Hi Marcio,

I am not in Business so I can't speak to that area (though Harshvardhan has certainly provided plenty of excellent references in that area)...but I can say that in clinical areas of academic study (medicine, communication disorders, education, sociology of diversity and sociology of disability) the case study approach (if done well) is highly regarded and, indeed, is the most frequently employed and the oldest application of qualitative research.  You would do well to look at the work that  Harshvardhan has supplied...especially the Farquhar & Deigh and the Schell papers.  I add another excellent piece ...see attached.

Thank you both for these invaluable contributions. I will assess these papers with the highest level of interest. I might use mixed methods as well...

Best rgds

It may be more useful to think in terms of your particular discipline or audience than the 'academic community,' which is quite diverse.  In my 'main' discipline of international relations, for instance, case studies are not as highly valued as other types of research.  But in my sub-discipline of civil society research, case studies are a core method.  If your underlying concern is how using case study methods will impact your ability to publish your work or will be seen when you go on the job market, I would suggest doing a bit of research:

1) Make a list of the top 5 or 10 journals in which you'd like to be published.  These don't have to be the absolute top ones in your field - a mix of A and B journals may be best.  Peruse a sampling of abstracts from the last 5 years.  How often are articles based on case studies published?  Is there any difference between the A and B journals?  Is there a difference between generalist and specialist journals?  Is there a difference between US and non-US journals?

2) Do some searches on Google Scholar for articles in your sub-field.  For each search, look at the 10 must-cited articles from the last decade or so.  How common is case study research?

3) Make a list of 5-10 academic departments that reflect the sort of places you'd like to work (assuming you are pursing an academic career).  Download the CVs of faculty hired in the last 3-5 years.  How many of them are doing case study research? 

I wouldn't worry if case studies aren't prominent.  Instead, see what sort of place they occupy and whether that place is one that you are comfortable with.