A theory’s theoretical framework is its illustrative and elucidating structure. An organised set of definitions and ideas that explain the link between the variables used to explain a phenomenon and provide a systematic description of the phenomenon is called a theory.
A thorough research procedure is followed in order to generate a hypothesis that clarifies the reason for the research issue in a study. Similar to a study’s road plan, a theoretical framework in research gives researchers a framework for data collection and conclusion formulation.This fosters comprehension of the findings by the researchers.
The theoretical framework of a research paper is an important element that should be presented in the introduction. It helps to narrow down the research’s topic and shows that the ideas and concepts relevant to the investigation have been understood.
What Is Theoretical Framework?
Now it’s time to learn what is theoretical framework. In research, a theoretical framework is a group of ideas, theories, and suppositions that aid in explaining a certain phenomenon or event. It might be viewed as a structure for the research questions that scholars develop about the subject.
Understanding the nature and technique of the research is aided by a theoretical framework, which is a step in the analysis and interpretation process. Descriptive research guides the design of research questions, hypotheses, and techniques to address the gaps in the literature after establishing the correlations between the variables and providing commentary on those gaps.
The Importance Of Theoretical FrameworkÂ
Theoretical framework is intended to support you in your research process in the following ways:
- Make a plan that will serve as a roadmap for the entire research process.
- Assist researchers in using formal concepts as a framework for their work
- Give the research a broad framework to help keep it focused.
- Control the choice of study techniques, gathering and analysing data.
- Formulate research questions and conjectures while aiding in the comprehension of the relationships among diverse subjects.
- Close the gaps in the corpus of existing research.
- The data acquired is intuitive, allowing for the potential of drawing accurate conclusions and expanding the range of possible outcomes.
What Makes A Theoretical Framework Necessary?
It is important to become familiar with the ideas and models that other researchers have already produced before you begin your own research. You get the chance to summarise and clarify what you have learnt in relation to your potential research topic in your theoretical framework.
If your issue is vast, there is a significant probability that there are already a lot of alternative theories about it. The ones that are most pertinent will be chosen after evaluation and comparison in your theoretical framework.
By “framing” your study in the context of a well-defined field, you help the reader understand the underlying assumptions that guide your methodology and methodology section decisions. This section of your dissertation establishes the framework for your investigation, assisting you in interpreting your findings and drawing more expansive conclusions.
Theoretical Framework As Opposed To ConceptualÂ
Whereas a theoretical framework covers the theoretical aspect of your study, that is, the various theories that can guide your research, a conceptual framework specifies the variables for your investigation and illustrates their relationships with one another.
Data collection is preceded by the conceptual framework’s construction. Nonetheless, both frameworks provide direction for data collection, processing, and analysis as well as aid in understanding the research subject.
The Procedure Of Writing Theoretical Framework
So, after getting the knowledge of what is theoretical framework, it is finally time to learn how you can write a theoretical framework efficiently.
Nonetheless, you might use the procedures listed below to create your own theoretical framework:
- Choosing your main ideas
- Assessing and elucidating pertinent hypotheses
- Demonstrating how your study complements earlier research
1. Determine your main ideas.
Selecting the most important terms from your research questions and problem statement is the first step. Concepts might have multiple definitions, so it’s critical that your theoretical framework defines every term exactly.
Example: Research questions and the problem statement
A recently opened boutique in the downtown area is having trouble with the issue of many of its online clients not coming back to make more purchases. An important problem for the otherwise rapidly expanding store is this. The management’s objective is to boost client loyalty, and they think that increasing customer happiness will be crucial to reaching their target of more repeat business.
You have determined that the following problem statement, objective, and research questions will be the main areas of concentration for your investigation of this subject:
Issue: A lot of internet shoppers do not come back to buy more.
Objective: The aim is to enhance the number of repeat consumers.
Research question: What steps can firm X take to make its online customers happier so that there are more of them coming back?
The concepts of “customer satisfaction” and “customer loyalty,” as well as how they connect to the likelihood of a return customer, are heavily stressed in this study. Your theoretical framework should define these concepts and include theories on how these variables relate to one another.
2. Assess and clarify pertinent theories
You can find out how other academics have defined these important ideas and made links between them by doing an extensive literature survey. Your goal when you compose your theoretical framework is to assess and contrast the various techniques that other writers have used.
You can decide which definitions best fit your research after debating various models and ideas, and you can provide evidence for your decision. If you feel that combining theories from several disciplines will help you better understand your subject, you can even do it.
Make sure to provide a brief discussion of each of the major theories that are connected to your main ideas. Give a justification for your decision not to use a well established theory if you want to use it in your own research.
Take note:Â
A theoretical framework dissertation and a literature review are two distinct concepts that should not be utilised together. A literature review objectively assessed materials related to your issue, whereas a theoretical framework explains the theoretical foundations of your work.
3. Illustrate how your study complements earlier studies.
Your theoretical framework should not only summarise and discuss current theories, but also demonstrate how your project will build upon and advance these concepts.
Your objective might be to do one or more of the following:
- Determine if a theory is valid in a particular, previously unexplored situation.
- Utilise an established theory to help you explain your findings.
- Examine and refute an idea
- Integrate several theories in a novel or distinctive manner.
How To Structure Your Theoretical Framework?Â
A dissertation’s theoretical framework may be presented as a stand-alone chapter or part, or it may occasionally be incorporated into a chapter on the literature review. Generally speaking, you should add a distinct theoretical framework chapter if your research deals with a large number of complex theories.
While there are no hard and fast rules for organising your theoretical framework, it’s advisable to confirm that your department or organisation doesn’t have any formatting requirements. The creation of a coherent, unambiguous structure is crucial. There are several approaches to this:
- Utilise your research questions as a guide, organising each part around a query or major idea.
- Sort according to the theoretical cluster.
- Arrange according to the date.
Theoretical Framework Examples
Below are given two top-notch examples of theoretical framework:
Theoretical Framework Example 1: Â Â
For an insurance company, cross-selling insurance products is a challenging endeavour. Despite the fact that the organisation offers over ten distinct plans, the sales department reports that the majority of consumers only have one insurance. Given that the majority of its clients buy insurance from other companies, the company would want for its consumers to obtain several policies.
The objective is to increase insurance product sales to existing customers.
Issue: A lot of clients are buying extra insurance from other businesses.
How can cross-selling of insurance products be enhanced through better consumer product awareness?
Sub-questions: How do sales and product awareness relate to one another? What elements influence consumer awareness of a product?
Given that the main focus of this study is “product awareness,” the theoretical framework ought to investigate this notion, analyse previous studies on the subject, and present theories regarding the relationship between enhanced product awareness and sales of other products.
Theoretical Framework Example 2: Â Â
A company’s sales and profitability are declining steadily. Poor services have led to a significant degree of consumer discontent and, as a result, a reduction in customer loyalty, which is the primary cause of the decline in profitability. The management intends to focus on maintaining and increasing customer loyalty.
The aim is to enhance customer happiness and loyalty by offering superior service.
Issue: Profitability and sales are still declining.
What relationship is there between profitability, sales, and customer satisfaction?
Sub-questions: How do sales and client loyalty relate to one another? Which variables affect the degree of customer satisfaction?
The crucial subjects in this case are customer satisfaction, loyalty, profitability, and sales, hence these should be the main focus of the theoretical framework.
The Advantages Of Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework in research has various advantages:
- Gives researchers a methodical approach that enables them to arrange their ideas logically.
- Assists in identifying areas that require more research and knowledge gaps.
- Increases the effectiveness of research by giving it a clear direction and concentrating efforts on pertinent facts.
- Enhances the calibre of research by offering a methodical and exacting strategy, which can raise the possibility of obtaining accurate and dependable outcomes.
- Facilitates the interchange of ideas and the creation of new knowledge by giving researchers a common language and conceptual framework to compare their findings with other research in the subject.
Conclusion:Â
It’s finally time to wrap up this informative blog post, hope you have learned what is a theoretical framework and all its in-depth information. The information that we have provided you with about the theoretical framework, it will help you all in creating your own theoretical framework without any errors and with accuracy.