Call for paper - Special Issues 1/2026

2026-02-24

Background and Rationale

Over the past decades, management research has increasingly been characterized by a high degree of methodological sophistication, the use of large-scale datasets, and the adoption of advanced quantitative techniques (Lazzaretti and Brusoni, 2003; Ramo, 2010; Simsek et al., 2025). While these developments have significantly enhanced measurement precision and statistical rigor, they have also contributed to privileging what is readily measurable over what is theoretically meaningful, contextually embedded, and processually dynamic (Bergh et al., 2022; Pillai et al., 2024).
Within this context, qualitative approaches—and case study research in particular—when carefully designed (Lindgreen et al., 2021) and systematically conducted (Patton and Appelbaum, 2003), enable scholars to uncover underlying mechanisms, reconstruct complex processes, and examine phenomena within their real-life settings (Johnson et al., 2006; Yin, 2014). Across the various domains of management—ranging from human resource management and organizational behavior to marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, strategy, and corporate governance—many of the most salient research questions concern decisions, behaviors, processes, relationships, and emerging practices that cannot be fully captured through standardized indicators (Reinecke et al., 2016; Hoon, 2013; Hoorani et al., 2019).

Numerous scholars have emphasized the need to strengthen the connection between methods and theorizing (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2013; Cornelissen, 2017; Wickert et al., 2021). In this regard, theory building from cases has been recognized as an increasingly relevant and demanding approach (Eisenhardt and Graebner, 2007). However, much of this debate has focused on quantitative and computational innovations, leaving the theoretical potential of qualitative and case-based research comparatively underexplored.
At the same time, organizations today operate in increasingly turbulent environments characterized by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainability pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, evolving employment relationships, and shifting stakeholder expectations. These dynamics are often non-linear, path-dependent, and context-specific, thereby requiring a holistic, longitudinal, and multi-actor perspective—one that case study methodology is particularly well suited to provide, offering a rich and nuanced analysis of phenomena in their full complexity (Gummesson, 2017).

Aims and Scope
This Special Issue aims to reaffirm and further develop the role of qualitative research—and case study research in particular—as a methodological approach capable of generating theoretically meaningful knowledge and insights relevant to managerial practice. Qualitative inquiry, and especially case-based research, represents a fundamental tool for understanding complex, dynamic, and deeply contextualized organizational phenomena. Case studies may range from inductive and interpretive approaches to comparative and theory-driven designs, each capable of making significant contributions to theory development. Their distinctive value lies in their ability to capture interactions among multiple variables, emergent processes, and contextual conditions, moving beyond experimental control to embrace the inherent complexity of real-world settings.
This Call for Papers invites contributions that place qualitative single- or multiple-case studies at the core of theoretical advancement. We particularly encourage submissions adopting rich and carefully articulated research designs, capable of integrating diverse data sources and methodological approaches to produce in-depth, context-sensitive analyses. The Special Issue seeks to bring together high-quality contributions demonstrating how case study methodologies can advance management theory and practice across disciplinary boundaries. Submissions are especially welcome if they:

employ qualitative methods and case study research as the primary methodological approach;
demonstrate how case-based inquiry contributes to theory building, refinement, or testing;
highlight methodological rigor, transparency, and reflexivity in research design;
address substantive managerial phenomena through in-depth, contextualized, and process-oriented analyses.

The Special Issue is open to all areas of management, including, but not limited to, the following domains:

Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior;
Strategy and International Business;
Entrepreneurship and Innovation;
Marketing and Consumer Research;
Finance and Accounting;
Corporate Governance and Business Ethics;
Operations and Supply Chain Management;
Information Systems and Digital Transformation;
Sustainability and ESG Management.

Contributions grounded in diverse epistemological and ontological traditions are welcome, including positivist, interpretive, critical, and mixed approaches.

Types of Contributions
Submissions may include, although they are not limited to, the following types of contributions:

Single, multiple, comparative, longitudinal, or embedded case study designs;
Process studies and historical case analyses;
Multi-level and multi-actor case research;
Mixed-method studies with a strong case-based core;
Methodological advancements in case study design, data collection, and data analysis;
Reflections on rigor, validity, and generalizability in case-based research;
Integration of case studies with other qualitative or quantitative approaches;
The use of digital tools, artificial intelligence, and novel data sources in case-based research;
Inductive and abductive theorizing grounded in case evidence;
Theory testing and elaboration through case study research.

Submission Deadline and Procedures

The deadline for manuscript submission is May 25, 2026. The publication of the Special Issue is scheduled for July 2026.

The journal adopts an online submission system for managing proposals, accessible at the following link: https://journals.francoangeli.it/index.php/cgrds/about/submissions
Scientific contributions (research papers, case studies, general reviews, or conceptual papers), written in English and ranging between 6,000 and 8,000 words (maximum 50,000 characters), must be prepared in strict accordance with the journal’s author guidelines, available on the journal’s website: https://journals.francoangeli.it/index.php/cgrds/index
The guidelines can be accessed directly here: https://static.francoangeli.it/fa-contenuti/riviste/nr/cgreds-norme_en.pdf
The Editorial Board will consider only proposals and manuscripts that provide an original contribution to the scholarly debate. A mandatory prerequisite is that submitted manuscripts must not have been previously published nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere.

For further information, please contact the Editorial Office at: info@cgreds.it

References

Alvesson, M., & Sandberg, J. (2013). Has management studies lost its way? Ideas for more imaginative and innovative research. Journal of management studies, 50(1), 128-152.

Bergh, D. D., Boyd, B. K., Byron, K., Gove, S., & Ketchen Jr, D. J. (2022). What constitutes a methodological contribution? Journal of Management, 48(7), 1835-1848.

Cornelissen, J. P. (2017). Preserving theoretical divergence in management research: Why the explanatory potential of qualitative research should be harnessed rather than suppressed. Journal of Management Studies, 54(3), 368-383.

Eisenhardt, K. M., & Graebner, M. E. (2007). Theory building from cases: Opportunities and challenges. Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 25–32

Hoon, C. (2013). Meta-synthesis of qualitative case studies: An approach to theory building. Organizational research methods, 16(4), 522-556.

Hoorani, B. H., Nair, L. B., & Gibbert, M. (2019). Designing for impact: The effect of rigor and case study design on citations of qualitative case studies in management. Scientometrics, 121(1), 285-306.

Johnson, P., Buehring, A., Cassell, C., & Symon, G. (2006). Evaluating qualitative management research: Towards a contingent criteriology. International Journal of Management Reviews, 8(3), 131-156.

Lazzaretti, L., & Brusoni, G. (2003). Ricerca empirica e management: il contributo delle metodologie statistiche.

Lindgreen, A., Di Benedetto, C. A., & Beverland, M. B. (2021). How to write up case-study methodology sections. Industrial Marketing Management, 96, A7-A10.

Patton, E., & Appelbaum, S. H. (2003). The case for case studies in management research. Management research news, 26(5), 60-71

Pillai, S. D., Goldfarb, B., & Kirsch, D. (2024). Lovely and likely: Using historical methods to improve inference to the best explanation in strategy. Strategic Management Journal, 45(8), 1539-1566.

Ramo, H. (2010). Three facets of management research: theoretical sophistication, explaining practice and reflective understanding. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 4(1), 60-70.

Reinecke, J., Arnold, D. G., & Palazzo, G. (2016). Qualitative methods in business ethics, corporate responsibility, and sustainability research. Business ethics quarterly, 26(4), 13-22.

Simsek, Z., Fox, B. C., Heavey, C., & Liu, S. (2025). Methodological rigor in management research reviews. Journal of Management, 51(1), 103-131.

Wickert, C., Post, C., Doh, J. P., Prescott, J. E., & Prencipe, A. (2021). Management research that makes a difference: Broadening the meaning of impact. Journal of Management Studies, 58(2), 297-320.

Yin R.K. (2014). Case Study Research: Design and Methods (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gummesson, E. (2017). Case theory in business and management: Reinventing case study research.