THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK VS.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Every dissertation needs to have a theoretical foundation or a conceptual framework (or both) that is
discussed in the literature review section. The theoretical foundation is important because it will be the lens
through which you evaluate your research problem and research questions. The theoretical framework
section is typically required for quantitative studies, while a conceptual framework is used in
qualitative studies. Once you have identified the theory or theories that you will be utilizing, it is important
to know what information to include and how to include it in your discussion.

First and foremost, you should identify and describe your selected theory or theories. This information
should consist of the author(s) of the theory and details regarding the original study, such as the population,
purpose, and results. Providing this information will help you to highlight why the theory you have selected
is valid for use in your study, and will make it easier for you to demonstrate how the theory relates to your
own study.

Once you’ve introduced and discussed your selected theory in the Theoretical Foundation section of your
literature review, you need to outline why the theory is relevant to your study and how you will use the
information from it to conduct and evaluate your research and findings. For example, if you conduct a study
on employee engagement and opt to use Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs as your theoretical
foundation, discussing the fulfillment of needs as outlined in Maslow’s theory will help you to establish what
his theory is and why it is relevant to your research. Once that is done, you can discuss how the fulfillment
of needs (based on Maslow) relates to motivation in employees and how your study will use Maslow’s
theory to evaluate and address your identified problem.

(https://www.statisticssolutions.com/how-to-begin-writing-your-theoretical-framework/)

The theoretical framework defines the key concepts in your research, proposes
relations between them, and discusses relevant theories and models based on
a literature review.

A strong theoretical framework gives your research a sound scientific basis,

demonstrates your understanding of existing knowledge on the topic, and allows the
reader to evaluate your guiding assumptions. It gives your research direction, allowing
you to convincingly interpret, explain and generalize from your findings.

Your problem statement, research questions and literature review will serve as the basis
for preparing your theoretical framework.

Sample problem statement and research questions

Company X is struggling with the problem that many online customers do not return to
make subsequent purchases. Management wants to increase customer loyalty and
believes that improved customer satisfaction will play a major role in achieving this goal.

To investigate this problem, you have identified and plan to focus on the following
problem statement, objective, and research questions:

Problem: Many online customers do not return to make subsequent purchases.

Objective: To increase customer loyalty and thereby generate more revenue.

Research question: ‘How can the satisfaction of company X’s online customers be
improved in order to increase customer loyalty?’

Sub-Questions:
 1. ‘What is the relationship between customer loyalty and customer satisfaction?’
2. ‘How satisfied and loyal are company X’s online customers currently’
3. ‘What factors affect the satisfaction and loyalty of company X’s online
customers?’

As the concepts of “loyalty” and “customer satisfaction” play a major role in the
investigation and will later be measured, they are essential concepts to define within
the theoretical framework.

Below is a (simplified) example of how you can describe and compare definitions as
well as theories from the literature. In this example, we focus on the concept of
‘customer satisfaction.’

Sample theoretical framework

2.1 Customer satisfaction
Thomassen (2003, p. 69) defines customer satisfaction as follows: “the perception of
the customer as a result of consciously or unconsciously comparing his experiences
with his expectations”. Kotler & Keller (2008, p. 80) build on this definition, stating that
customer satisfaction is determined by “the degree to which someone is happy or
disappointed with the observed performance of a product in relation to his or her
expectations”. Performance that is below expectations leads to a dissatisfied customer,
while performance that satisfies expectations produces satisfied customers.
Expectations being exceeded leads to a “very satisfied or even pleasantly surprised
customer” (Kotler & Keller, 2003, p. 80).

The definition of Zeithaml & Bitner (2003, p. 86) is slightly different from that of
Thomassen: “Satisfaction is the consumer fulfillment response. It is a judgement that a
product or service feature, or the product of service itself, provides a pleasurable level
of consumption-related fulfillment.” The emphasis of Zeithaml & Bitner is thus on
obtaining a certain satisfaction in relation to purchasing.

The definition of Thomassen will be used in the current study, given the importance of
perception. This meshes well with the offerings of company X, which fall into the luxury
category. Although Zeithaml & Bitner (like Thomassen) say that customer satisfaction is
a reaction to the experience gained and focus on a certain satisfaction, there is no
distinction between conscious and unconscious comparisons in their definition.
Company X claims in its mission statement (see Chapter 1) that it wants to sell not only
a product, but also a feeling; as a result, unconscious comparison will play an important
role. The definition of Thomassen is therefore more relevant to the current study.

Thomassen’s Customer Satisfaction Model

According to Thomassen, both the so-called value proposition and other influencers
have an impact on final customer satisfaction. In his satisfaction model (Fig. 1),
Thomassen shows that word-of-mouth, personal needs, past experiences, and
marketing and public relations determine customers’ needs and expectations. These
factors are compared to their experiences, and this comparison between expectations
and experiences determines a customer’s satisfaction level. Thomassen’s model is
important in this study, as it can reveal both to what extent company X’s customers are
satisfied and where improvements are necessary.
Of course, you could analyze the concepts more thoroughly and compare additional
definitions to each other. You could also discuss the theories and ideas of key authors
in greater detail and provide several models to illustrate different concepts.

It is just critical that you correctly cite all of your sources sources throughout the
theoretical framework; the APA Style can guide you on how to do this.

If you do not cite your sources you risk committing plagiarism. Read more about
the consequences of plagiarism and how to avoid plagiarism.

The theoretical framework of a dissertation: what and how?

The theoretical framework is one of the more infamous components of a dissertation. A good
theoretical framework gives you a strong scientific research base and provides support for
the rest of your dissertation. But what exactly is a theoretical framework? And how do you write
one?

The goal of a theoretical framework

After you have identified your research approach (deductive vs. inductive), problem
statementand research question(s), it is important to determine what theories and ideas
exist in relation to your chosen subject.

By presenting this information, you ‘frame’ your research and show that you are
knowledgeable about the key concepts, theories, and models that relate to your topic.

The definitions and models you select also give your research direction, as you will
continue to build on these choices in different stages of your project.

The theoretical framework also provides scientific justification for your investigation: it
shows that your research is not just coming “out of the blue,” but that it is both grounded
in and based on scientific theory.
How to determine the contents of a theoretical
framework
As noted above, it is important that you cite existing theories and ideas that are relevant
to your chosen topic within the theoretical framework. This includes defining key terms
from your problem statement and research questions/hypotheses. An important first
step is therefore to identify these concepts.

1. Select key concepts

Sample problem statement and research questions: Company X is struggling with
the problem that many online customers do not return to make subsequent purchases.
Management wants to increase customer loyalty and believes that improved customer
satisfaction will play a major role in achieving this goal. To investigate this problem, you
have identified and plan to focus on the following problem statement, objective, and
research questions:

Problem: Many online customers do not return to make subsequent purchases.

Objective: To increase customer loyalty and thereby generate more revenue.

Research question: ‘How can the satisfaction of company X’s online customers be
improved in order to increase customer loyalty?’

Sub-questions:

1. ‘What is the relationship between customer loyalty and customer satisfaction?’

2. ‘How satisfied and loyal are company X’s online customers currently?’
3. ‘What factors affect the satisfaction and loyalty of company X’s online customers?’

The concepts of “customer loyalty” and “customer satisfaction” are critical to this study
and will be measured as part of the research. As such they are key concepts to define
within the theoretical framework.

2. Define and evaluate relevant concepts, theories, and models

A literature review is first used to determine how other researchers have defined these
key concepts. You should then critically compare the definitions that different authors
have proposed. The last step is to choose the definition that best fits your research and
justify why this is the case.

It is also important to indicate if there are any notable links between these concepts.

Apart from that, you should describe any relevant theories and models that relate to
your key concepts and argue why you are or are not applying them to your own
research.

3. Consider adding other elements to your theoretical framework

Depending on your topic or discipline, a comprehensive review of the state of affairs in
relation to your research topic may also be helpful to include in your theoretical
framework.

Here it’s important to understand the expectations of your supervisor or program in

advance. Theoretical problems are more likely to require a “state of affairs” overview
than more practical problems.
Analyzing the research field will give you an idea of what similar studies have looked at
and found regarding the problem. This will clarify the position of your research in
relation to existing knowledge in the field.

Following these steps will help to ensure that you are presenting a solid overview:

 Describe what discussions on the subject exist within the literature.

 Explain what methods, theories, and models other authors have applied. In doing so,
always argue why a particular theory or model is or is not appropriate for your own
research.
 Analyze the similarities and differences between your own research and earlier studies.
 Explain how your study adds to knowledge that already exists on the subject.

What kinds of research questions can you answer

within a theoretical framework?
The theoretical framework can be used to answer descriptive research questions that
only require literature (or desk) research. For example, theory alone is sufficient to
answer the research question: ‘What is the relationship between customer loyalty and
customer satisfaction?’.

In contrast, sub-questions such as ‘How satisfied are company X’s online customers
currently?’ cannot be answered in the theoretical framework, given that field research is
needed.

The theoretical framework (and the literature review that serves as its backbone) can
also be used to further analyze existing findings and hypotheses. It may also be used to
formulate and evaluate hypotheses of your own, which you can later test during
the qualitative or quantitative research of your study.

The structure of the theoretical framework

There are no fixed rules for structuring a theoretical framework. The important thing is to
create a structure that is logical. One way to do this is to draw on your research
questions/hypotheses and some of your key terms.

For example, you could create a section or paragraph that looks at each question,
hypothesis, or key concept. Within that text, you could then explore the theories and
models that are relevant to that particular item.

How long should the theoretical framework be?

The rules about length are not clear either, but a theoretical framework is on average
three to five pages long.

To makes things clearer, you might find it useful to include models or other graphics
within the theoretical framework. However, if you are concerned about space, you can
place these illustrations in an appendix (which you can then refer to in the main text).

Sample theoretical framework

We have prepared a sample theoretical framework that will give you a sense of what
this important part of a dissertation may look like.

Checklist: Theoretical Framework

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 Key concepts mentioned in research questions and hypotheses or problem statement
are defined.
 The main theories and models that relate to the research have been analyzed.
 Theories and models that are chosen to use to answer the research questions/ test your
hypotheses have been justified.
 Notable relationships between concepts are explained.
 The main scientific articles on the subject have been cited.
 All the descriptive research questions have been answered.
 The theoretical framework has a logical structure.
 Relevant and recent sources have been consulted.
 Sources are cited in the right way.
 Additional: An overview of existing knowledge related to the identified problem is
provided.

 Additional: It is made clear how the research is relevant (for example, by showing how
it fills a gap in the existing knowledge).