Open research questions in Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research

What the literature leaves open

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the complex causal relationships between social environment, health cognition, and health behavior in individuals with non-fixed employment. The research aims to address this gap by using PLS-SEM and fsQCA methods.

  Social environment, health cognition, and health behavior: how individuals with non-fixed employment end up with adverse health outcomes in China under the era of VUCA?—findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA · 2024 · DOI

• Further research is needed to explore the complex interaction effects between social environment, health cognition, and health behavior, - Studies should investigate the long-term effects of non-fixed employment on health outcomes, - Research should examine the impact of different types of non-fixed employment on health outcomes

  Social environment, health cognition, and health behavior: how individuals with non-fixed employment end up with adverse health outcomes in China under the era of VUCA?—findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA · 2024 · DOI

• First, the interpretation fo findings in a field should take into account that negative results may be underreported.

  An Exploration of the Presence of Positive-Results Bias in Qualitative Comparative Analysis · 2025 · DOI

• Although the integration of culture and tourism led to an increasing interest among scholars, there has been insufficient attention to the scientific evaluation of its quality, and the complex influencing mechanisms at the macrogeographic level remain unclear.

  What Configurational Conditions Promote the Integration of Culture and Tourism? A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis Based on China’s Provincial Data · 2025 · DOI

• However, the transformation process faces numerous obstacles, and research on the configurational effects of enterprise green development behavior remains insufficient.

  From dilemma to breakthrough: fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of green development behavior pathways in construction materials enterprises · 2025 · DOI

• Given the limited evidence on the mechanisms shaping turnover intention (TI) among public health workers, the study aims to investigate the triggering mechanisms of high and low turnover intention by combining job demands, job resources, and personal resources through a set theory perspective based on the Job-Demand-Resources (JD-R) model.

  Configurational paths to turnover intention among primary public health workers in Liaoning Province, China: a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis · 2024 · DOI

• Current methods fail to capture expert hesitation. Current methods fail to provide balanced ranking. The need for a more effective decision-making technique.

  A hybrid pythagorean fuzzy decision-making model for evaluating corporate environmental behavior through social responsibility dimensions · 2026 · DOI

• In this section, we will discuss the Limitations and future directions of this study The research has limitations even though this study is original and practical. The case study is based on hypothetical information and limited number of criteria and decisions that may not be representative of the reality of the actual corporate environmental practices. Its framework is also premised on the opinion of experts, which, despite being run on PFS, can result in subjectivity of the assessment process. The paper is also devoted to six aspects; practically the impacts of the supply chain or lifecycle analysis are the possible aspects and industry-dependent considerations that the supply chain of corporations can rely on. Such ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT limitations mean that the given model is powerful, whereas the outcomes should be viewed as illustrative and not final. The study has following Future Directions. Future research can be continued in this work through several avenues. To assess the effectiveness of the framework, one can first refer to it in real case studies involving larger datasets and actual corporate performance measures. Second it is possible to add more criteria and sub-criteria to capture industry specifics of the environmental behavior e.g. carbon footprint, practices of a circular economy or biodiversity impact. Third, the model can be further extended with other more complex extensions of FS such as q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (QROFS) [29]or spherical fuzzy sets (SFS) [30] in order to be more aspective of uncertainty. Finally, comparative studies can be considered in future research, taking advantage of the given framework to apply it to either industries or various countries, which would provide valuable data on international trends in corporate social responsibility and environmental friendliness.

  A hybrid pythagorean fuzzy decision-making model for evaluating corporate environmental behavior through social responsibility dimensions · 2026 · DOI

• The gap between China's centralized coordination and the US's decentralized, market-driven ecosystem. The need for a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of both countries.

  Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Innovation: A Comparative Analysis of Approaches in China and The Us · 2026 · DOI

• the study relies on secondary data, - the sample size is limited to 451 participants, - the study does not account for other factors that may influence project success

  No Single Formula: Configurational Pathways to Sustainable NGO Project Success Under Servant Leadership · 2026 · DOI

• examining the generalizability of the findings to other contexts, - investigating the role of other leadership styles in NGO project success, - exploring the impact of servant leadership on team dynamics

  No Single Formula: Configurational Pathways to Sustainable NGO Project Success Under Servant Leadership · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of local environmental governance in China. It highlights the need to examine how local officials behave after carbon governance institutions and regulations are formally implemented.

  Configurational driving mechanisms of local environmental governance under the institutional pressure-organizational capacity framework: evidence from China · 2026 · DOI

• The available data are limited to binary survey indicators representing the presence or absence of regulatory and administrative conditions. The study does not directly capture psychological states, using second-best institutional proxies instead.

  Behavioural biases to insurance uptake in developing countries · 2026 · DOI

• There is a limited understanding of how ambiguity aversion, myopia and distrust in insurance policies influence insurance uptake. Prior research has not explored the complex causal links between these biases and insurance uptake.

  Behavioural biases to insurance uptake in developing countries · 2026 · DOI

• A significant and unresolved gap lies in understanding the micro-psychological and cognitive mechanisms through which enterprises interpret their embedded network conditions. Prior studies have predominantly examined factors in isolation or treated the enterprise network relationship as a static determinant of outcomes.

  Exploring the Entrepreneurial Behavior of Commercial Aerospace Enterprises Within the Chinese Aerospace System: A Combination of PLS-SEM and FsQCA Methods · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need for a reliable and transparent tool for educational decision-making. Prior studies have not fully addressed the complexity of parental preferences in school choice.

  PARENTAL CHOICE OF PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS: A FUZZY MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING EVALUATION · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in collecting data from a high-risk region with limited access to resources. The research encountered difficulties in measuring disaster nursing core competencies using a validated scale.

  Disaster Nursing Preparedness in a High-Risk Mountain Region:A Fuzzy-Set QCA of Education, Training, Organizational Support, and Structural Barriers in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan · 2026 · DOI

• Longitudinal validation of the findings is needed to support temporal causal inference. Further research should focus on developing and implementing effective barrier reduction strategies.

  Disaster Nursing Preparedness in a High-Risk Mountain Region:A Fuzzy-Set QCA of Education, Training, Organizational Support, and Structural Barriers in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the interdependencies among the dimensions of shared value creation. The study aims to address this gap by examining the interdependencies between the dimensions of shared value and their influence on the strategic process within the organisation.

  Uncovering Interdependence of Shared Value Dimensions – Insights from the Agri-Food Industry · 2026 · DOI

• Menghwar P.S., Daood A. (2021), , “California Management Review”, vol. 63(2), pp. 49–61, https://doi.org/10 Creating shared value: A systematic review, synthesis and integrative , “International Journal of Management Reviews”, vol. 23(4), pp. 466–485, https://doi Challenges of the “green imperative”: a natural resource-based approach .org/10.1111/ijmr.12252 to the environmental orientation-business performance relationship Menguc B., Ozanne L.K. (2005), vol. 58, pp. 430–438, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2003.09.002 A Model of Social Entrepreneurial Discovery , “Journal of Business Research”, Murphy P.J., Coombes S.M. (2008), What makes consumers respond to creating shared value strategy? , “Journal of Business Ethics”, vol. 87(3), pp. 325–336, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9921-y Considering consumers as stakeholders in sustainable development Nam S.J., Hwang H. (2019), Value Creation Stages in Environmental Sustainability Responsibility and Environmental Management”, vol. 26(2), pp. 388–395, https://doi.org/10.1002 /csr.1690 Nickl M. (2019), , https://sphera.com/resources /blog/the-4-phases-of-value-creation-in-environmental-sustainability/ [accessed: 15.02.2025]. study The multifaceted role of the network orchestrator – A longitudinal case Nilsen E.R., Gausdal A.H. (2017), , “Corporate Social , “International Journal of Innovation Management”, vol, 21(6), 1750046, https://doi.org/10 Market Orientation, Internal Process, and External Network: .1142/S1363919617500463 A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Key Decisional Alternatives in the New Service Development Ordanini A., Maglio P.P. (2009), “Decision Science”, vol. 40(3), pp. 601–625, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.2009.00238.x ISO 14001. Zarządzanie środowiskowe jako element strategii firmy , Pańczyszyn A. (2024), , https://kom pasesg.pl/esg/zarzadzanie/iso-14001-zarzadzanie-srodowiskowe-jako-element-strategii-firmy/ [accessed: 20.03.2024] FOE 2(375) 2026 https://www.czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/foe/ 74 Wioletta Krawiec, Anna Sibińska, Wojciech Grzegorczyk Uncovering Interdependence of Shared Value Dimensions – Insights from the Agri-Food Industry Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA): Guidelines for research practice in Information Systems and marketing Pappas I.O., Woodside A.G. (2021), Understanding the Relationships between Internal Resources and Capabilities, , “International Journal of Information Management”, vol. 58, 102310, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102310 Sustainable Supply Management and Organizational Sustainability Paulraj A. (2011), , “Journal of Supply Chain Creating Shared Value: Redefining Capitalism and the Role of the Corporation Management”, vol. 47(1), pp. 19–37, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-493X.2010.03212.x in Society Porter M.E. (2011), , https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/2011-0609_FSG_Creating_Shared_Va The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy lue_20859152-c051-44dd-a2c0-761abf6bc2d1.pdf [accessed: 20.11.2025] Porter M.E., Kramer M.R. (2002), Strategy & Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage , “Harvard Business Review”, vol. 80(12), pp. 56–68. and Corporate Social Responsibility Porter M.E., Kramer M.R. (2006), a wave of innovation and growth Porter M.E., Kramer M.R. (2011), and Mark R. Kramer Porter M.E., Kramer M.R. (2014), Creating shared value: How to reinvent capitalism – And unleash , “Harvard Business Review”, vol. 84(12), pp. 78–92. A response to Andrew Crane et al.’s article by Michael E. Porter , “Harvard Business Review”, vol. 89(1–2), pp. 62–77.

  Uncovering Interdependence of Shared Value Dimensions – Insights from the Agri-Food Industry · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the literature on government digital governance, which has focused on single digital governance or single environmental performance. The study identifies a need to integrate environmental indicators into the outcome variable and introduce online public services to optimize the framework.

  Digital governance for regional environmental sustainability: configurational paths and mechanisms of local governments in china based on the TOE framework · 2026 · DOI

• Although previous research has emphasized the importance of prior knowledge on digital technologies and the related underlying institutional motives, little is known about how these factors are configured to facilitate I4.

  Motives Behind An Effective Industry 4.0 Adoption: An Institutional Perspective With Organizational Prior Knowledge · 2026

• Existing research often studies business intelligence, sustainability, and information systems in isolation. Prior studies typically focus on specific aspects such as BI capabilities, ESG reporting, or Green IT. The study addresses the gap by adopting a causal modeling approach using the Fuzzy DEMATEL method.

  Mapping the institutional, organizational, and technological enablers of sustainable decision making in a global society · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of a comprehensive approach to managing socio-economic systems. The need for a systematic approach to analyzing and optimizing communication processes.

  System Analysis of the Communication Process when Implementing the ISO 9001 Standard in Socio-Economic Systems · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should continue to explore the impact of methodological, theoretical, and design-related choices on authorial stances. Future research should also examine the application of fsQCA in other fields and contexts.

  EXPLORING RESEARCH CONFIGURATIONS INFLUENCING AUTHORIAL STANCES IN ECOLOGICAL MIGRATION STUDIES IN CHINA: AN FSQCA-BASED SYSTEMATIC REVIEW · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research

• Building Better Causal Theories: A Fuzzy Set Approach to Typologies in Organization Research · Academy of Management Journal · 2011 · 5,198 citations
• Characteristics of Organizational Environments and Perceived Environmental Uncertainty · Administrative Science Quarterly · 1972 · 2,399 citations
• Methodological fit in management field research · Academy of Management Review · 2007 · 2,328 citations
• Standards of Good Practice in Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Fuzzy-Sets · Comparative Sociology · 2010 · 1,154 citations
• An Overview of the Logic and Rationale of Hierarchical Linear Models · Journal of Management · 1997 · 1,089 citations
• Strategy-Making in Three Modes · California Management Review · 1973 · 949 citations
• Embracing Causal Complexity · Journal of Management · 2016 · 923 citations
• Nested Analysis as a Mixed-Method Strategy for Comparative Research · American Political Science Review · 2005 · 659 citations
• Psychological and Traditional Determinants of Structure · Administrative Science Quarterly · 1986 · 602 citations
• Adaptive Fit Versus Robust Transformation: How Organizations Respond to Environmental Change · Journal of Management · 2005 · 473 citations

Most recent work

• AI-driven financial operational Efficiency: A dynamic capabilities perspective on knowledge-oriented leadership and financial flexibility · Technology in Society · 2026
• Tackling the Complexity Challenge: When and How to Engage in Configurational and Hybrid Theorizing · Academy of Management Review · 2026
• Cross‐Organizational Collaborative Governance in Extreme Disaster Risk: Adaptive Mechanisms and Configuration Pathways of Emerging Technologies · Risk Analysis · 2026
• Cognitive and contextual configurations in entrepreneurial opportunity evaluation: insights from fsQCA · BMC Psychology · 2026
• How does digitalization affect the urban-rural income gap? A study using panel fsQCA and NCA in developing economies · Socio-Economic Planning Sciences · 2026
• Study on the Influencing Factors and Configurations of College Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions Based on fsQCA Method · SAGE Open · 2026
• Examining generative AI and multi-dimensional drivers for sustainable development: A configurational theory approach · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · 2026
• Unpacking Consumer Resistance Toward Virtual Streamers: Asymmetric Effects of Innovation Barriers in Live Streaming Commerce · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · 2026
• Unveiling ESG-driven pathways to high-level digital transformation: Insights from six core drivers in SRDI enterprises · Sustainable Futures · 2026
• Theorising sociotechnical complexity: a grounded theory framework for qualitative information systems research · Qualitative Research Journal · 2026

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