Reading materials on the management-concerns diagram in the agile literature review approach (ALRA)

Reading materials on the management-concerns diagram in the agile literature review approach (ALRA)

Some of my MBA students request me to explain the topic of management-concerns diagram further in lecture. In this regard, I produce the following reading list for study purpose:

1. Wording used in the diagram

2. On the nature of the management-concerns diagram

3. On the ALRA zones.

4a. Converting a factual statement into a management-concern item [zone 1]

4b. Converting a factual statement into a management-concern item [in zone 1]

5. On the exploratory interview exercise.

6. Contributors to the construction of management-concerns diagram.

7. The basic form of the management-concerns diagram.

Research objective justification and the intended project values to be created: an ALRA note on dissertation projects

Research objective justification and the intended project values to be created: a note on dissertation projects (two types), notably for MBA students learning the agile literature review approach (ALRA):

Type 1: For consulting-oriented dissertation projects:

The justification: Research objectives are the direct response to the management concerns to be addressed in the dissertation project; the research objectives are management-concerns derived.

The intended project values: (i) addressing the management concerns create the dissertation project's practical value; (ii) reflecting on the dissertation project experience of using chosen academic theories and research methods leads to some concrete (preferably original) knowledge which contributes to the theoretical development/ refinement of the topics (about the theories and research methods employed); in this case, the project creates some academic value.

Type 2: For academic-oriented dissertation projects:

The justification: Research objectives are the direct response to the research gaps (identified from the research gap analysis [in the topic of literature review]) to be addressed in the dissertation project; the research objectives are research gap-derived.

The intended project values: (i) addressing the research gaps create the dissertation project's academic value; (ii) reflecting on the dissertation project experience of the research investigation on the research gaps under examination leads to some concrete (preferably) knowledge useful to real-world management practices; this is the case if curiosity on the research gaps chosen to be studied are also triggered by certain real-world management concerns at the company and/ or business sector levels. In this regard, the project also generates some practical value.

The literature review steps specific to academic-oriented dissertation project: a note

The literature review steps specific to academic-oriented dissertation project type: a note

Steps in literature review for academic-oriented dissertation project type	Related ALRA deliverables for academic-oriented dissertation project type
Step 1: Identification of research theme and the underlying research interest triggering factor	A research-gap translation diagram with the triggering point of intellectual curiosity
Step 2: Literature synthesis	Theoretical framework-A
Step 3: Research gap analysis	A research-gap translation diagram with the triggering point of intellectual curiosity A research gap-objective table Theoretical framework-A
Step 4: Research gap derived research objectives	Theoretical framework-A A research gap-objective table
Step 5: A synthesized research objective framework	Theoretical framework-A and the research gap-objective table used together
Step 6: A research objective framework with associated academic ideas for analysis employment	The academic literature review tree
Step 7: A research objective framework with academic ideas and research methods to use	Theoretical framework-B and the research gap-objective table used together

 

From the agile literature review approach (ALRA) perspective, the 7-steps literature review should be considered as a reference framework, because the actual literature review process is performed in the agile spirit; that is, the 7-steps literature review is not a water-fall model. The ALRA deliverables are also not to be constructed sequentially. Nevertheless, the ALRA deliverables are to be inserted into the dissertation report in specific chapters, thus possibly giving a superficial impression that they are produced with a linear fashion.

Step 7 (literature review) is a liminal activity dealing with both the literature review domain and the research methodology domain of a dissertation project. For dissertation report writing purpose, the account of step 7 should be presented in the chapter of Research Methodology.

Research methods about naturalistic inquiry: a note

 

Research methods about naturalistic inquiry: a note

1. Introduction to Naturalistic Inquiry

2. Naturalistic Observation

3. Arc of naturalistic inquiry