IMPACT OF MARKETING CONCEPTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS

 

IMPACT OF MARKETING CONCEPTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN NIGERIA

 

INTRODUCTION

Marketing came into the commercial banks in the later 1950’s in the form of advertising and promoting concepts, not in the form of marketing concept. With the upsurge in competition many financial institution devised to adopt marketing tools to get their share of the market. Budget were established for advertising and sales promotion, managed to attract many new customers. Their competitors were forced into adopting the same measure by writing professional advertising agencies and promotion experts.

Marketing evolved as a part of the total manufacturing organization its rapid evolution was caused by five general issues that are found in commercial banks. These are sales decline, slow growth, changing buying pattern, interesting, competition and increasing expenditure.

Before this period Banks hardly ever thoughts of marketing research on professional bases until they were forced into the system by competition. Their services were shared traditional usage and custom. The commercial banks know perfectly well that most of their customers would be glad of  a full banking service.

However marketing concepts became one approach which seeks at improving the customers and the organizations relationship though. Through providing the right type of product that will satisfy the customers need and earn a profit to the firm. The concept is the management orientation they key task of the organization is to determine the needs and wants of the target customers and to adopt the right organization attitude towards delivery the desirable customers satisfactions more efficiently and effectively  than its competitors. The organization should be customers oriented, customers orientation as a basic philosophy that forces the business organization to highlight its actions with the mandates of the market. The management has faith  that it will be properly rewarded by the customers.

Union Bank Plc has a responsibility to serve the financial needs of the its customers, the greater the varieties of services and considering the different categories of customers, the better, the for it’s fulfilling its objectives.

The marketing concept acknowledge that a business geared to serve the needs and requirement of consumer will achieve a better result over a longer period of time than the other components whose executives are not be motivated towards the satisfaction of consumers. The marketing concept believes that consumer is king.

This pervasive attitude has three major elements such as undertaking of consumer needs or wants, system approach of marketing variables and other elements in an organization; and objectives to the organization.

Adoption of marketing concept therefore became necessary in Union Bank Plc as they are service oriented, operating in a competitive industries and profit motivated Union Bank Plc need to offer service that will meet their customers wants but before this is made possible, the bank have to embark  on a research of the type of services the customers required Union Bank recently realize the important of marketing concept and developed it for most of their services; distribution and promotion the service of marketing service depends upon knowing the buyer well and servicing his/her needs. This means treating each client as an individual product segment it important that a firm should decide as an important matter of policy what type of customers is required.

To this end, all policies, marketing manufacturing  and personnel should reflect this overall policy of image. The basic public relations policy can be put forward to ensure that the public are influence to react to the firm in the desired manner. The customers can be influenced by good customers relations to regard the bank as:

i.            Public spirited with a civil responsibility.

ii.          A good bank to work for or invest in.

iii.        A bank whose product and services can be purchased with confidence and reliability.

1.1   HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE UNION BANK NIG PLC

                The financial system of the society is the framework within which capital transaction takes place. The saving of some members of the society are made avaibale to other member of the society for productive investment. This process is made possible by the intermediation of financial institutions like the commercial banks.   

The first commercial Bank, the Africa banking corporation open in Lagos in 1892, the bank experience some initial difficulties and eventually decided to transfer its interest to “Elder Domister and Company in 1893. this led to the formation of a New Bank known as the British Bank of West Africa (BBWA) in 1893.

The British bank of west Africa  and the Barclays bank between 1894 and 1933. In 1972 indignations decrees was promulgated, where the federal government of Nigeria acquired 51.67% of the Barclays bank share capital while the bank share capital while the bank was left with 40% and the remaining 8.33% with the Nigeria public.

In 1979 the bank sold 20% of its 40% shareholding to the Nigeria public again, thus, reducing its share to 20% in the same year 1979. Then the bank name was changed to Union Bank of Nigeria Ltd.

The equity structure of Union Bank make it only former expatriate bank currently with the larger proportion of  its store 80% owned by Nigeria and Nigeria organization.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

However some problem that affect Union Bank in Nigeria BirninKebbi Branch emerged as a result of inadequate application of marketing concept, such as:

i.      inability of the branch to mobilize saving for investment purpose and harness idle funds in the state.

ii.     Insufficient volume and varieties of financial instrument to facilitate intermediation for investment process.

iii.    Inability to incorporate proper use of marketing concept due to organizational policy framework, which has some restrictive clauses on publicity.

iv.    Insufficient number of workers to deal with member of the public who will like to participate in the banking activities.

v.     Inadequate banking environment which affect their product and service in the state.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

                Among the objectives of the study are as follows:

i.            To highlight the important roles played by marketing concept in the performance of commercial banks to the economic development of the country.

ii.          To discuss and examine the operations and the likely affect of marketing concept in the commercial banks.

iii.        To help in academic contribution towards reaching possible solution on how to develop and improve marketing concept in the commercial banks.

iv.         To examine certain instances when investment may be insensitive to the level of marketing concept.

v.           To appraise the application of marketing concept in the commercial banks.

vi.         To assess the impact of marketing concept in commercial banks.

vii.       To ascertain whether marketing concept has any effect in the commercial banks.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. What is the relationship between the commercial banks and marketing concept?

2. The important roles played by marketing concept in the performance of commercial banks to the economic development of the country include.

3. What are the operations and the likely effects of marketing concept in the commercial banks?

4. What are the academic contributions towards reaching possible solution on how to develop and improve marketing concept in the commercial banks?

 

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho    There is no significance relationship between the commercial banks and marketing concept.

Hi     There is significance relationship between commercial banks and the marketing concept.

Ho₂   There is no significance relationship in information preference between the commercial banks and the marketing concept.

H1_2­  There is significance relationship in information preference between the Commercial banks and the marketing concept.

Ho₃   There is no significance relationship in information format used by the commercial banks and marketing concept.

H1₃  There is significance relationship in information used by the commercial banks and marketing concept.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The research work is undertaken to advance scientific knowledge of the study matter of investigation an evaluation of marketing concept in the commercial banks.

Marketing concept is an economic phenomenon, in which the consumer is seen as supreme and his/her wants or needs from the starting points and base for production of goods and services.

To survive competitive activities, banks must be able to produce and deliver wants or needs satisfying goods and services, packed  of quality and value.

However, customer of various categories of the banks enjoyed  such service from Union Bank NigPlcBirninKebbi branch. Customers like the small and medium scale enterprises farmers of different categories, workers of different facets in the state.

It is significance to note that, success only depends on meeting the needs or wants  of the customers via value creating exchange. This is done by Union Bank of Nigeria PlcBirninKebbi Brach through complete adopting and practice of marketing concept where customers are treated as king, the only boss of the organization whose wishes aspiration preference must be met and which should guide organization thinking and operation.

The prospective users of the research when it is complete are the workers, students and in the banking sector. Who may be interested in knowing the evaluation of marketing concept.

 

1.7   SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope pf this research work is limited to the union bank of Nigeria PlcBirninKebbi branch, and the extent of this work is also limited to an evaluation of marketing concept in the commercial banks.

There are numbers of limiting factors since the Union Bank senior staff interviews were not willing to disclose useful information to the researcher. A lot of problems went wrong to restrict the researcher writer from conducting a good and comprehensive research.

Among the problems are:

i.            Difficulties in obtaining certain documents and as most of the documents are considered to be very important to the organization, thus preventing the researcher from getting them.

ii.          A work of this nature requires much capital for financing the materials and sourcing information needed. But collation prolonged leaving little time for presentation and analysis of data since the researcher was given schedule time of completion.

iii.        Also the time allocated to this research work is inadequate and insufficient for the researcher to get all the required information for the topic.

iv.         Another limitation is the non-availability of relevant and vital documents in the school library, which could have be useful in making an extensive research work and the library did not keep any special manuals for the topic which the researcher could make reference to.

v.           This research work was undertaking when the writer is fully engage in the class work. This has greatly constrained the research work because the researcher has to pay attention to normal class activities.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Advertising: To percent information about a product arouse interest, build desire and get customer in a favourable frame of mind to buy the product.

Asset Portfolio:An asset in the firm property weighted to represent their proportionate market value.

Business Organization: Collective endeavour consisting of contractual relationship among the various parties involved.

Banker: A person or company carrying on the business of receiving monies and collecting draft from customers subject to the obligation of honouring cheques drawn upon them from time to time by customers to the extent of the amount available in their current account.

Consolidation:The combination of two or more firm into an entirely new firm the old firm ceased to exist.

Corporation: A business formed legally from its owners.

Distribution: The transfer of goods from producer to consumers.

Financial:Intermediaries financial institution that accept money from savers and use  those funds to make loans and other financial investment in their own name.

Marketing: Human activities that is directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange process.

Marketing Concept: Undertaking of consumers need or want (consumer oriented).

Portfolio:A combination of two or more securities or assets.

Portfolio Management:The process of combining securities in a portfolio tailored to the investors preference and needs monitoring that portfolio and evaluating its performance.

Sales promotion: The provision of special buying incentives for a limited period of time.

 

EDITOR’S SOURCE: https://researchwap.com/marketing/impact-of-marketing-concepts-on-the-performance-of-commercial-banks-in-nigeria/index.html

RECAPITALIZATION ON SHAREHOLDERS RETURN IN BANKING INDUSTRY

 

THE IMPACT OF RECAPITALIZATION ON SHAREHOLDERS RETURN IN NIGERIAN BANKING INDUSTRY

 

 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

This research work focuses on the Effect of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on deposit mobilization and profitability of banks in Nigeria. It also revealed how computer technology is being used in taking strategic decisions in an organization, with the usage of computer technology. It helps to discover how efficiently and effectively the bank(s) are performing as regards deposit mobilization and trend(s) in profitability. Some research instrument(s) where used in this continuous writing were: Interview, Questionnaire, and Observations were illustrated with charts and (Chi-square). It starts with the background of the study up to the final recommendation to the higher

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Capital occupies a vital position in any business in which a bank is included capital is particularly important in the banking industry, that is adequacy is a comfort to the depositor or the shareholder. The bank is to be adequately capitalized in order to perform its role in building the nation's economy.

According to the editorial of Nigeria bankers (2003) “The nature of Nigeria the banking industry was healthy and sound from the independent in 1960 to their deregulation and the liberalization of the industry which started kin and middle of the 1980s, the situation changes drastically since the manifestation of bank distress that subsequently cleared the life of 37 banks from 1994 to 2003 in which their problems can be traced bank to the undercapitalization of these banks.

The National Economic Empowerment and Development (NEEDs) 2004, is an initiative of the Obasanjo administration aimed at reforming the entire economy of the nation Nigeria. Under the NEEDs, the financial service is clear with the country is to reform, given clear with the country are to be reformed, given that “the success of NEEDS will depend in part on the ability of the financial intermediaries to play their roles by adopting the strategy of addressing low capitalization, the poor governance practice of financial intermediaries that submit inaccurate reformation to regulatory authorities and to strengthen and rationalize the regulatory and supervisory framework in the financial sector.

The reform agenda under NEEDs is saying categorically that the low capitalization of banks must be death with achieving the goals of NEEDs.

According to Sanusi (2005) “The new capital accord, base II of 1998 tackle the issue of capital at the inception, the major element of the based committee of the 1998 capital accord included the explicit unmake of the capital the requirement to a bank question and degree of risk and establishment of internationally, comparable minimum capital requirements. Combining the objectives of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDs) and that of the new capital accord based II of 1998 it will be deduced that up with the global economic and financial trend and ensigncy the economic development of Nigeria.

Ogunniyi (2005) is of the opinion that the Central Bank of Nigeria as empowered by BOFIA from time to time determines the minimum paid-up share capital of categories of the bank in Nigeria in which there was upward review from time to time. The issue of recapitalization to banks to the time of #25 billion was announced by CBN governor Charles Soludo on the 6th July 2004 generated a lot of controversies but if practically examine, it is what the nation needs for overall economic growth.

CLICK THIS LINK FOR THE COMPLETE MATERIAL - https://researchwap.com/banking-and-finance/the-impact-of-recapitalization-on-shareholders-return-in-nigerian-banking-industry-a-case-study-of-access-bank-of-nigeria-plc/index.html

 

 

How To Develop A Table Of Content For A Research Project Work

 

A table of content in project composing is essentially the reflection of the project. A table of content can be characterized as the nitty-gritty review of a project by which a writer layout the various headings, subheadings of conversation on project work and where or pages every one of this information can be gotten. So for the simple route of pages on project work, it is prudent for research writers to outfit its readers with a table of content.

 

A table of content is a guide for the readers and all things considered, it ought to be valuable, blunder free, and directly to the focuses. In the event that you simply set out as a beginner recorded as a hard copy your final year project as an undergrad and you are stressing over, how to build up a decent table of content for your project. Indeed, stress no more since I am x-raying how one can build up a table of content for research project work.

 

Develop the research project work first:

To get a mistake-free table of content, it is convenient that you work out the research project work first, to make certain of the final headings for each research review and furthermore the right numbering. So one needs to complete the research project work before composing the table of content.

 

Put finishing touches to the review:

Put the fundamental editing work to the write up like legitimate numbering the pages and having suitable headings and revising every single vital mistake, so that on the off chance that you are physically making the table out of content, you wouldn’t omit or include what was already deleted or omitted

 

 

CheckSketch how the table of content will resemble:

It is important to have a review of your table of content before including it in your main project work, so feel free to have a sketch of your table of contents and make all the vital redresses and contributions before moving or utilizing it for the research project work.

 

Editing the table of content:

A decent table of content needs legitimate editing. So it is relevant that the following rules are adjusted *Create two sections on the page to demonstrate the headings on one side and the figures of pages where the headings are situated on the opposite side. The title of the headings ought to be on the left while the quantity of the pages where the headings are situated on the right. Compose subheadings underneath the featuring of each laid out heading. *Use single line dispersing when composing and the text dimension ought to be '12'

 

Check for completeness:

The table of content when done ought to be reconsidered to be certain that all that should finish it is set up. Verify the spellings of each heading, subheading, and that each heading or subheading compares with a relating page or segment numbers in the correct section.

Editors Source: How To Develop A Table Of Content For A Research Project Work

 

Home Economics As A Field Of Study And Its Benefits

 

Home economics as a field of study usually to a common man bring to the mind about sewing aprons, cooking, and baking cake.  But however, home economics as a field of study has illuminated the mind so much in the 20^th century to know that home economics covers a wide range of studies, including food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, child development, sociology, and consumer protection.

When home economics was first introduced in the late 1800s, the study was somehow in addition to other functions to help students prepare for life on the farm and helping their families.

In the 20^th Century, the study acted as a bridge for students to enter into institutions of higher learning and later into professions. Students who graduated from these advanced programs went on to teaching positions to pass on this knowledge and some are led into positions in hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and even government. Along these lines, as universities and other tertiary institutions conducted research, home economics study has taught advanced classes in nutrition and hygiene as well as economics.

 

WHAT HOME ECONOMICS IS AS A COURSE

 

Home economics is cooking and other aspects of household management. Home economics or domestic science, or home science is a field of study that deals with the relationship between individuals, families, communities, and the environment in which they live. Home economics courses are offered internationally and across multiple educational levels. Home economics courses have been important throughout history because it gave women the opportunity to pursue higher education and vocational training in a world where only men were able to learn in such environments. In modern times, home economics teaches people of all genders important life skills, such as cooking, sewing, and finances. With the stigma the term “home economics” has earned over the years, the course is now often referred to by different terms, such as “family and consumer science.

 

WHY DO WE STUDY HOME ECONOMICS?

 

We study home economics to promote a well- being of individuals. The study helps the society to develop human progress individually and it comprises major ideas on food, clothing, home, and family. Human progress is necessary for society to grow and it is so important since well-being is the machinery that vibrant all aspects of human experience.

 

BRANCHES OF HOME ECONOMICS:

Here, we've outlined just some of the careers that involve knowledge of home economics. For some of them, you'll need a qualification in a subject other than home economics to go further, although home economics will still give you a useful background for the career.

1.       Food Scientist/Technologist

2.       Food Technician

3.       Dietitian

4.       Nutritionist

5.       Catering/Restaurant Manager

6.       Hotel Manager

7.       Domestic Services Manager

8.       Chef

9.       Consumer protection (Trading Standards Officer)

10.    Environmental Health Practitioner

11.    Textiles and clothing

12.    Tailor

13.    Fashion Designer

14.    Education (Teaching and lecturing)

15.    Home Care Organiser

 

Food Scientist/Technologist

Food Scientists are experts on the biological, chemical, and physical make-up of food, and how food can be processed, stored and preserved. Food Technologists apply this knowledge to make new food products and ensure that they are safe and of good quality.

Although Food Scientists are more likely to go into research and Food Technologists into production, the division between them is not clear-cut. Both may work in research and development, production, and quality assurance management.

 

Food Technician

Food Technicians help Scientists/Technologists to develop food products. Technicians test the safety and quality of and finished products, as well as testing packaging, processing, and storage techniques.raw materials

They look after the day-to-day running of the laboratory, and might also help in the research and development of new products.

 

Dietitian

Dietitians give people information and advice about the right diet to maintain their health or to help them cope with or overcome an illness.

Dietitians may be based in hospitals or the community. Hospital work mainly involves diet therapy for individual patients, for example, people with food allergies or. They also train and advise other health professionals in diabetes in the hospital.

In the community, a dietitian might be involved in clinical work or health promotion, or a mixture of both. For example, they might work with health professionals such as practice nurses and health visitors. Health GPs promotion could include giving talks in schools or groups such as slimming clubs and pregnant women.

Dietitians work in lots of other areas, including sports nutrition, food, and industries, education, pharmaceutical research, and journalism.

 

Nutritionist

Nutritionists help us to understand how affects our health. They work in lots of areas, including the NHS, nutrition sports nutrition, the food industry, and animal nutrition.

NHS Nutritionists often work in the community, helping people to prevent problems such as cancer, stroke, and diabetes. They might run healthy eating sessions, teach cooking skills, and produce information about a healthy diet.

In the food industry, Nutritionists research and develop new food products. They advise on food products' nutritional content, such as how much fat and salt they have in them.

The right diet can help sports professionals to train and perform at their best. Nutritionists work with Athletes and Players, and also give people advice in the fitness industry.

Animal Nutritionists look at ways to improve the quality and quantity of things such as eggs, meat, and milk. They also try to improve their pets' diets.

 

Catering/Restaurant Manager

Catering/Restaurant Managers work in a wide variety of places, from top hotels to fast-food chains, hospitals, cruise ships, and prisons.

Their main responsibility is for staff management, recruitment, training, and day-to-day organization. Other areas include quality control, hygiene, and health and safety.

Managers might be responsible for setting and controlling. They might also plan menus, order supplies; budgets greet customers, and deal with any complaints. They need to be good at dealing with people and should be able to work under pressure.

 

Hotel Manager

The duties of Hotel Managers vary according to the size of the hotel.

In a large hotel, the General Manager organizes a team of departmental Managers, taking overall responsibility for planning, and marketing. In a smaller hotel or guest house, the work will be more 'hands-on', with greater budgeting day-to-day contact with guests.

 

Domestic Services Manager

Domestic Services Managers, often known as 'Housekeepers' in the hotel industry and 'Domestic Bursars' in educational institutions, are responsible for the cleanliness and general maintenance of large residential establishments. They work in places like hospitals, hotels, schools, universities, and colleges.

They are responsible for organizing the work of domestic staff, who keep the buildings clean and in good condition. They might have other areas of responsibility, such as organizing laundry services or arranging repairs.

They spend part of their time checking the work of staff, but there is also an office-based element to their work, involving administration and managing. Budgets

 

Chef

The term 'Chef' tends to be used in hotels and restaurants, whereas 'Cook' is used in work canteens, schools, and hospitals.

In the large hotel and restaurant kitchens, there are a number of specialist Chefs running different sections (such as vegetables or pastry) under the direction of the Head Chef. In smaller establishments, the Chef might do everything - ordering food, cooking, and clearing up.

There can be opportunities for creative cookery, and to experiment with new and specialist dishes, particularly for experienced Chefs.

In catering services, such as for airlines, schools, and hospitals, the work is more routine. It often involves preparing large numbers of meals in a central kitchen, which are then distributed to different sites and re-heated.

Whatever the setting, the work of a Chef or Cook is physically demanding. Most of the working day is spent standing up in a hot kitchen. Unsocial hours are often part of the job.

 

Consumer protection (Trading Standards Officer)

Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) enforce the laws and regulations that cover the goods and services we buy, hire, and sell.

They inspect premises, sample, test, and measure products, investigate complaints, give consumer advice, and enforce the law.  Employ TSOs. Local authorities

TSOs make regular checks to see if things like scales and petrol pumps measure accurately. They check toys and electrical products to make sure that they are safe to use.

TSOs might take samples of food and drink products to make sure that nutritional information on labels is accurate and that advertisements are not misleading.

 

Environmental Health Practitioner

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) protect us from environmental hazards at home, at work, and in public places.

EHPs make sure our food is safe to eat, and improve conditions for people living in unfit or old housing. EHPs also monitor and control air, water, land, and noise pollution.

EHPs visit places such as offices, houses, leisure services, shops, and restaurants. They advise people on the best ways to protect themselves and others from environmental hazards. EHPs must also enforce the law, for example, closing food premises or requiring Landlords to carry out essential repairs.

Some EHPs work for private companies, making sure that they are following the law and safeguarding their employees and customers.

 

Textiles and clothing (Textile Designer)

Textile Designers create designs for fabrics, carpets, wall-coverings, and soft furnishings. Some, particularly in small companies, spend most of their time reworking traditional designs. In large firms, there may be more opportunities to create original designs.

It's important for Textile Designers to have knowledge of yarns, dyes, and manufacturing processes, as these affect designs.

 

Fashion Designer

Fashion Designers design clothing and/or accessories. A few work in, designing exclusive for haute couture garments individual and producing seasonal collections. clients

Others design ready-made quality garments, often following the trends set by haute couture. Fashion Designers working for wholesale manufacturers design the clothes that we see in shops and in catalogs.

 

Tailor

Tailors produce hand-crafted garments - particularly men's suits - to order. They also make alterations to garments.

They advise customers on the range of fabrics and styles available and take measurements. They then make cardboard or paper patterns, cut out cloth and stitch the garments, mainly by hand.

 

Textile industry

There are also many technical jobs in the textile industry, such as:

Textile Technologist Textile Technician Textile Operative Dyeing Technician

 

Education (Teaching and lecturing)

Most Home Economics Teachers work in secondary schools. They teach pupils about child development, food, and nutrition, or textiles. Design and Technology Teachers can also cover areas related to home economics, such as food technology and textile technology.

Teaching methods include group and practical work, discussions, and using audio-visual materials and the internet. Teaching may also involve visits to places of educational interest. Home Economics Teachers also have to plan lessons, mark work, write reports, go to meetings, and give feedback.

 

Home Care Organiser

Home Care Organisers manage the services that help people to cope with their own homes. They recruit, train, and supervise Home Care Assistants who provide practical, social, and emotional care too. Home Care Organisers clients assess clients' needs and arrange services such as the delivery of free meals.

Other jobs in the caring services

Some people with training in home economics go into housing work or health education/promotion.

 

Conclusion

As a student, after knowing and understanding home economics as a field of study and its benefits to individuals and the society at large, researchwap.com as an online resource center has come up with a vast database for students to have access to numerous free project topics and uncountable research materials on home economics and it related courses.

Below are few home economics project topics that you might want to take a look at

EDITORS SOURCE: Home Economics As A Field Of Study And Its Benefits

 

How To Develop Your Research Project Chapter Two Effectively

 

A literature review is a survey of academic sources on a particular project topic. It gives an overview of the ebb and flows information, permitting you to distinguish significant hypotheses, strategies, and holes in the current research.

A literature review is to show your reader that you have read, and have a good grasp of, the main published work concerning a particular topic or question in your field.

It is very important to note that your review should not be simply a description of what others have published in the form of a set of summaries but should take the form of a critical discussion, showing insight and an awareness of differing arguments, theories, and approaches. It should be a synthesis and analysis of the relevant published work, linked at all times to your own purpose and rationale.

Conducting a literature review involves collecting, evaluating and analyzing publications (such as books and journal articles) that relate to your research question. There are five main steps in the process of writing a literature review:

1. Search for relevant literature
2. Evaluate sources
3. Identify themes, debates, and gaps
4. Outline the structure
5. Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources – it analyzes, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

According to Caulley (1992) of La Trobe University, the literature review should:

• compare and contrast different authors’ views on an issue
• group authors who draw similar conclusions
• criticize aspects of the methodology
• note areas in which authors are in disagreement
• highlight exemplary studies
• highlight gaps in research
• show how your study relates to previous studies
• show how your study relates to the literature in general
• conclude by summarising what the literature says

 

THE PURPOSES OF THE REVIEW ARE:

 

• To define and limit the problem you are working on
• To place your study in a historical perspective
• To avoid unnecessary duplication
• To evaluate promising research methods
• To relate your findings to previous knowledge and suggest further research

A good literature review, therefore, is critical of what has been written, identifies areas of controversy, raises questions and identifies areas that need further research.

 

STRUCTURE OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW

 

The overall structure of your review will depend largely on your own thesis or research area. What you will need to do is to group together and compare and contrast the varying opinions of different writers on certain topics. What you must not do is just describe what one writer says, and then go on to give a general overview of another writer, and then another, and so on. Your structure should be dictated instead by topic areas, controversial issues or by questions to which there are varying approaches and theories. Within each of these sections, you would then discuss what the different literature argues, remembering to link this to your own purpose.

Linking words are important. If you are grouping together writers with similar opinions, you would use words or phrases such as: Similarly, in addition, also, again

More importantly, if there is disagreement, you need to indicate clearly that you are aware of this by the use of linkers such as: however, on the other hand, conversely, nevertheless

At the end of the review, you should include a summary of what the literature implies, which again links to your hypothesis or main question.

A standard research literature review is expected to follow the format below:

1. Introduction
2. Conceptual framework
3. Theoretical framework
4. Empirical review
5. Knowledge gap (optional)
6. Summary of literature

INTRODUCTION: here undergraduate or final year project students are expected to simply spell out in at least seven (7) what this chapter will contain. As we have it above conceptual framework, theoretical framework, empirical review, etc. a good introduction gives the project supervisor kind confidence in his or her project students.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: a good conceptual framework will cover all the research objectives so as to help solve the problem of the research work. This section involves the use of diagrams to explain certain key variables in the research work. The use of diagram is usually high in MBA/MSC thesis research.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: this section is very important in research work. Undergraduate project students, postgraduate research students are expected to search for theories that are related to their research project topic.

For example, consider the project topic on human resource management: work-life balancing and its effect on employee productivity; the theory that is suited for the above research topic is The Segmentation Theory, Spill-Over Theory, Compensation Theory, Resource Drain Theory, and Border Theory. A project student is expected to get the theories that are related to their research work/ topic.

EMPIRICAL REVIEW

The empirical review is simply talking about the various researches done by other researchers concerning your topic or people's research works that are similar to your research work. The names of various researchers must be attached to their findings or statement.

For example, the use of instructional materials in teaching and learning of geography in senior secondary schools has a significant effect on the level of the academic achievement of students (Androameda, 2017)

SUMMARY OF LITERATURE

Here the research or project students are expected to point out their view concerning all that was discussed in each section of the literature review.

 

WHY WRITE A LITERATURE REVIEW?

 

When you write a thesis, dissertation, or research paper, you will have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position yourself in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate

You might also have to write a literature review as a stand-alone assignment. In this case, the purpose is to evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of scholarly debates around a topic.

The content will look slightly different in each case, but the process of conducting a literature review follows the same steps.

 

Step 1: Search for relevant literature

 

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic.

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions.

If you are writing a literature review as a stand-alone assignment, you will have to choose a focus and develop a central question to direct your search. Unlike a dissertation research question, this question has to be answerable without collecting original data. You should be able to answer it based only on a review of existing publications.

Search for literature using keywords and citations

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research topic and question. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalog
• Google Scholar
• JSTOR
• EBSCO
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering, and computer science)

Read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

To identify the most important publications on your topic, take note of recurring citations. If the same authors, books or articles keep appearing in your reading, make sure to seek them out.

You can find out how many times an article has been cited on Google Scholar – a high citation count means the article has been influential in the field, and should certainly be included in your literature review.

What can proofreading do for your paper?

Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words, and awkward phrasing.

 

Step 2: Evaluate and select sources

 

You probably won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on the topic – you’ll have to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your questions.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models and methods? Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• How does the publication contribute to your understanding of the topic? What are its key insights and arguments?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

The scope of your review will depend on your topic and discipline: in the sciences, you usually only review recent literature, but in the humanities, you might take a long historical perspective (for example, to trace how a concept has changed in meaning over time).

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism. It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography, where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

You can use our free citation generator to quickly create correct and consistent APA citations or MLA format citations.

 

Step 3: Identify themes, debates, and gaps

 

To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, you need to understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts, and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: What is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

 

Step 4: Outline your literature review’s structure

 

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. You should have a rough idea of your strategy before you start writing.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

Thematic

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods, you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

 

Step 5: Write your literature review

 

Like any other academic text, your literature review should have an introduction, the main body, and a conclusion. What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

Introduction

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Dissertation literature review you are writing the literature review as part of your dissertation or thesis, reiterate your central problem or research question, and give a brief summary of the scholarly context. You can emphasize the timeliness of the topic (“many recent studies have focused on the problem of x”) or highlight a gap in the literature (“while there has been much research on x, few researchers have taken y into consideration”). Stand-alone literature review you are writing a stand-alone paper, give some background on the topic and its importance, discuss the scope of the literature you will review (for example, the time period of your sources), and state your objective. What new insight will you draw from the literature?

Body

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers—add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transitions and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts

Literature review paragraph example

The example below is taken from the body of a literature review on the relationship between national identity and nature conservation. This paragraph discusses how humanities scholars have approached the concept of wilderness.

Early work in environmental humanities tended to take a sharply critical approach to the wilderness, focusing on the cultural construction of supposedly ‘natural’ landscapes. The rise of climate change awareness in the 1980s had been framed by narratives about “the end of nature” (McKibben 1989), in which a once-pristine wilderness is degraded by humans to the point of disappearance. In response to this popular discourse, environmental historian William Cronon critiqued the concept of pure, pristine nature to be preserved from human influence, arguing that ideas like “wilderness” are themselves products of particular human cultures and histories. In his influential essay ‘The Trouble with Wilderness’ (1995), Cronon traces how the ideal of untouched wilderness, anxiety over its loss, and the political will to preserve it has been central to American national identity, entwined with religious motifs and colonial frontier mythologies. Following Cronon, the racial and class politics of wilderness preservation was a theme taken up by several scholars in the late 1990s and early 2000s, who researched the material effects of conservation politics on indigenous and rural Americans (Catton 1997; Spence 1999; Jacoby 2001). The US National Park system became the dominant paradigm for analyzing relations between conservation, nationhood, and nationalism. However, this approach has sometimes led to a narrowly US-centric perspective that fails to engage closely with the meanings and materialities of “wilderness” in different contexts. Recent work has begun to challenge this paradigm and argues for more varied approaches to understanding the socio-political relations between nations and nature.

The example combines the thematic and chronological approaches. This section of the literature review focuses on the theme of wilderness, while the paragraph itself is organized chronologically.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

Dissertation literature review if the literature review is part of your thesis or dissertation, show how your research addresses gaps and contributes new knowledge, or discuss how you have drawn on existing theories and methods to build a framework for your research. Stand-alone literature review if you are writing a stand-alone paper, you can discuss the overall implications of the literature or make suggestions for future research based on the gaps you have identified.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting it. Our quick guide to proofreading offers some useful tips and tricks!

 

EDITORS SOURCE: How To Develop Your Research Project Chapter Two Effectively (Literature Review)