Advancing Qualitative Meta-Studies (QMS): Current Practices and Reflective Guidelines for Synthesizing Qualitative Research

Abstract

Qualitative meta-studies (QMS) have emerged as a promising methodology for synthesizing qualitative research within organization and management studies. However, despite considerable progress, increasingly fragmented applications of QMS impede the advancement of the methodology. To address this issue, we review and analyze the expanding body of QMS in organization and management studies. We propose a framework that encompasses the core decisions and methodological choices in the formal QMS protocol as well as the reflective—yet often implicit—meta-practices essential for deriving meaningful results from QMS. Based on our analysis, we develop two guidelines to help researchers reflectively align formal methodological choices with the intended purpose of the QMS, which can be either confirmatory or exploratory.