You are expected to make an extensive search of the literature on a particular topic relevant to marketing research. This should be followed by a thorough reasoned evaluation of the literature collected and a written report on the evaluation. As a guide the word limit for this piece of assessment should be no more than 2,000 words. Students should get the selected topic approved by the unit assessor before commencing work. Some appropriate topics would include: service quality (SERVQUAL or SERVPERF); export marketing; resource-based view (RBV); Industrial Organization framework; contingency theory; institutional theory; marketing capabilities; market orientation; learning orientation; Porter’s Model; BCG Portfolio Matrix etc.

The structure of the Literature Review should include the following key components:

1. Introduction

a. why you are writing a review, and why the topic is important

b. the scope of the review — what aspects of the topic will be discussed

c. the criteria used for your literature selection (e.g.. type of sources used, date range)

d. the organizational pattern of the review.

2. Main Body of the Report

a. historical background

b. methodologies

c. previous studies on the topic

d. mainstream versus alternative viewpoints

e. principal questions being asked

f. general conclusions that are being drawn.

3. Conclusion

a. the main agreements and disagreements in the literature.

b. any gaps or areas for further research.

c. your overall perspective on the topic.