publishers on company analysis, difference between research case study and teaching case study, company analysis as a methodology in management research, an effective method of developing research case studies based on company analysis using a framework for research case study based on company analysis, and the possible recommendations based on analysis.

Serbian Journal of Management

Milovan Vuković

A. Biba Rebolj

The Journal of Agricultural Sciences - Sri Lanka

rohitha rosairo

We receive a large number of manuscripts for possible publication in this journal. In reviewing them, we find that the bulk of them are from the area of crop sciences, livestock production and allied fields that have used experiments as the research strategy. The minority that falls in to the areas of agribusiness, agricultural economics and extension have used survey strategy. There is a lack of utilizing other research strategies in current research. Research has to be commenced with a clear direction and a clearly identified study process. These are primarily provided by its research strategy (Wedawatta, 2011). There are numerous strategies that a researcher can adopt to achieve the objectives of a particular research study. Some common research strategies are; experiment, survey, archival analysis, ethnography, action research, narrative inquiry, and the case study. This paper explains what a case study is and outlines the components of a case study. The Nature of a Case Study Yin (2003) defines case study as 'an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident'. A phenomenon and context are not always distinguishable in real-life situations. Therefore, a case study uses a large number of variables of interest than data points; and essentially relies on multiple sources of evidence for data triangulation. A historical viewpoint on case study strategy is presented in Tellis (1997). According to Yin (2003), case studies can be exploratory, explanatory or descriptive. Research in social sciences deals with interactions between institutions and human behaviour. These can be best studied in real-life settings and contexts. Sometimes an inquiry may be undertaken on an individual organization with a limited or a narrow population. These suggest qualitative investigations which are assessments of attitudes, opinions and behaviour (Kothari and Garg, 2018). These qualitative investigations are characteristic with the case study strategy. Whilst often been identified as interpretivist, case studies can also be used in positivistic research (Saunders et al. 2012).

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Raymond Obeng

IOSR Journals publish within 3 days

ORGANIZATION STAGES AND ADVANTAGES OF THE CASE STUDY METHOD

Sardor Usarov

Fahad Alnaim

Ricardo D'Ávila

Yhonier Gonzalez

The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation

Trista Hollweck

Southern Utah University

Hayden Coombs

Agribusiness

Randall Westgren

rizwan gujjar

Adrian Carr

casestudies journal

Steve Allen

SSRN Electronic Journal

Kenneth Harling

ZUHAL AHNAN

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Ann Robertson

Annals of Tourism Research

Asli D.A. Tasci

Geoff Gregson

Aaron Walter

The Qualitative Report

Tiia Vissak

Arch Woodside

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Case Study Method: Why & how the best business schools use it

The case study method, popularised by Harvard Business School has been adopted by almost all the top MBA programs in the world. For your bachelors degree (engineering, commerce, science, etc), the teaching was almost fully dependent on the lecture method. In contrast, management colleges spend less than half of the time on lectures.

Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA rules with around 50% and for the Harvard MBA, this number drops to under 5% (read the table below for details). Case studies, on the other hand, have been enjoying the limelight in B-schools for ages (Harvard HBS professors spend 80% of their time on case studies) and that’s not going to change soon.

If you are applying to B-schools, you’d better make yourself familiar with the concept of case studies. Read up on a few case study examples and try your hand at cracking them.

All about Management Case Studies

In short, case studies are a miniature version of a business situation used in MBA programs to facilitate learning.

The percentage of case study dependency ranges from 20% to 80% in the top business schools in the world. It gets varying degrees of support from the other methods of teaching – lectures, group assignments, experiential learning (internships, real world assignments would fall in this category).

How the best business schools use Case Studies

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek | Poets & Quants

Case Study format

Typically a case study presents a vague sounding management problem for a specific business. Often it may be an issue that the top brass of the company (CEO, CFO level) is facing.

This is followed by a whole lot of objective and subjective data. This could include a brief history of the company on which the case study example is based, the financial data (balance sheet, profit and loss account). There could also be a whole lot of supporting data about the size of the company (for example, thenumber of employees, locations, products).

Often, at the first glance the sheer volume of data might be overwhelming. The challenge for you, is to cut through the data and filter out the information that’s relevant for the case.

Examples of Case Studies

A case study on marketing could focus on entering a new market, or tackling the influx of cheaper competing services, or working on the optimal pricing for the existing products of a consumer goods company.

Finance case study examples could talk about evaluating the cash flow status for a company and defining a strategy to improve the accounts receivable (AR) policies, or you might be thinking about the best mix of debt and equity for the company.

Case studies on operations may include improving the efficiency of a manufacturing unit, working on the right mix of inventory and finished goods, or the decision to re-engineer the supply chain management system and reduce the dependency of global raw materials.

The fun starts when you move to strategy case studies, where the problems and the potential solutions can span across domains from finance to marketing and everything in between.

Want to check out some real case studies and examples from the best business schools?

Here’s a list of free and paid case studies from: Harvard | Stanford | London Business School | IMD | Darden

Harvard Business School Case Study

If you are curious to get a peek into how the best in the business use the case study to facilitate management learning, check out this video.

The professor in the video might seem to have consumed a few extra cups of coffee before the session. But apart from being energetic, it does help if the professor has the ability to get the class energised and engaged.

Active participation during case studies is highly encouraged and most students do. Why so? Coz class participation in case studies counts towards grading. If Coffee Anna is happy with what you say, you get extra points.

The flipside is that this may seem like torture for introverts and folks who don’t like their voices echoing in the class with a few hundred pair of eyes dissecting their every move, waiting to pounce in with a counter-argument.

Love it or hate it, if you are preparing to join bschool, get mentally and intellectually ready to grill and be grilled. And this is the easy part. Doing business in the real world gets tougher.

Over to you now. What is the one top reason why you’d like or dislike it?

Also read: – Case interview sample question and answer tips – Mergers & Acquisitions – written by Marc Cosentino (Author – Case in Point) – Case competitions benefits and preparation tips

Mini-MBA | Start here | Success stories | Reality check | Knowledgebase | Scholarships | Services Serious about higher ed? Follow us:                

4 thoughts on “Case Study Method: Why & how the best business schools use it”

Hi Sameer, 1. How were the % calculated or sourced from, for the “case study method” %, and the other method %s ? 2. Why do some of the schools’ % contributions not add up to 100%, eg. Stanford? 3. Could you please include or point me to % based breakup of pedagogy similarly, of ISB and the IIMs ? (e.g. ISB and IIM-A use case study – and I’d like to know, how much) Thanks, HNP

@hnp: As mentioned just below the table, these were sourced from a survey done by Poets & Quants. Some schools have additional ways of grading students that haven’t been included in these 4 columns. That’s why they don’t add up to 100% We don’t have similar data for the Indian bschools. If you happen to find it anywhere it’ll be great if you could come back here and share.

how can i get case studies for practice

Case-in-point by Marc Cosentino is a great resource.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Effective Problem-Solving Techniques in Business

Problem solving is an increasingly important soft skill for those in business. The Future of Jobs Survey by the World Economic Forum drives this point home. According to this report, complex problem solving is identified as one of the top 15 skills that will be sought by employers in 2025, along with other soft skills such as analytical thinking, creativity and leadership.

Dr. Amy David , clinical associate professor of management for supply chain and operations management, spoke about business problem-solving methods and how the Purdue University Online MBA program prepares students to be business decision-makers.

Why Are Problem-Solving Skills Essential in Leadership Roles?

Every business will face challenges at some point. Those that are successful will have people in place who can identify and solve problems before the damage is done.

“The business world is constantly changing, and companies need to be able to adapt well in order to produce good results and meet the needs of their customers,” David says. “They also need to keep in mind the triple bottom line of ‘people, profit and planet.’ And these priorities are constantly evolving.”

To that end, David says people in management or leadership need to be able to handle new situations, something that may be outside the scope of their everyday work.

“The name of the game these days is change—and the speed of change—and that means solving new problems on a daily basis,” she says.

The pace of information and technology has also empowered the customer in a new way that provides challenges—or opportunities—for businesses to respond.

“Our customers have a lot more information and a lot more power,” she says. “If you think about somebody having an unhappy experience and tweeting about it, that’s very different from maybe 15 years ago. Back then, if you had a bad experience with a product, you might grumble about it to one or two people.”

David says that this reality changes how quickly organizations need to react and respond to their customers. And taking prompt and decisive action requires solid problem-solving skills.

What Are Some of the Most Effective Problem-Solving Methods?

David says there are a few things to consider when encountering a challenge in business.

“When faced with a problem, are we talking about something that is broad and affects a lot of people? Or is it something that affects a select few? Depending on the issue and situation, you’ll need to use different types of problem-solving strategies,” she says.

Using Techniques

There are a number of techniques that businesses use to problem solve. These can include:

• Five Whys : This approach is helpful when the problem at hand is clear but the underlying causes are less so. By asking “Why?” five times, the final answer should get at the potential root of the problem and perhaps yield a solution.
• Gap Analysis : Companies use gap analyses to compare current performance with expected or desired performance, which will help a company determine how to use its resources differently or adjust expectations.
• Gemba Walk : The name, which is derived from a Japanese word meaning “the real place,” refers to a commonly used technique that allows managers to see what works (and what doesn’t) from the ground up. This is an opportunity for managers to focus on the fundamental elements of the process, identify where the value stream is and determine areas that could use improvement.
• Porter’s Five Forces : Developed by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter, applying the Five Forces is a way for companies to identify competitors for their business or services, and determine how the organization can adjust to stay ahead of the game.
• Six Thinking Hats : In his book of the same name, Dr. Edward de Bono details this method that encourages parallel thinking and attempting to solve a problem by trying on different “thinking hats.” Each color hat signifies a different approach that can be utilized in the problem-solving process, ranging from logic to feelings to creativity and beyond. This method allows organizations to view problems from different angles and perspectives.
• SWOT Analysis : This common strategic planning and management tool helps businesses identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT).

“We have a lot of these different tools,” David says. “Which one to use when is going to be dependent on the problem itself, the level of the stakeholders, the number of different stakeholder groups and so on.”

Each of the techniques outlined above uses the same core steps of problem solving:

• Identify and define the problem
• Consider possible solutions
• Evaluate options
• Choose the best solution
• Implement the solution
• Evaluate the outcome

Data drives a lot of daily decisions in business and beyond. Analytics have also been deployed to problem solve.

“We have specific classes around storytelling with data and how you convince your audience to understand what the data is,” David says. “Your audience has to trust the data, and only then can you use it for real decision-making.”

Data can be a powerful tool for identifying larger trends and making informed decisions when it’s clearly understood and communicated. It’s also vital for performance monitoring and optimization.

How Is Problem Solving Prioritized in Purdue’s Online MBA?

The courses in the Purdue Online MBA program teach problem-solving methods to students, keeping them up to date with the latest techniques and allowing them to apply their knowledge to business-related scenarios.

“I can give you a model or a tool, but most of the time, a real-world situation is going to be a lot messier and more valuable than what we’ve seen in a textbook,” David says. “Asking students to take what they know and apply it to a case where there’s not one single correct answer is a big part of the learning experience.”

Make Your Own Decision to Further Your Career

An online MBA from Purdue University can help advance your career by teaching you problem-solving skills, decision-making strategies and more. Reach out today to learn more about earning an online MBA with Purdue University .

If you would like to receive more information about pursuing a business master’s at the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, please fill out the form and a program specialist will be in touch!

Connect With Us

Information

• Author Services

Initiatives

You are accessing a machine-readable page. In order to be human-readable, please install an RSS reader.

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to https://www.mdpi.com/openaccess .

Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications.

Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers.

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

Original Submission Date Received: .

• Active Journals
• Find a Journal
• Proceedings Series
• For Authors
• For Reviewers
• For Editors
• For Librarians
• For Publishers
• For Societies
• For Conference Organizers
• Open Access Policy
• Institutional Open Access Program
• Special Issues Guidelines
• Editorial Process
• Research and Publication Ethics
• Article Processing Charges
• Testimonials
• Preprints.org
• SciProfiles
• Encyclopedia

Article Menu

• Subscribe SciFeed
• Recommended Articles
• Author Biographies
• Google Scholar
• on Google Scholar
• Table of Contents

Find support for a specific problem in the support section of our website.

Please let us know what you think of our products and services.

Visit our dedicated information section to learn more about MDPI.

JSmol Viewer

Transforming digital marketing with generative ai.

1. Introduction

2. background, 2.1. personalisation in digital marketing, 2.2. recommender system, 2.3. social media marketing, 2.4. search engine marketing, 2.5. email marketing, 2.6. concerns with digital marketing, 2.7. generative ai, 3. proposed framework, 3.1. defining marketing aim, 3.2. data collection, 3.3. data processing, 3.4. designing generative ai models, 3.5. training generative ai models, 3.6. evaluating generative ai models, 3.7. deploying generative ai models.

• The framework aims to provide guidance for the digital marketing process, and there is no strict order to follow the stages in the process. This allows the unique demands of each project to be adapted and, therefore, ensures that specific marketing objectives can be addressed in the most efficient manner possible.
• The process is iterative, meaning that steps can be repeated as necessary to refine and enhance outcomes. This enables continuous improvement and optimisation, allowing for adjustments based on new data, insights, or changes in the market.
• Furthermore, the framework is only conceptual, and the process can be rolled back to previous stages at any time, ensuring a high degree of adaptability and responsiveness in their digital marketing efforts.

4. Case Study 1: Virtual Try-On

4.1. marketing aim, 4.2. data collection, 4.3. data processing, 4.4. model design, 4.5. model training, 4.6. evaluation, 4.7. deployment, 4.8. summary, 5. case study 2: image-to-video generation, 5.1. marketing aim, 5.2. data collection, 5.3. data processing, 5.4. model design, 5.5. model training, 5.6. evaluation, 5.7. deployment, 5.8. summary, 6. discussions, 7. conclusions, author contributions, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

• Desai, V.; Vidyapeeth, B. Digital marketing: A review. Int. J. Trend Sci. Res. Dev. 2019 , 5 , 196–200. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Filo, K.; Lock, D.; Karg, A. Sport and social media research: A review. Sport Manag. Rev. 2015 , 18 , 166–181. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Saxena, A.; Khanna, U. Advertising on social network sites: A structural equation modelling approach. Vision 2013 , 17 , 17–25. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Nelson-Field, K.; Riebe, E.; Sharp, B. More mutter about clutter: Extending empirical generalizations to Facebook. J. Advert. Res. 2013 , 53 , 186–191. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Khraim, H.S. The impact of search engine optimization on online advertisement: The case of companies using E-Marketing in Jordan. Am. J. Bus. Manag. 2015 , 4 , 76–84. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Sahni, N.S.; Wheeler, S.C.; Chintagunta, P. Personalization in email marketing: The role of noninformative advertising content. Mark. Sci. 2018 , 37 , 236–258. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Alalwan, A.A.; Rana, N.P.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Algharabat, R. Social media in marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telemat. Inform. 2017 , 34 , 1177–1190. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Krishen, A.S.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Bindu, N.; Kumar, K.S. A broad overview of interactive digital marketing: A bibliometric network analysis. J. Bus. Res. 2021 , 131 , 183–195. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kim, K.H. Digital and social media marketing in global business environment. J. Bus. Res. 2021 , 131 , 627–629. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yasmin, A.; Tasneem, S.; Fatema, K. Effectiveness of digital marketing in the challenging age: An empirical study. Int. J. Manag. Sci. Bus. Adm. 2015 , 1 , 69–80. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Bala, M.; Verma, D. A critical review of digital marketing. Int. J. Manag. IT Eng. 2018 , 8 , 321–339. [ Google Scholar ]
• Aguirre, E.; Mahr, D.; Grewal, D.; De Ruyter, K.; Wetzels, M. Unraveling the personalization paradox: The effect of information collection and trust-building strategies on online advertisement effectiveness. J. Retail. 2015 , 91 , 34–49. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Taylor, D.G.; Lewin, J.E.; Strutton, D. Friends, fans, and followers: Do ads work on social networks?: How gender and age shape receptivity. J. Advert. Res. 2011 , 51 , 258–275. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kshetri, N.; Voas, J. Online advertising fraud. Computer 2019 , 52 , 58–61. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Yang, X. The effects of AI service quality and AI function-customer ability fit on customer’s overall co-creation experience. Ind. Manag. Data Syst. 2023 , 123 , 1717–1735. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Dwivedi, Y.K.; Hughes, L.; Ismagilova, E.; Aarts, G.; Coombs, C.; Crick, T.; Duan, Y.; Dwivedi, R.; Edwards, J.; Eirug, A.; et al. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 2021 , 57 , 101994. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kshetri, N.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Davenport, T.H.; Panteli, N. Generative artificial intelligence in marketing: Applications, opportunities, challenges, and research agenda. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 2023 , 18 , 102716. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Feuerriegel, S.; Hartmann, J.; Janiesch, C.; Zschech, P. Generative AI. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 2024 , 66 , 111–126. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Soni, V. Adopting Generative AI in Digital Marketing Campaigns: An Empirical Study of Drivers and Barriers. Sage Sci. Rev. Appl. Mach. Learn. 2023 , 6 , 1–15. [ Google Scholar ]
• Islam, T.; Miron, A.; Liu, X.; Li, Y. Svton: Simplified virtual try-on. In Proceedings of the 2022 21st IEEE International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA), Nassau, Bahamas, 12–14 December 2022; IEEE: Piscataway, NJ, USA, 2022; pp. 369–374. [ Google Scholar ]
• Islam, T.; Miron, A.; Liu, X.; Li, Y. StyleVTON: A Multi-Pose Virtual Try-On with Identity and Clothing Detail Preservation. Neurocomputing 2024 , 594 , 127887. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Islam, T.; Miron, A.; Liu, X.; Li, Y. FashionFlow: Leveraging Diffusion Models for Dynamic Fashion Video Synthesis from Static Imagery. arXiv 2023 , arXiv:2310.00106. [ Google Scholar ]
• Islam, T.; Miron, A.; Liu, X.; Li, Y. Deep Learning in Virtual Try-On: A Comprehensive Survey. IEEE Access 2024 , 12 , 29475–29502. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• De Keyzer, F.; Dens, N.; De Pelsmacker, P. Is this for me? How consumers respond to personalized advertising on social network sites. J. Interact. Advert. 2015 , 15 , 124–134. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lin, C.A.; Kim, T. Predicting user response to sponsored advertising on social media via the technology acceptance model. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2016 , 64 , 710–718. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Resnick, P.; Varian, H.R. Recommender systems. Commun. ACM 1997 , 40 , 56–58. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lu, J.; Wu, D.; Mao, M.; Wang, W.; Zhang, G. Recommender system application developments: A survey. Decis. Support Syst. 2015 , 74 , 12–32. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Deshpande, M.; Karypis, G. Item-based top-n recommendation algorithms. ACM Trans. Inf. Syst. (TOIS) 2004 , 22 , 143–177. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Pazzani, M.J.; Billsus, D. Content-based recommendation systems. In The Adaptive Web: Methods and Strategies of Web Personalization ; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2007; pp. 325–341. [ Google Scholar ]
• Burke, R. Hybrid recommender systems: Survey and experiments. User Model. User-Adapt. Interact. 2002 , 12 , 331–370. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Lee, J.; Hong, I.B. Predicting positive user responses to social media advertising: The roles of emotional appeal, informativeness, and creativity. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 2016 , 36 , 360–373. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Okazaki, S.; Taylor, C.R. Social media and international advertising: Theoretical challenges and future directions. Int. Mark. Rev. 2013 , 30 , 56–71. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Swani, K.; Milne, G.R.; Brown, B.P.; Assaf, A.G.; Donthu, N. What messages to post? Evaluating the popularity of social media communications in business versus consumer markets. Ind. Mark. Manag. 2017 , 62 , 77–87. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kumar, V.; Mirchandani, R. Increasing the ROI of social media marketing. IEEE Eng. Manag. Rev. 2013 , 41 , 17–23. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Wu, C.W. The performance impact of social media in the chain store industry. J. Bus. Res. 2016 , 69 , 5310–5316. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Barreto, A.M. The word-of-mouth phenomenon in the social media era. Int. J. Mark. Res. 2014 , 56 , 631–654. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Leung, F.F.; Gu, F.F.; Palmatier, R.W. Online influencer marketing. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 2022 , 50 , 226–251. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Anandhan, A.; Shuib, L.; Ismail, M.A.; Mujtaba, G. Social media recommender systems: Review and open research issues. IEEE Access 2018 , 6 , 15608–15628. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Campana, M.G.; Delmastro, F. Recommender systems for online and mobile social networks: A survey. Online Soc. Netw. Media 2017 , 3 , 75–97. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• García-Sánchez, F.; Colomo-Palacios, R.; Valencia-García, R. A social-semantic recommender system for advertisements. Inf. Process. Manag. 2020 , 57 , 102153. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Thelwall, M. Commercial web site links. Internet Res. 2001 , 11 , 114–124. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Boughton, S.B. Search engine marketing. Perspect. Bus. 2005 , 2 , 29–33. [ Google Scholar ]
• Sharma, D.; Shukla, R.; Giri, A.K.; Kumar, S. A brief review on search engine optimization. In Proceedings of the 2019 9th International Conference on Cloud Computing, Data Science & Engineering (Confluence), Noida, India, 10–11 January 2019; IEEE: Piscataway, NJ, USA, 2019; pp. 687–692. [ Google Scholar ]
• Kritzinger, W.T.; Weideman, M. Search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing strategies. J. Organ. Comput. Electron. Commer. 2013 , 23 , 273–286. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Kapoor, K.K.; Dwivedi, Y.K.; Piercy, N.C. Pay-per-click advertising: A literature review. Mark. Rev. 2016 , 16 , 183–202. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Farris, P.W.; Bendle, N.; Pfeifer, P.E.; Reibstein, D. Marketing Metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance ; Pearson Education: London, UK, 2010. [ Google Scholar ]
• Sen, R. Optimal search engine marketing strategy. Int. J. Electron. Commer. 2005 , 10 , 9–25. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Chaffey, D.; Ellis-Chadwick, F. Digital Marketing: Strategy ; Smart Insights (Marketing Intelligence) Limited: London, UK, 2012. [ Google Scholar ]
• Lambrecht, A.; Tucker, C. When does retargeting work? Information specificity in online advertising. J. Mark. Res. 2013 , 50 , 561–576. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Palmer, D.E. Pop-ups, cookies, and spam: Toward a deeper analysis of the ethical significance of internet marketing practices. J. Bus. Ethics 2005 , 58 , 271–280. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Tene, O. What google knows: Privacy and internet search engines. Utah L. Rev. 2008 , 2008 , 1433. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Ansari, A.; Mela, C.F. E-customization. J. Mark. Res. 2003 , 40 , 131–145. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Graham, S. How to Balance Consumer Privacy and Personalization in Marketing ; FreakOut Pte. Ltd.: Singapore, 2020. [ Google Scholar ]
• Nuseir, M.T.; El Refae, G.A.; Aljumah, A.; Alshurideh, M.; Urabi, S.; Kurdi, B.A. Digital Marketing Strategies and the Impact on Customer Experience: A Systematic Review. In The Effect of Information Technology on Business and Marketing Intelligence Systems ; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2023; pp. 21–44. [ Google Scholar ]
• Martynenko, M.; Losheniuk, O.; Demchenko, H.; Osypenko, N. Developing and implementing digital marketing strategies of the future: Toward improving product quality and competitiveness. Futur. Econ. Law 2023 , 3 , 63–84. [ Google Scholar ]
• Munro, J.; Richards, B. The digital challenge. In Destination Brands ; Routledge: London, UK, 2012; pp. 141–154. [ Google Scholar ]
• Kushwaha, B.P. Search engine marketing a new way of marketing in digital age. Palarch’s J. Archaeol. Egypt/Egyptol. 2020 , 17 , 2053–2065. [ Google Scholar ]
• Taken Smith, K. Longitudinal study of digital marketing strategies targeting Millennials. J. Consum. Mark. 2012 , 29 , 86–92. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Parise, S.; Guinan, P.J.; Kafka, R. Solving the crisis of immediacy: How digital technology can transform the customer experience. Bus. Horizons 2016 , 59 , 411–420. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Rawson, A.; Duncan, E.; Jones, C. The truth about customer experience. Harv. Bus. Rev. 2013 , 91 , 90–98. [ Google Scholar ]
• Edelman, D.; Heller, J. How digital marketing operations can transform business. McKinsey Digit. 2015 , 20036 . Available online: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/Marketing%20and%20Sales/Our%20Insights/How%20digital%20marketing%20operations%20can%20transform%20business/McK_How_digital_marketing_operations_ca_transform_business.pdf (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• Shrestha, Y.R.; Krishna, V.; von Krogh, G. Augmenting organizational decision-making with deep learning algorithms: Principles, promises, and challenges. J. Bus. Res. 2021 , 123 , 588–603. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Whang, S.E.; Lee, J.G. Data collection and quality challenges for deep learning. Proc. Vldb Endow. 2020 , 13 , 3429–3432. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Moens, M.F.; Li, J.; Chua, T.S. Mining User Generated Content ; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2014. [ Google Scholar ]
• Liu, Y.; Jiang, C.; Zhao, H. Assessing product competitive advantages from the perspective of customers by mining user-generated content on social media. Decis. Support Syst. 2019 , 123 , 113079. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Cao, Y.; Li, S.; Liu, Y.; Yan, Z.; Dai, Y.; Yu, P.S.; Sun, L. A comprehensive survey of ai-generated content (aigc): A history of generative ai from gan to chatgpt. arXiv 2023 , arXiv:2303.04226. [ Google Scholar ]
• Kingma, D.P.; Welling, M. Auto-encoding variational bayes. arXiv 2013 , arXiv:1312.6114. [ Google Scholar ]
• Goodfellow, I.; Pouget-Abadie, J.; Mirza, M.; Xu, B.; Warde-Farley, D.; Ozair, S.; Courville, A.; Bengio, Y. Generative adversarial nets. Adv. Neural Inf. Process. Syst. 2014 , 27 . Available online: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2014/file/5ca3e9b122f61f8f06494c97b1afccf3-Paper.pdf (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• Vaswani, A.; Shazeer, N.; Parmar, N.; Uszkoreit, J.; Jones, L.; Gomez, A.N.; Kaiser, Ł.; Polosukhin, I. Attention is all you need. Adv. Neural Inf. Process. Syst. 2017 , 30 . Available online: https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper_files/paper/2017/file/3f5ee243547dee91fbd053c1c4a845aa-Paper.pdf (accessed on 9 May 2024).
• Ho, J.; Jain, A.; Abbeel, P. Denoising diffusion probabilistic models. Adv. Neural Inf. Process. Syst. 2020 , 33 , 6840–6851. [ Google Scholar ]
• Han, K.; Wang, Y.; Chen, H.; Chen, X.; Guo, J.; Liu, Z.; Tang, Y.; Xiao, A.; Xu, C.; Xu, Y.; et al. A survey on vision transformer. IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell. 2022 , 45 , 87–110. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• GitHub: Let’s Build from Here. Available online: https://github.com/ (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• Hugging Face—The AI Community Building the Future. Available online: https://huggingface.co/ (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• PyTorch. Available online: https://pytorch.org/ (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• TensorFlow. Available online: https://www.tensorflow.org/ (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• Caffe|Deep Learning Framework. Available online: https://caffe.berkeleyvision.org/ (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• Ying, X. An overview of overfitting and its solutions. In Proceedings of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series; International Conference on Computer Information Science and Application Technology (CISAT); IOP Publishing: Daqing, China, 2019; Volume 1168, p. 022022. [ Google Scholar ]
• Kingma, D.P.; Ba, J. Adam: A method for stochastic optimization. arXiv 2014 , arXiv:1412.6980. [ Google Scholar ]
• Ruder, S. An overview of gradient descent optimization algorithms. arXiv 2016 , arXiv:1609.04747. [ Google Scholar ]
• Aszemi, N.M.; Dominic, P. Hyperparameter optimization in convolutional neural network using genetic algorithms. Int. J. Adv. Comput. Sci. Appl. 2019 , 10 . Available online: https://thesai.org/Publications/ViewPaper?Volume=10&Issue=6&Code=IJACSA&SerialNo=38 (accessed on 9 May 2024). [ CrossRef ]
• Hochreiter, S.; Schmidhuber, J. Long short-term memory. Neural Comput. 1997 , 9 , 1735–1780. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Cho, K.; Van Merriënboer, B.; Gulcehre, C.; Bahdanau, D.; Bougares, F.; Schwenk, H.; Bengio, Y. Learning phrase representations using RNN encoder-decoder for statistical machine translation. arXiv 2014 , arXiv:1406.1078. [ Google Scholar ]
• Yang, L.; Shami, A. On hyperparameter optimization of machine learning algorithms: Theory and practice. Neurocomputing 2020 , 415 , 295–316. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Han, X.; Wu, Z.; Wu, Z.; Yu, R.; Davis, L.S. Viton: An image-based virtual try-on network. In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, 18–22 June 2018; pp. 7543–7552. [ Google Scholar ]
• Wang, B.; Zheng, H.; Liang, X.; Chen, Y.; Lin, L.; Yang, M. Toward characteristic-preserving image-based virtual try-on network. In Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV), Munich, Germany, 8–14 September 2018; pp. 589–604. [ Google Scholar ]
• Chen, H.J.; Hui, K.M.; Wang, S.Y.; Tsao, L.W.; Shuai, H.H.; Cheng, W.H. Beautyglow: On-demand makeup transfer framework with reversible generative network. In Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Long Beach, CA, USA, 15–20 June 2019; pp. 10042–10050. [ Google Scholar ]
• Ma, L.; Jia, X.; Sun, Q.; Schiele, B.; Tuytelaars, T.; Van Gool, L. Pose guided person image generation. Adv. Neural Inf. Process. Syst. 2017 , 30 . Available online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317205156_Pose_Guided_Person_Image_Generation (accessed on 6 May 2024).
• Dong, H.; Liang, X.; Shen, X.; Wang, B.; Lai, H.; Zhu, J.; Hu, Z.; Yin, J. Towards multi-pose guided virtual try-on network. In Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF International Conference on Computer Vision, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 27 Octobe–2 November 2019; pp. 9026–9035. [ Google Scholar ]
• Hadi Kiapour, M.; Han, X.; Lazebnik, S.; Berg, A.C.; Berg, T.L. Where to buy it: Matching street clothing photos in online shops. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision, Santiago, Chile, 7–13 December 2015; pp. 3343–3351. [ Google Scholar ]
• Chen, H.; Gallagher, A.; Girod, B. Describing clothing by semantic attributes. In Proceedings of the Computer Vision—ECCV 2012: 12th European Conference on Computer Vision, Florence, Italy, 7–13 October 2012; Proceedings, Part III 12. Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2012; pp. 609–623. [ Google Scholar ]
• Iwata, T.; Watanabe, S.; Sawada, H. Fashion coordinates recommender system using photographs from fashion magazines. In Proceedings of the Twenty-Second International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Barcelona, Spain, 16–22 July 2011. [ Google Scholar ]
• Kang, W.C.; Kim, E.; Leskovec, J.; Rosenberg, C.; McAuley, J. Complete the look: Scene-based complementary product recommendation. In Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Long Beach, CA, USA, 15–20 June 2019; pp. 10532–10541. [ Google Scholar ]
• Pachoulakis, I.; Kapetanakiss, K. Augmented reality platforms for virtual fitting rooms. Int. J. Multimed. Its Appl. 2012 , 4 , 35. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Choi, S.; Park, S.; Lee, M.; Choo, J. Viton-hd: High-resolution virtual try-on via misalignment-aware normalization. In Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, Nashville, TN, USA, 19–25 June 2021; pp. 14131–14140. [ Google Scholar ]
• Ronneberger, O.; Fischer, P.; Brox, T. U-net: Convolutional networks for biomedical image segmentation. In Proceedings of the Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention—MICCAI 2015: 18th International Conference, Munich, Germany, 5–9 October 2015; Proceedings, Part III 18. Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2015; pp. 234–241. [ Google Scholar ]
• Lensa: AI Photo Editor, Camera—Apps on Google Play. Available online: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lensa.app&hl=en_GB&gl=US (accessed on 13 September 2023).
• Zablotskaia, P.; Siarohin, A.; Zhao, B.; Sigal, L. Dwnet: Dense warp-based network for pose-guided human video generation. arXiv 2019 , arXiv:1910.09139. [ Google Scholar ]
• Singer, U.; Polyak, A.; Hayes, T.; Yin, X.; An, J.; Zhang, S.; Hu, Q.; Yang, H.; Ashual, O.; Gafni, O.; et al. Make-a-video: Text-to-video generation without text-video data. arXiv 2022 , arXiv:2209.14792. [ Google Scholar ]
• Evelina, T.Y.; Kusumawati, A.; Nimran, U. The influence of utilitarian value, hedonic value, social value, and perceived risk on customer satisfaction: Survey of e-commerce customers in Indonesia. Bus. Theory Pract. 2020 , 21 , 613–622. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ]
• Voulodimos, A.; Doulamis, N.; Doulamis, A.; Protopapadakis, E. Deep learning for computer vision: A brief review. Comput. Intell. Neurosci. 2018 , 2018 , 7068349. [ Google Scholar ] [ CrossRef ] [ PubMed ]
• Chilimbi, T.; Suzue, Y.; Apacible, J.; Kalyanaraman, K. Project adam: Building an efficient and scalable deep learning training system. In Proceedings of the 11th USENIX symposium on operating systems design and implementation (OSDI 14), Broomfield, CO, USA, 6–8 October 2014; pp. 571–582. [ Google Scholar ]

Click here to enlarge figure

Share and Cite

Islam, T.; Miron, A.; Nandy, M.; Choudrie, J.; Liu, X.; Li, Y. Transforming Digital Marketing with Generative AI. Computers 2024 , 13 , 168. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13070168

Islam T, Miron A, Nandy M, Choudrie J, Liu X, Li Y. Transforming Digital Marketing with Generative AI. Computers . 2024; 13(7):168. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13070168

Islam, Tasin, Alina Miron, Monomita Nandy, Jyoti Choudrie, Xiaohui Liu, and Yongmin Li. 2024. "Transforming Digital Marketing with Generative AI" Computers 13, no. 7: 168. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13070168

Article Metrics

Article access statistics, further information, mdpi initiatives, follow mdpi.

Subscribe to receive issue release notifications and newsletters from MDPI journals