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Top2. Methodology In This Research
This study is based on case study research strategy in which the case is the strategic processes of Nokia. Social sciences have various definitions for case study research. Typically, case study research is not tied to any particular method. It enables several alternative methods to use - both qualitative and quantitative (e.g., Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2008; Yin, 2002). Therefore, case study research could be considered more like a research strategy (Laine et al., 2007; Yin, 2002) without any exclusionary tight definitions about the methods suitable or unsuitable for the category of “case study research”.
Most of the case studies have some of these following features (Laine et al., 2007, p. 10; Yin, 2002):
- 1)
Holistic and meaningful characteristics of real life events or cases
- 2)
Organizational and managerial processes
- 3)
The use of several materials and methods
- 4)
The exploitation of previous researches
- 5)
The dimness of the case and context.
This research has most of these features: it considers strategic processes of Nokia, which are “real life events”. It is focused on processes by using several materials, such as annual reports, articles and other scientific or practical materials. In addition to case study strategy, this study is based on the explanatory content analysis, which is typical method in analysing the annual reports of the companies (e.g., Carduff, 2010). Furthermore, because of the relatively long research period, 40 years, this study is has also features of path-dependence analysis (Lamberg et al., 2006).