3.5.2.1 The case study approach: data collection and data analysis

Similarly, to previous case studies this case study attempts to examine the participation of stakeholders in the governance of one tailor-made legal form for social enterprises, i.e. the CIC.1 The case study examines the last legal variation of the CIC legal form, i.e. the public limited CIC. The CIC to be examined is the Stratford Community Energy Public Limited Community Interest Company (hereafter ‘Stratford PLCIC’), which operates a community energy scheme in the UK.

The case study is developed in such way in order to replicate the case study method used in previous empirical case studies.2 This method used three significant qualitative techniques in the process of data collection, namely: (i) the collection of empirical data through interviews; (ii) the collection of data from the review of relevant documents; and (iii) observations from the interaction with the respondents at the interview location or at the social enterprise’s facilities.3 However, the research in this case study is subject to certain limitations in the data collection and data analysis due to the young and developing character of Stratford PLCIC.

Stratford PLCIC is a young organisation, which initiated its activities early in 2016. This particular social enterprise was selected purposefully as it fits uniquely into the research sample, which examines the participatory governance of the CIC variations provided in the CIC legal framework. Stratford PLCIC has adopted one of the three legal variations of the tailor-made legal form prescribed by law in the UK CIC legal framework, i.e. the public limited CIC. Stratford PLCIC also constitutes the only public limited CIC registered in the area of England as of March 2017 and the second public limited CIC in the UK.4 The second identified registered public limited CIC was located in the region of Northern Ireland. The public limited CIC is the last remaining variation of the CIC legal variations prescribed in the CIC legal framework. What is more, Stratford PLCIC was also selected theoretically due to operating a community energy scheme in the UK with the objective of transforming itself into a community-owned and community-managed energy CIC.