MBA dissertation report chapter 2 for the consulting-cum-academic dissertation project type

MBA dissertation report chapter 2 for the consulting-cum-academic dissertation project type (re: the agile literature review approach)

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Chapter introduction

Introduce the dual purpose of the literature review: to establish academic rigor through synthesis of research gaps, theories, and empirical evidence, while simultaneously addressing consulting relevance by linking to management concerns, practitioner frameworks, and sector-specific challenges (e.g., HK banking resilience). Outline how the review bridges public discourse, academic debates, and practical imperatives to refine the unified research theme.

​

2.2 Synthesis of research gaps, management concerns, and public media-reported issues

Review and integrate:

• Public media-reported issues and societal/industry trends (e.g., AI downsizing in HK banking).

• Professional/management concerns from client documents, regulatory guidance (e.g., HKMA), or sector reports.

• Academic research gaps and unresolved issues, influenced by researcher positionality.
  Demonstrate how this multi-layered synthesis leads to the project's research objectives and questions, with explicit bridging between academic and consulting orientations.
  *** Insert Table 2.1: Research gaps, management concerns, and research objectives alignment table

Research Gap/Issue	Management Concern	Linked Research Objective	Linked Research Question
Example: Limited empirical testing of trust-leadership links in contingency theory [Academic]	Example: Senior managers' fears of knowledge loss amid regulatory pressures [HKMA/ Consulting]	To examine how dual facets of trust mediate leadership effects on resilience	How do theoretical trust mechanisms align with practitioner concerns in HK banking disruptions?
(Populate with 4-6 rows showing clear mappings)

 

2.3 Dual literature review: Academic concepts/theories and practitioner frameworks

2.3.1 Academic literature: Concepts, theories, empirical findings, and perspectives

Synthesize 3-4 key theories/concepts (e.g., leadership function, organizational trust, resilience) using research issue-focused definitions. Cover seminal works, empirical studies, debates, and gaps, leading to the research issue-focused theoretical framework.

*** Insert Figure 2.1: Academic literature review tree/mind map

2.3.2 Practitioner/consulting literature: Management concerns, frameworks, and evidence

Review management literature, industry reports, regulatory guidance (e.g., HKMA OR-2), case studies, and practitioner tools relevant to the management concerns-focused definitions. Highlight practical models, benchmarks, and implementation challenges.

*** Insert Figure 2.2: Practitioner literature review tree/mind map

2.3.3 Bridging frameworks: The Polaris Duo-Compass and Stratified Prism Lens

Present the dual theoretical/conceptual frameworks (research issue-focused and management concerns-focused) with their bridging mechanisms (e.g., "Polaris Duo-Compass" for concepts, "Stratified Prism Lens" for frameworks). Show visual integration under critical realism/pragmatism, mapping shared variables and retroduction paths to the single research theme.

*** Insert Figure 2.3: Integrated dual theoretical frameworks diagram (laminated/bridging visualization)

*** Optionally: Insert Table 2.2: Framework alignment matrix (variables, strata, methods links)

2.4 Chapter concluding remarks

Summarize how the dual literature streams converge on the research theme, justifying the mixed-methods approach and positioning the dissertation to deliver both academic contributions (theory refinement) and consulting value (actionable diagnostics). Transition to Chapter 3 by noting how these frameworks directly inform methodology design."