A note on the literature review approach to use based on different time-constraint: for MBA students

A note on the literature review approach to use based on different time-constraint: for MBA students

 

Regarding my MBA research theme of "the marketing communication tactics to attract Hong Kong local residents to visit the shopping malls in Tsim Sha Tsui in response to the exceedingly hot weather" for my pragmatic and exploratory oriented dissertation project, please advise whether my literature review approach will differ if my literature review is done on a 2-month part-time basis as compared with one done on a 3-month full-time basis.

Your literature review approach (i.e., the philosophical stance, search strategy logic, and synthesis method) does not fundamentally change between a 2‑month part‑time and a 3‑month full‑time schedule for a pragmatic, exploratory MBA dissertation. What does change is the scope, depth, iteration cycles, and risk management you can afford within the time available.tandfonline+4

Core approach stays the same under pragmatism and exploratory design

For a pragmatic, exploratory project like yours (marketing communication tactics to draw Hong Kong locals into Tsim Sha Tsui malls during very hot weather), the literature review should:

• Be problem‑centred and action‑oriented, surfacing what is known about thermal comfort, heatwave consumer behaviour, mall marketing/communication, and channel substitution, then linking these to actionable tactics.tandfonline+1
• Use a targeted, thematic synthesis rather than an exhaustive, systematic review, because your goal is to justify a feasible mixed‑methods design and generate practical insights for mall operators.files.eric.ed+2
• Proceed iteratively: initial scan → refine questions → deeper dive on key themes → integrate with your emerging methodology. This aligns with both pragmatism and exploratory research norms.tandfonline+3

These principles hold regardless of whether you have 2 months part‑time or 3 months full‑time.

What realistically differs: scope, depth, and process design

The main differences are about how much you can cover and how many refinement loops you can run.

1. Breadth and depth of coverage

2‑month part‑time (e.g., ~10–15 hrs/week):

• Likely feasible: ~60–90 high‑quality sources, tightly focused on:
• Heat and retail behaviour (thermal comfort, heatwave effects on footfall).
• Mall marketing/communication tactics (promotions, digital channels, in‑mall experience design).
• Hong Kong / similar dense Asian urban contexts where possible.
• You will need to prioritise recency and relevance (last 10–15 years, with emphasis on recent heatwave cases and post‑pandemic retail shifts) and accept that some peripheral areas (e.g., detailed climate adaptation policy, broader tourism marketing) will be treated lightly or omitted.josephho33.blogspot+2

3‑month full‑time (e.g., ~30–35 hrs/week):

• Potentially feasible: ~100–150+ sources, allowing:
• A broader conceptual base (e.g., environmental psychology, servicescape, experience economy).
• More comparative work (e.g., other hot cities, different mall typologies).
• Deeper engagement with methodological debates (e.g., how exploratory studies in management have handled weather/exogenous shocks).journals.sagepub+2
• You can afford to explore more “adjacent” literatures (e.g., climate adaptation in retail, omnichannel responses to weather shocks) and then prune back in the write‑up.

In practice, this means your 2‑month review will be narrower and more sharply focused on directly actionable themes, while the 3‑month version can be broader and more theoretically layered.

2. Number of iteration cycles and refinement

Exploratory, pragmatic work benefits from multiple passes:

• Pass 1: rapid scan to map themes and gaps.
• Pass 2: deeper reading on 3–5 core themes.
• Pass 3: integrate with your research questions and methods, and refine the conceptual framing.journals.sagepub+2

2‑month part‑time:

• Realistically 2 solid passes:
• Month 1: mapping + initial thematic grouping.
• Month 2: deeper reading on priority themes + integration with methodology.
• Less room for major mid‑course redirection if you discover a more promising angle late in the process. You’ll want a clearer initial focus (e.g., “communication tactics for locals during Very Hot Weather Warnings”) from the start.josephho33.blogspot+1

3‑month full‑time:

• Potentially 3–4 passes:
• Month 1: broad mapping and problem framing.
• Month 2: deep dives and conceptual refinement.
• Month 3: integration, gap articulation, and alignment with methods; time to pivot if a more compelling gap emerges.journals.sagepub+1

This extra iteration can yield a more nuanced conceptual framework and a tighter fit between literature, questions, and methods.

3. Search strategy and source types

The logic of your search (keywords, databases, inclusion criteria) remains similar, but the granularity can differ.

Both schedules should:

• Use structured keyword blocks around:
• “shopping mall” AND “heat” OR “thermal comfort” OR “heatwave”.
• “marketing communication” OR “promotion” OR “digital marketing” AND “mall” AND “Hong Kong” / “Asia”.
• “local residents” AND “retail” AND “weather” / “climate”.
• Combine academic databases (e.g., Business Source Complete, Scopus, Web of Science) with practitioner and media sources (mall press releases, news on heatwaves, social media complaints) to capture real‑world tactics.files.eric.ed+2

2‑month part‑time:

• You may rely more on:
• Recent review articles and conceptual papers to quickly grasp key debates.
• Practitioner reports and credible news for concrete tactics and local context, rather than trying to exhaustively mine every academic angle.josephho33.blogspot+2
• You might adopt a rapid structured literature review (RSLR) style: clearly defined stages (conceptualisation → search → structuring/reporting) with strict timeboxing.files.eric.ed

3‑month full‑time:

• You can afford:
• More systematic searching (e.g., explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria, PRISMA‑style flow if your programme expects it).
• Deeper engagement with older foundational theories (e.g., servicescape, environmental psychology) alongside recent empirical work.journals.sagepub+1

4. Risk management and contingency

With less time, you must manage the risk of over‑scoping more aggressively.

2‑month part‑time:

• Define 3–4 core thematic buckets early (e.g., heat & behaviour; mall communication tactics; local vs tourist segmentation; digital/offline channel mix) and stick to them unless a major gap forces a pivot.josephho33.blogspot+1
• Build in a hard stop for searching (e.g., end of Week 5) so you have 2–3 weeks purely for synthesis and writing.josephho33.blogspot+1

3‑month full‑time:

• You can tolerate more exploratory detours (e.g., examining climate adaptation in other sectors, or deeper theoretical debates) before narrowing down.
• You can also run small pilot scans on alternative angles (e.g., “cooling infrastructure as communication”) and decide whether to incorporate them.journals.sagepub+1

Practical implications for your specific theme

Given your topic (“marketing communication tactics to attract Hong Kong local residents to Tsim Sha Tsui malls in very hot weather”) and your pragmatic, exploratory orientation:

• Conceptual focus (same in both schedules):
  Link heat/discomfort → changes in mall visitation patterns → communication/experience tactics that mitigate discomfort or reframe the mall as a “cool refuge” with added value (F&B, events, loyalty perks).josephho33.blogspot
• 2‑month part‑time version:
• Emphasise recent, context‑specific evidence (Hong Kong heatwaves, local mall campaigns, social media discourse).
• Keep the theoretical layer light but sufficient: e.g., servicescape + thermal comfort + basic consumer behaviour under environmental stress.
• Aim for a tight, actionable framework that directly informs your interview/survey design.josephho33.blogspot+2
• 3‑month full‑time version:
• Add more theoretical depth (e.g., environmental psychology, mood‑behaviour links, experience economy).
• Include comparative cases (other hot Asian cities, different mall types) to strengthen external validity.
• Potentially develop a more elaborate conceptual model (e.g., moderating roles of age, income, transport mode, or prior mall loyalty).journals.sagepub+2

Bottom line

• The core literature review approach (pragmatic, exploratory, thematic, iterative) does not need to change between 2‑month part‑time and 3‑month full‑time.tandfonline+4
• What changes is:
• How many sources and themes you can meaningfully cover.
• How many refinement cycles you can run.
• How much theoretical breadth and comparative depth you can incorporate.

How tightly you must scope and time‑box your search to avoid over‑extension.

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