15000 words for bussiness managements assignments

Session Objectives

• To introduce academic writing styles.

• To review academic literature based upon a business topic.

• To use academic research and literature to develop a research debate.

• How to critically review the literature

What is the purpose of a literature review?

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Purpose of the literature review • Identify “gaps” in existing knowledge

• Identify major researchers in the area

• Identify areas of consensus and debate

• Identify specific problems associated with research in that area

• Identify most suitable methods for researching that area

• Understand how others have defined key concepts

• Identify potential relationships between concepts

• Criticise extant knowledge/approaches

• Locate the research topic within existing literature/knowledge base

• Literature review chapter

– Defines key concepts – highlighting different authors views

– Identifies relevant theory

– Discusses the strengths and limitations of theories as discussed by other academic writers

– Compares theories

The literature review process

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(Ridley, 2008. p. 81)

The literature review process

Literature sources

• You need to demonstrate wide reading from a many sources:

• Books

• Journals – refereed academic, professional, trade

• On-line sources – databases, newspapers, journals • Reports

• Theses

• Conference proceedings

• Company reports and documents

• Government publications

• Newspapers

• Magazines

Critical review of literature

How do I make my literature review critical?

Key elements of a critical review

• Explore the literature but always bring back to your own research

• Analyze the literature, dissect and scrutinize

• Discuss through the identification of comparisons and contrasts

• Criticise through identification and justification of strengths and weaknesses

• Summarise by drawing together different themes/strands into a coherent whole

Structuring a literature review

Anderson (2009, p.122)

Writing a literature review

• Always keep your RQ(s) and aims in mind

• Do not simply convey knowledge- critically discuss

• Emphasis on most important /relevant authors and models

• Define the key concepts for your study

• Ensure sources are up to date

• Focus your research concerns and interests

– Thematic focus

– Do not deviate

• Recognise the need for further research

– Make some suggestions

– Do they link to your chosen research area

• Don’t forget to reference the literature cited

What the literature review is NOT!!!

• A summary of EVERY piece of literature about your topic  instead, it is a summary of the most relevant literature

• A description of your personal biased opinion about some literature

Elements of the research process

Elements of the research process

5. List information needs

6. Decide research strategy

7. Obtain ethics clearance (if applicable)

8. Conduct Research

10. Store data

3. Devise conceptual framework2. Review literature

4. Decide research question(s) NB. Stages 1-4 may occur in any order and will probably involve iteration

9. Report findings

1. Select topic

Devise conceptual framework

A conceptual framework explains the main things to be studied:

•Can be either graphical or in narrative form

•Uses the key factors, constructs or variables – and the presumed relationships among them

•Can be rudimentary or elaborate

•Theory-driven or commonsensical

•Descriptive or causal (Miles and Huberman, 1994: 18).

Development of a conceptual framework

1. Explore/explain relationships

between concepts

3. Define concepts

4. Operationalise

concepts

2. Identify/list concepts

Conceptual framework: market research study

Demand for new attraction: - quantitative - qualitative - present - future

Demand: -% visiting -frequency -$ spent Market profile: - age -socio-economic group

Quality assessment

Regional population

(day-trippers)

Tourists

Local population Total demand

for this type of attraction in local market area a. current b. future

Existing attractions

Specify local market area

Local demand estimates

Inventory

National surveys, etc.

Local census/ tourist surveys, etc. + forecasts/trends

Surveys/focus groups

Specify type of attraction

Conceptual framework: customer service quality study

Service quality attributes: a.…. b.…. c.…. Etc. A. Customer

performance assessment: scores on a, b, c, etc.

A. Customer expectations: scores on a, b, c, etc.

Disconformation : Compute differences between A and B scores

Identify areas for management action

From literature/ focus groups/ survey

From customer survey

Research project timetable

Week: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Review literature

Secondary data analysis

Conduct survey

Analyse survey

Focus groups

Meetings with clients ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Write up report

Figure 3.18 Research project timetable

5. List information needs

6. Research strategy

7. Ethics clearance

8. Conduct Research

10. Store data

3. Conceptual framework

1. Select topic

2. Literature

4. Research question(s)

9. Report findings

New literature causes modification to lit. review, etc.

Writing-up process leads to re-wording of research questions

Consideration of info. needs causes refining of concept definitions

Some re-design required

Pilot survey results cause re-thinking of research questions

Disagreements with stakeholders

Cost/time factors cause modification to research questions

The research process in the real world

Making notes Note Details

Citation Note the full details of where study is presented and located

Purpose What motivated the researchers to conduct the study?

Theoretical Focus How does it link ‘in theory’ with other literature?

Sample What or who was the focus of the study?

Research setting Where was the research conducted?

Data collection methods

How was the data gathered ?

Data What elements of data were gathered?

Analysis How was the data analysed or processed?

Results What were the primary results or findings of the analysis?

Interpretations/ Conclusions

What did the authors say about the results?

Limitations Temper views on data, analysis, results and interpretations?

Significance What ‘policy contribution’ offered/learnt from study?

Activity

With the paper you have read and that you have found useful can you answer the following questions to your partner:

• Why am I reading this?

• What are the authors trying to do in writing this?

• What are the authors saying that’s relevant to what I want to find out?

• How convincing is what the authors are saying?

• In conclusion, what use can I make of this?

Directed study

• To begin literature searches using the sources and tools discussed in the session

• Read the Help Guide available through Skills Plus on ‘Peer Reviewed Journals’

http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/5007/llspdf/skills/peerrevi ewedjournals.pdf

• Create your own template for making notes and recording your reading and critical thoughts