| Course | ORR-7100 Qualitative Methods for Organizational Research |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Module 3 application exercise: research design and data collection |
| Length | About 678 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Master of Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for ORR 7100 Module 3
Four Departments, Three Kinds of Data: Designing a Multiple Case Study of Hybrid Management
Student Name
Master of Business Administration, Thomas Edison State University
ORR-7100: Qualitative Methods for Organizational Research
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Four Departments, Three Kinds of Data: Designing a Multiple Case Study of Hybrid Management
The Question and What It Needs
The study's central question concerns what leading a hybrid team is like for middle managers. Managers' experience may depend on their department: clinical monitors travel to trial sites, data managers can work anywhere and project managers juggle clients and teams. A design that compares settings would show whether the experience differs, and why.
Comparing Designs
Creswell and Poth (2018) describe case study research as exploring a bounded system, or several, over time through detailed data collection involving multiple sources. Yin (2018) adds that case studies fit how and why questions about present-day situations the researcher has no power to manipulate, and that multiple cases allow replication logic: findings that recur across cases are more robust. Eisenhardt (1989) showed how comparing cases can sharpen emerging explanations by highlighting what differs between them.
I chose a multiple case design with four departments as cases: clinical monitoring, data management, project management and regulatory affairs.
| Design | Focus | Fit with this study |
|---|---|---|
| Phenomenology | What a lived experience is essentially like for those who share it | Would describe the common experience but downplay department differences |
| Grounded theory | Building a theory of a process from data | Possible, but the aim is to understand experience in context, not to build a general theory |
| Multiple case study | In-depth study of several bounded cases in context | Allows comparison across departments, using several data sources |
Data Sources
Using several sources within each case strengthens the study by letting findings be checked against one another.
| Source | Per case | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-structured interviews with middle managers | 5 | Managers' own accounts of their experience |
| Observation of team meetings, hybrid and in person | 2 | How coordination actually happens |
| Documents: team schedules, meeting agendas, policy memos | As available | Formal expectations and arrangements |
Why Not a Single Case or a Survey
A single case study of one department would be easier to arrange but would leave open whether its findings reflect hybrid work or that department's particular work. A survey of all 140 managers would reach more people but would repeat the problem that started the study: it would measure only what we already think matters. Four cases strike a balance between depth and comparison that a study of this size can manage.
Sampling
Within each department, I will select five managers purposively, varying team size, tenure as manager and distance from the office, for 20 interviews in total. Hennink et al. (2017) distinguished code saturation, the point at which no new issues appear, from meaning saturation, the point at which issues are fully understood, and found that code saturation came at about nine interviews while meaning saturation required more, sixteen to twenty-four in their study. Twenty interviews across four cases aim for meaning saturation overall while giving each case enough depth for comparison.
Field Notes and Memos
During observation, I will record who speaks, how remote and in-room participants interact and what the manager does to bring them together, in field notes written up the same day. After each interview I will write an analytic memo noting first impressions and questions to pursue in later interviews, so that data collection and early analysis inform each other.
Access and Ethics
The study needs access to meetings and documents as well as interviews. Senior leaders have agreed in principle; each manager will consent separately, and team members in observed meetings will be told the observer's purpose and may ask for their contributions to be excluded from notes. As a director, I hold authority over some managers, so a researcher from outside my reporting line will conduct interviews in my own division.
Timeline
Interviews and observation will take about eight weeks, two weeks per department, so that early cases can inform how later ones are approached.
Conclusion
A multiple case design fits a question in which the experience of hybrid management may vary by department. Interviews, observation and documents within each case, and a sample sized for meaning saturation, give the study depth and the ability to compare.
References
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532-550. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308385
Hennink, M. M., Kaiser, B. N., & Marconi, V. C. (2017). Code saturation versus meaning saturation: How many interviews are enough? Qualitative Health Research, 27(4), 591-608. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316665344
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Sage.
ORR 7100 Module 3 instructions, in plain terms
ORR-7100 includes a pair of application exercises, together a 15 percent share of the grade, that build pieces of the final research proposal. The first covers research design and data collection. Expect to compare qualitative designs, choose one that fits your question, plan data sources and sampling and justify your sample size. Use a table to compare designs and another to plan data collection, and explain access and ethical issues. Be specific about who, how many and why. Explain why you rejected simpler options, such as a single case or a survey, and describe how you will record observations and early analytic thoughts. Show each table's purpose.
How this ORR 7100 Module 3 example is built
The exercise explains why the question needs comparison across settings. A table compares three designs, and the text supports the choice of a multiple case study with three methods sources. A second table plans interviews, observation and documents for each case. A sampling section justifies 20 interviews with research on two kinds of saturation. Sections on access and ethics and on timing close the exercise. A section explains why a single case or a survey would fall short, and a section on field notes and memos shows how observation and early analysis will be recorded. An access and ethics section explains consent for observed meetings and how the researcher's authority over some managers is handled.
Where the marks sit in the ORR 7100 Module 3 rubric
Mentors grade application exercises on a design justified by the research question, appropriate data sources, a defensible sampling plan and attention to access and ethics. Comparing designs and explaining why others fit less well shows methodological judgment. Using several data sources within each case demonstrates rigor. A sample size grounded in research on saturation, rather than a round number, shows careful planning. Explaining why simpler designs were rejected shows that the chosen design is deliberate. Plans for field notes and memos show attention to how data and analysis connect during collection. Handling the researcher's authority with a separate interviewer shows ethical care that reviewers look for. A realistic timeline, two weeks per department, shows feasibility.
Common ORR 7100 Module 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Students lose points by choosing a design without comparing alternatives, by relying on one data source when the design calls for several or by stating a sample size without reasons. Others forget access. Compare designs against your question. Plan more than one data source if your design needs it. Justify your sample with research. Explain how you will gain access ethically. Explain why simpler designs would not answer your question, and plan how you will record observations and early ideas. Plan two weeks per case so early cases inform later ones. A free first sample on your own ORR-7100 application exercise is available on request.
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ORR 7100 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free ORR 7100 Module 3 sample paper?
The exercise above designs a multiple case study, with a sampling plan, of managers leading hybrid teams.
What is a multiple case study?
In-depth study of several bounded cases in context, using multiple data sources and comparison across cases.
What is the difference between code saturation and meaning saturation?
Code saturation is when no new issues appear; meaning saturation is when issues are fully understood, which usually takes more interviews.
When does a case study design fit?
For questions about how or why a present-day situation unfolds in its natural setting, beyond the researcher's control.
Why use several data sources?
So findings from interviews, observation and documents can be checked against one another.