Conclusion

Abstract

The research cycle has turned full circle. Now that the rigorous research design has been marshalled right to the end and the empirical results have been revealed, it is appropriate to frame the findings into a wider literature perspective, thus elucidating the empirical, conceptual, methodological, and theoretical contributions of this work. The critical assessment of the empirical observations starts by revisiting the original scope and initial questions, including a synthesis of the results obtained. It then makes reference to the literature on small states governance in its attempt to generalize the findings beyond case selection. The second level of assessment concerns the conceptual level. It looks into the mechanisms and choices that have been employed by this work to turn the notion of Europeanization from an “attention-directing device” (Olsen 2002) into an “operationalizable concept” (Goetz and Meyer-Sahling 2008) capable of guiding empirical investigations. The evaluation process eventually proceeds to the methodological level wherein the use of mixed data streams, particularly statistical results, are assessed on their capability of verifying or negating familiar grounds of Europeanization that have been traditionally tried and tested by qualitative orthodoxy. The scrutiny of the explanatory-theoretical level follows soon after, wherein the competing/complementary logics of Rational Choice Institutionalism (RCI) and Sociological Institutionalism (SI) are critically assessed in the light of bridging ontological and epistemological considerations.