Category: Unit 7

Part A

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Debate:

There shouldn’t be any debates over quantitative or qualitative research reports. Each research type plays a key role depending on what it is you are seeking. There is a rightful time and place for each of them. Qualitative data can provide stories that enable people to make personal connections to the information being shared and allow people to explore questions further.  Quantitative data provides numerical information that can help answer questions.   We have the opportunity to learn from both, and isn’t that the point?

Mixed Methods Research and Leadership Studies:

What makes a mixed methods research report stand out when it comes to leadership studies is that not only can it provide a numerical explanation for certain phenomenon,  it can also address more than one question at a time and it enables the stories behind the data to be shared.  Mixed methods research provides more evidence (quantitative and qualitative),  shares more insights (through stories/interviews) and highlights any needs for further explorations in the future.  This allows for a complete picture.

Part B

Article Link: Correlational Analysis of Servant Leadership and School Climate (Black, 2010)

Table 1

Criteria for evaluating the use of mixed methods in a research report

Part C

An  exemplary example of a Transformational Servant Leader in my life is my 86 year old (soon to be 87) Mom! I am so grateful to have her as my mentor and my confidante. The ways in which my Mom demonstrates these qualities is:

• She is sensitive to the emotional well being of others (always willing to listen, she will spend hours connecting with family, friends and members of her church  and our local community).
• She always puts others needs first before her own (she has always sacrificed so much to help others, especially her kids and grandchildren).
• She helps others grow and succeed (she is my biggest supporter, always encouraging me to pursue my  personal and professional dreams and to complete my Masters).
• She behaves ethically (her integrity and honesty is exemplary and she is a true role model).
• She empowers others to have confidence in their own abilities (she has always encouraged her children to be independent and self sufficient. She didn’t shy away from giving the freedom to let us fly on our own).
•  She creates value for the community by giving back to her church group and connecting with local community members to help make our neighbourhood a more warm and welcoming place to be.

I would apply a mixed methods approach to the study of servant leadership by conducting a convergent parallel design study that would enable the reader to “develop a complete and valid understanding” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 391) of the research conducted or by using a multiphase study that was “aimed at achieving an overall objective such as developing and evaluating a program” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 391).  Both of these mixed methods research designs would help assist in providing a clearer picture of transformational servant leadership.

Question: Did anyone else find this particular research report (Black, 2010) to not quite meet the same set of rigorous standards as others that we have been looking at in the past few weeks?  I was quite excited to read it and then was left feeling deflated and disappointed by the lack of rigour.

References

Black, G. L. (2010). Correlational Analysis of Servant Leadership and School Climate. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 13(4), 437–466.

Plano-Clark, V. & Creswell, J. (2015). Understanding research: A consumer’s guide. (2nd Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

https://create.twu.ca/shaaz/2018/06/18/moral-implications-of-a-leader/

I appreciated Shaaz’ sharing of their experiences with their boss who acts as a role model by tending to the small things (like washing his cup).  I love the reminder that even when we don’t think our actions are being noticed they are. We are always ‘on’ as leaders and it is up to us to set the standard. For example, oftentimes there are empty wrappers or coffee cups left strewn in the halls or on the school grounds. It would be very easy in my hurry to get to class to walk past them and not stop and pick them up and dispose of them in the proper receptacles.  However, I know that I need to set an example and that if I want to see change, it needs to start with me.  Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can make the biggest difference in the culture of an organization.  I also realize that I can’t expect other people to do things that I myself wouldn’t be willing to do.  Part of being a leader is being willing to roll up our sleeves, be willing to get messy, to make mistakes and work alongside the team.  If we aren’t willing to model expectations or standards or think that the dirty work is beneath us, then we aren’t deserving to be leaders.

https://create.twu.ca/achsahs-springs/2018/06/16/ethical-leadership-implications-learning-activity-1-unit-7/

A response to Achsahs-Springs post on leadership implications and her question regarding ethical or non-ethical  behaviour that has taught us a lesson.

I have always valued honesty above all else and I have had the privilege of working with several administrators who were great role models.  Their word was their bond and I never had to worry about them going back on what they had agreed to. I could trust them explicitly to follow through and knew that their decisions were always made with best interests of students and staff.

I wonder how many of us have worked with leaders who have embodied all 5 principles of ethical leadership.

I liked your question about what we know we don’t want in a leader based on our own experiences.  Being just and fair is really important to me as well for that very reason. If leaders play favourites or treat people differently it makes it really hard to respect them as a leader.  There needs to be transparency and people need to be treated equitably based on what’s best for the organization as a whole, not what’s best for individuals or the best for the leader.

Image retrieved from Google Images www.agreatplacetowork.com

Ethical leadership very simply put revolves around “what leaders do and who leaders are” (Northouse, 2019, p. 336).  The ‘do’, that Northouse (2019) references relates to the choices and actions that leaders make and the ‘are’ refers to the leader’s values and morals.  A leader’s values and morals have a direct impact on the actions and the decisions they make.  According to Northouse (2019), who references Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development,  a  leader with the highest levels of postconventional morality makes decisions based on doing what is best for the whole of humanity and out of an “internalized and universal principle of justice” (Northouse, 2019. p. 337).  Northouse (2019) also quotes Velasquez (1992) when he discusses the virtues of an ethical person stating that Aristotle referred to a moral person as having “courage, temperance, generosity, self-control, honesty, sociability, modesty, fairness, and justice” (p.341).

The 5 principles of ethical leadership as outlined by Northouse (2019, p.346 – 352) are:

1. Having respect for others
   • Showing respect means that a leader actively listens, is empathetic to their followers and is willing to have an open mind to many different view points and perspectives.
2. Serving others
   • Ethical leaders make decisions that are for the benefit of everyone and ensure that no harm is caused either directly or indirectly from the decisions made.
   • Serving others means focusing on the needs of the followers instead of the leader
3. Being just and fair
   • Ethical leaders treat all individuals by adhering to the golden rule of “Do onto others as you would have them do unto you” (p.349).
4. Being honest
   • Ethical leaders are transparent in their dealings, while maintaining confidentiality of others.  Dalla Costa (1998) as quoted by Northouse (2019), they “do not promise what they can’t deliver, or misrepresent, or hide behind spin-doctored evasions, suppress obligations, evade accountability…” (p.351).
5. Building community
   • Ethical leaders build community by having a shared vision, which leads to a common goal that is beneficial for everyone.

Ethical Leadership Principles (Northouse, 2019) Image retrieved from Google Images www.slideshare.net

I found it extremely difficult to narrow the 5 principles down to just 2 that are the most important as I feel like they are all essential. Being just and fair is my first choice because of the golden rule of “do onto others as you would have them do unto you” (Northouse, 2019, p.349). If a leader treats others this way, then they are also not only demonstrating respect to their followers but they are also ensuring that they are serving others. My second choice was being honest. Honesty is integral to building respect and building community. People trust those who are consistently honest and will be more motivated to work towards a common goal because they have confidence knowing that the leader is transparent, fair and just and they will have confidence in their leader’s ability to handle difficult situations as they arise.

In Wang’s, Oh, Courtright and Colbert’s article (2011) they refer to how transformational leaders and managers can impact an organization’s productivity, community development, and follower’s self-development through “affecting individual-level and team-level processes and performance but also through affecting organizational cultures, systems, and strategies” (p.252).  The managerial implications of these findings are that organizations should seek to hire individuals who possess transformational leadership traits as “they are likely to derive the most value” for the organization as a whole (Wang, Oh, Courtright, Colbert, 2011, p.253).

According to Wang, Oh, Courtright and Colbert (2011, p. 230, p.232 -233) a person can become a better transformational leader by:

• Developing and sharing both a vision and high expectations
• Acting as a role model for the shared vision and expectations in that, “followers desire to emulate, thereby eliciting higher team commitment, cooperation and performance” (p.251).
• Soliciting suggestions and ideas from  team members
• Attending to the needs of others which builds trust. “Transformational leaders care about their followers and appeal to them on an emotional level” (p.251).
• Linking the roles of team members to the vision so that members view the work as being more meaningful which creates team cohesion and social identification.
• Acting as a coach and mentor to provide support and tools
• Enabling team members to develop self efficacy so that they believe in themselves and see the goal as being realistically attainable.
• Encouraging innovation and problem solving will help improve creativity by creating and building a team community where there is no fear of failure and people can learn from their mistakes.

When leaders successfully do the above, it leads to higher productivity, enhanced team cohesion, creativity and an environment where team members routinely exceed expectations due to intrinsic motivational factors  developed as a result of transformational leadership.

Image retrieved from Google Images www.smartandrelentless.com

I immediately thought of Nelson Mandela as being a good role model and example of an ethical leader. He meets the criteria of the 5 principles as outlined by Northouse (2019) in that he had respect for others, he was fair and just, he was honest, and he built community by serving others first and foremost.  Who do you think (past or present) is a good example and role model of ethical leadership?

References:

Northouse, P.G. (2019).  Leadership: Theory and Practice.  (8^th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications, Inc.

Wang, G., Oh, I.S., Courtright, S.H., & Colbert, A.E. (2011). Transformational leadership and performance across criteria and levels: A meta-analytical review of 25 years of research. Group & Organization Management, 36 (2), 223-270.

Hi Leadership Prof,

Thank you for your comments and questions regarding ethical standards and monitoring in the teaching profession.

www.oct.ca

When I attended teacher’s college in Ontario, each course that I took reinforced the importance of teachers having integrity and maintaining the standards of the profession. We were taught to adhere to the four ethical standards for the teaching profession as prepared by the Ontario College of Teachers which are care, respect, integrity and trust. More information on these standards can be found at this link

The British Columbia Teachers Federation also has a code of Ethics for teachers. If any of the following ethical items are breached or in question, there are steps and procedures outlined in the members guide.

www.bctf.ca

When teachers are hired by the school district, both the teachers’ union and the school district work closely to ensure that teachers are aware of the ethical standards and the potential consequences of behaviour that goes those standards. New teachers attend workshops and are paired with a mentor. Teachers do not receive a yearly evaluation on these standards. A teacher is expected to follow these standards whether school is in session or not. If an issue arises, there are steps and protocol in place for administrators, teachers, the union and the district to follow.

Some school administrators discuss some of these ethical standards at the first staff meeting of the year, (especially if there is a large number of new teachers on staff) but generally, it is expected that teachers are already familiar with them.

If leaders do not possess moral or ethical values, the implications of their behaviour would have a profound negative affect on the entire membership of their organizations as well as those that they  are supposed to serve.  Donald Trump and his continual spate of lies and false accusations comes to mind as an example. His lack of transparency and what appears to be a complete absence of basic moral or ethical values not only affects the entire United States but also relationships with other nations as witnessed by his latest behaviour on the world wide stage at the recent G7 Summit.

Reuters.com

The implications of Trump’s behaviour are far reaching and do a great disservice not just for his country but for humanity as a whole.  There are many examples in history of unethical and immoral leaders and of the devastating and far reaching impact they had not just on their own people but on the entire world.

Both  Aviolio and Gardner (2005) in their article “Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership” and Jane Van Buren in the video “What is Ethical Leadership” (March 29, 2013) touch upon the importance of leaders demonstrating transparency of their values in their communication as well as their actions.  When leaders uphold the shared values of an organization they help to set the cultural tone and model expectations of shared behaviour. Aviolio and Gardner(2005) reference Avolio, Luthans, and Walumbwa (2004, p.4) when they define authentic leaders as “those who are deeply aware of how they think and behave and are perceived by others as being aware of their own and others’ values/moral perspectives, knowledge, and strengths; aware of the context in which they operate; and who are confident, hopeful, optimistic, resilient, and of high moral character” (Aviolio and Gardner, 2005, p. 321).   Aviolio and Gardner (2005) also refer to the importance of leaders being able to self-regulate and “align their values with their intentions and actions” (p. 325).   Self-regulation is the ability of a leader to act/behave in the long term, best interest of the organization while maintaining and adhering to a consistent set of values. When leaders positively model self-regulation, and adhere to a set of values they have a more authentic influence over their followers.

I can help my organization grow and flourish by adhering to the following goals :

• Be a visible role model 
  • Just like the example in the video, when leaders wash their own cups, actions are shown to speak louder than words.  People see this action and are more likely to follow suit. I can ensure that I am acting and modelling the kind of leadership behaviours that would be in the best interest of students. For example, the simple act (like the cup washing) of standing at my door each morning and greeting students by name and making them feel welcome.
  • I can be a visible role model not just within my school but also my community. Teachers are never really off duty and often run into students and families during weekends and holidays. I need to ensure that my behaviour is always becoming my profession and the ethical and moral values that I stand for.
• Communicate ethical expectations & institutionalize an ethical culture
  • In our department meetings and in the classroom, we can discuss our values and what our ethical expectations are as a department team (and whole school) so that we can hold ourselves accountable individually and as a team. It is important for everyone to be aware of these expectations so that everyone has a shared goal and vision of the kind of school culture that we want to build together.
  • Continue to share our values and school mission statement with all staff, students and parents across the entire district.
  • When our values and expectations are shared and displayed in classrooms and around the school, there is less room for misunderstandings or miscommunication.
• Be Transparent
  • Just like it’s mentioned in the video, I need to continually ask… “Is it fair? Is it honest? Is this in the best interests of students? How would I feel if this ended up on the evening news?”
  • Consistently provide access to information, resources, support and equal opportunities  for all students, parents and staff members
  • Be honest, open and respectful in my relationships and dealings with all members of my school and community.
• Self Regulate
  • I would like to actively practice self-regulation and be more aware of my emotions, my physical responses and my social responsibilities so that I can ensure that I am able make sustainable decisions that have the best interests of students at heart.
• Learn more about ethical training & how the profession provides protective mechanisms to maintain ethical behaviour
  • For example, the Teachers’ Association adheres to strong ethics in the teaching profession and provides training sessions for new teachers. Reminders are also sent out to all teachers on a regular basis of the necessity to maintain the ethical standards of the profession. If a teacher is in need of more than a reminder, there are steps and procedures in place to ensure additional training is provided or in severe cases, teachers can lose their professional license.  It is important to maintain the integrity of the profession and therefore ethical behaviour is held to high esteem.  How can I help model this and be a mentor to new teachers in the profession?
  • Training courses are also available for new administrators in our school district on the ethical and moral expectations of Vice-Principals and Principals.  One such document outlining the expectations is the BCPVPA Leadership Standards for Principals and Vice-Principals in British Columbia (2016). I would like to familiarize myself more with these standards.

I would like to be a leader and a role model who consciously self-regulates and who models transparent ethical morals and values on a daily basis through both my words and my actions.  I want to be aware of my actions and the affect my choices have on the greater good of our school community and those that I am supposed to serve.

References:

Aviolio, B, Gardner W. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16, 315-338.

BCPVPA Standards Committee. (2016). Leadership Standards for Principals and Vice-Principals in British Columbia. Retrieved from  http://www.bcpvpa.bc.ca/downloads/pdf/Standardsfinal.pdf

Van Buren, J. (2013, March 29). What is Ethical Leadership? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA