Abstract
Single cases are a source of rich contextualised insights in management and organisation studies,
but their value as a research design and theorising tool has also been the subject of considerable debate
as they are accused of an inability to produce abstract constructs and generalisable theory. Against the
backdrop of this divisive debate between ‘better stories’ and ‘better constructs’, we set out to explore how
theorising is actually performed in single case studies. Our analysis of all single case studies (N=117)
published between 2017 and 2021 in Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science
Quarterly, Organization Science, Organization Studies, and Strategic Management Journal reveals a
remarkable versatility of theorising practices and analytical moves. We outline how these strategies are
used individually and in conjunction along the individual stages of the research process in an attempt to
contribute to methodological pluralism and ultimately help authors make best use of the single case.