Let’s say you were interested in the aforementioned “successful nurses.” If you adopted Bass and Avolio’s (1995) Full Range of Leadership Model as your framework, you would focus on what that model cares about: transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership behaviors. You might ask questions of these nurses about their transformational leadership behaviors, their transactional leadership behaviors, and their laissez-faire leadership behaviors. Alternatively, if you selected Maslow’s (1954) Hierarchy of Needs as your framework, you might ask these successful nurses about each level of that famous triangle: How were their physiological needs addressed? How were their safety needs addressed? How were their belonging needs addressed? … and so on. Without these lenses, we could indeed ask anything of these successful nurses. Such a situation would lead, potentially, to a very poorly designed study. With a lens chosen, the focus is clear!

Action Steps: So, which theoretical or conceptual framework should I choose?

First, figure out how your doctoral program deals with theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Go find the most recent 25 dissertations from your doctoral program. Try to find dissertations that are generally the same research design as you are pursuing: Quantitative or qualitative. Second, ask yourself: “Where, explicitly, is the theoretical or conceptual framework discussed in these dissertations?” If they show up in multiple chapters, ask yourself, “What role do they play in each of these chapters?” Third, make a list of all the theoretical or conceptual frameworks you encounter. Note the authors that created the framework, the purpose statement of the study, and the research questions asked. Finally, continue your literature search/review work in earnest. Don’t force yourself to choose a framework right away. Instead, keep a running list of the theories and models you encounter as you do your natural reading. You should not select your theoretical or conceptual framework, in my view, until you have a list of at least ten other theories or models that you could have adopted.

Parting Words

Remember that finding or building a theoretical or conceptual framework for your study is not something that happens overnight. Even if you found a model that takes your breath away, that’s only about 10% of the work: You still need to create a list of all the theories or models you could have chosen! You don’t want to go to your advisor in love with a framework without being able to explain why it is ‘da bomb. You want to be able to explain of why, in the ocean of all other theories and models, you selected this special one. If you found this article helpful and want to check out my other resources, you can find them below and always at my website at www.theDissertationMentor.com If you want to pour jet-fuel on your dissertation writing process, consider joining me in my flagship program.

Further Learning