A study note on the agile literature review approach (information from perplexity.ai)
My question 1: "What is the agile literature review approach of Joseph Ho all about?"
The reply: "The Agile Literature Review Approach (ALRA), developed by Joseph Kim-Keung Ho, is designed primarily for applied business research and practicing managers who need a practical, efficient way to conduct literature reviews amid busy schedules. It emphasizes a nimble, evolutionary, and responsive process rather than a comprehensive and exhaustive review, making it suitable for intellectual learning and research in fast-paced environments56.
Key Features of ALRA:
Purpose: To help users develop a complicated understanding of a management topic and its associated concerns through a manageable and adaptable literature review process5.
Agility: The approach is lightweight and flexible, allowing for iterative refinement of the review scope and findings as new insights emerge36.
Systems Thinking: Effective application of ALRA requires endorsement of contemporary systems thinking, which is theoretically profound and demands long-term intellectual engagement5.
Practicality: It is particularly useful for busy scholar-practitioners who need to balance research with professional responsibilities, enabling them to conduct meaningful literature reviews without the need for exhaustive efforts6.
Process: ALRA involves grouping academic ideas into categories and continuously updating the review to deepen understanding of the research theme, as demonstrated in Ho’s agile literature review on career success6.
Application Example:
Ho applied ALRA in a literature review on career success, grouping findings into categories such as basic ideas, ingredient theories, and applications of career success. This agile review helped enhance conceptual understanding of related themes like the scholar-practitioner model in business management, illustrating how ALRA supports intellectual learning and professional development6.
In summary, Joseph Ho’s Agile Literature Review Approach is a practical, iterative, and systems-oriented method tailored for applied research and managerial learning, enabling efficient yet deep engagement with academic literature in dynamic professional contexts56."
My question 2: "How does the agile literature review approach (consulting-oriented type) differ from that of the academic-oriented type on this topic?"
The reply: "The agile literature review approach differs between the consulting-oriented type and the academic-oriented type primarily in purpose, process, and outcomes:
Consulting-Oriented Agile Literature Review
Purpose: Designed to be highly practical and responsive to real-world, applied problems faced by consultants and managers. It supports iterative learning and decision-making in dynamic project environments.
Process: Emphasizes iteration, continuous communication, and adaptability to changing client needs and project realities. Agile methods like Scrum are used to manage evolving consulting projects with live client feedback, enabling incremental improvements and adjustments throughout the project lifecycle.
Outcomes: Produces actionable insights and solutions that are immediately relevant and applicable to the client context. The approach fosters enhanced decision-making, teamwork, and presentation skills in consulting projects by integrating real-time data and feedback loops26.
Context: Often used in experiential learning settings or consulting projects where the focus is on managing ambiguity, improving responsiveness, and delivering value in fast-changing environments2.
Academic-Oriented Agile Literature Review
Purpose: Aimed at building a comprehensive, theoretically grounded understanding of a research topic. It focuses on intellectual learning, theory development, and scholarly contribution.
Process: Although iterative and flexible, the academic approach involves systematic categorization and synthesis of literature to develop deep conceptual insights. It requires endorsement of systems thinking and long-term intellectual engagement to refine themes and theories.
Outcomes: Results in a structured, evolving body of knowledge that advances academic discourse and supports future research. The review is less about immediate application and more about conceptual clarity and theoretical rigor4.
Context: Suited for scholars and researchers who balance academic rigor with practical relevance, often in complex management or business topics where theory and practice intersect4.
Summary Table
My question 3: "Does the nature of research objectives differ between the consulting-oriented type and the academic-oriented type of the agile literature review approach of Joseph Ho?"
The reply: "Yes, the nature of research objectives differs between the consulting-oriented type and the academic-oriented type of Joseph Ho’s Agile Literature Review Approach (ALRA).
Academic-Oriented Type
The research objectives focus on intellectual learning, theory development, and scholarly contribution. The aim is to develop a comprehensive, conceptually rich understanding of a management topic through iterative and systematic literature synthesis.
Objectives often include identifying research gaps, employing academic theories, and refining theoretical frameworks to advance academic knowledge in applied business research contexts1235.
The academic-oriented ALRA supports long-term intellectual engagement and systems thinking, helping researchers to clarify complex problem situations and theoretical frameworks57.
Consulting-Oriented Type
The research objectives are more practical and applied, aimed at solving real-world problems faced by consulting firms or managers.
Objectives typically involve understanding how methodologies (e.g., agile project management) are applied in consulting settings, identifying challenges in traditional approaches, and exploring how agile methods can address these challenges to improve project outcomes8.
The focus is on producing actionable insights that can guide decision-making and improve consulting practice in dynamic environments, emphasizing responsiveness and iterative learning10.
The reply: "Part-time MBA students using Joseph Ho’s Agile Literature Review Approach (ALRA) in their dissertation projects face several challenges linked to their unique circumstances and the nature of the approach:
Key Challenges for Part-Time MBA Students Using ALRA
Time Constraints and Busy Schedules: Many part-time MBA students are working professionals with limited time, making it difficult to engage in the comprehensive and iterative intellectual work required by ALRA. The approach demands ongoing reflection and revision, which can be challenging under tight deadlines and competing commitments2.
Limited Academic Thinking Skills: Many part-time students are not yet accustomed to thinking critically and intellectually using academic management concepts to analyze real-world problems holistically. This gap makes it harder for them to effectively apply ALRA’s systems thinking and multi-perspective analysis2.
Inexperience with Dissertation Writing: Students often lack experience in writing lengthy, structured dissertation reports (around 15,000 words), which require mastery of research methods and literature review skills integral to ALRA. This inexperience can hinder their ability to produce coherent and rigorous applied business research projects within the given timeframe2.
Difficulty in Balancing Rigor and Practicality: ALRA aims to strike a balance between academic rigor and practical relevance. However, students may struggle to meet the expectations of producing research with both actionable business insights and sufficient academic grounding, especially given the complexity of management topics and the need for iterative refinement2.
Navigating Complex Theoretical Frameworks: Applying systems thinking and constructing multi-level theoretical frameworks, which are central to ALRA, can be intellectually demanding. Part-time students may find it challenging to grasp and operationalize these frameworks effectively in their literature reviews and research designs8.
Limited Access to Comprehensive Academic Literature: The academic literature in management is often dense and not always directly relevant or actionable for practitioners. This disconnect can make it difficult for students to identify and synthesize pertinent literature efficiently, a key step in ALRA2.
These challenges highlight why ALRA was specifically designed to be an agile, usable approach that accommodates the constraints and needs of part-time MBA students while helping them develop applied business research skills and produce meaningful dissertation projects28."
My question 5: "Could the agile literature review approach of Joseph Ho be also employed by part-time Housing Studies students to do their dissertation projects?"
The reply: "Yes, Joseph Ho’s Agile Literature Review Approach (ALRA) can be employed by part-time Housing Studies students for their dissertation projects, with some considerations.
Reasons Supporting ALRA Use in Housing Studies Dissertations
Applicability Beyond Business Management: Although ALRA was originally developed for part-time MBA students in applied business research, its core principles—iterative, flexible, and systems-based literature review—are broadly applicable to multidisciplinary fields such as Housing Studies, which also require managing complex, real-world problems2.
Alignment with Applied Research Needs: Housing Studies often involve applied research topics like affordable housing, stakeholder engagement, and project management in urban development. ALRA’s agile, iterative approach suits these topics well by allowing students to adapt their literature review as new insights emerge, especially in fast-evolving areas like agile project management in housing58.
Supporting Busy Part-Time Students: Like MBA students, part-time Housing Studies students often juggle professional commitments. ALRA’s agile and usable framework helps manage time constraints and supports intellectual learning without requiring exhaustive, linear literature reviews, which can be overwhelming2.
Relevance to Agile Project Management in Housing: Recent research shows increasing interest in applying agile project management principles to housing projects, particularly affordable housing, emphasizing iterative planning, stakeholder collaboration, and adaptability5. ALRA’s focus on systems thinking and multi-perspective analysis complements these themes, making it a good fit for dissertations exploring such topics.
Considerations and Challenges
Need for Systems Thinking: Students must be prepared to engage with systems thinking and multi-perspective frameworks, which ALRA emphasizes, to effectively capture the complexity of housing issues2.
Disciplinary Adaptation: While ALRA originated in management research, students should adapt it thoughtfully to the specific context and literature of Housing Studies, ensuring relevant theories and empirical studies are integrated.
Supervisory Support: Guidance from supervisors familiar with ALRA or agile approaches can help students navigate the iterative review process and balance practical and academic demands.
Similar Dissertation Project Approaches by Other Academics
Iterative and Agile Research Methods: Several scholars advocate agile-inspired, iterative approaches to literature reviews and dissertation projects, focusing on adaptability, continuous refinement, and responsiveness to emerging insights—principles central to Ho’s ALRA.
Systems Thinking and Multi-Perspective Approaches: Like Ho’s emphasis on systems thinking and multi-perspective analysis in applied business research, other researchers have developed frameworks that integrate holistic and critical systems thinking into dissertation research, supporting complex problem understanding and theory development.
Mind Mapping-Based Literature Review: Joseph Ho himself has developed a related approach using mind mapping for literature reviews, which facilitates visual, flexible organization of literature and iterative refinement, akin to agile principles7.
Secondary Research Methods Integration: Ho’s work also integrates secondary research methods such as Newspaper Article Study (NAS) within the agile literature review framework, reflecting a trend among academics to combine diverse data sources and methods in dissertation projects4.
Contextual Academic Trends
Many research methods textbooks and scholars encourage flexible, iterative literature review processes rather than linear, exhaustive reviews, especially in applied disciplines. These approaches share ALRA’s focus on usability for busy students and practitioners.
Approaches that emphasize experiential learning, client responsiveness, and practical problem-solving in dissertation projects also resonate with the consulting-oriented type of ALRA."
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