Both single longitudinal case studies and multiple case studies are widely used in qualitative research, but designs with two or three cases have been largely overlooked despite their advantageous features. In this essay, I will first present a panorama of two- and three-case designs published in five leading academic journals in strategy and organization in the past ten years. Next, alternative two- and three-case designs will be developed and illustrated, aiming at improving both validity and generalization by means of dissimilarities. Finally, recommendations on how to conduct these alternative designs will be provided.
