Trying ThS-QCA (2) MUJI with UNIQLO’s Conditions
marketing
tutorial
Applies the four conditions chosen for UNIQLO to MUJI unchanged and shows how the sufficient conditions differ.
Nov 6, 2026
Notes on the ThSQCA R package, qualitative comparative analysis, and hands-on web tools for marketing research.
New here? Start here About this blog: Welcome 日本語の方はこちら ThSQCA on CRAN
The articles below are the core of this site. They are arranged in reading order, so you can start at the top and go down. (Posts about R are also shared via R-bloggers.)
1. Get to know QCA and the threshold idea
No R needed. Why QCA suits decisions, why the threshold matters, and the package that makes it an object of analysis.
1
Welcome
Notes on threshold-sweep QCA, the ThSQCA R package, and data analysis for marketing research.
2
Why QCA suits decision-making: looking for "recipes" instead of single effects
Marketing actions work in combination. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) looks for the recipes that are enough for an outcome. Here is how it differs from regression, and what to watch for.
3
Is "good enough" the same goal as "loved"? A marketer's guide to threshold-sweep QCA
A brand manager's target level changes which strengths matter. Threshold-sweep QCA shows how the winning combination changes as the bar rises.
4
Introducing ThSQCA: threshold-sweep QCA in R
ThSQCA is an R package that reruns a QCA analysis across a range of thresholds and records how the sufficiency solutions change.
2. Learn ThSQCA in R
A four-part series for beginners, using practice data and running code. Read it in order.
5
ThSQCA for beginners, part 1: your first threshold sweep
A step-by-step introduction to threshold-sweep QCA in R. No data needed: we simulate a small data set and run a first sweep with ThSQCA.
6
ThSQCA for beginners, part 2: the four sweeps and how to choose a range
Sweep the outcome, one condition, several conditions, or both. We run all four sweeps on a practice data set and discuss how to choose a threshold range you can defend.
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ThSQCA for beginners, part 3: solution types and multiple solutions
Complex, parsimonious, and intermediate solutions explained with a small example, and what to do when a threshold yields more than one minimal solution.
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ThSQCA for beginners, part 4: reporting and checking your results
Turn a threshold sweep into a report: generate_report(), configuration charts, a check against the QCA package, and a short checklist for reporting.
3. Reading lists
Where to read next: the standard readings for learning QCA, then papers that use it in marketing and management.
9
Papers and books for getting to know QCA: six to read first (basics)
A short, goal-based list of the papers and books worth reading first if you want to understand how QCA thinks.
10
QCA in marketing and management: ten papers to read first (applications)
Papers that use QCA in marketing and management, the theoretical background from management and organization research, practical guides, and papers on the threshold.
4. Research methods, step by step
Procedures from survey to analysis, one article at a time; some articles include examples in R. More methods will be added over time.
11
From survey items to a scale, then on to regression and QCA: a step-by-step guide
How to define a multi-item concept such as brand trust from theory, examine it with factor analysis and alpha, build subscales, and use them in regression and QCA, with an example in R.
12
Before adding latent variables: what scale building and path analysis can do
A personal view for graduate students: build and check scales first, analyze with observed-variable models, and move to latent-variable models when a clear need appears.
5. Paper guides
Reading notes on papers related to QCA, marketing science, brand management, and statistics, added from time to time.
13
About Paper Guides: Introducing Papers on This Blog
The purpose of the paper guides on this blog, the kinds of papers covered, how each article is organized, and a list of published guides.
14
Paper Guide: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Are Two Cultures, Not Rivals (Mahoney & Goertz, 2006)
How do quantitative and qualitative analysis differ? A paper guide to Mahoney & Goertz (2006), written for MBA students and business analysts.
15
Paper Guide: How Should We Evaluate the "Conditions for Success"? (Ragin, 2006)
Are the traits shared by successful firms really conditions for success? A paper guide to Ragin (2006), on sufficient and necessary conditions, consistency, and coverage, written for MBA students and business analysts.
6. ThS-QCA in practice
A short series that applies threshold-sweep QCA to survey data on UNIQLO and MUJI, and shows how the results change when the “recommend” level and the conditions change.
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