Polar Types

Conceptual Overview and Discussion

Polar types may involve single- or multiple-case design, although they tend to examine fewer cases overall. Polar types can reveal relationships that may not be studied in other ways. Polar-type case studies can convey information dramatically. Phenomena that are not marked in most likely cases or average cases may be highly evident, and their effects more measurable, in the extreme situations observed when one is examining polar cases with the rich, in-depth, and contextual description that characterizes case study methodology.

Polar cases can also be used in a comparative case study so that the characteristics of interest can be anchored at opposite ends of a continuum, such as the contrast between a highly successful case and a highly unsuccessful one. Focusing on two cases that are very dissimilar can yield a wider range of results. For example, a researcher examining how companies motivate staff to embrace lessons learned from projects could use a polar case design focusing on a company with stellar project management that includes management support; project management practices (a methodology, tools, and techniques); and a culture that supports quality improvement, open communication, and learning and sharing (i.e., embedding improvements into organizational routines, mentoring, job shadowing, and a community of practice). That case might be contrasted with another company in which little formal project management practice exists. Such comparisons provide a dramatic illustration of the limits of and variation within a research subject.

Polar types stimulate theory development because they involve theoretical sampling of extremes to examine and develop contrasting or extreme patterns. They are important to the subject of this encyclopedia because case selection is a critical step in research design. Researchers strive to avoid misrepresentation by selecting the right cases in terms of characteristics of interest.

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