Investigating Entrepreneurship: Sampling Methods and Literature Review

This assignment explores two key aspects of academic research: sampling methods and literature reviews, particularly within the context of entrepreneurship among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The first part focuses on simple random sampling, detailing its advantages in selecting an unbiased and representative sample from a population, ensuring room for error, and the factors considered before its implementation. The second part delves into the role and features of a literature review, defining its purpose in providing a theoretical foundation, avoiding duplication, and identifying research gaps. It highlights the key features of a good literature review, including defining the research topic, stating outcome evaluation criteria, procedures for acquiring relevant literature, and describing response and explanatory variables. Furthermore, it discusses how to critically evaluate the literature based on its nature, reliability, authority, validity, and relevance. The assignment concludes with a plan for searching literature, emphasizing the importance of scanning abstracts, evaluating paper quality, and determining convergence and divergence related to the study's hypothesis. References from academic sources are provided to support the arguments.

Question 1
1.1 Sampling method
In investigating on the performance of entrepreneurship among small and medium enterprises,
employing simple random sampling method would be ideal when aiming to obtain at least 150
responses from a relatively large population. The factors considered before choice of simple
random sampling method include:
i. Choosing an unbiased sample
ii. Representativeness of the sample
iii. Provision of room for error
Choosing an unbiased sample
Simple random sampling ensures that the sample chosen is completely out of chance where
every sample unit has an equal probability of being chosen from the population. Use of simple
random sampling will therefore ensure that the chosen sample is unbiased since the researcher
will not have priori information about the sampling units. Moore, McCabe and Craig (2009)
argue that “…simple random sampling eliminates bias by giving each individual an equal chance
to be chosen.”
Representativeness of the sample
Through use of probability, random sampling method will ensure that the sample cuts across the
population, i.e. the population is most equally represented in the chosen sample. According to
Greg (2018) representative sampling is crucial when drawing inferences and generalizations in
research.

Provision of room for error
In order to ensure that the results are fairly conclusive for the population characteristic in study,
simple random sampling provides a margin for error, i.e. A plus or minus variance, therefore it
is free from errors such as errors of classification (Account learning, 2018)
Therefore, simple random sampling would be reliable in choosing an unbiased and representative
sample as well as reduce the
Question 2
2.1 Role of literature review in academic research
According to Dena and Margaret (2013), a literature review is “an evaluative report of
information which is related to the field under study.” A literature review therefore provides a
theoretical ground on which to base the research hence enables the researcher to obtain
additional information on the research topic to avoid doing what has already been done (Han,
2015). It also acts as a justification for your research through pointing out the potential gap that
the research would fill. Boote and Beile (2012) on the purpose of literature review argue that it
identifies and articulates relationships between existing literature and the research.
2.2 Key Features of a literature review in an academic paper
In a Jackson’s 1980 educational research review conducted by Soares (2014), he argues that a
good literature review should be such that it:
i. Defines and delimits the research topic

The literature review ought to provide a concise definition of the research topic as well as
provide a description of what the research will and will not include and provide reasons for
undertaking the research.
ii. States the criterion of outcome evaluation
Often, outcome of a research will be interpreted so as to come into a conclusion concerning the
research topic. A literature review will provide parameters under which the research conclusions
will be drawn for instance if a certain characteristic is exhibited by a given percentage of the
sample then a certain conclusion is drawn.
iii. States procedure of acquiring relevant literature
An unbiased literature provides a methodology for acquiring significant literature to the study, a
methodology which can be replicated by other researches.
iv. Describes the response and explanatory variables of the study
Declaring of independent and dependent variables shows how various studies are interrelated.
2.2.1 How researchers should ensure that their approach is critical
Greenhalgh (2015) suggests that any researcher should evaluate their chosen literature for their:
a. Nature
b. Reliability
c. Authority
d. Validity
e. Relevance of the materials

In exploring the five features in each material that the researcher wishes to review, will ensure
that the literature is critical to the research.
2.3 How I will plan my search for literature and where I will look first
In searching for literature in the study of the performance of entrepreneurship within SME’s in
France:
i. I will scan through various abstracts of papers on financial papers to check the mention of
my research topic
ii. I will then evaluate the paper’s relevance and its quality so as to ensure the literature
review for my paper provides a quality base for the research
iii. In addition, I will determine availability of similar researches i.e. duplicate studies related
to mine
iv. Lastly, I’ll examine areas of convergence as well as divergence in relation to the study
hypothesis and thesis statement
Therefore, the first place that I would explore would be the financial papers; both print and
online relating to small and medium enterprises in France.

References
Account learning. ( 2018). Simple random sampling [Online]. Available from:
http://www.accountlearning.com/simple-random-sampling-definition-advantages-disadvantages/
[Accessed 15th August 2018]
Boote, D.N. & Beile, P. (2012). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation
literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher 34(9), 3-15.
Dena, T., & Margaret, P. (2013). The literature review: A few tips on conducting it [Online].
Available from: www.advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/literature-review/ [Accessed
15th August 2018]
Greg, Depresio.(2018).What are the advantages of using simple random sampling method
[Online]. Available from: www.investopedia.com/ask/answer/042915/what-are-the-advantages-
of-using-simple-random-sampling-method [Accessed 15th August 2018]
Greenhalgh, T.(2015). How to read a paper: getting your bearings [Online]. Available from:
www.erm.ecs.soton.ac.uk/theme3/approaches_to_your_literature_review.html [Accessed 15th
August 2018]
Han, P. P. (2015). Role of literature review [Online]. Available from:
www.researchgate.net/post/what_is_the_importance_of_literature_review [Accessed 15th August
2018]
Soares, C. B. (2014). Methods for integrative reviews. Review of Educational Research. 50(3),
438-460.

Moore, D. S., McCabe, G. P., & Craig, B. A. (2009). Introduction to the practice of statistics.
New York, W.H. Freeman