Facing the challenge of improvisation in project management: a critical review

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Malucelli ◽  
Marcos T.J. Barbosa ◽  
Marly Monteiro de Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Face ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose When plans fail, the form of making it happen leads to improvisation in practice, which is not sufficiently approached yet in the project management (PM) field. The main reason for the lack of research is that improvisation is predominantly seemed in a negative perspective. Due to the relevance of improvisation in the PM field, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how and why improvisation is applied in the PM context. This research address two questions: which are the key topics and studies linked with improvisation in the PM context?: how do the origin factors and the purpose influence improvisation in PM context? Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was carried out through the merging of bibliometric analysis and content analysis. The systematic literature review aims to identify and synthesize the research on the theme, applying structured, transparent and replicable procedures for each phase of the process. These studies focus mainly on the identification of literature standards based on publication reviews. The sampling process follows the flow summarized in Figure 1. The searching process was based on two selected databases, the Web of Science and Scopus. The search strings applied were: (improvisation OR bricolage) AND “project management.” Findings The evolution of publications has shown the existence of a growing interest in the articles relating to improvisation and PM in recent years. The literature on improvisation in the PM context, allows to identify the key related constructs, origin factors and purposes. It also identifies the core relation among these constructs. The understanding of the effect of origin factors on the key related constructs was achieved. Improvisation appears not only as a strategy for adapting when dealing with urgent demands, but also as a team skill. Research limitations/implications As a limitation related to the research methods adopted, their exploratory nature is acknowledged, implying some subjectivity in the content analysis of the surveyed sample. The databases, search strings and selection criteria may also have narrowed the research sample. This study shows a lack of research on knowledge management, experience and resilience that can be a drive for future research. Other interesting insights for future research are that some origin factors are more related with some related constructs than others. Practical implications As practical implications, project practitioners can better understand how improvisation is related to PM. The results can bring insights to professionals such as to explore improvisation in uncertainty and complex environments, and to improve aspects like adaptation, intuition and innovation needs. Improvisation can be understood as a way to improve project results considering that it is a mechanism of management in the face of the inherent environment pressure and is related to ones who have experience and is not necessarily a consequence of lack of planning. Originality/value This paper contributes to the current literature in two ways. First, there is in-depth understanding of the literature on improvisation in the PM context, which allows to identify the key related constructs, origin factors and purposes. Moreover, it identifies the core relation among these constructs. Second, understanding of the effect of origin factors on the key related constructs was achieved.

Supply chain resilience: a systematic literature review and typological framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 842-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cigdem Gonul Kochan ◽  
David R. Nowicki
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe study of supply chain resilience (SCRES) continues to gain interest in the academic and practitioner communities. The purpose of this paper is to present a focused review of the SCRES literature by investigating supply chain (SC) capabilities, their relationship to SCRES outcomes and the underpinning theoretical mechanisms of this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the systematic literature review approach to examine 383 articles published between 2000 and 2017, ultimately down selecting to the most relevant 228 peer-reviewed studies. Context-interventions-mechanisms-outcomes (CIMO) logic is applied to organize and synthesize these peer-reviewed studies. A typological framework is developed from the CIMO-based classification of the SCRES literature.FindingsThe findings of this study outline the gaps in the SCRES literature and present an agenda for future research.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents an exploratory research; therefore, the typological model presented is just one of the possible perspectives.Practical implicationsThe typology of SCRES literature can help practitioners to understand SCRES and to measure and assess the resilience of SCs.Originality/valueThe paper provides clear definitions of SCRES constructs, develops a typological framework to further understand SCRES and identifies SCRES measures and assessment techniques.

scholarly journals Effectuation theoretical debate: systematic review and research agenda

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-57
Author(s):  
Suzi Elen Ferreira Dias ◽  
Edson Sadao Iizuka ◽  
Eduardo Pinto Vilas Boas
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Discussion ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Seminal Paper ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Is Theory ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the theoretical discussion of effectuation since the seminal paper in 2001 and to propose an agenda for future studies. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review and content analysis of 71 papers. Findings Most papers performed a replication of the concepts empirically, and few studies proposed to understand theoretical aspects of effectuation, among them, some authors presented theoretical advances to improve the approach and others participated in an ongoing debate that shows there is no consensus on whether the approach is theory or if considered, appears to be under construction at a rudimentary level or being questioned. Research limitations/implications The method requires authors to make choices, so the database used and the criteria defined for searching papers that were analyzed are the main limitations of this research. Practical implications The authors suggest that researchers, teachers and practitioners use effectuation analytically and reflectively. Social implications The authors present and analyze the current theoretical debate on effectuation. Results suggest the need for new discussions about the concepts, as well as new theoretical efforts of the researchers to analyze the potentialities and limitations of this approach. Originality/value Among empirical and applied research, with replications of the concepts of effectuation, this research contributes to a theoretical discussion based on a systematic literature review, seeking to bring new reflections about this approach. Additionally, the authors present an agenda of theoretical gaps for the development of future research.

Defining the big social data paradigm through a systematic literature review approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Solazzo ◽  
Gianluca Elia ◽  
Giuseppina Passiante
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the Big Social Data (BSD) paradigm, which still lacks a clear and shared definition, and causes a lack of clarity and understanding about its beneficial opportunities for practitioners. In the knowledge management (KM) domain, a clear characterization of the BSD paradigm can lead to more effective and efficient KM strategies, processes and systems that leverage a huge amount of structured and unstructured data sources. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology based on a mixed analysis approach (unsupervised machine learning and human-based) applied to 199 research articles on BSD topics extracted from Scopus and Web of Science. In particular, machine learning processing has been implemented by using topic extraction and hierarchical clustering techniques. Findings The paper provides a threefold contribution: a conceptualization and a consensual definition of the BSD paradigm through the identification of four key conceptual pillars (i.e. sources, properties, technology and value exploitation); a characterization of the taxonomy of BSD data type that extends previous works on this topic; a research agenda for future research studies on BSD and its applications along with a KM perspective. Research limitations/implications The main limits of the research rely on the list of articles considered for the literature review that could be enlarged by considering further sources (in addition to Scopus and Web of Science) and/or further languages (in addition to English) and/or further years (the review considers papers published until 2018). Research implications concern the development of a research agenda organized along with five thematic issues, which can feed future research to deepen the paradigm of BSD and explore linkages with the KM field. Practical implications Practical implications concern the usage of the proposed definition of BSD to purposefully design applications and services based on BSD in knowledge-intensive domains to generate value for citizens, individuals, companies and territories. Originality/value The original contribution concerns the definition of the big data social paradigm built through an SLR the combines machine learning processing and human-based processing. Moreover, the research agenda deriving from the study contributes to investigate the BSD paradigm in the wider domain of KM.

The disruption of blockchain in auditing – a systematic literature review and an agenda for future research

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Lombardi ◽  
Charl de Villiers ◽  
Nicola Moscariello ◽  
Michele Pizzo
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper presents a systematic literature review, including content and bibliometric analyses, of the impact of blockchain technology (BT) in auditing, to identify trends, research areas and construct an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors include studies from 2010 to 2020 in their structured literature review (SLR), using accounting journals on the Scopus database, which yielded 40 articles with blockchain and auditing at its core.FindingsOne of the contributions of the authors’ analyses is to group the prior research, and therefore also the agenda for future research, into three main research areas: (1) Blockchain as a tool for auditing professionals to improve business information systems to save time and prevent fraud; (2) Smart contracts enabling Audit 4.0 efficiency, reporting, disclosure and transparency; (3) Cryptocurrency and initial coin offerings (ICOs) as a springboard for corporate governance and new venture financing. The authors’ findings have several important implications for practice and theory.Practical implicationsThe results of this study emphasise that (1) the disruption of blockchain in auditing is in a nascent phase and there is a need for compelling empirical studies and potential for the involvement of practitioners; (2) there may be a need to reconsider audit procedures especially suited for digitalisation and BT adoption; (3) standards, guidelines and training are required to pivot towards and confront the challenge BT will represent for auditing; and (4) there are two sides to the BT coin for auditing, enthusiasm about the potential and risk upon implementation. These practical implications can also be seen as a template for future research in a quest to align theory and practice.Originality/valueThe authors’ SLR facilitates the identification of research areas and implications, forming a useful baseline for practitioners, professionals and academics, as they draft the state of the art on the disruption of blockchain in auditing, highlighting how BT is changing auditing activities and traditions.

The originality of the lean manufacturing studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Psomas
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Plans ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the originality value of the lean manufacturing (LM) studies carried out worldwide so far. Design/methodology/approach Four major publishers, namely, Emerald Online, Science Direct, Springer Link and Taylor and Francis provided the databases for a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-reviewed journal articles in LM. In total, 211 articles published in 52 journals during 2005-2016 were collected. The affinity diagram was applied to group the originality value statements identified into logical themes. Findings The plethora of originality value statements identified in the literature are analytically presented. Furthermore, meaningful themes of the originality value of the LM studies are formulated. Research limitations/implications Some publishers might have been missed out in this SLR, given that it is based on only four academic publishers. Practical implications Identifying the originality value of the existing LM studies and presenting respective meaningful themes can help researchers and practitioners design their future research and implementation plans, respectively. Originality value The originality value of the LM studies is a subject which has not been reviewed in the literature previously.

Older entrepreneurship: a literature review and research agenda

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 178-195
Author(s):  
Vanessa Ratten
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
More Care ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Changing Demographics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Mature age or older entrepreneurship is an understudied but important area of research due to the ageing population and changing demographics in society. The purpose of this study is to review the literature about older entrepreneurship to understand the gaps and areas that need more attention. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was undertaken and then the content was analyzed according to main themes. The key issues currently discussed about older entrepreneurship are stated, which leads to a number of future research suggestions. Findings The findings involve the need to take more care in how to define and conceptualize older entrepreneurship and to undertake more studies that have an older sample in general entrepreneurship research. Research limitations/implications The systematic literature review highlights the gaps in the literature about older entrepreneurs that need to be addressed in future research. Practical implications The paper provides some suggestions about how older people can be more involved in entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study contributes to the emerging literature about older entrepreneurship by providing an overview and directions for the future.

Managing change with and through blockchain in accountancy organizations: a systematic literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Tiron-Tudor ◽  
Delia Deliu ◽  
Nicoleta Farcane ◽  
Adelina Dontu
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Organizational Change Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to facilitate blockchain innovation immersion in accountancy organizations by providing tools that allow organizations to manage the change. The paper approaches blockchain technology (BT) through the lens of organizational change management, with a specific focus at the organization level.Design/methodology/approachA hybrid systematic literature review of relevant literature is presented based on recent research papers published in highly ranked scientific journals that capture how accounting organizations might manage the changes induced by BT.FindingsThe findings of the review indicate that implementing BT requires some new modus operandi. From individual behavior to organizational structure, the advantages of blockchain must be emphasized in all accounting and auditing organizations. Managers should forge a plan that takes advantage of employees' skills, competencies and talent, implementing forward-looking company procedures and actively deciding how to navigate workplace dynamics, personalities and responsibilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of the study refer to the infancy of the BT and require the development of knowledge through future studies to allow a more accurate outline of the overall picture and a detailed one of the BT phenomena with applicability to accounting and auditing. At this stage, it is not yet possible to fully envision the implications of BT on professional accounting and auditing organizations. However, there will be clients who adopt BTs, so firms should work with them to understand BT-based accounting and auditing applications. That is, accounting and auditing organizations should expand their skills and knowledge to anticipate and meet clients' needs.Practical implicationsIn a constantly digitalizing world, the traditional accounting and educational environment is changing but not quickly enough to meet the requirements of a blockchain accounting system yet. For this reason, practical implications on the daily activities of the organizations and the restructuration of their internal architecture have been revealed in this paper.Originality/valueThe paper approaches blockchain using the lens of organizational change management with a specific focus on the accounting and audit organizations, and it proposes solutions to cope with the arising technological challenges. A challenge itself is the implementation of blockchain, especially when an entity is not ready for the process. Therefore, the SWOT analysis elaborated in this paper and focused on the accounting and auditing firms is an element of novelty and at the same time, a helpful tool highlighting the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of this technology, supporting organizations in assessing how ready they are for its adoption. The research on blockchain in accountancy organizations is still necessary for at least seven key areas which have been proposed and detailed at the end of the paper, bringing in this way clarity in regards to the most endorsed avenues for future research directions.

A literature review and classification of the studies on “halal” in Islamic business journals (2010-2018)

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamer Baran
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Finance Management ◽  
Study Product ◽  
Review Study ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on halal research and conduct a content analysis of the same for the purpose of classification, as well as providing a comprehensive bibliography. Design/methodology/approach This literature review study covers 56 articles published in four journals between the years of 2010-2018. Journals indexed were from the Clarivate Analytics and Scopus databases and included at least one of the words “business”, “finance”, “management” and “marketing” together with the word “Islamic” in the title. Content analysis was used for the review of the articles and was carried out by two independent researchers with PhD degrees. Leonard’s (2001) approach was used to classify the articles. Findings The findings show that the number of studies into halal has increased in recent years. Moreover, it is found that studies have been conducted mainly in certain countries and specific sectors. Furthermore, one of the most important findings is that there are no denomination-based researches on halal in the journals included in the study. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study can be generalized only for the selected databases, journals and given period but not for all of the halal literature. Besides the research categories in the current study, further research can be conducted into various disused areas in terms of industry, country of study, product, denomination, etc. Practical implications The paper provides a comprehensive bibliography that will be useful, especially to researchers studying existing research and for contemplating future research. Originality/value This is the first paper that provides a comprehensive literature review and classification of halal literature for the period 2010-2018.

Future research avenues of cost of quality: a systematic literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1599-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Dimitrantzou ◽  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Fotios Vouzas
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cost Of Quality ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
The Future ◽  
English Articles ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the future research suggestions which have been made by several authors with regard to cost of quality (CoQ) and to group them into respective themes.Design/methodology/approachThis study was based on a systematic literature review (SLR) of 97 peer-reviewed journal articles in the field of CoQ published in well-known academic databases, such as Emerald, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis, Wiley and Scopus. The time horizon for reviewing the literature was 9 years, particularly in the period between 2010 and 2018. The “Affinity diagram” was applied to group the future research suggestions into logical themes and the “Pareto diagram” to further categorize and prioritize these themes.FindingsA plethora of future research suggestions identified in the literature are analytically presented. Moreover, the analysis showed that the future research suggestions in the field of CoQ can be grouped under eleven meaningful themes, which are further categorized into two broad categories, meaning the vital and the useful.Research limitations/implicationsThis SLR was based on only fully accessed English articles published in international, peer-reviewed journals of the selected publishers. The restricted number of keywords used and the subjectivity in applying the “affinity diagram” are also limitations of this study.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insights into the future research perspectives in the field of CoQ. Thus, this analysis can serve as a resource for both researchers and practitioners to further develop this area according to the future research suggestions and the respective themes revealed.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first SLR presenting and analyzing the future research suggestions of CoQ.

Supply network resilience: a systematic literature review and future research

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1387-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Datta
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Sufficient Conditions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
The Face

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knowledge existing in the literature on supply chain resilience for identifying the supply chain practices adopted for securing resilience in given uncertain event. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review is conducted to identify 84 conceptual and empirical studies. The research findings are synthesized in categories of uncertain events, supply chain practices and outcomes. Findings A set of propositions linking the uncertain events, mechanisms and supply chain resilience improvement is developed. It was found that the sufficient conditions for resilience under unexpected disasters are substantially different from those required for resilience against disruptions caused by internal practices or complexity. Originality/value Practitioners can benefit from the knowledge of interventions and mechanisms to improve their supply chain resilience in the face of different unpredictable situations. The contribution of this paper is twofold: first, it develops an actionable theory of supply chain resilience by developing testable propositions in the context of supply chains exposed to uncertainties resulting from unexpected disruptions, complexity of supply chains and adoption of certain internal practice; second, the paper highlights the key shortcomings of existing literature and provides opportunities for further research and improvement.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document