Management and Business Research M EasterbySmith R Thorpe
Management and Business Research © M. Easterby-Smith, R. Thorpe, P. Jackson & L. Jaspersen
Chapter 2 Reviewing the literature
Learning objectives • To appreciate what a literature review in management and business research entails, and why it is necessary • To learn the practical skills needed to search, identify and record relevant literature • To understand how to evaluate critically different sources of information, and know how to write literature reviews
What is a literature review and what are its main purposes? • A literature review is a continuous process, requiring writing and refocusing throughout the research project • It should be used as a tool to learn about existing research • It should inform the creative development of future research and strengthen arguments for such research, rather than blindly repeating what has been said before
Sources of information • Academic literature – Peer-reviewed journal articles (different rankings) – Academic books and reference works – Working papers and theses – Academic websites, research blogs and podcasts • ‘Grey’ literature – Publications and websites by governmental and nongovernmental bodies – Websites, email lists, newsletters and online forums
Review process
Types of literature review • Traditional literature review • Systemic literature review
Systematic reviews Pros • Aiding inter-disciplinarity (cross-disciplinary themes) • Increasing transparency and replicability of reviews • Being ‘systematic’ sense of rigour • Aiding synthesis Cons • Limiting creativity and intuition • Overlooking ‘grey’ literature and older sources • Relying on databases that support ‘keyword’ search • Relying on the quality of the abstract (often limited to 100 words)
Preparing a literature review • • What is the topic of my research? Why is this topic relevant, important and/or interesting? How does this project relate to past research in this field? What are the main concepts and theories that could be relevant? • What is the aim of the literature review, and how does it relate to the aim of my research? • What could be an appropriate working title for this review?
Sources Library catalogue Online databases Print sources in stock Bibliographic databases Access to electronic sources Internet Google Scholar Zetoc/citations/TOC alerts Repositories Official websites and grey literature SRRN Research institutes and associations Full-text databases Associations Media Links to subscription services/databases Journal websites and online archives Universities/ Institutes Multilateral organizations Theses Catalogues of (inter)national libraries Conference proceedings Government agencies Interlibrary (Inter)national digital libraries of theses Follow-up references and citations Films and financial organizations
Planning searches
Finding relevant literature • Identify keywords and design a literature search by combining relevant terms with Boolean operators • Keep a search record for future reference
Search string (example) Search string Number of hits Manage* AND innovat* AND tech* 71, 269 (Corporate responsibility OR environment) AND innovate* 41, 904 (Corporate responsibility OR environment) AND innovate* 23, 051 AND tech* Corporate responsibility AND tech* 691 Corporate responsibility AND innovate* 374 Corporate responsibility AND environment AND innovate* 140
Evaluating literature • • Reading techniques Summary records Critical assessment Identifying problems and themes PURPOSE: What is the purpose of this source? AUTHORSHIP: Who is responsible for the source? CREDIBILITY AND ACCURACY: Why should this be credible information? TIMELINESS: When was the source created? When was it last updated?
Summary record Author Research Argument Design: theory, Key references Why relevant/ Comments problematic and question/ concepts and year topic/probl method em and main findings
Reference management
Writing a literature review Topic, aim and scope are clearly identified Relevance or significance of the topic is identified Context of the topic is established A clear understanding of the relevant terms and concepts is shown The review includes appropriate material and states why the material was selected Key resources and landmark studies are covered The review includes up-to-date material Existing research is summarized and critically evaluated The relationship between theory and empirical research is addressed; main methodologies are identified Existing research is synthesized in a way that opens up a new perspective The reviewer shows a reflexive approach when detailing the analysis undertaken for the review Appropriate quotations and examples are used to justify the main arguments The review meets expected standards of academic writing (references, spelling etc. )
Further reading • Easterby-Smith, M. (1997) ‘Disciplines of organizational learning: contributions and critiques’, Human Relations, 51 (9): 1085 -116. • Fink, A. (2005) Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. • Hart, C. (1998) Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. London: Sage. • Jesson, J. , Matheson, L. and Lacey, F. M. (2011) Doing Your Literature Review. Traditional and Systematic Techniques. London: Sage.
Further reading • Petticrew, M. and Roberts, H. (2006) Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Malden, MA: Blackwell. • Shalley, C. E. and Gilson, L. L. (2004) ‘What leaders need to know: a review of social and contextual factors that can foster or hinder creativity’, The Leadership Quarterly, 15 (1): 33 -53.
Further reading • Thorpe, R. , Holt, R. , Macpherson, A. and Pittaway, L. (2005) ‘Knowledge within small and medium-sized firms: a review of the evidence’, International Journal of Management Reviews, 7 (4): 257 -81. • Tranfield, D. , Denyer, D. and Smart, P. (2003) ‘Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review’, British Journal of Management. 14 (3): 207 -22.
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