The 4-zones scheme in the agile literature review approach: an update one

The agile literature review approach (ALRA) zoning scheme is now updated from the 3-zones schemes to the 4-zones scheme in the agile literature review approach. It is shown as follows:

The four zones are as follows:

Zone 0: Vision-mission-objectives (VMO) & Governance

*Zone 0a: Vision-mission-objectives

*Zone 0b: Governance

Zone 1: environmental drivers

Zone 2: Organizational capabilities

Zone 3: Outcomes/ solutions

*Zone 3a: Outcomes

*Zone 3b: Solutions

From my dissertation project supervision experience, not all applied business research dissertation projects have major explicit management-concerns/theoretical framework items in Zone 0; but they all should have explicit  management-concerns/ theoretical framework items in Zones 1-3. 

Underlying focus points of the 3 zones in the management-concerns diagram

The underlying focus points of the 3 zones in the management-concerns diagram (re: the ALRA) are shown in the following diagram:

1. When discussing management concerns, make sure that they are clearly related to the underlying management-concern focus. For example, fast aging population is not itself a business opportunity [i.e. not clearly a management-concern item], but fast growing market demand for consumer products for old people is a business opportunity to your company if your company is a producer of consumer products for old people [i.e. clearly a management-concern item].

2. Similarly, under zone 2, one can study "leadership" style as long as it helps you, the researcher to gain a better understanding of the organizational capabilities status (zone 2 topic) of the company. That also means that the evaluation of the company's "leadership style" needs to be evaluated with the core competence perspective.

Core-focus domain tactics in the agile literature review approach

Core-focus domain tactics in the agile literature review approach. The tactics are as follows:

Tactic 1

*** the two core-focus domain research tasks deal with research topics that are insufficiently sophisticated (i.e. two small research tasks)

Tactic 2

*** core-focus domain covers only 1 research task (though a big research task for that).

Tactic 3

*** the core-focus domain covers three big research tasks, thus the whole dissertation project is not sufficiently focused on specific research themes.


Tactic 4

** The core-focus domain covers one big research task. Since real-world problems are unlikely to be one-sole-theme related, the theoretical framework is "ivory tower" in nature, not sufficiently applied business research in stance.

Tactic 5

*** The core-focus domain also covers a "business performance"-related research task; it is unnecessary.


Tactic 6

*** it is unlikely that the environmental-driver"-related research task can constitute an insightful core-focus domain topic. As a result, the overall dissertation theme is single-theme in essence, thus tends to be ivory-tower in stance. If the core-focus-domain research task is a small one, it becomes a quite serious research topic limitation.



Tactic 7

*** The core-focus domain with 2 big research tasks is in most situations, the best core-focus domain tactic.

Some advice on the ALRA-based dissertation reporting writing 2019

Some advice on the agile literature review approach (ALRA)-based dissertation reporting writing, 2019:

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Managing innovation and technology transfer - additional advice on assignment

Managing innovation and technology transfer - additional advice on assignment, 2019:


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