Expert-produced information and data hold significant potential for adoption by decision-makers; however, this potential can be compromised by barriers related to language, communication channels, and formats. The literature emphasizes the differing languages, timelines, and incentives between specialists and lay decision-makers who seek practical solutions to real-world issues, rather than theoretical dilemmas. We conducted a mixed-method study, based on a survey and interviews with Italian regional lawmakers and local decision-makers in land-use planning. This is an area characterized by high levels of technicality and hence appears challenging to most decision-makers. We discovered that when they easily grasp the meaning and implications of policy documents, their understanding seems more influential in their legislative behavior. Consequently, a key challenge in promoting evidence-informed policy-making seems to translate expert knowledge into accessible languages and codes for laypeople and to present it in practical and concise ways.

Literature reviews are core parts of the research process with most conducted in the early research stages. The way a literature review is done can differ depending on the type of research, its aims and goals. This means some view literature reviews as best being done through a systematic approach that has set stages and ways to analyse the literature. This editorial article discusses the main reasons for literature reviews in terms of being helpful, educative and progressive. This is useful in furthering the way researchers collect, interpret and analyse data. As more business management researchers and practitioners utilise review articles it is important to remain vigilant about their purpose and usefulness to business practices.

In a recent article in this journal, Stockemer characterizes fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) in comparison with Ordinary Least Squares regression as a ‘poor methodological choice’ because of its ‘suboptimal nature’ for the study of descriptive female representation in national assemblies across the globe. This article seeks to demonstrate that his judgments are based on two misconceptions: first, a misunderstanding of set-theoretical thinking in general, and specifically Qualitative Comparative Analysis; and second, a misinformed application throughout various steps of the fsQCA, for example, the calibration process, the analysis of necessary and sufficient conditions, and the interpretation of the results. In pointing out the weaknesses of Stockemer’s application of OLS, we argue – in contrast to Stockemer – that fsQCA can be a valuable tool for the comparative study of social phenomena, which offers a fundamentally different analytical perspective from standard quantitative techniques.

Non-market economy including volunteer work is often ignored in estimations of the shadow economy because no money changes hands. Whilst volunteers stricto sensu are not paid for their activities, a tendency is noted that legal frameworks do allow for reimbursement for actual expenses incurred. However, if the latter receive reimbursements beyond the scope of regulations and labour law this can also be regarded as undeclared work. In this article, the size and motives of this type of undeclared work in non-profit sports clubs in Flanders (Belgium) are explored. As this kind of informal work, by its nature, is difficult to measure, a mixed method approach was used. The results show that at least 10% of volunteers can be considered as undeclared workers. The tax and social security contribution burdens are considered as the main causes for this undeclared work. It is argued that a new employment status for paid volunteers in sports is necessary to guarantee the provision of qualitative sports services.

The study of nonprofit finance and financial management is growing in popularity. The numerical focus and availability of archival U.S. data have fueled the growth of the field; however, this availability has also influenced the research questions and methods utilized by researchers. Despite the dominance of large-scale quantitative analysis in the literature, there are a wide variety of research methods available in the field. Each approach has strengths and limitations that should be utilized to answer different research questions in different ways. We catalog these techniques and include recommendations on how and why to deliberately cultivate methodological pluralism in nonprofit finance and financial management research.

This article proposes a mixed-methods measurement of the mass-elite congruence of opinions on the EU based on a combination of speech and survey data. It focuses on two countries (Bulgaria and Romania) that were known for their pro-European profile until their EU accession, but which faced many political difficulties afterwards. The analysis covers the 2013–2017 period that includes a great deal of these post-accession difficulties. The article illustrates how we can make meaningful comparisons between short-term, dichotomous mass, and elite attitudes with timeframes determined by non-electoral events.

Many volunteer organizations offer short-term international voluntary service (IVS) opportunities as an avenue for participants to provide aid and humanitarian relief in international communities. This study empirically examines four potential antecedents of IVS performance among short-term IVS participants in developing countries: IVS participants’ intention to serve in similar IVS roles in the future, whether their IVS is at their preferred geographic location, IVS participants’ prior experience in the host country, and their performance in the sending organization’s trainings prior to the IVS. Utilizing both analyses of variance and OLS regression analysis of 147 IVS participants across 18 developing countries, we find evidence that short-term IVS performance is positively associated with future intentions to participate in IVS, previously having visited the host country, and performance during pre-travel trainings. Further, we analyze 158 blog posts written by 19 sample IVS participants, which provides a unique ‘inside look’ into the relationship between host country language skills and IVS performance.

This paper presents a critical analysis of present approaches to studying not-for-profit performance reporting, and implications of research in this area. Focusing on three approaches: content analysis of publicly available performance reporting; quantitative analysis of financial data; and (rarer) mixed/other methods, we consider the impact of these on our knowledge of not-for-profit performance reporting, highlighting gaps and suggesting further research questions and methods. Our analysis demonstrates the important role of regulation in determining the research data available, and the impact of this on research methods. We inter-connect the methods, results and prevailing view of performance reporting in different jurisdictions and argue that this reporting has the potential to influence both charity practices and regulators’ actions. We call for further research in this interesting area. Contribution is made to the methodological literature on not-for-profits, and ongoing international conversations on regulating not-for-profit reporting.

Volunteering can be a catalyst for career development, yet little is known about the specific skills event volunteers acquire or the personal and situational factors that shape these outcomes. This research assessed skill development in 545 volunteers at a major sporting event in North America. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed qualitative and quantitative survey data. Qualitative analyses identified 12 skill themes divided equally into ‘soft skills’ (adaptability, communication, thinking, relationship building, work ethic/professionalism, and work management) and ‘hard skills’ (professional expertise, specific language and communication proficiency, knowledge of sport, management and operations, innovation and technology, and manual labor). Quantitative analyses revealed the total number of skills developed depended on volunteers' motives and levels of supervisor support. High supervisor support offset the effects of low motives on volunteer skill development.

This article set out to explore how organisations can raise awareness for menopause at work without unintentionally exacerbating stigma. Identity regulation can control the boundaries within which stigmatised identities are (re)constructed, and yet it is unclear how identities that are constructed through awareness of menopause, might respond to the traditional control pathway of identity regulation. This multi-method study was conducted in two parts: a survey (n = 525) on women’s health at work, the findings of which informed the content of a qualitative vignette writing task, which was completed by a sub-population (n = 54, women in their 40s and 50s) from the survey. Findings suggest that organisations should create awareness while adequately considering unintentional consequences of exacerbating stigma, and that uncritically adopted male allyship might present a barrier to menopause awareness and disclosure. There are practical implications of these findings relevant to menopause awareness at work.

Qualitative data and analysis can enrich our understanding of key questions in behavioural public policy. In this perspective, I make the case for incorporating qualitative approaches better and more often into our research. I offer practical ideas on how to do this, and a call for action from researchers, reviewers, editors, policy makers and our Higher Education and funding institutions.

In recent years, many efforts have been made to bring quantitative and qualitative methods into dialogue. This article also moves in that direction. However, in contrast to most works, the present attempt does not concern the large-N/small-N issue but focuses instead on the sole single case study framework. Within this framework, two counterfactual methods, the historical counterfactual method, the qualitative one, and the synthetic control method, the quantitative one, have gained great importance without however meeting. This paper aims to advance mixed-methods research by bridging the gap between these two approaches. More precisely, it has assessed whether these two methods can be used together to understand what would have happened in a single case Z in the absence of an event X. The case study of the impact of Thatcher’s election on the UK pension system is then presented as an example of the joint use of the two methods.