RESEARCH PROPOSAL

(TITLE DEFENSE)

Compiled by Dr Lucena Oyson Asidoy

Sample of Theoretical Framework
Title: A Path Analysis of Innovation Strategies, Quality
Management Practices, and Market Orientation on
Organizational Performance of Manufacturing Firms
Theoretical Framework-(Excerpt)
This study is anchored on Goal Setting Theory originally
espoused by Locke and Latham (2002) applicable to both
individual and organizational level. This operates on the
premise that conscious goals impact action where people
and organization have control over their performance.
Establishing objectives and developing strategies and
mechanisms could attain the performance envisioned by
both the employees and the organization.
In this study, the mechanisms established were
innovation, quality management, and market
orientation to realize the performance they have set for
themselves. Furthermore, the above theory is
supported by Organization Theory conceptualized by
Jones (1995). This theory is efficiency oriented,
communication based concerned with control
strategies as determinants for expected outcomes. This
study considered the three exogenous variables as
constructs of organizational performance.
2. The moderating effect of marketing mix on the relationship
between service quality and customer satisfaction
 
This study is anchored on Maslow’s Theory of Motivation
(1943). This theory states that all persons have different
needs to satisfy. These needs are categorized according to
hierarchy. The first level in the hierarchy is the satisfaction
of physiological needs which include food, water, warm,
and rest. Most of these needs, particularly, food and
clothing are offered in the shopping malls. This is why
shopping malls play an important role in the satisfaction of
man’s basic needs.
 The Theory of Motivation is supported by the Four P’s
Model of McCarthy (1960) that links marketing mix with
customer satisfaction. Management is provided with a
marketing mix framework as guide for developing
strategies to satisfy customers’ needs and wants with
product, price, place, and promotion. The Four P’s can be
used as a framework to help decision makers develop
policies how to satisfy the diverse and ever-changing needs
of the customers. This is further reinforced by the
propositions of Ai Ling (2007); Azhar, Jufrizen, and
Sari(2018); Marlina, Tjan (2015). Wardi, and Patrisia
(2019), and Wahab and Hassan (2015); Wube (2018) who
confirmed that marketing mix is inevitable to businesses
who seek for customer satisfaction.
 Another support for the main theory of motivation is the
User-Based Approach which believes that different
customers have different needs, desires, and preferences.
This approach is useful to identify the satisfaction levels of
the customers’ diverse needs which further believes that
quality is how best the product or services satisfy
customers’ preferences This theory is further confirmed by
the propositions of Chan and Goh (2019); Kefeni (2018);
Paul, Mittal, and Srivastav (2016); Saravanan (2015) that
service quality is an antecedent of customer satisfaction.