Introduction: the role and relevance of literature reviews and research in the Asia Pacific

Here we discuss the role and importance of a literature review article in advancing a subject area. We outline the contributions we selected and their methodologies. It was found that framework-based reviews using a framework such as TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, Methods) or ADO (Antecedents, Decisions and Outcome) are increasingly popular and can be more useful than other types of reviews, such as bibliometric or narrative, in some circumstances. The reviews also set out the theoretical and practical implications for business and management in the Asia Pacific as well as detailed future research agendas based on research gaps. Of course reviews themselves have their own limitations and biases, not least they are not original fieldwork or research and so are following well-worn, not new, paths. Yet, the importance and impact of ‘blue skies’ research should not be forgotten. Nevertheless, they do serve important purposes, including limiting the ‘reinvention of the wheel’ phenomenon while supporting future research work.