A diagramming-based literature review on Multi-perspective, Systems-based Research

A diagramming-based literature review on Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Research

Joseph Kim-keung Ho

Independent Trainer

Hong Kong, China

Dated: July 10, 2016

Abstract: The Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Research, as an academic venture, has a history of more than 20 year. Recently, it has undergone rejuvenation. Because of that, it is useful to offer an update account of its research project status. This task is carried out in this paper with a diagramming-based literature review. It results in rendering a rich knowledge structure on the MPSB Research. The references identified in the literature review further provide a comprehensive reading list for interested readers to study the MPSB Research subject.

Keywords: cognitive map, diagramming-based literature review, mind map, multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) research, systems map

Introduction

Launched in 1992, the Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Research has been conducted by the writer for more than twenty years by now. Thirty five published works have been produced on it. As such, it is deemed timely to conduct an updated literature review on the MPSB Research. This constitutes the main task of this paper. Moreover, other than a conventional essay-form literature review, this paper also presents a complementary diagramming-based literature review on the MPSB Research. By doing so, it not only provides a consolidated account of the current status of the MPSB Research, but also contributes to the theoretical development of diagramming-based literature review, a fresh topic in the MPSB Research.

A brief history of the MPSB Research

In its original conception in 1992, the Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Research was primarily a Hong Kong University PhD degree research project of the writer. Its research theme is on studying decision support systems with critical systems thinking. Critical systems thinking was what the writer learned in his Master of Arts (Management Systems) Degree programme at the University of Hull from 1982 to 1985, see Ho and Jackson (1987). More specifically, critical systems thinking was at the formative stage at that time; the Department of Management Systems and Sciences of the University of Hull, led by the systems theorists, M.C. Jackson and P. Keys, was the key driving force behind the development of critical systems thinking (Jackson, 2000). This writer’s education background and working experience in the 1990s was in systems thinking and three management disciplines, i.e., information systems, management accounting and supply chain management. With this personal educational and career profile at that time, the writer came up with the PhD research theme on investigating decision support systems via the critical systems lens. Shortly afterward, the research theme was expanded to cover all the three management disciplines of information systems, supply chain management and management accounting. The intellectual outcome of the MPSB Research was the publication of a number of academic articles as well as a PhD thesis report from 1994 to 2001. The main works on the MPSB Research include:

1.      Ho and Sculli (1994a) on "A Multi-perspective, Systems-based Framework for Decision Support Systems Design";

2.      Ho and Sculli (1994b) on an MPSB view on rich-picture building;

3.      Ho (1995a) on "Formulating MPSB Frameworks, using Logistics Management as an example: A Research Note";

4.      Ho (1995a) on “An Example on the Operation of the MPSB Filter”;

5.      Ho (1995c) on “MPSB Frameworks Explained”;

6.       Ho (1996a) on “MPSB Research Explained”;

7.      Ho (1996b) on “Development of Multi-Perspective, Systems-Based Frameworks”;

8.      Ho (1997a) on “MPSB Frameworks and Decision Support Systems studies”;

9.      Ho (1997b) on “What can contemporary systems thinking offer to logistics management as a management discipline?”.

10.  Sculli and Ho (2001) on an MPSB Framework to Office Automation study.

From 1998 to 2012, the MPSB Research venture was essentially dormant, partly because it was difficult to publish academic works in refereed journals. This publication venue problem was solved in 2013 with the appearance of the open access journal of European Academic Research and subsequently the journal of American Research Thoughts. This led to the substantial number of academic papers published in these two journals from 2013 onward; in the reference list of this paper, 24 articles on the MPSB Research published from 2013 up to now are shown, all of them appeared in European Academic Research and American Research Thoughts.  A terse description of the MPSB Research is: “A research programme that makes use of critical systems thinking to review management disciplines with a view to developing knowledge structures of management disciplines as a path to make theoretical advancements in systems thinking” (Ho, 2015a). There is a recent extension of study scope to cover the subject of housing studies. Thus, the research is not exclusively about management disciplines now. MPSB Research is also conceived as a sub-systems movement, i.e., a theoretical development pathway in the systems movement (Ho, 2014a). Other than the MPSB Research, a closely related research project called managerial intellectual learning (MIL) was also initiated by the writer in 2013. The discussion of MIL is outside the scope of this paper, thus not elaborated on here. Having introduced the brief history of the MPSB Research, the next section will conduct a brief literature review of it and highlight the main ideas that make up the MPSB Research. After that, a diagramming-based literature review on the MPSB Research will be presented.

The main ideas that make up the MPSB Research in 2016

As a sub-systems movement, the MPBS Research has been expanding its scope of study that covers new concepts and issues over the years. As at 2016, the following ideas can be identified from the MPSB Research literature. These ideas are grouped into five themes, namely (i) elaboration of research scope and strategy, (ii) elaboration of key MPSB concepts, (iii) application in specific management disciplines, (iv) application in housing studies, and (v) implications on managerial intellectual learning and problem-solving. Details are as follows:

Theme 1: Elaboration of research scope and strategy

Idea 1.1.                    An explanation of MPSB Research (Ho, 1996a; 1996b);

Idea 1.2.                    An explanation of MPSB Research strategy and scope in terms of the MPSB Knowledge Supply Chain Framework (Ho, 2014g);

Idea 1.3.                    A review of systems thinking and practices (STAP) in Hong Kong, with reference to the MPSB Research (Ho, 2016d);

Idea 1.4.                    An examination of the MPSB Research as a major pathway to pursue transdisciplinary research (Ho, 2016g);

Idea 1.5.                    An examination of the MPSB Research as a  sub-systems movement (Ho, 2014a);

Theme 2: Elaboration of key MPSB concepts

Idea 2.1.                    An explanation of MPSB Frameworks (Ho, 1995c);

Idea 2.2.                    An explanation of Enlightening Management Education (Ho, 2013);

Idea 2.3.                    Formulation of an enriched rich picture building exercise (ERPBE) (Ho, 2015d; 2015e; Ho and Sculli, 1994b);

Idea 2.4.                    Employment of diagramming in the MPSB Research (Ho, 2016a; 2016b; 2016c; 2016h);

Theme 3: Application in specific management disciplines

Idea 3.1.                    Formulation of MPSB Frameworks in Logistics Management (Ho, 1995a; 1997b);

Idea 3.2.                    Formulation of MPSB Frameworks in Decision Support Systems Study (Ho, 1997a; Ho and Sculli, 1994; Ho and Sculli, 1995);

Idea 3.3.                    Formulation of double-hybrid management accounting and the profile of double-hybrid management accountants (Ho, 2014b; 2014c; 2014d);

Idea 3.4.                    Formulation of an MPSB Framework in Office Automation study (Sculli and Ho, 2001):

Idea 3.5.                    Formulation of an MPSB Framework on Information Systems/ Information Technology project appraisal (Ho, 2014f);

Idea 3.6.                    Formulation of the MPSB notion of relationship-managing organization (Ho, 2015b);

Theme 4: Application in housing studies

Idea 4.1.                    Formulation of the subject of Housing Imagination (Ho, 2014e);

Idea 4.2.                    Formulation of a Systems-based Housing Imagination Evaluation Framework (Ho, 2014i);

Idea 4.3.                    Formulation of the space-place-home (sph) matrix, which is multi-perspective, systems-based (Ho, 2016e; 2016f);

Theme 5: Implications on managerial intellectual learning and problem-solving

Idea 5.1.                    Application of the MPSB knowledge filter in the world of management practices (Ho, 1995b);

Idea 5.2.                    An explanation of Enlightening Management Education (Ho, 2013);

Idea 5.3.                    Professional development to be an MPSB scholar-practitioner (Ho, 2014h).

The five themes with their ingredient ideas reveal the present status of the MPSB Research. It also attests to the evolutionary and scope expansion nature of the MPSB Research. The managerial intellectual learning (MIL) idea in theme 5 has accumulated quite a sizable literature of its own (re: the Facebook page on managerial intellectual learning shown in the bibliography), which is more appropriate to be reviewed in a separate paper. The next section is going to employ diagramming to reveal the knowledge structure of the MPSB Research.

A diagramming-based literature review on the MPSB Research

Diagramming has been employed in literature review and qualitative data analysis with conceptual exploration on its relevance to managerial intellectual learning. (Ho, 2016a; 2016b; 2016c; 2016h).  The three main diagramming techniques considered in these works are mind mapping, systems mapping and cognitive mapping. These diagrams are also explained on the UK Open University website on diagramming (re: the bibliography). Each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses for diagramming purpose; when used together in a diagramming-based literature review, they complement each other to render a rich image on the knowledge structure of a topic under investigation. This approach is now employed to review the topic of the MPSB Research. To begin with, a mind map is constructed and shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 1, the core topic under review is the MPSB Research; there are 5 main mind map branches, which correspond to the five MPSB themes as introduced in the previous section. There are also sub-branches with key words as nodes attached to the five main branches. In this mind map, two nodes, namely, “enlightening management education” and “MPSB knowledge filter”, are attached to two main branches, namely, “key MPSB concepts” and “intellectual learning and problem-solving”, as these two notes are related to the two themes simultaneously. By using branches, key words and colors, the mind map is easy to grasp at a glance. The knowledge structure produced in this mind map is primarily in tree-form. The next diagram, shown as Figure 2, is a systems map.

The systems map (re: Figure 2) consists of words and blobs to exhibit the structure of a system of interest; in this case, the system of interest is the MPSB Research subject. The blobs correspond to the MPSB Research themes of research scope and strategy (theme 1), the key MPSB concepts (theme 2), applications (management disciplines and housing studies) (themes 3 and 4), and implications on managerial intellectual learning and problem-solving (theme 5). The arrows are added by the writer to indicate roughly where the blobs (sub-systems) are related to each other. The systems diagram, stressing the structural dimension of the system of interest, is especially useful for presentation purpose. The third diagram is a cognitive map, see Figure 3.

The cognitive map expresses the writer’s view of how the eight variables influence each other to make up the development cycle of the MPSB Research venture. It is a rather systemic and processural image of the knowledge structure on the MPSB Research, as contrasted with the tree-form view of the mind map (re: Figure 1) and the structural view of the systems map (re: Figure 2). Again, the variables in the cognitive map can be traced to the literature review’s findings in the previous section. For examples, “formulate meaningful research scope” (variable 1) of the cognitive map comes from idea 1.2; “strengthen knowledge supply chain working” (variable 4) is associated with theme 4; “make progress as a sub-systems movement” is related to idea 1.5.

Together, the three maps render a rich and current knowledge structure of the MPSB Research subject. They also illustrate how diagramming-based literature review is done as well as how they complement the essay-form literature review. This kind of literature review is primarily taken up at the initial conception formation phase of a research project – it is a preliminary literature review to learn the overall intellectual landscape of an academic theme considered to be highly relevant to a dissertation project topic or concern. Diagramming-based literature review is flexible enough to be applied at the later stage of a research project, but it is not illustrated in this paper. Readers interested in the subject of the MPSB Research are also referred to the Facebook page on the MPSB Research for details of the subject (re: the bibliography).

Concluding remarks

Due to the recent rejuvenation of the MPSB Research, it is timely to provide an undated account of the current status of the MPSB Research. This is now presented in this paper. In addition, the account makes use of both essay-form as well as diagramming-based literature review. By doing so, the paper demonstrates how diagramming-based literature review can be carried out. It thus also offers some pedagogical value on the diagramming-based literature review topic (Ho, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c). This paper does not go into details to explain the MPSB Research; the references provided in the literature review are useful for interested readers to study the subject. Finally, due to the substantial works on the MPSB Research topic of managerial intellectual learning, it is also valuable to go through a diagramming-based literature review on it. This, however, requires another paper to do so.

Bibliography

1.      Ho, J.K.K. 1995a. "Formulating MPSB Frameworks, using Logistics Management as an example: A Research Note" Systems Practice 8(2) April, Plenum Press: 223-230.

2.      Ho, J.K.K. 1995b. “An Example on the Operation of the MPSB Filter” Systems Research 12(4). Wiley. Chichester: 297-308.

3.      Ho, J.K.K. 1995c. “MPSB Frameworks Explained”, in Ellis, K., A. Gregory, B. Mears-Young and G. Ragsdell (editors). Critical Issues in Systems Theory and Practice, Plenum Press: 487-492.

4.      Ho, J.K.K. 1996a. “MPSB Research Explained” Journal of the Operational Research Society 47. Stockton: 843-852.

5.      Ho, J.K.K. 1996b. Development of Multi-Perspective, Systems-Based Frameworks July, a thesis submitted to Faculty of Engineering, University of Hong Kong, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The University of Hong Kong.

6.      Ho, J.K.K. 1997a. “MPSB Frameworks and Decision Support Systems studies” Systems Research and Behavioral Science 14(4), Wiley. Chichester: 287-293.

7.      Ho, J.K.K. 1997b. “What can contemporary systems thinking offer to logistics management as a management discipline?” European Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management 3(2), Pergamon: 77-81.

8.      Ho, J.K.K. 2013. “An endeavor to render an impressionistic image of Enlightening Management Education in Multi-perspective, Systems-based Research” European Academic Research 1(6) September: 1013-1034.

9.      Ho, J.K.K. 2014a. “Mapping and explaining the Multi-perspective, Systems-based Research sub-Systems Movement” European Academic Research 2(9) December: 11880-11900.

10.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014b. “An Exploratory Exercise to Establish the Profile of a Double-hybrid Management Accountant with justifications” European Academic Research 1(11) February: 4261-4273.

11.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014c. “From strategic management accounting to double-hybrid management accountant: a research note” European Academic Research 2(8) November: 10537-10563.

12.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014d. “A Research Note on why and how to develop double-hybrid management accountants (DHMAs)” European Academic Research 2(5) August: 6493-6515.

13.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014e. “An Endeavor to Establish the Subject of Housing Imagination based on Critical Systems Thinking” European Academic Research 2(2) May: 2048-2066.

14.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014f. “A Research Note: A Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Framework on Information Systems/ Information Technology (IS/IT) Project Appraisal” European Academic Research 1(10) January: 3303-3320.

15.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014g. “A Review of the Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) Research with an MPSB Knowledge Supply Chain Framework” European Academic Research 2(1) April: 705-729.

16.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014h. “A Theoretical Review on the Professional Development to be a Scholar-Practitioner in Business Management” European Academic Research 1(12) March: 5393-5422.

17.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014i. “An Elaboration of a Systems-based Housing Imagination Evaluation Framework for Research and Pedagogical Practices” European Academic Research 2(4) July: 5099-5121.

18.  Ho, J.K.K. 2014j. “A Research Note on why and how to develop double-hybrid management accountants (DHMAs)” European Academic Research 2(5) August: 6493-6515.

19.  Ho, J.K.K. 2015a. “An updated research note on the key multi-perspective, systems-based (MPSB) concepts in the multi-perspective, systems-based research” American Research Thoughts 1(11) September: 2693-2704.

20.  Ho, J.K.K. 2015b. “A Multi-perspective, Systems-based (MPSB) knowledge compilation exercise on the notion of relationship-managing organization (RMO)” European Academic Research 2(10) January: 13113-13127.

21.  Ho, J.K.K. 2015c. “A blueprint on research strategies for the double-hybrid management accounting research” American Research Thoughts 1(12) October: 2838-2851.

22.  Ho, J.K.K. 2015d. “An updated review on the conventional and unconventional rich picture building exercises (RPBEs) in P.B. Checkland’s soft systems methodology (SS)” American Research Thoughts 1(7) May: 1516-1527.

23.  Ho, J.K.K. 2015e. “Exploring the problem situation of parallel trading in Hong Kong with the enriched rich picture building exercise (ERPBE)” European Academic Research 3(3) June: 2774-2794.

24.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016a. “A diagramming-based literature review on employer branding” American Research Thoughts 2(8) June: 3987-4003.

25.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016b. “A diagramming-based literature review on housing market” European Academic Research 4(3) June: 2175-2194.

26.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016c. “A literature review on employability with diagramming techniques” American Research Thoughts 2(6) April: 3771-3784.

27.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016d. “A study on systems thinking and practices (STAP) in Hong Kong as a glocal systems movement” European Academic Research 3(10) January: 10350-10374.

28.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016e. “An elaboration on the space-place-home (sph) matrix for exploring housing-related problem-situations” European Academic Research 3(12) March: 13166-13185.

29.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016f. “An examination of the space-place-home (sph) matrix as a conceptual tool for studying housing policy” American Research Thoughts 2(5) March: 3737-3747.

30.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016g. “The MPSB Research as a major pathway to pursue transdisciplinary research: a proposal” American Research Thoughts 2(3) January: 3321-3334.

31.  Ho, J.K.K. 2016h. “Using mind mapping literature to enrich the subject of managerial intellectual learning (MIL): an exploratory exercise” European Academic Research 4(4) July: 3483-3497.

32.  Ho, J.K.K. and D. Sculli. 1994a. "A Multi-perspective, Systems-based Framework for Decision Support Systems Design" Systems Practice 7(5). Plenum Press: 551-563.

33.  Ho, J.K.K. and D. Sculli. 1994b. "Organizational Theory and Soft Systems Methodologies" Journal of Management Development 13(7) MCB University Press: 47-58.

34.  Ho, J.K.K. and D. Sculli. 1995. “System Complexity and the Design of Decision Support Systems” Systems Practice 8(5), Plenum Press: 505-516.

35.  Ho, J.K.K. and M.C. Jackson. 1987. "Building a 'rich picture' and assessing a "quality management" program at Thornton Printing Company" Cybernetics and Systems 18: 381-405.

36.  Jackson, M.C. 2000. Systems Approach to Management, Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publishers, New York.

37.  Managerial intellectual learning Facebook page, maintained by Joseph, K.K. Ho (url address: https://www.facebook.com/managerial.intellectual.learning/).

38.  Open University website on diagramming, T552 Systems Thinking and Practice (url address: http://systems.open.ac.uk/materials/T552/).

39.  Sculli, D. and J.K.K. Ho. 2001. “Office automation issues viewed from a multi-perspective systems-based framework” Human Systems Management 20: 95-103.

40.  The Multi-perspective, Systems-based Research Facebook page, maintained by Joseph, K.K. Ho (url address: https://www.facebook.com/multiperspective.systemsbased.research/).