THE RESEARCH PROCESS:

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND

HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 4
Objectives
• Identify and label variables associated with any given
situation
• Trace and establish the links among the variables and
evolve a theoretical framework
• Develop a set of hypotheses to be tested and state
them in the null and alternative hypotheses
• Apply what has been learned to a research project
Theoretical Framework
Definition of a theoretical framework

“represents your beliefs on how certain

phenomena (or variables or concepts) are related
to each other (a model) and an explanation of why
you believe that these variables are associated
with each other ( a theory)”
Theoretical Framework
• Introducing definitions of the concepts or
variables in your model
• Developing a conceptual model that provides a
descriptive representation of your theory
• Coming up with a theory that provides an
explanation for relationships between the
variables in your model
Variables
• Defined as anything that can take on differing
or varying values.
• Discrete variables are also known as
discontinuous variables or categorical variables.
Can be nominal (male or female), multiple
category (blood types, races, educational level,
social status, place of birth and hobbies)
• Continuous variables – variables that
represent continuous progression (height,
weight, age etc.)
4 main types of variables
• The dependent variable (also known as criterion
variable – variable which vary depending on the
independent variable)
• The independent variable (also known as the
predictor value – can be manipulated or varied)
Ex y = mx
y = ___________________
x = ___________________
4 main types of variables
• The moderating variable
• The mediating variable

Example:
An applied researcher wants to increase the
performance of bank employees in a particular
branch. What is the dependent variable in this
case?
4 main types of variables
• The moderating variable
• The mediating variable

Example:
An applied researcher wants to increase the
performance of bank employees in a particular
branch. What is the dependent variable in this
case?
continue
Example:
A marketing manager believes that limiting the
availability of a product increases product
desirability? What is the dependent variable here?

Example:
A manager believes that good supervision &
training will increase the production level of
workers.
continue
Example:
A marketing manager believes that selecting
physically attractive spokespersons and models to
endorse their products increases the
persuasiveness of a message
continue
• Moderating variable – has strong contingent
effect on the independent – dependent variable
relationship
- modify the relationship between the IV and the
DV

• Mediating variable (intervening variable) – is

one that surfaces between the time the IV start
operating to influence the DV and the time their
effect is felt on.
Theoretical Framework
• It is a logically described, and elaborated
network of associations among the variables
deemed relevant to the problem situation and
identified through such processes such as
interviews, observations, and lit review.
Experience and intuition also guide the
development of the theoretical framework.
The Components of the Theoretical
Framework
• The variables considered relevant to the study
should be clearly defined
• A conceptual model that describes the
relationships between the variables in the
model should be given.
• There should be a clear explanation of why we
expect these relationships to exist.
Conceptual framework
• Describes how the concepts in the model are
related to each other. A schematic diagram of
the conceptual model helps the reader to
visualize the theorized relationships.
Hypothesis Development
• Definition of a hypothesis – as a tentative, yet
testable, statement, which predicts what you
expect to find in your empirical data

• Statement of hypotheses: formats

If –then statement
Employees who are more healthy will take sick
leave less frequently

If employees are more healthy, then they will

take sick leave less frequently
Alter
• Women are more motivated than men

• There is a relationship between age and job

satisfaction

Null hypotheses
• Null hypotheses (Ho)
Is a hypothesis set up to be rejected in order to
support an alternative hypothesis. When used,
the null hypothesis is presumed to be true until
statistical evidence, in the form of a hypothesis
test, indicates otherwise.
Alternate Hypothesis (HA)
• Is a statement expressing a relationship between
two variables or indicating differences between two
groups.

Example: Women are more motivated than man

Ho: µM= µW
There is no difference between women motivation than
men.
HA= µM< µW or HA= µW> µM
Women motivation is significantly higher than men.
Steps in hypothesis testing
• State the null and alternate hypothesis
• Choose the appropriate statistical test
depending on whether the data collected are
parametric or nonparametric
• Determine the level of significance desired
(p=0.05, or more, or less)
• See the output results from computer analysis
indicate that the significance level is met.
Steps in hypothesis testing
• State the null and alternate hypothesis
• Choose the appropriate statistical test
depending on whether the data collected are
parametric or nonparametric
• Determine the level of significance desired
(p=0.05, or more, or less)
• See the output results from computer analysis
indicate that the significance level is met.