Wednesday, 4 June 2025

Suggesting research gaps, research issues and academic theories for specific research objectives: an example for MBA students

Suggesting research gaps, research issues and academic theories for specific research objectives: an example for MBA students (perplexity.ai)


My question 1: "With reference to my MBA dissertation proposal with the following 4 research objectives, please suggest 1 academic theory to each of these research objectives with some brief justification why they are useful to study the objectives?

Research Objectives
To analyze the impact of AI on consumer behavior among Generation Z in Hong Kong.
To evaluate the corporate IT competencies of retail companies in Hong Kong and their ability to leverage AI for marketing strategies.
To assess the relationship between AI-driven marketing strategies and marketing performance in the Hong Kong retail sector.
To identify the e-opportunities presented by AI advancements for enhancing marketing effectiveness in retail.

Also provide 1 reference info (detailed) for each of the academic theories you have suggested."

The reply: "Here are academic theories suggested for each of your MBA dissertation research objectives, along with brief justifications and detailed references:

1. To analyze the impact of AI on consumer behavior among Generation Z in Hong Kong

Suggested Theory: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

Justification:
TAM explains how users come to accept and use a technology, emphasizing perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as primary factors influencing attitude and behavior toward technology adoption. Since Generation Z are digital natives and their consumer behavior is influenced by AI exposure, attitude toward AI, and AI accuracy perception, TAM is highly relevant to understanding how these factors affect brand trust and purchasing decisions in this cohort1. It helps frame how AI impacts their acceptance and interaction with brands.

Reference:
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340.

2. To evaluate the corporate IT competencies of retail companies in Hong Kong and their ability to leverage AI for marketing strategies

Suggested Theory: Resource-Based View (RBV)

Justification:
RBV focuses on how firms can leverage valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable resources and capabilities to achieve competitive advantage. Corporate IT competencies, including AI capabilities, are strategic resources that enable firms to develop superior marketing strategies. RBV provides a strong theoretical foundation to assess how retail companies’ internal IT resources and AI competencies translate into marketing capabilities and competitive positioning3.

Reference:
Barney, J. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.

3. To assess the relationship between AI-driven marketing strategies and marketing performance in the Hong Kong retail sector

Suggested Theory: Dynamic Capabilities Theory

Justification:
Dynamic Capabilities Theory explains how firms integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competences to address rapidly changing environments. AI-driven marketing strategies require firms to continuously adapt and innovate marketing processes to enhance performance. This theory helps analyze how AI capabilities enable firms to improve marketing effectiveness and performance by sensing and seizing market opportunities3.

Reference:
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509-533.

4. To identify the e-opportunities presented by AI advancements for enhancing marketing effectiveness in retail

Suggested Theory: Diffusion of Innovations Theory

Justification:
This theory explains how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technologies spread through cultures. AI advancements represent innovations that create new e-opportunities in retail marketing. Understanding the adoption process and factors influencing diffusion among retailers and consumers helps identify opportunities to enhance marketing effectiveness through AI2.

Reference:
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.

These theories collectively cover consumer acceptance and behavior (TAM), firm-level competencies and resources (RBV), strategic adaptation and performance (Dynamic Capabilities), and innovation adoption (Diffusion of Innovations), aligning well with your research objectives in the context of AI and retail marketing in Hong Kong."


My question 2: "Suggest 1 research gap and 1 public media reported issue for each of the four research objectives mentioned."

The reply: "Here are suggested research gaps and public media reported issues for each of your four research objectives, based on the provided search results and relevant context:

1. Impact of AI on consumer behavior among Generation Z in Hong Kong

Research Gap:
While existing studies highlight the positive influence of AI exposure, attitudes, and accuracy perception on brand trust and purchasing decisions among Generation Z, there is a lack of localized research specifically focusing on Hong Kong’s Gen Z consumers and how cultural and regional factors may moderate these relationships. The nuanced interplay between AI and consumer behavior in this unique market remains underexplored.

Public Media Reported Issue:
A recent feature from The Chinese University of Hong Kong emphasizes that despite AI’s growing accessibility and productivity benefits, many organizations struggle to translate AI capabilities into tangible business value due to human and process-related barriers rather than technology limitations. This highlights challenges in consumer acceptance and effective AI integration in the Hong Kong context1.

2. Evaluation of corporate IT competencies of retail companies in Hong Kong for leveraging AI in marketing

Research Gap:
There is limited empirical research assessing the specific IT competencies and AI readiness of retail companies in Hong Kong, especially in relation to their marketing strategies. Most studies focus on technology adoption broadly, without detailed evaluation of how IT resources and skills translate into effective AI-driven marketing capabilities in this sector.

Public Media Reported Issue:
Media reports have highlighted that many Hong Kong retailers face difficulties in fully leveraging AI due to organizational and people-related barriers, such as lack of skilled personnel and process inefficiencies, despite having access to advanced AI tools. This gap between technology availability and effective utilization is a growing concern in the retail industry1.

3. Relationship between AI-driven marketing strategies and marketing performance in Hong Kong retail sector

Research Gap:
There is a scarcity of studies quantitatively linking AI-driven marketing strategies to measurable marketing performance outcomes specifically within Hong Kong’s retail sector. Existing research often focuses on broader markets or other industries, leaving a gap in understanding the direct impact of AI marketing on retail performance metrics locally.

Public Media Reported Issue:
Reports indicate that while AI adoption is increasing in Hong Kong retail, many companies face challenges in aligning AI initiatives with strategic marketing goals and performance measurement, leading to underwhelming results despite significant investments. This misalignment is frequently reported as a barrier to realizing AI’s full marketing potential1.

4. Identification of e-opportunities from AI advancements for enhancing marketing effectiveness in retail

Research Gap:
Although AI’s disruptive potential in marketing is widely acknowledged, there is limited research identifying specific e-opportunities created by AI advancements in Hong Kong’s retail environment, including how these opportunities can be strategically exploited to enhance marketing effectiveness.

Public Media Reported Issue:
Public discourse in Hong Kong media has raised concerns about the ethical and human impact of AI in marketing, emphasizing that while AI creates new digital opportunities, businesses must carefully balance automation with human creativity and emotional intelligence to maintain consumer trust and engagement1.

These research gaps and media-reported issues provide a grounded context for your dissertation, highlighting areas where academic inquiry and practical challenges intersect in Hong Kong’s AI-driven retail marketing landscape.

Reference used:
1 The Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School. (2025, February 27). The human edge in the AI era: insights from a Gen Z. Retrieved from https://www.bschool.cuhk.edu.hk/featured-stories/the-human-edge-in-the-ai-era-insights-from-a-gen-z/"



*** also see the related proposal formulation from poe.com.


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