Literature Review PDF

3 The Literature Review Mike Danson and Norin Arshad In this chapter... Being able to establish what is known about a subject area, and by association what is not yet known, is an important skill for students, researchers and practicing managers alike....

3 The Literature Review Mike Danson and Norin Arshad In this chapter... Being able to establish what is known about a subject area, and by association what is not yet known, is an important skill for students, researchers and practicing managers alike. In academic circles this is referred to as reviewing literature and allows you to understand the current state in a subject area, to relate this to the ongoing research and to identify gaps in this knowledge. A literature review may resolve a debate, estab- lish the need for additional research, and define a topic of inquiry. This chapter concen- trates on establishing and understanding the purpose of the literature review and the steps involved in undertaking a comprehensive literature review. The purpose of the literature review The purpose of a literature review is simple; it is to educate oneself in the topic area and to understand the literature before shaping an argument or justification. A literature review is “an important chapter in the thesis, where its purpose is to provide the background to and justification for the research undertaken” (Bruce, 1994, p. 218). The writer “extracts and synthesises the main points, issues, findings and research methods which emerge from a critical review of the readings” (Nunan, 1992, p. 217) to build a “coherent argument which leads to the description of a proposed study” (Rudestam and Newton, 2007, p. 63). Over the years, numerous types of literature reviews have emerged, but the four main types are traditional or narrative, systematic, meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. „„ The primary purpose of a traditional or narrative literature review is to ana- lyse and summarise a body of literature. This is achieved by presenting a comprehensive background of the literature within the interested topic 38 38 Research Methods Research for Business Methods andand for Business Management Management to highlight new to highlight research new streams, research identify streams, gaps identify gapsor or recognise incon- recognise incon- sistencies. This type of literature review can help in refining, focussing sistencies. This type of literature review can help in refining, focussing andandshaping research shaping questions research as well questions as in as well as developing in developingtheoretical andand theoretical conceptual frameworks conceptual frameworks (Coughlan (Coughlanet al., 2007). et al., 2007). „„ „The „ Thesystematic literature systematic review literature in contrast review undertakes in contrast undertakes a more rigorous a more rigorous approach to reviewing the literature, perhaps because this type of approach to reviewing the literature, perhaps because this type of reviewreview is often used is often to answer used to answerhighly structured highly andand structured specific research specific questions. research questions. „„ „The „ Themeta-analysis literature meta-analysis review literature involves review involvestaking thethe taking findings from findings thethe from chosen chosenliterature andand literature analysing analysingthesethesefindings findingsby by using standardised using standardised statistical procedures (Coughlan et al., 2007). Polit and Beck statistical procedures (Coughlan et al., 2007). Polit and Beck (2006)(2006) argue argue thatthat meta-analysis methods help in drawing conclusions and meta-analysis methods help in drawing conclusions and detecting detecting patterns andand patterns relationships relationshipsbetween betweenfindings. findings. „„ „They alsoalso „ They discuss meta-synthesis, discuss which meta-synthesis, is aisnon-statistical which procedure; a non-statistical procedure; instead it evaluates instead andand it evaluates analyses findings analyses from findings qualitative from studies qualitative andand studies aims to build on previous conceptualisations and interpretations. aims to build on previous conceptualisations and interpretations. Of Ofthethe four approaches four approaches described described above, above, thethe twotwo dominant dominant styles stylesof of literature review are the traditional or narrative literature literature review are the traditional or narrative literature review and the review and the systematic systematic literature literaturereview. review.Therefore Therefore it isit important is important to distinguish to distinguish thethe traditional traditionalliterature literaturereview review (which usually (which adopts usually adoptsa critical approach) a critical approach) from from thethe systematic systematic literature literaturereview (which review (which aims aimsto identify to identifyall all thetheliterature literature in the topic in the area topic to ensure area to ensure thatthat no no existing understanding existing understanding or knowledge or knowledge is is missed). missed).TheThe systematic systematic literature review literature reviewhashas been long been used long in healthcare used in healthcare literature (Ernst and Pittler, 2001) and is a “method of literature (Ernst and Pittler, 2001) and is a “method of making sense making sense of large of large bodies of information, bodies of information, andand a means a meansof contributing of contributing to the answers to the answers to ques- to ques- tions about tions aboutwhat whatworksworksandandwhat does what not” does (Petticrew not” (PetticrewandandRoberts, Roberts,2006, p. p. 2006, 2). The traditional 2). The traditional social science social andand science business business management management literature literaturereview review is useful in identifying gaps in knowledge, whereas the is useful in identifying gaps in knowledge, whereas the systematic review systematic review concentrates concentrates on onpromoting promoting research knowledge. research knowledge. Jesson et al. Jesson (2011, et al. (2011,p. 11) p. 11) provide a continuum of the different approaches to both provide a continuum of the different approaches to both of these literature of these literature reviews reviews(Figure (Figure3.1).3.1). Narrative view Systematic review Variety of styles Structured approached No defined method Rigorous method No specified analysis Synthesis, meta-analysis Figure 3.1:3.1: Figure A continuum of literature A continuum review of literature approaches review approaches  The Literature Review 39 Our aim is to provide guidance on undertaking a traditional literature review, concentrating on the context of doing a more traditional and criti- cal literature review rather than a systematic literature review. Literature reviews are important for numerous reasons. „„ First, by undertaking a literature review, the information gathered from credible articles or studies that are of relevance, important and valid can be summarised into a document (for example, a thesis or a dissertation). This can then allow for the rationale or reason for a study to emerge, 3 which may include a justification for a specific research approach (McGhee et al, 2007). „„ Second, it provides a starting point for researchers where they are required to identify and understand what has been written about a particular area. That will usually mean reading all the relevant texts and then going through each to summarise, evaluate, critically review, synthesise and compare these research studies in their chosen area. „„ Third, by carrying out a literature review, it not only highlights the gaps in knowledge but it means that students, researchers and managers alike are not replicating or repeating previous work - it identifies discrepan- cies, knowledge gaps and inconsistencies in the literature. „„ Lastly, it can support “clarity in thinking about concepts and possible theory development” (Henwood and Pidgeon, 2006, p. 350). The purpose of a literature review is to follow The Literature a process illustrated 39 as Review in Figure 3.2. Identification of problem domain Critical discussion of what has been done Identification of knowledge gaps Objectives 3 Figure 3.2: The purpose of the literature review. Source: Maier (2013, p. 4) 40 Research Methods for Business and Management Often business students will find that there are many subject areas, themes, strands, theories, etc. that overlap with one another. For example, in marketing studies, ‘opportunity’ and ‘creativity’ are both themes that are essential for marketers to understand because this is how they develop marketing plans. However, ‘opportunity’ and ‘creativity’ themes are also discussed in the entrepreneurship field where ‘opportunity’ and ‘creativity’ are based on seeking gaps in the market and developing a business plan to address the gap. Both share many fundamental concepts but depending on what field of research that you undertake or follow, the language and labels used may differ slightly. It is imperative that your literature review is clear and consistent over such issues. Therefore, if you choose to look at the themes ‘opportunity’ and ‘creativity’ within the entrepreneurship field, you would have to ensure that the scope of your research remained within the field of interest. Ideally the literature review will be able to answer the following questions: „„ What do you know about the research area? „„ What are the relationships between key ideas, dynamics and variables? „„ What are the current theories, trends and themes? „„ What are the inconsistencies, implications and shortcomings of previous studies? „„ What needs further investigation because evidence is lacking, inconclu- sive, contradictory and/or limited? „„ What methodological approaches have been taken and why? Are the methodological approaches justified? „„ Why does this area of research need to be studied further? „„ What contribution will your work make to the current debate? Given these questions, the initial literature review will reveal areas requir- ing further research and will help to formulate your research question(s). However, literature reviews are not without their problems. If a literature review is not undertaken with a comprehensive and focussed search of the existing literature, it is potentially weak. The literature review could be too narrow, too general with little structure, include obsolete citations, and searches may be of little value if they are primarily taken from websites,