Literature Review

Purpose of literature review:

- To provide part or generic answers to your research objectives, as
proffered by researchers in the past; (your research could then focus on
finding answers that are more relevant to your study area or scope of
research; your research could also aim to identify which of the generic
answers are relevant in the context of your study, or to see if other criteria
not yet covered in the literature could be found )
- To provide reference or authoritative backing to some of the points of
your arguments; e.g. to establish evidence of existence of a problem which
your research is grappling to solve. For example, if in your research problem
statement you state that there is no available framework for choosing between
outsourcing and in-house FM, you then search the literature to discover who
made a statement to support this assertion. This helps to give justification/
validity to your claims)
- To put your proposed work in the context of the existing literature; i.e. to
identify what had been done by researchers in the past, what gaps exist,
and how your research intend to contribute to fill the identified gaps (to be
abreast with the current issues in your line of research)
- To provide a reference for supporting or benchmarking your conclusions
(In relation to the key issues indicated in the objectives): Review:
1. Generic concept of value. I.e. what does value mean? How can value be added?
2. Broad and sub-categories of FM functions; e.g. strategic, operation, etc.
3. Value addition in FM functions: What adds value in FM functions, or what
criteria are used to judge value in FM functions
4. Outsourcing in FM:
a. What is outsourcing?
b. What FM functions are suitable for outsourcing?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing?
5. In-house approach to performing FM functions:
a. What are the key issues in in-house FM functions?
b. What FM functions are suitable for in-house delivery?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of in-house delivery of FM
functions?
6. Outsourcing versus in-house approaches to FM:
a. How do both approaches compare in terms of delivering part or whole of
FM functions?
7. Organisations approaches to meeting FM functions

2.0 Literature Review (about 5 pages or say 2000 words max)

2.1 Introduction to FM
- What is FM?
- What are the purposes of FM?
- What are the branches of FM?
- Other relevant issues about FM
2.2 Concept of value. I.e. what does value mean? How can value be added?
2.3 FM functions; e.g. strategic, development, operational, etc.
2.4 Value addition in FM functions: What adds value in FM functions, or what
criteria are used to judge value in FM functions?
2.3 Outsourcing in FM:
a. What is outsourcing?
b. What FM functions are suitable for outsourcing?
c. What are the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing?
2.4 In-house approach to performing FM functions:
d. What are the key issues in in-house FM functions?
e. What FM functions are suitable for in-house delivery?
f. What are the advantages and disadvantages of in-house delivery of FM
functions?
2.4 Outsourcing versus in-house approaches to FM:
g. How do both approaches compare in terms of delivering part or whole of
FM functions?
2.5 Organisations approaches to meeting FM functions
2.6 Summary of review of literature:
Summary of the key issues reviewed; what aspects of the objectives of the study
have been provided answers to, by the reviews? What aspects are outstanding that
need to be answered by the outcome of your study?