DEVELOPING THEORETICAL

FRAMEWORK
AND SETTING THE OBJECTIVES
WHAT IS THEORY?
• A MODEL OR FRAMEWORK FOR OBSERVATION AND
UNDERSTANDING
• SHAPES BOTH WHAT WE SEE AND HOW WE SEE IT;
• ALLOWS THE RESEARCHER TO MAKE LINKS BETWEEN
• THE ABSTRACT AND THE CONCRETE,
• THE THEORETICAL AND THE EMPIRICAL,
• THOUGHT STATEMENTS AND OBSERVATIONAL STATEMENTS.

• EXPLAINS AND PREDICTS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

VARIABLES

• A SYSTEM OF INTERCONNECTED ABSTRACTIONS OR IDEAS THAT

CONDENSES AND ORGANISES KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD
CHARACTERISTICS OF THEORY

• THEORY GUIDES RESEARCH AND ORGANISES ITS IDEAS.

• ‘FACTS’ OF DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES HAVE NO MEANING UNLESS THEY ARE
DRAWN TOGETHER IN A THEORETICAL OR CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.

• EMPIRICALLY RELEVANT

• BECOMES STRONGER AS MORE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE IS

GATHERED; PROVIDES A CONTEXT FOR PREDICTIONS

• HAS THE CAPACITY TO GENERATE NEW RESEARCH.

THEORY AND RESEARCH OR THEORY IN RESEARCH?

• THERE IS A TWO-WAY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND

RESEARCH.

• SOCIAL THEORY INFORMS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ISSUES,

WHICH, IN TURN, ASSISTS US IN MAKING RESEARCH DECISIONS
AND MAKING SENSE OF THE WORLD.

• THE EXPERIENCE OF DOING RESEARCH AND ITS FINDINGS ALSO

INFLUENCES OUR THEORISING.
DEDUCTIVE THEORY
• EMPIRICAL RESULTS AFFECT THE WAY THEORY IS EXPANDED AND ALTERED.
IN A DEDUCTIVE APPROACH, RESEARCHERS USE THEORY TO GUIDE THE
DESIGN OF A STUDY AND THE INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS. AS
RESEARCHERS CONTINUE TO CONDUCT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN TESTING A
THEORY, THEY DEVELOP CONFIDENCE THAT SOME PARTS OF IT ARE TRUE.
• RESEARCHERS MAY MODIFY SOME PROPOSITIONS OF A THEORY OR REJECT
THEM IF SEVERAL WELL-CONDUCTED STUDIES HAVE NEGATIVE FINDINGS.
INDUCTIVE THEORY
INDUCTIVE THEORISING BEGINS WITH A FEW ASSUMPTIONS AND BROAD
ORIENTING CONCEPTS. THEORY DEVELOPS FROM THE GROUND UP AS THE
RESEARCHERS GATHER AND ANALYSE THE DATA. THEORY EMERGES SLOWLY,
CONCEPT BY CONCEPT, AND PROPOSITION BY PROPOSITION, IN A SPECIFIC AREA.
OVER TIME, THE CONCEPTS AND EMPIRICAL GENERALISATIONS EMERGE AND
MATURE. SOON, RELATIONSHIPS BECOME VISIBLE AND RESEARCHERS WEAVE
KNOWLEDGE FROM DIFFERENT STUDIES INTO MORE ABSTRACT THEORY.
DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS THEORY
THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR
UTAUT MODEL
FRAMEWORK

• A RESEARCH FRAMEWORK IS THE RESEARCHER’S PERSPECTIVE ON HOW

THE INTERRELATED CONCEPTS AND VARIABLES IN A STUDY FIT
TOGETHER.

• A FRAMEWORK IS A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF A THEORY OR PORTIONS OF

A THEORY TO BE TESTED IN A STUDY.

• A THEORY IS ABSTRACT RATHER THAN CONCRETE.

• IT FOCUSES ON THE GENERAL.

VARIABLES
• VARIABLES ARE CHARACTERISTICS OR ATTRIBUTES OF CASES WHOSE
BEHAVIOUR OR CHARACTERISTICS WE STUDY

• VARIABLES COULD OCCUR IN ANY FORM

• VARIABLES CAN TAKE ON DIFFERING OR VARYING VALUES

• VARIABLES ARE THINGS THAT WE MEASURE, CONTROL OR MANIPULATE IN AN

INVESTIGATION
TYPES OF VARIABLES
• DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV)
• INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV)
• INTERVENING (IIV) OR MEDIATING
• MODERATING (MV)
TYPES OF VARIABLES
• DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV) =CRITERION, OUTCOME

• A VARIABLE WHICH CAN BE PREDICTED AND EXPLAINED. VARIATION IN THE

DEPENDENT VARIABLE IS WHAT A RESEARCHER TRIES TO EXPLAIN.

• INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV) =PREDICTOR, EXPLANATORY

• THE VARIABLE THAT IS PREDICTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH OR EXPLAINS

THE VARIATION IN THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT
VARIABLES
MODERATING VARIABLE
A moderating variable (MV) or moderator is a qualitative (e.g. sex, race, class) or
quantitative (e.g. level of reward) variable that affects the direction and/or strength of the
relation between an independent variable and a dependent variable.
 INTERVENING VARIABLE (IIV)

THOSE FACTORS THAT THEORETICALLY AFFECT THE OBSERVED

PHENOMENON BUT CANNOT BE SEEN, MEASURED OR
MANIPULATED; ITS EFFECT MUST BE INFERRED FROM THE
EFFECTS OF THE INDEPENDENT AND MODERATOR VARIABLES ON
THE OBSERVED PHENOMENON (TUCKMAN, 1972).
 INTERVENING VARIABLE (IIV)
(CONT.)
• PRESENCE OF THIS VARIABLE STRENGTHENS
THE LINK BETWEEN THE INDEPENDENT AND
DEPENDENT VARIABLES.
• IT SURFACES BETWEEN THE TIME THE
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE OPERATES TO
INFLUENCE THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE AND
THEIR IMPACT ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALL OF THE
MENTIONED VARIABLES CAN BE
ILLUSTRATED DIAGRAMMATICALLY AS
FOLLOWS.
 WHAT IS A CONSTRUCT?
• A CONSTRUCT IS AN ATTRIBUTE OR CHARACTERISTIC
EXPRESSED IN AN ABSTRACT, GENERAL WAY.

Construct Brand equity

Variable Brand awareness

4.3 THEORY AND THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
4.3.1 THEORY
• FUNCTIONS AS EXPLANATIONS, DESCRIPTIONS OR PREDICTIONS
ABOUT PHENOMENON PARTICULAR TO A CONCEPTUAL MODEL
• ACTS AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN OR AMONGST VARIABLES
4.3.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• IS A COLLECTION OF INTERRELATED CONCEPTS THAT CAN HOLD
OR SUPPORT A THEORY OF A RESEARCH WORK AND GUIDE A
RESEARCH.
 4.4 CONCEPTS AND CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
4.4.1 CONCEPT
• AN INTANGIBLE IMAGE OR SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF
AN ABSTRACT IDEA.
4.4.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK:
• IT IS THE OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE THEORY SHOWING
THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTS IN A
RESEARCH STUDY.
 A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CAN BE
FORMULATED BY THESE FOUR STEPS:

1. CITE THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OR

PARADIGM
2. IDENTIFY THE VARIABLES
3. POINT OUT THE DEPENDENT AND INTERVENING
VARIABLES
4. SHOW THE DIRECTION OF THE STUDY
4.5 DEVELOPING THE THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK IS A LOGICALLY
DEVELOPED, DESCRIBED AND ELABORATED
NETWORK OF ASSOCIATIONS AMONG THE
VARIABLES DEEMED RELEVANT TO THE PROBLEM
FEATURES OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

• SPECIFY THE THEORY USED

• IDENTIFY, DISCUSS AND LABEL THE VARIABLES
• DISCUSS AND EXPLAIN DIRECTIONS OF THE
RELATIONSHIPS
• USES A SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM TO ASSIST THE
INTERPRETATION
A SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:
MODELING SATISFACTION AND
BEHAVIOURAL INTENTION
4.6 SETTING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
• IS A CLEAR AND CONCISE STATEMENT OF THE
PURPOSE AND AIM OF THE STUDY WHICH
ESSENTIALLY SUMMARISES WHAT NEEDS TO BE
ACHIEVED BY THE STUDY
• PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OR THE BIG PICTURE OF
WHAT IS INTENDED TO BE ACHIEVED
4.6.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• DERIVED FROM THE PROBLEM

STATEMENT
• PROVIDE THE VERY BASIC FOUNDATION
OF RESEARCH WORK
• SPECIFICALLY STATES WHAT A
RESEARCHER WILL ATTEMPT TO
ANSWER
4.6.2 DEVELOPING HYPOTHESIS

AN EDUCATED GUESS OR PREDICTION OF THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONE OR MORE FACTORS
(VARIABLES/CONSTRUCTS) IDENTIFIED IN THE STUDY IN
THE MANNER THAT IT CAN BE TESTED STATISTICALLY.
HYPOTHESIS CONSTRUCTION

• IF-THEN STATEMENTS OR PROPOSITION

• EXAMPLE: IF EMPLOYEES ARE MORE HEALTHY, THEN THEY WILL
TAKE SICK LEAVES LESS FREQUENTLY.
• DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES
• EXAMPLE: THE HIGHER THE MOTIVATION TOWARDS WORK, THE
GREATER IS THE JOB PERFORMANCE.
Hypothesis Construction (cont.)

• NON-DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES
• EXAMPLE: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WORK
ETHIC VALUES OF AMERICAN AND ASIAN EMPLOYEES.
• NULL AND ALTERNATE HYPOTHESES
• EXAMPLE: THE NULL STATEMENT IS EXPRESSED AS NO
(SIGNIFICANT) RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO VARIABLES
OR NO (SIGNIFICANT) DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO
GROUPS.
HYPOTHESIS CONSTRUCTION
(CONT.)
• ALTERNATE HYPOTHESES.
• EXAMPLE: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN SATISFACTION LEVEL BETWEEN MEN
AND WOMEN
(ΜM ≠ΜW).

WHERE,
• ΜM IS THE MEAN SATISFACTION LEVEL OF MEN
• ΜW IS THE MEAN SATISFACTION LEVEL OF WOMEN
• NON-DIRECTIONAL HYPO
• THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A & B
• THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A & B
 WITH REFERENCE TO THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AS
PREVIOUSLY SHOWN, THESE ARE THE HYPOTHESES FOR THE STUDY,
WHICH ARE STATED IN THE DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS FORMAT.

• H1: THE HIGHER THE RESTAURANT

SERVICE/PRODUCT DIMENSION (SERVICE QUALITY,
PRODUCT QUALITY AND ATMOSPHERICS
QUALITY), THE HIGHER THE SATISFACTION LEVEL.
• H2: THE HIGHER THE MARKETING DIMENSION
(BRAND IMAGE AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP
MANAGEMENT), THE HIGHER THE SATISFACTION
LEVEL.
• H3: THE HIGHER THE RESTAURANT
SERVICE/PRODUCT DIMENSION (SERVICE QUALITY,
PRODUCT QUALITY AND ATMOSPHERICS
QUALITY), THE HIGHER THE REVISIT INTENTION.
 WITH REFERENCE TO THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AS
PREVIOUSLY SHOWN, THESE ARE THE HYPOTHESES FOR
THE STUDY, WHICH ARE STATED IN THE DIRECTIONAL
HYPOTHESIS FORMAT.

• H4: THE HIGHER THE RESTAURANT MARKETING

DIMENSIONS (BRAND IMAGE AND CUSTOMER
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT), THE HIGHER THE
REVISIT INTENTION.
• H5: THE HIGHER THE SATISFACTION LEVEL, THE
HIGHER THE REVISIT INTENTION.
• H6: THE HIGHER THE SATISFACTION LEVEL, THE
STRONGER THE INTENTION TO RECOMMEND TO
OTHERS.
• H7: THE HIGHER THE REVISIT INTENTIONS, THE
STRONGER THE INTENTION TO RECOMMEND TO
OTHERS.