Saturday, 7 February 2026

Asking AI to produce an MBA research theme and proposal: home renovation business and entrepreneurship

Asking AI to produce an MBA research theme and proposal: home renovation business and entrepreneurship (information from perplexity.ai)


My question 1: "Suggest an MBA dissertation research theme, via the pragmatism lens, based on the following key words: turbulent business environment, domestic entrepreneurship in Hong Kong, opportunistic seeking in room renovation business."

The reply: "That’s a very strong combination of ideas — it ties together pragmatism as a guiding philosophy, entrepreneurial behaviour under uncertainty, and a locally grounded industry (room renovation in Hong Kong) that’s often driven by opportunistic and adaptive strategies.

Here’s one refined MBA dissertation theme — with a suggested title, rationale, and possible research questions — designed through a pragmatist lens.

Proposed Dissertation Theme

Title:
Adaptive Entrepreneurship in a Turbulent Environment: A Pragmatist Inquiry into Opportunity-Seeking Behaviours in Hong Kong’s Room Renovation Sector

Conceptual Rationale

Under a pragmatist research philosophy, knowledge and meaning arise from actions and outcomes — “what works” becomes the central focus. This lens aligns seamlessly with the opportunistic, adaptive nature of small entrepreneurs in Hong Kong’s turbulent housing and renovation market (marked by policy uncertainty, shifting consumer preferences, and economic volatility).

This study would emphasize:

  • How domestic entrepreneurs interpret and respond to environmental turbulence.

  • How their decisions evolve through trial, learning, and market feedback rather than fixed strategic planning.

  • What kinds of “opportunities” they pursue (for example, arising from small flat redesign trends, Airbnb conversions, or government renovation subsidies).

Possible Research Aim

To explore how domestic entrepreneurs in Hong Kong’s room renovation industry enact pragmatist strategies to identify and exploit business opportunities under turbulent and uncertain market conditions.

Potential Research Questions

  1. How does environmental turbulence influence the opportunity-seeking behaviour of small renovation entrepreneurs in Hong Kong?

  2. In what ways do these entrepreneurs adapt their business practices pragmatically (“learning by doing” or “experimenting to survive”)?

  3. How do client expectations, housing regulations, and social trends shape their sense-making and decision processes?

  4. What practices enable “successful” adaptation in such an uncertain and competitive environment?

Methodological Fit

  • Philosophical stance: Pragmatism (focusing on practical consequences and iterative learning).

  • Approach: Mixed methods or qualitative (case study, semi-structured interviews, observation).

  • Data: Entrepreneur narratives, project histories, client interactions, and regulatory responses.

Illustrative Example:
You might study a few small renovation firms in districts like Mong Kok or Fanling that pivoted business models post-pandemic — e.g., from commercial renovation to compact home conversions — analysing how trial-and-error guided their resilience and opportunity capture."


My question 2: "Based on the research theme "Adaptive Entrepreneurship in a Turbulent Environment: A Pragmatist Inquiry into Opportunity-Seeking Behaviours in Hong Kong’s Room Renovation Sector", please offer a part-time MBA dissertation proposal with the following information: 

1. Dissertation report title 2. 3 research issues (including research gaps) and 3 Hong Kong public media reported issues. 3. 3 research objectives and 3 research questions 4. 2 primary research methods and 1 secondary research method. 5. 4 academic theories related to entrepreneurship, environmental turbulence and entrepreneurial opportunistic seeking (with a reference list in Harvard reference format) 6. A brief justification of the dissertation proposal in terms of academic, practical and originality value.".

The reply: "Excellent — this is a well-structured and relevant MBA dissertation concept, especially for a part-time student engaged with Hong Kong’s entrepreneurial and housing context. Below is a concise but complete dissertation proposal aligned with your theme and the requested structure, written through a pragmatist lens.

1. Dissertation Report Title

Adaptive Entrepreneurship in a Turbulent Environment: A Pragmatist Inquiry into Opportunity-Seeking Behaviours in Hong Kong’s Room Renovation Sector

2. Research Issues

Academic Research Issues (and Gaps)

  1. Limited study on micro-entrepreneurial adaptation under housing market turbulence — While global literature explores entrepreneurship during uncertainty, few studies analyse how home renovation entrepreneurs in Hong Kong adapt pragmatically to rapid regulatory and market shifts.

  2. Inadequate understanding of entrepreneurship as a process of “learning-by-doing” — Most studies treat entrepreneurial opportunity as cognitive recognition rather than a practical, iterative action-response cycle, which pragmatism emphasises.

  3. Lack of localized insight into opportunity-seeking in informal or semi-formal industries — Hong Kong’s room renovation trade is often dominated by small, cash-based operations, yet their adaptive behaviours remain under-researched in academic entrepreneurship studies.

Hong Kong Public Media–Reported Issues

  1. Rising renovation costs and housing supply constraints (reported by South China Morning Post, 2025) — Material price inflation and manpower shortages challenge small businesses.

  2. Unregulated home renovation practices and consumer complaints (RTHK News, 2024) — Increasing client disputes highlight trust and quality control concerns.

  3. Post-pandemic housing redesign trends (HK01, 2025) — Surge in mini-flat remodeling and flexible-space designs created both new market niches and pressures for micro-entrepreneurs.

3. Research Objectives and Research Questions

Research Objectives

  1. To explore how environmental turbulence shapes entrepreneurial decision-making in Hong Kong’s room renovation sector.

  2. To examine how entrepreneurs pragmatically identify and exploit opportunities amid market and regulatory uncertainty.

  3. To develop a practical framework illustrating “adaptive entrepreneurship” grounded in Hong Kong’s local renovation business context.

Research Questions

  1. How do small renovation entrepreneurs in Hong Kong sense and respond to changes in a turbulent environment?

  2. What pragmatic strategies do they use to discover or create opportunities during periods of market instability?

  3. How do entrepreneurial learning and experimentation support business sustainability in the local renovation sector?

4. Research Methods

Primary Research Methods

  1. Semi-structured interviews with 10–15 renovation entrepreneurs to capture experiential insights into adaptation and opportunity seeking.

  2. Case studies of 2–3 renovation firms (documenting pivots, failures, and successes over recent years).

Secondary Research Method

  • Content analysis of local media reports and trade association publications to contextualize environmental turbulence and policy changes affecting the industry.

5. Relevant Academic Theories

  1. Effectuation Theory (Sarasvathy, 2001) – Entrepreneurs create opportunities through available means, improvisation, and partnership, aligning closely with pragmatism’s “learning by acting” view.

  2. Dynamic Capabilities Theory (Teece, Pisano & Shuen, 1997) – Firms’ ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure resources in turbulent environments.

  3. Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition Theory (Shane & Venkataraman, 2000) – Explains how entrepreneurs perceive and act upon opportunities in changing contexts.

  4. Environmental Turbulence Framework (Milliken, 1987) – Describes uncertainty, dynamism, and complexity that influence decision-making and strategic adaptation.

Reference List (Harvard Format)

  • Milliken, F.J. (1987) ‘Three Types of Perceived Uncertainty About the Environment: State, Effect, and Response Uncertainty’, Academy of Management Review, 12(1), pp. 133–143.

  • Sarasvathy, S.D. (2001) ‘Causation and Effectuation: Toward a Theoretical Shift from Economic Inevitability to Entrepreneurial Contingency’, Academy of Management Review, 26(2), pp. 243–263.

  • Shane, S. and Venkataraman, S. (2000) ‘The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research’, Academy of Management Review, 25(1), pp. 217–226.

  • Teece, D.J., Pisano, G. and Shuen, A. (1997) ‘Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management’, Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), pp. 509–533.

6. Justification of the Dissertation Proposal

Academic Value

This research extends entrepreneurship theory by applying pragmatism to analyse real-world adaptation within a micro-enterprise, service-based context. It fills a theoretical gap on how entrepreneurs experiment and redefine opportunities within Hong Kong’s volatile housing industry.

Practical Value

Findings can inform policy-makers (e.g., Trade and Industry Department, Construction Industry Council) and entrepreneurs on how adaptive practices enhance survival and growth under instability. It also offers actionable strategies for small renovation firms facing capacity, regulation, and demand challenges.

Originality Value

Few studies combine pragmatist philosophy with Hong Kong’s renovation sector, making this project both contextually novel and methodologically distinctive. It captures entrepreneurship not as a static plan but as a process of pragmatic adaptation — highly relevant to Hong Kong’s dynamic business environment."


A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.

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