PA 705
Fall 2004
Your name: __________________________________

Homework Assignment # 4

Evaluating Case Study Research

Due Oct. 13

Please read the attached article, “Nonprofit Sector Unionization and Gender Equity" by J. Pynes and M. Newman (Review of Public Personnel Administration, Spring 2001) and answer the following questions:

 

  1. What is the overall question that the authors are addressing with this case study?
  2. Is this case study exploratory, explanatory or descriptive? (Please explain)
  3. What was the authors’ rationale for choosing this case; e.g., was it critical, extreme, representative. . .?
  4. Is there a theory guiding the research in this case? If so, what is it?
  5.  What is the unit of analysis?
  6. What are the specific propositions examined?
  7. What data are used to examine them?  Are these data sufficient and appropriate?  If not, what would you add?

  8. To what extent are the following measures of quality relevant in this case: construct validity, internal validity, external validity, reliability?  For those that are relevant, to what extent does this case study meet these tests?

  1. How useful is this case study, in your opinion.  Would a different design have been more appropriate for answering the authors’ research question, in your view?