This paper presents a methodological advancement by integrating Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Process Tracing (PT) in the evaluation of training transfer effectiveness in Flemish SMEs. This multimethod approach leverages the strengths of both QCA and PT to enhance internal and external validity, offering a robust framework for capturing the conditions and causal mechanisms underlying policy interventions. By sequentially applying QCA to identify necessary and sufficient conditions and PT to unpack the causal processes, the study provides a comprehensive analysis that addresses both "what works" and "how it works." Our findings demonstrate that combining these methods allows for more nuanced insights into the effectiveness of training programs, ultimately contributing to the empirical validation of policy theories and the development of evidence-based interventions. This research underscores the potential of multimethod evaluations to produce more reliable and generalizable results, thereby offering valuable guidance for evaluators and policymakers seeking to enhance the impact of their programs.

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a hybrid method designed to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative research in a case-sensitive approach that considers each case holistically as a complex configuration of conditions and outcomes. QCA allows for multiple conjunctural causation, implying that it is often a combination of conditions that produces an outcome, that multiple pathways may lead to the same outcome, and that in different contexts, the same condition may have a different impact on the outcome. This approach to complexity allows QCA to provide a practical understanding for complex, real-world situations, and the context of implementing interventions. There are guides for conducting QCA in primary research and quantitative systematic reviews yet, to our knowledge, no guidance for conducting QCA in systematic mixed studies reviews (SMSRs). Thus, the specific objectives of this paper are to (1) describe a step-by-step approach for novice researchers for using QCA to integrate qualitative and quantitative evidence, including guidance on how to use software; (2) highlight specific challenges; (3) propose potential solutions from a worked example; and (4) provide recommendations for reporting.

This chapter investigates the relation between a voter’s policy incongruence and resentment. Incongruence refers to the mismatch between voters’ and parties’ preferences: we hypothesize that incongruence will be positively related to resentment. The more incongruent voters are with either their own preferred party (egotropic incongruence) or the whole party system (sociotropic incongruence), the less likely voters can expect policy that aligns with their preferences, and thus benefits them. Such incongruence likely fosters resentment. We further hypothesize that the relation between incongruence and resentment is moderated by voters’ party issue positions knowledge. Using the 2019 RepResent survey data, we find no support for the hypothesized relation between incongruence and resentment. Rather, we find strong indications that citizens’ party position knowledge moderates the relation between incongruence and resentment. This indicates that it does not just matter that citizens are incongruent with their preferred party and/or the party system, but also that they know they are incongruent.

Abstract A core methodological approach in political science consists in comparing cases. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a methodology designed to do just that, in a systematic manner and exploiting strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. This chapter presents QCA as a candidate methodology to go beyond the “qualitative-quantitative” divide and discusses whether, and to what extent, QCA helps address both why- and how-questions. Finally, the chapter discusses what it means to combine methods in an approach such as QCA, also implementing a mixed methods research (MMR) protocol. Using Ruphy’s approach of “foliated pluralism,” we explain that, from an epistemological perspective, the added value is that a pluralistic methodological approach such as QCA allows better and richer epistemic access to the phenomenon of interest, and also enables one to produce causal inferences.

Although the policy performance field acknowledges the importance of adopting a long-term decision making perspective to attain more sustainable policy outcomes, it overlooks the way in which sustainable governance conditions and policy performance relate to each other. We address this gap by investigating why some countries succeed in terms of policy performance while others do not. Applying a fuzzy-set QCA to 41 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and European Union countries of the Sustainable Governance Indicators data, we find out that successful economic and social policy performance is mainly driven by executive accountability conditions combined with effective implementation, while the high-quality of media plays a key role in successful environmental policy performance. Considering the multiple paths that practitioners can follow toward sustainable development benefits, they can also learn how to shift from short-term to long-term thinking by identifying "what works and why," formulating good practices and guidelines for better policy performance in the respective national contexts.

Comment les jeunes Belges envisagent-ils leur avenir ? Fil conducteur de cette recherche, cette question nous permet d'interroger les perspectives d'une jeunesse diverse. Ces perspectives touchent à la fois leur compréhension et leur perception des phénomènes associés aux changements climatiques, leurs manières de s'informer sur la question, ainsi que leur vision concernant l'éducation qu'ils ont reçue et l'avenir que leur réserve le marché du travail.Pour appréhender empiriquement ces questions, une double enquête de terrain a été conduite. Une première partie quantitative a permis de dégager des tendances de pratiques et de perceptions des différentes catégories de jeunes prétriés selon des critères sociodémographiques. Une seconde partie qualitative a permis d'affiner ces données grâce à des focus groups sondant l'opinion des jeunes Belges les plus précaires. Ce travail de terrain confirme la pertinence de considérer une grande diversité au sein du groupe social « jeune » (15-24 ans), puisque des différences considérables sont observées, notamment entre les catégories socioéconomiques, mais aussi entre les classes d'âge.Pour dépasser ces constats et approfondir l'analyse segmentée des jeunes, des personae ont été constitués. Ainsi, sept profils de jeunes exclusifs les uns des autres sont dégagés, non pas dans l’objectif de ranger les jeunes dans des cases, mais pour proposer des solutions personnalisées en fonction de leurs différentes pratiques et valeurs.Les résultats de cette recherche permettent la formulation de recommandations concernant aussi bien les perspectives de communication climatique à l'égard des jeunes que les perspectives politiques à mettre en oeuvre pour encourager leur participation. Ces recommandations sont formulées de manière générale, mais aussi spécifiquement pour chaque persona identifiée. Enfin, les recommandations émanant autant des jeunes eux-mêmes que des experts ayant réalisé l’étude.

AbstractThe year 2021 was the first full year for the De Croo I Cabinet, which had been installed in October 2020 after difficult and lengthy negotiations. The oversized and ideologically diverse ‘Vivaldi’ coalition government struggled as it was confronted with the management of the COVID‐19 pandemic, amidst frequent tensions between the coalition partners, with the two largest Flemish parties (Flemish Interest/Vlaams Belang and New Flemish Alliance/Nieuw‐Vlaamse Alliantie) shooting from the opposition. Further, usual disagreements continued to prevail between Flemish and Francophone parties and their respective executives at the subnational level. Hence, discussions on the contours of a – still very tentative – seventh state reform did not make much progress. Wallonia, the country's southern region, was hit by catastrophic floods in July. The whole public response to these floods added up to the massive costs of handling COVID‐19, which resulted in a structurally large budget deficit.L'année 2021 fut la première année complète pour le gouvernement De Croo I entré en fonction en octobre 2020 au terme de longues et difficiles négociations. La coalition ‘Vivaldi’, très large et idéologiquement diversifiée, rencontra bien des difficultés dans sa gestion de la pandémie COVID‐19; cette dernière suscita de fréquentes tensions entre les partenaires de la coalition alors que les deux plus grands partis flamands (le VB et la N‐VA) menaient une opposition active. Par ailleurs, les désaccords habituels se prolongèrent entre les partis flamands et francophones et leurs exécutifs respectifs à l’échelon subnational. Dans ces conditions, les discussions autour d'une septième réforme de l'Etat aux contours encore très vagues ne progressèrent guère. La Wallonie, la région du Sud du pays, fut frappée par des inondations catastrophiques en juillet. La réponse des autorités publiques à ces inondations, conjuguée aux coûts très élevés de la gestion COVID‐19, se traduisit par un déficit budgétaire structurellement élevé.

What is the most appropriate QCA solution type when engaging in a multimethod design that includes QCA and in-depth process-tracing (PT)? While either the intermediate or the parsimonious solution are generally favored in QCA-only studies, we identify important challenges that can emerge when selecting those solutions in a QCA-PT multimethod study. We particularly highlight the risk of mechanistic heterogeneity, omitted conditions, and draw the attention on the issue of generalization. We discuss each of these intertwined challenges in depth, and explain why the conservative solution is useful to consider in addressing them. We substantiate our arguments by drawing on a recently completed evaluation study that was commissioned by the Flemish ESF Agency in Belgium. In the study, we combined QCA and theory-guided in-depth process-tracing to uncover under what combinations of conditions (QCA) a training programme would lead to successful training transfer and how (PT) this happened in the successful cases. The article highlights the need to carefully consider the selection of solution types in any multimethod design comprising QCA.

The Impact of VAAs on Vote Switching at the 2019 Belgian Legislative Elections: More Switchers, but Making Their Own Choices During electoral campaigns, the use of voting advice applications (VAAs) has become increasingly widespread. Consequently, scholars have examined both the patterns of usage and their effects on voting behaviour. However, existing studies lead to conflicting findings. In this article, we take a closer look at the effect of De Stemtest/Test électoral (a VAA developed by academics from the University of Louvain and the University of Antwerp, in partnership with Belgian media partners) on vote switching. More specifically, we divide this latter question into two sub-questions: (1) What is the impact of a (dis)confirming advice from the VAA on vote switching? (2) Do VAA users follow the voting advice provided by the VAA? Our study shows that receiving a disconfirming advice from the VAA increases the probability of users to switch their vote choice.

Cabinet reportAfter a full 2019 year with a caretaker government due to the most cumbersome federal government formation following the May 2019 general elections, Belgium started 2020 with Wilmès I, a minority government in a caretaker capacity (Rihoux et al. 2020) (Table 1).The formation process went on with, as informateurs, two party leaders freshly elected in 2019 (Rihoux et al. 2020), Georges-Louis Bouchez (Reformist Movement/Mouvement Réformateur -MR) and Joachim Coens (Christian-Democrat and Flemish/Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams -CD&V), who failed to find a viable solution, trapped in the dilemma of including or not the largest party in Parliament, the Flemish Nationalist New Flemish Alliance/Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA).On 31 January, King Philippe surprisingly appointed the Minister of Justice in place, Koen Geens (CD&V), for a mission that would only last two weeks, after intense and open tensions between the largest Flemish and Francophone parties, N-VA and Socialist Party/Parti socialiste (PS), that Geens failed to reconcile.On 19 February, the presidents of both federal Chambers, Sabine Laruelle (MR) and Patrick Dewael, Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats/Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten (Open VLD) received the mandate from the King to 'take any initiative aimed at establishing a full-fledged federal government' .Laruelle was the first ever female royal mission-holder in Belgium.Their mission was abruptly terminated due to the COVID-19 crisis.To help face the pandemic, it was decided to set up a fully empowered government in place of the caretaker government.Sophie Wilmès was appointed formatrice on 16 March,

The aim of this article is to build up a concept-informed research design to answer "why and how" a policy can make a difference. It demonstrates the potential and challenges of an innovative multimethod approach, which combines a configurational and mechanistic view to policy effectiveness. The article hereto draws on experiences in applying Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Process Tracing in one single evaluation. The study calls for a rigorous treatment of concepts, especially to avoid the risk of mechanistic heterogeneity. It unpacks important lessons in concept formation and operationalization, so as to ensure concept validity and to make strong causal inferences.

European Journal of Political Research Political Data YearbookVolume 59, Issue 1 p. 34-55 Original Article Belgium: Political Developments and Data in 2019 BENOÎT RIHOUX, BENOÎT RIHOUX CESPOL, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorAUDREY VANDELEENE, AUDREY VANDELEENE GASPAR, Universiteit Gent, Gent, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorLIEVEN DE WINTER, LIEVEN DE WINTER CESPOL, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorPIERRE BAUDEWYNS, PIERRE BAUDEWYNS CESPOL, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorSERGE DERUETTE, SERGE DERUETTE UMons, Mons, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this author BENOÎT RIHOUX, BENOÎT RIHOUX CESPOL, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorAUDREY VANDELEENE, AUDREY VANDELEENE GASPAR, Universiteit Gent, Gent, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorLIEVEN DE WINTER, LIEVEN DE WINTER CESPOL, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorPIERRE BAUDEWYNS, PIERRE BAUDEWYNS CESPOL, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorSERGE DERUETTE, SERGE DERUETTE UMons, Mons, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 November 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12303Citations: 2 [Correction added on 18 May 2021, after first online publication: Minor text corrections have been made for clarity on pages 42–47, 51, 52 and 55.] Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume59, Issue1December 2020Pages 34-55 RelatedInformation

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) was launched in the late 1980s by Charles Ragin, as a research approach bridging case-oriented and variable-oriented perspectives. It conceives cases as complex combinations of attributes (i.e. configurations), is designed to process multiple cases, and enables one to identify, through minimization algorithms, the core equifinal combinations of conditions leading to an outcome of interest. It systematizes the analysis in terms of necessity and sufficiency, models social reality in terms of set-theoretic relations, and provides powerful logical tools for complexity reduction. It initially came along with one technique, crisp-set QCA (csQCA), requiring dichotomized coding of data. As it has expanded, the QCA field has been enriched by new techniques such as multi-value QCA (mvQCA) and especially fuzzy-set QCA (fsQCA), both of which enable finer-grained calibration. It has also developed further with diverse extensions and more advanced designs, including mixed- and multimethod designs in which QCA is sequenced with focused case studies or with statistical analyses. QCA’s emphasis on causal complexity makes it very fit to address various types of objects and research questions touching upon political decision making—and indeed QCA has been applied in multiple related social scientific fields. While QCA can be exploited in different ways, it is most frequently used for theory evaluation purposes, with a streamlined protocol including a sequence of core operations and good practices. Several reliable software options are also available to implement the core of the QCA procedure. However, given QCA’s case-based foundation, much researcher input is still required at different stages. As it has further developed, QCA has been subject to fierce criticism, especially from a mainstream statistical perspective. This has stimulated further innovations and refinements, in particular in terms of parameters of fit and robustness tests which also correspond to the growth of QCA applications in larger-n designs. Altogether the field has diversified and broadened, and different users may exploit QCA in various ways, from smaller-n case-oriented uses to larger-n more analytic uses, and following different epistemological positions regarding causal claims. This broader field can therefore be labeled as that of both “Configurational Comparative Methods” (CCMs) and “Set-Theoretic Methods” (STMs).

As powerful landmarks to steer local and regional development, strategic projects are often linked with strategic spatial plans. However, the key question remains as to what extent strategic urban projects and plans can be regarded as aligned. By building on previous international comparative research, we identify five main conditions assumed to enable, in combination, the alignment between strategic projects and plans. By adopting a qualitative, multi-method empirical strategy (interviews, site visits, online questionnaire, additional literature) and by performing fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs-QCA), we compare 38 European large-scale urban development projects (lsUDPs) and assess which combinations of conditions support concordance of the projects with strategic spatial plans (SSPs). Our analysis shows that there are five pathways, factored out into two main patterns, enabling alignment. Substantial variation in our cases appears to be captured by: (i) considerable involvement of the national state combined with (inter)national private actors and (ii) a considerable involvement of private actors combined with international external events.

PURPOSE Case management (CM) interventions are effective for frequent users of health care services, but little is known about which intervention characteristics lead to positive outcomes. We sought to identify characteristics of CM that yield positive outcomes among frequent users with chronic disease in primary care. METHODS For this systematic review of both quantitative and qualitative studies, we searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO (1996 to September 2017) and included articles meeting the following criteria: (1)population: adult frequent users with chronic disease, (2)intervention: CM in a primary care setting with a postintervention evaluation, and (3)primary outcomes: integration of services, health care system use, cost, and patient outcome measures. Independent reviewers screened abstracts, read full texts, appraised methodologic quality (Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool), and extracted data from the included studies. Sufficient and necessary CM intervention characteristics were identified using configurational comparative methods. RESULTS Of the 10,687 records retrieved, 20 studies were included; 17 quantitative, 2 qualitative, and 1 mixed methods study. Analyses revealed that it is necessary to identify patients most likely to benefit from a CM intervention for CM to produce positive outcomes. High-intensity intervention or the presence of a multidisciplinary/interorganizational care plan was also associated with positive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Policy makers and clinicians should focus on their case-finding processes because this is the essential characteristic of CM effectiveness. In addition, value should be placed on high-intensity CM interventions and developing care plans with multiple types of care providers to help improve patient outcomes.

European Journal of Political Research Political Data YearbookVolume 58, Issue 1 p. 30-36 Original Article Belgium: Political developments and data in 2018 BENOÎT RIHOUX, BENOÎT RIHOUX Centre de Science Politique et de Politique Comparée (CESPOL), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorAUDREY VANDELEENE, AUDREY VANDELEENE Lund University, Lund, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorLIEVEN DE WINTER, LIEVEN DE WINTER Centre de Science Politique et de Politique Comparée (CESPOL), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorPIERRE BAUDEWYNS, PIERRE BAUDEWYNS Centre de Science Politique et de Politique Comparée (CESPOL), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorSERGE DERUETTE, SERGE DERUETTE Université de Mons, Mons, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this author BENOÎT RIHOUX, BENOÎT RIHOUX Centre de Science Politique et de Politique Comparée (CESPOL), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorAUDREY VANDELEENE, AUDREY VANDELEENE Lund University, Lund, SwedenSearch for more papers by this authorLIEVEN DE WINTER, LIEVEN DE WINTER Centre de Science Politique et de Politique Comparée (CESPOL), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorPIERRE BAUDEWYNS, PIERRE BAUDEWYNS Centre de Science Politique et de Politique Comparée (CESPOL), University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorSERGE DERUETTE, SERGE DERUETTE Université de Mons, Mons, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this author First published: 19 November 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-8852.12255Citations: 4Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume58, Issue1December 2019Pages 30-36 RelatedInformation