Lecture 4 Literature Reviews and Conceptualizations

7/28/2019 Lecture 4 Literature Reviews and Conceptualizations

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Lecture 4: Literature Reviews

and Conceptualizations

Professor Mark Palmer

Queens University Belfast


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Lecture aimto provide students with an appreciation of thepractice of approaching the literature in relationto specific research areas and the abstraction ofconceptualization


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Learning outcomes Understand the purpose of a literature foundation

Understand how the approach the literature in

relation to specific research areas How to maximise the resources of the library to

gather literature effectively and efficiently

Appreciate how to organise relevant literature withpurpose

Develop an appreciation of the issue of plagiarism

and appropriate referencing will also be

considered.


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Learning outcomes (continued)

Introduce the main idea of conceptualization and

using the literature as a foundation practice

Develop an understanding of types of

conceptualization

Critically reflect on the issues of conceptualization


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Primacy ofTheory: Theory is the starting

point


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Exercise:

In pairs, discuss the following questions:

What is a theory?

Who creates a theory (ies)?

Is a theory always right? Do academics (your lecturers) always present

two/three schools of thought?

What are the 3 broad groupings of theories? List as many management/marketing theories as

you can.


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Lightening only strikes downwards!?
http://wvlightning.com/greentree.shtml


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An exemplary case in point!!

Regional agglomeration or industrial clustering(Llobrera et al, 2000) Promoted by Michael Porter (industrial economist)

Every town/city region/ market/ country/ MUST have asilicon valley ignoring other sectors which create themost employment

Yet Harald Hotellings (1929) theory of minimumdifferentiation is overlooked (before Michael Porterwas born!)
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/9/9c/Ice_cream_van.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.answers.com/topic/ice-cream-van&h=228&w=350&sz=25&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=YGFbueM9jC5XyM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3DIce%2BCream%2Bvans%2Bimages%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX


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Finding theory in the Literature

Published accounts of research

A focused body of knowledge

The body of knowledge is stable and identifiable Often a series of ongoing debates about particular

issues or concepts

Sources of literature

Books

Peer reviewed academic journals

Conference proceedings

Professional and trade journals and magazines


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Edited Books

Parsons, E and Maclaran, P (2009) Contemporary Issues in

Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Elsevier: London

Books can give a good

overview of the topic area.An introduction to

Mainstream literature

Can help to clarify research

objectives

Can be out of date but agreat starting point!


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Peer Reviewed (Refereed) JournalsOrganisationStudies (OS) publishes peer-reviewed, top quality theoretical and empirical

research with the aim of promoting the understanding of organizations

Published on a regular basis

Print or online resources Refereed journals ensure

quality

Need to distinguish between

academic and professional

journals Essential for dissertation

research


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Conference ProceedingsECKM 2010 (European Conference on Knowledge Management)

http://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htm

Conferences are up to date work/thinking in the field

Key speakers

Contemporary issues and debates

Access to other resources networks

Others Academy of Marketing, European Academy of

Marketing, European Academy of Management, AmericanMarketin Association Academ of Mana ement.
http://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htmhttp://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htmhttp://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htmhttp://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htmhttp://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htmhttp://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htmhttp://www.academic-conferences.org/eckm/eckm2010/eckm10-home.htm


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Finding the seminal thinker in the field


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Why is the literature important?

Background and context for the research

Identification of key theories and concepts

Mapping out the influential debates

Understanding the key concepts and their relevance toyour research

Identification of constructs

Development of frameworks/conceptualizations for yourresearch strategy and analysis of data. For example

Porters Five Forces models of competition


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Benefits of literature searching

Avoids wasting time and effort to discover something

that has already been thoroughly researched (Sekaran

2000)

Methods used by other researchers may be unsuitable

for your purposes, but they may give you ideas about

how you might categorise your data (Bell 1999)

The literature review will form the foundation on whichyour research is built.


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Literature searchingstarting out

The Bigger picture

Textbooks may provide a summarised introduction

Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Drilling Down

Academic Journals

Research groups

Conference proceedings
http://www.amazon.co.uk/http://www.amazon.co.uk/


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Relevance trees (Saunders et al (2007)

Identify key search terms

Help focus the research question/objectives Help to establish priorities

Identify significant areas for investigation

A hierarchical construction which will also help toestablish the structure and direction of your

literature review


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Data Bases beyond google Google Scholar

EBSCO

ECONLIT Business Source Complete

Emerald

Proquest

Scopus


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Eg Some Organisations with reliable internationaldatasets

www.ESRC.ac.uk

www.IMF.org

Data.WorldBank.org

www.OECD.org/statistics

www.UN.org

These provide fast, comprehensive access to current global

commentary and developments,

Statistics can be located. Though these can be complex to

understand

Many web sites also offer ready analysis through Integrated data

visualisations etc


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Example in locating relevantquantitative data

Locate www.ESDS.ac.uk/international

free web-based access to regularly updatedinternational aggregate (macro) datasets

help for users in locating and acquiring internationalsurvey (micro) data from other archives

Follow links to Support. and thematic guide

Look up Financial Monetary Statistic guide and checkthe cross country comparability
http://www.esds.ac.uk/international/access/dataset_overview.asphttp://www.esds.ac.uk/international/access/micro.asphttp://www.esds.ac.uk/international/access/micro.asphttp://www.esds.ac.uk/international/access/dataset_overview.asp


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Online Searching for literature

Defining your parameters

Language of the publication

Topic area of discussion

Business sector

Geographical area

Publication period

Literature type (eg refereed journals)


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Using databases

Advanced -v- basic search

What key terms will you use?

Boolean logic

Which default field will you use?

Specific

Title Subject terms

Abstract

All text

Wide


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Refine your search

Scholarly/peer reviewed journals for quality publications

Full text- Difficult to get hardcopy

Published date

Publication type


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Tutorial Activity- Literature Searching

The aim of this Activity is to give you an opportunity to extract

appropriate literature for your potential research project. You will need

to develop an appropriate search strategy and identify academic

material journal.

Tasks Identify an appropriate data base e.g Emerald, Business Source Complete

Use the advanced search facility

Develop your search terms

Think about how you can use the Boolean logic facility

Ask for peer Reviewed articles

Specify full text

Try using the different fields to see what impact it has on your hits

Use the citations facility to further develop your search

Identify a relevant interest group that organises a regular Conference


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A structure for your literature review Classic funnel

Start with large themes, narrow your focus down

Inverted funnel

Start with a narrow topic or theme and broaden it out

Time line

Track chronological development of an idea or the diffusion ofa practice

The argument tree

Core theme is a unifying line of argument, branches are eachmajor author; twigs and leaves other supporting evidence foreach branch

Combining distinct themes from different literatures

Linked themes


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Starting with a large theme that getsnarrower


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Broadening out from a narrow topic


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Tracking the chronological development ofan idea


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Example


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An argument tree


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Using themes from different literatures


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Linking themes from within managementliterature


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Reading

Selective readingjust reading

Jot down questions before reading read with an

agenda in mind

Active reading is done with a pencil

Speed reading making a mental map

Get writing! Jot down your ideas, underline words,

queries, assumptions that you question

Build summary tables of pertinent studies (e.g. year of

publication, main findings and conclusions, nature of the

dependent/independent variables)


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Get going! Start from day one.

Get startersrecent years have seen the

emergence of studies on???????(REF); And

???? (REF)

Variances in studies (contrasting, contradictory

findings etc)

Build tables on theoretical themes, findings and

methods


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Analytical reviews


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Identify key calls for papers

Identify special issues and call for papers themed

around your area.

Identify a seminal paper and author and researchhim/her comprehensively. E.g find CV. Professor

James D. Westphal, University of Michigan. Professor

Richard Whittington, University of Oxford.

Identify specific journals which undertake literature

reviews. E.g International Journal of Management

Reviews.


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Literature Review Journals


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Funnel into academic websitesinstitutional and personal


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Blooms Taxonomy

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6KnowDefineRepeatRecordRelateUnderline

UnderstandTranslate

Describe

RecogniseExplainExpressIdentifyLocate

ApplyInterpret

ApplyEmployDramatisePractiseIllustrateOperateScheduleSketch

AnalyseDistinguish

AnalyseAppraise

CalculateCompareContrastInspectDebateQuestionCategoriseManage

SynthesiseComposePlanProposeDesignFormulate

ArrangeAssembleCollectCreateOrganisePrepare

EvaluateJudge

appraiseEvaluateRateCompareRevise

AssessEstimate


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Guidelines for good referencing

Reproduce the correct reference

Refer to the correct reference Do not use hollow referencing

Use reliable sources

Make clear which statements support the

reference

Do not copy someone elses references

Do not misrepresent the content of the

references


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Literature review

Developing a clear motivation

Gaps or flaws in prior research

Extends theory

Makes it explicit or connects it to another theoretical idea

Applies theory

But this contribution is much lower

Evidence of complexity

Synthesis of the literature

Not merely describing it


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Literature review

Constructs: building blocks of theory

Ambiguous and under developed definitions Underspecified

Unconvincing dominant logic

Industrial economic viewpoint and firm-centric

perspective Unexplained theoretical linkages

Conceptual models underspecified


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Constructs: Not all variables are easy to measure

For an interesting attempt to measure cause and effect try Mappiness,

a project run by the London School of Economics, which offers a phoneapp that prompts you to record your mood and situation.

The Mappiness website says: "We're particularly interested in how

people's happiness is affected by their local environment - air pollution,

noise, green spaces, and so on - which the data from Mappiness will be

absolutely great for investigating."

Why it's hard to measure happiness

The UK government wants to measure our happiness. It won't be easy,

Here's the easy way to do it. First, take a large, random sample of people and ask them a question

like: "When all's said and done, at the end of the day Brian, taking the rough with the smooth and allthat, rate your well-being on a scale of one to 10."

Constructs: Sales Orientation and
http://www.mappiness.org.uk/http://www.mappiness.org.uk/


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Constructs: Sales Orientation and

Customer Orientation Constructs


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Inductive, exploratory literature reviews Relatively little studies

Few definitions

Little, if any, measurement (New Scale Development)

At the mercy of the seminal papers in the field

Welcome initial conceptualizations

Desperately seeking new field legitimacy

An agenda and The agenda academic rivals ornemesis agenda setting

Problematic for hypothesis development (propositions)


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Examples of Literature Reviews


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Analytical devices to interrogate the emergingliterature

Meta questions that raised from the reflection

of the reflection

Narrative turns what is really significant and

meaningful in the literature?

What is implicit in the literature that you can

make explicit? What do you disagree with? Why?


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Deductive, mature literature reviews

Many established definitions constructs

A range of established measurement scalesdeveloped

Convergence in thinking Dependent and independent variables developed

Develop a table of the way that the variables havebeen used in previous studies

Rationale for chosen variables and their relationships

Misspecification of constructs wrongly treatingformative indicators as reflective


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A meta-analysis


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Conceptualization

Higher order thinking

Distinguish between frameworks and testable

models

Derived from the literature or from empirical data


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Conceptualization (Flow)


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Example of disentangling concepts


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Reconnecting concepts barriers and motives


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A meta-analysis


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SuccessionChasm

Transfer ofUndertakings

Many

Micros

?

Valuable familyBusinesses,Exit etc

Start-up GrowthHigh flyers- IPO etcEstablished


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Conceptualizing from the literature- no data


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Inductive Data Conceptualizations


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Conceptualizing after the literature review

Conceptual Rigour and Relevance tyranny of

the or

Consideration and treatment of the relevant literature concepts and ideas

Attention to definitional issues precision and clarity

of conceptual definitions

Use of evidence to support position conceptualreasoning underlying conceptual model and

propositions and hypotheses

Objectivity in the treatment of complementing and

competing perspectives


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Deductive conceptualizations


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Deductive conceptualizations


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Deductive, mature literature reviews

Hypotheses (sometimes written as predictions)

Theoretical based

Unconnected to theory and model

Tautological, non-directional and overly broad or

narrow

Hypotheses not a cohesive set

Each hypothesis must have a strong theoretical

rationale


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Facets of relevance

Direct and indirect relevance ServQual

Parasuraman, Berry and Zeithaml, 1988; Markor

Kohli, Jaworski and Kumur, 1993)

Latent relevance (tea bag in hot water effect)

Serendipitous relevance (ex ante and ex post)

First Order and Second Order


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Conceptualizing after the empirical data

collection Hard interpretatism


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Conceptualizing after the empirical data collection Hard

interpretatism, developing propositions


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Conceptualizing after the empirical data collection,

developing testable models

Abduction


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Abduction

Combining induction and deduction

Refining conceptualization after the data

collection

Conceptual map


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Conceptual map

Levers of control


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Levers of control

Diagnostic control systems critical success

factors are communicated and monitored.

Beliefs systems are used to enhance core

values related to marketstrategy and to inspire

search for new opportunities in line with thesevalues.

Interactive control systems are used to

discuss strategic uncertainties and to learn novel

strategic responses to a changing environment

Boundary systemsreduce risks by setting

limits to strategically undesirable behaviours.

Normative conceptualization


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Normative conceptualization

Tables as conceptualization


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Tables as conceptualization

Institutionalisingcontrol

Conceptualization as a spiral


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Conceptualization as a spiral


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Conceptualization as cyclical


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Issues in conceptualization


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Further reading

Buschman, J., Warner, D. A. 2005. Researching and Shaping InformationLiteracy Initiatives in Relation to the Web: Some Framework Problems andNeeds', The Journal of Academic Librarianship Volume 31, Issue 1 , Pages12-18.

Bell J (1999) Doing your research project (3rd

Edn) Buckingham:Oxford UnivPress

Bryman A and Bell E (2003) Business Research Methods New York:OxfordUniv Press

Easterby-Smith M et al(2002) Management Research: An IntroductionLondon:Sage Publications

Saunders M. et al (2009) Research Methods for Business Students, (Edn

4) Harlow, Prentice Hall Sekaran V (2000) Research Methods for Business: A skills building

approach (3rd Edn) New York:Wiley

Reflection Questions


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Reflection Questions

What is the objective in researching theliterature?

What should the literature chapter look like?

How do I conduct an analytical, rather than adescriptive, literature review?

Reflection Question


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Reflection Question

Are there any parts of the lecture you would likeme to say a bit more about?


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Further Reading Whetten, D. 1989. What constitutes a theoretical contribution?Academy of Management Review, 4: 490-495. Bacharach, S. 1989. Organizational theories: Some criteria for evaluation.Academy of Management Review, 14:

496-515.

Sutton, R. & Staw, B. 1995. What theory is not.Administrative Science Quarterly, 40: 371-384.

Weick, K. 1995. What theory is not, theorizing is.Administrative Science Quarterly, 40: 385-390.

Van de Ven, A. 1989. Nothing is quite so practical as a good theory.Academy of Management Review, 14: 486-

489.

Ferraro, F., Pfeffer, J. & Sutton, R. 2005. Economics language and assumptions: How theories can become self-

fulfilling.Academy of Management Review, 30: 8-24.

Hambrick, D. 2007. The field of managements devotion to theory: Too much of a good thing?Academy of

Management Journal, 50: 1346-1352.

Helfat, C. 2007. Stylized facts, empirical research and theory development in management. Strategic

Organization, 5: 185-192.

Weick, K. 1989. Theory construction as disciplined imagination.Academy of Management Review, 14: 516-531.

Eisenhardt, K. 1989. Building theories from case study research.Academy of Management Review, 14: 532-550.

Poole, M. & Van de Ven, A. 1989. Using paradox to build management and organization theories.Academy of

Management Review, 14: 562-578.

Whetten, D., Felin, T. & King, B. 2009. The practice of theory borrowing in organizational studies: Current issues

and future directions. Journal of Management, 35: 537-563.

Lecture 4 Literature Reviews and Conceptualizations

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