Major Literature Review

Workshop II

Dr Steven A. Brieger
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in International Business
University of Sussex | Business School
Jubilee Building, Room 218
Email: s.a.brieger@sussex.ac.uk
 Module Description

Time

Three 2-hour workshops in

Week 1 Week 8 Week 10

Aim of the Module

The main aim of this module is to

prepare students to identify,
interpret, and analyse the
published and unpublished
academic literature and prepare
a review report on a topic in
International Business or a
related area.
 Workshop Schedule

Time Topic
Week 1 Introduction to Literature Review
Week 8 Review Approach/Methodology
Week 10 Writing the Review
Basic Organisation of a Literature
Review
Formatting and Presentational Instructions

The literature review should

have a Title Page and Table of
Contents. The title page should
include the title, candidate
number and the number of
words used.

The review must be word

processed with double line
spacing. Please use Times New
Roman, font size 12.

Headings should be used to

structure the literature review.

In-text citations and bibliography

follow the Harvard or APA style.
Layout
 Topics and Supervision

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QT5EdcLdlL50eI8tSModufJIHOdZIxF7F78cj5qDtMo/edit#gid=0
Structure of the Literature Review

1. Introduction
(approx. 500-800 words)

2. Theoretical Background
(approx. 800-1500 words)

3. Methodology
(approx. 600-1000 words)

4. Current Status of Research

(approx. 2200-3000 words)

5. Discussion and Conclusion

(approx. 1200-2500 words)
Dissertation Outline
 Skimming the literature

Review the abstract or text’s introduction

Does this material address the topic?

If so, examine the table of contents or major subject headings

Document the results

Do a quick read of the selected areas of the text to find the relevant information

Read the section at three to four times your normal rate

Note the main ideas in the abstract section

Mapping the Literature
Mapping the Literature
 Critical Reading

What is the author’s main point/argument? What does the author want you the
reader to accept?

What conclusions does the author reach?

What evidence does the author put forward to support his/her arguments and
conclusions?

Is the evidence adequate, i.e. relevant and wide reaching enough?

Does the author make any assumptions?

Can these assumptions be challenged?

 Being Critical in Your Literature
Review

 Being critical does not mean you always have to find fault
with the work of others.
 You can be critical in your literature review by:
1. … selecting what is (not) relevant from source texts for
your work
2. … excluding literature based on self-selected criteria
3. … making connections between the texts that you cite
4. … showing the links between the work that you cite and
your own research, e.g. how you are using the work of
others to shape your own.
5. …. discussing what is missing in the current academic
debate
 Selection Criteria

 Hahn, T., Preuss, L., Pinkse, J., & Figge, F. (2014). Cognitive
frames in corporate sustainability: Managerial sensemaking
with paradoxical and business case frames. Academy of
Management Review, 39(4), 463-487.
 Yang, D. T. (2002). What has caused regional inequality in
China? China Economic Review, 13(4), 331-334.
 Oeyono, J., Samy, M., & Bampton, R. (2011). An examination
of corporate social responsibility and financial performance: A
study of the top 50 Indonesian listed corporations. Journal of
Global Responsibility, 2(1), 100-112.
 Klein, J. G., Smith, N. C., & John, A. (2004). Why we boycott:
Consumer motivations for boycott participation. Journal of
Marketing, 68(3), 92-109.
 Selection Criteria

Impact factor
ABS ranking
(Journal):
(at least 2)
>1

Number of
citations
(paper)
 Exclusion Criteria

Journal is not
Low IF listed in the ABS
or other lists

Content-related
?
criteria
Terjesen, S., Hessels, J., & Li, D. (2016). Comparative international
entrepreneurship: A review and research agenda. Journal of
Management, 42(1), 299-344.
Methodology
Terjesen, S., Hessels, J., & Li, D. (2016). Comparative international
entrepreneurship: A review and research agenda. Journal of
Management, 42(1), 299-344.

number of
Report the total

reviewed articles
Methodology

used
reviewed
Report the

Mention the
journals you

keywords you
Terjesen, S., Hessels, J., & Li, D. (2016). Comparative international
entrepreneurship: A review and research agenda. Journal of
Management, 42(1), 299-344.
Methodology

Mention your
exclusion criteria
Important for the dissertation: Sorting and
prioritising the retrieved literature
Study (1) Study (2) Study (3) Study (4) Notes
Author A Author B Author C Author D comparisons

Research topic

Title

Aim/ RQ

Methods

Additional info
(year,
contexts)

Key finding/
argument

Comment/
Notes articles
 Tips for Organizing Your Work

Consider how Also consider

you would writing for
explain your people who are Consider what
Organize your Recognize your
literature and knowledgeable makes your
literature own
argument to about the topic topic difficult to
logically assumptions
someone with using depth investigate
little knowledge and logical
of the topic arguments
 Analysing Studies

 To analyse a study:
1. Look at the concepts, theories, and perspectives used by
the researchers
2. Ask yourself, what assumptions they made and whether
the authors considered other perspectives
3. Look at the methodologies employed (write down the
details so you can remember them) so you can identify
gaps and find a niche
Thank you!