Examining literature which conflicts with the emergent theory is important for two reasons.

 

First, if researchers ignore conflicting findings, then confidence in the findings is reduces. Readers may assume that the results are incorrect (a challenge to generalizaility). Second and perhaps more importantly, conflicting literature represents an opportunity. The juxtaposition of conflicting results forces researchers into a more creative, framebreaking mode of thinking than they might otherwise be able to achieve. The results can be deeper insights into both the emergent theory and the conflicting literature, as well as sharpening of the limits to generalizability of the focal research.

 

Literature discussing similar findings is important as well because it ties together underlying similarities in phenomena normally not associated with each other. The result is often a theory with stronger internal validity, wider generalizability, and higher conceptual level.

 

Overall, tying the emergent theory to exisitng literature enhances the interantal validity, generalizability, and theoretical level of theory building from case study research. While linking results to the literature is important in moste research it is particularly crucial in theory-building research because the findings ofteh rest on a very limited number of cases. In this situation any further corroboration of internal validity or generalizability is an important improvement.