2. Research Framework: A Guide to Research Structure

This chapter explains the systematic construction of a research framework within the social sciences, highlighting the essential relationship between concepts, constructs, and theories. It hypothesises that to effectively investigate contemporary organisational phenomena, such as the shift to remote work, researchers must ground their inquiry in a robust theoretical structure. The chapter illuminates the hierarchical relationship wherein broad social concepts are operationalised through specific, measurable constructs, which in turn are integrated into comprehensive theories through rigorous deductive and inductive reasoning. It demonstrates this process by outlining how abstract ideas such as organisational resources are deconstructed into tangible and intangible constructs, allowing empirical investigation into their impact on organisational performance. In addition, the chapter presents the idea of framework development as both a rigorous science and a creative art, a duality now being reshaped by the advent of Artificial Intelligence. It is argued that AI functions as a collaborative partner, augmenting the researcher’s creative capacity by identifying novel theoretical connections and improving scientific rigour through sophisticated operationalisation of constructs. This synthesis of human intellect and AI promises to yield more innovative and empirically valid theoretical frameworks for addressing the complex challenges of modern management.