The notion of theoretical framework in the agile literature review approach (ALRA)

In the subject of dissertation project, the notion of theoretical framework is an important topic. In general, it is understood as a structure that holds a set of chosen theories for a dissertation project. As such, it goes a long way towards contributing to the clarification of the study scope of a dissertation project. 

In the agile literature review approach (ALRA), being an agile approach to guide business students doing dissertation projects and continuous intellectual competence development, the theoretical framework notion can be defined as follows:

A management-concerns-driven layered intellectual structure that offers a holistic and agile research tactic with a set of chosen academic ideas and mapped-on research methods for a business student doing a case study dissertation project, under much time pressure and well-defined academic work requirements.

Regarding this definition, the ALRA notion of theoretical framework is largely in line with the mainstream thinking on this notion. Beyond this, the ALRA notion on theoretical framework has six specific characteristics and associated benefits:

1. There is not a single diagram to depict the "structure" of the theoretical framework. Instead, there is a theoretical framework set (TFS). The TFS comprises: (i) a theoretical framework level-0, which holds a set of management-concerns-driven high-level research tasks, (ii) a theoretical framework level-1a, which holds academic ideas, notably, analytical academic ideas, by high-level research tasks, (iii) a theoretical framework level-1b, which holds a number of low-level research tasks with explicit academic ideas and research methods to use, and (iv) a theoretical framework level-1c, which is essentially theoretical framework level-1a, with mapped-on research methods. In this regard, the TFS constitutes a layered intellectual structure.

2. The theoretical framework (TFS) set endorses systems thinking on both the management-concerns and the high-level research tasks of a dissertation project. By doing so, the TFS promotes the creation of practical value of the dissertation project.

3. The ALRA theoretical framework promotes using academic literature review to respond to management-concerns identified in a dissertation project in an agile way. With intellectual reflection on such dissertation project usage of ideas from the academic literature, the framework creates academic value.

4. The ALRA theoretical framework usage enables intellectual competence development to its user. It is, in this respect, a learning tool for scholar-practitioner capability building.

5. The ALRA theoretical framework guides the business management student doing dissertation project to produce a dissertation report that meets the dissertation academic requirement. Thus, it boosts up the academic performance of the student doing dissertation project.

6. The ALRA theoretical framework promotes an integrated line of reasoning throughout the dissertation project report work on the report content of Introduction, Literature Review, Research Methods, Findings and Analysis, Conclusions and Recommendations and, finally, Personal Development.

Finally, the ALRA theoretical framework is capable of incorporating a set of academic ideas in the form of a conceptual framework, being a set of independent, dependent, mediator, moderator, and control variables.