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Week 9 Blog

Part A

What are the similarities and differences in the discussion/conclusion section of a qualitative and quantitative research report?

Similarities:

  • Includes implications and suggestions for practice
  • Limitations of the study
  • Suggestions for future research
  • Overall significance of the study

Differences:

  • In a quantitative research report the summary includes results organized by research questions or hypothesis while a qualitative study include results of major findings which are organized by themes.
  • In a quantitative research report the summary includes results in terms of predictions and or prior studies while a qualitative study include a comparison of findings within existing studies.
  • Only in a qualitative study will you find personal reflections about the study.

Part B

Research Quality rating for article called, An examination of emotional intelligence as an antecedent of servant leadership (Barbuto, Gottfredson & Searle, 2014).

  1. The major results are identified and summarized – Rating 3 – Emotional intelligence was related to servant leadership and in particular in the leader-reported results. For the follower-reported results the results were less significant however the researchers provided a number of possible reasons why with this particular study group, the outcome may have been influenced. This study utilized public servants and the researchers suggested the outcome may have been influenced by political leaders feeling influenced in behaviors in order to stay in office. The researchers therefore suggested that additional studies be conducted in the private sector.
  2. The results are thoughtfully examined in relation to the literature and personal reflections – Rating 3 – The major results are summarized in tables as well as results section.
  3. Appropriate implications of the results for practice are identified and justified
    Rating 3 – The results of the practice are identified and justified. The quantitative study clearly demonstrates that emotional intelligence is an antecedent for servant leader ideology however not a predictor of servant leader behaviors with followers.
  4. Thoughtful critiques of the study’s limitations are provided and appropriate for the research approach – Rating 3 – The critique of the studies limitations are well thought out. Further research is suggested in the public sector as well as larger groups of followers surveyed may have an effect on the results.
  5. Suitable implications of the result for future research are identified and justified – Rating 3 – The results of the practice are identified and justified. The quantitative study clearly demonstrates that emotional intelligence is an antecedent for servant leader ideology however not a predictor of servant leader behaviors with followers.
  6. The interpretations are consistent with the study – Rating 3 – The researcher acknowledge that much is still needed to learn on servant leadership and if emotional intelligence is an antecedent to servant leadership. In the conclusion the researchers indicate that this particular study may be the only one, indicating that the research does require much more studies, including in the private sector.
  7. The back matter is appropriate for the study report – Rating 3 – The researchers did an excellent job with back references and in utilizing previous research methods. The list of references were complete and organized in an APA format.

The overall score is 21/21 indicating a high quality research report.

Part C

  1. As a consumer of research reports what were the most important aspects you need to consider in the discussion/conclusion section of a high-quality research report?

As a consumer of research reports, the most important aspects that should be considered in the discussion/conclusion section of a high-quality research report is a summary of major findings from the research, recommended next steps, limitations of the research, how the research can be applied practically as well as references and other back matter.

  1. Are there any elements of this section that you still have questions about or finding confusing?

My question is regarding the listing of a glossary. I see in some research papers quite extensive lists of glossary terms. Are glossaries becoming more important with a global economy? My hunch is they can be quite helpful so as not to misunderstand the intention or confuse terms. Do you think glossaries will become more of a standard in research papers?

  1. How can you apply this knowledge to your work context or current leadership experience?

The learning in week 9 is relevant to my current role at Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group, where I am required to attend community meetings and provide information to the elders, land code committee and membership. Issues such as rights and title, purchase of lands and where to focus business investments require a great deal of thought and consideration. If I were to present information that is not well thought out, it would not instill confidence in the community and in my decision making ability. Utilizing the tools and approaches of scholarly research removes ambiguity and provides a scientific based approach to drawing conclusions. I’ve also learned that there is already a great deal of information or literature available to help in making informed decisions. Conclusions must be drawn from past scholarly research and any new information should be backed up and justified. Without doing so, and instead drawing conclusions based on opinions, can have effects on my community’s future success and on future generations. It would also effect the perceptions of the community on my ability to function as a servant leader.

In closing, I invite comments regarding my question above, with respect to a glossary. Do you find glossaries in research papers helpful in creating clarity and understanding, particularly with a global economy ?

References

Barbuto, J. E., Gottfredson, R. K., & Searle, T. P. (2014). An examination of emotional intelligence as an antecedent of servant leadership. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 21(3), 315-323.

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Unit 7

Part A

What is at the heart of the quantitative/qualitative debate?

Quantitative research is a numerical process to understand a research question while qualitative research is investigating personal experiences to gain a better understanding of a problem. Both when done by applying a scientific approach, ensure biases do not come into play. The research question will help determine which type of study is better suited. In recent years mixed methods have been combined to gain an even greater understanding of the problem. Appropriate methods in conducting mixed method research papers are now available and widely accepted amongst the scholarly community. The argument that now exists is if quantitative research or qualitative research on its own provides a comprehensive understanding of a problem and or if combined provide a more complete picture.

Do you think mixed-methods research can provide a more complete picture for leadership studies? 

I believe that yes mixed methods of research can provide a more complete picture for leadership studies. For example in my own experience, both the economy and capacity building are equally important to First Nation communities and so in understanding the best leadership style to promote this type of environment, it is clear that a mixed method research paper would provide a greater understanding. Quantitative data on indigenous leadership could be measured by exploring the financial success of an indigenous community and how this relates to leadership styles. Qualitative data on indigenous leadership could be measured by focus groups targeting the answers such as how has past traditional teachings been utilized by leadership, what are the investments in training that are seen as valued, how does a community best build capacity and what is the community doing to help people that are disadvantaged. Organizations are complex and have often more than one goal or strategic mandate and therefore, this is where I believe mixed methods are beneficial to leadership studies.

Part B

Evaluating the use of mixed method approach in the article called Achieving High Organizational Performance through Servant Leadership (Melchar & Bosco, 2010)

  1. The rationale for needing mixed methods of research is appropriate and justified – Rating 3 – the researchers determined that qualitative interviews were necessary prior to proceeding with a quantitative questionnaire, …in order to determine whether there were main themes that reflected the senior leader’s “servant leader” orientation (Melchar & Bosco, 2010, p. 80).
  2. The choice of the mixed methods design is appropriate and justified – Rating 3 – the researchers describe how qualitative interviews are researched as well as the results of the surveys, how the surveys were interpreted and what method was used to interpret the surveys.
  3. The quantitative methods are of good quality based on the standards of quantitative research – Rating 3 – while the sample size was somewhat small, the researchers indicated in their conclusion that …the coefficient alphas were consistent with those in the Barbuto and Wheeler (2006) study. Good statistical analytic procedures were used and described in the reference paper.
  4. The qualitative methods are of good quality based on the standards of qualitative research – Rating 3 – the qualitative method and results were shared in a table. These results were consistent with former research in evaluating traits of servant leaders. There researchers goals were to confirm that the leadership had traits of servant leadership.
  5. The quantitative and qualitative components of the study are meaningfully mixed – Rating 3 – If the researchers did not conduct qualitative research prior to the quantitative research, the results of the quantitative research may have been questioned.
  6. The study used rigorous application of mixed methods research to address the purpose – Rating 3 – the research paper purpose was to investigate …whether a servant leader can develop a corporate culture that attracts tor develops other servant leaders (Melchar & Bosco, 2010, P. 74). The qualitative data was used to confirm servant leadership management style as opposed to other types of leadership styles. Once confirmed the organization did possess a servant leadership style the quantitative data sought to understand if the servant leader developed and attracted other servant leaders.
  7. The use of mixed methods produced a good understanding of the research purpose – Rating 3 – the researchers did provide serval complete and valid in-depth answers to the study’s research question.

Overall score 21/21 indicating a high quality research paper.

Part C

Describe an example of a Transformational Servant Leader in your life.

In my indigenous community I have many examples of transformational servant leaders. As a group I would describe the elders as transformational servant leaders. Our elders form part of our government and guide us in business activities. They heavily influence and support change in the community for future generations. Many of these elders have experienced inter-generational trauma and in their lifetime will never likely see the results of their work in instilling change in the community. The elders support the youth in education, mentorship, family life and remind younger generations about the importance of taking care of others and mother earth. They remind us to use our traditional teachings such as following the 7 laws of life – health, happiness, humbleness, generations, generosity, forgiveness and understanding. These laws help guide our business group in making important decisions for the future our community. They put others needs above their own and are impacting important change for my community.

How would you use a mixed methods approach to study servant leadership?

I would utilize a mixed method approach in studying servant leadership through an exploratory sequential design. Relative to my workplace, and in evaluating servant leadership in an indigenous setting, quantitative data could be utilized to evaluate servant leadership through data that could be collected, evaluating past successes of indigenous organizations. Qualitative data however is also important in understanding the future of servant leadership and its role in indigenous communities. There is an emergence of traditional teachings that align with servant leadership however since much of indigenous culture teachings were not shared or spoken of amongst generations, there has been a gap in information. As culture teachers become more readily available and accepted in communities, so does the concept of servant leadership become accepted as a best model for leadership.

In past research, quantitative research has been held in higher regard than qualitative research in terms of its ability to provide more perceived credible results. Do you think a mixed method approach provides more validity to the importance also of qualitative research and its findings?

References

Barbuto, J. e., and D.W. Wheeler. 2006. “Scale Development and construct Clarification of Servant Leadership.” Group & Organization Management, 31(3): 300-326.

 

Melchar, D. E., & Bosco, S. M. (2010). Achieving high organization performance through servant leadership. Journal of Business Inquiry, 9(1), 774-88.

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Unit 6

Part A

Evaluation of the Research Design for the research paper, The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement (Carter & Baghurst, 2014):

  1. A research design guides the conduct of the qualitative study – Rating 3 – the researchers cited a substantial amount of literature. The researchers utilized a phenomenology design.
  2. The choice of the research design is appropriate and justified – Rating 3 – the choice of the research design is appropriate. Utilizing a phenomenology design is a good approach toward answering the research question.
  3. Good qualitative data collection procedures are used – Rating 3 – the researchers utilized a focus group for the collection of data and previous company survey results.
  4. Good qualitative data analysis procedures are used Rating 3 – The researchers utilized a 7 step process to analyse the data.
  5. Good qualitative results and interpretations are reported – Rating 3 – The researchers reported the focus groups results as well as grouped participants when comments were similar in nature.
  6. The study used a rigorous research design – Rating 3 – the researchers included and built on former knowledge, referencing prior research as well as prior processes.
  7. The use of the qualitative research design addressed the study’s purpose – Rating 3 – the study fulfilled the intent and answers the research question.

Overall Quality of the research is high with a score of 21/21

Part B

Evaluation of the participants and data collection procedures for the research paper The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement (Carter & Baghurst, 2014)

  1. The sampling strategy is appropriate and justified – Rating 3 – the researchers conducted the focus group in a designated area the employees were comfortable with and was convenient. The researchers provided references to previous studies that indicated that it was justified. They also provided references regarding other best practices such as confidentiality agreements and length of time the focus group was convened.
  2. The sample size is appropriate and justified – Rating 3 – The researchers had a small group with relevant experience. The group was further reduced by creating two separate focus groups.
  3. The data types are appropriate – Rating 3 – the data types were appropriate.
  4. The data are gathered using rigorous qualitative procedures – Rating 3 – the researchers utilize open ended questions to encourage dialogue in the group.
  5. Data collection issue are handled ethically and thoughtfully – Rating 3 – the researchers ensured the participants had the opportunity to sign a confidentiality agreement and ensured the names of the participants would not be included in the final research report.
  6. The selected participants are information rich – Rating 3 – Employees included in the survey had a minimum of 5 years’ experience working at a restaurant that was recognized for servant leadership.
  7. The database provides extensive and credible information about the central phenomenon – Rating 3 – the findings included extensive information about the focus group, what questions were asked, responses, common themes, etc.

Overall rating 21/21 – High Quality

Part C

Evaluation of the data analysis and findings for the research paper The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement (Carter & Baghurst, 2014)

  1. The analysis process used rigorous qualitative procedures – Rating 3 – the researchers documented, recorded and transcribed comments from the focus group. The researchers also found common themes and followed a 7 step process to analyse the data.
  2. Strategies were used to validate the findings – Rating 3 – as part of the 7 step process in evaluating the data the researchers clustered core themes, identified invariant constituents.
  3. The findings include a description of the people, places, or events in the study – Rating 3 – the researchers describe the participants and why they were appropriate to participate in the focus groups.
  4. The findings include appropriate themes about the central phenomenon – Rating 3 – 5 themes were reported.
  5. The findings relate multiple themes to each other – Rating 3 – the researchers reported the relationship amongst the themes.
  6. That data analysis represents a good qualitative process – Rating 3 – the data analysis was credible and accurate results were gathered.
  7. The findings provide a good exploration of the central phenomenon – Rating 3 – the findings provided information for discussion, suggestions to further research and a conclusion.

Overall assessment is 21/21 High Quality

Part D

As a consumer of research reports the most important aspects one needs to consider in the methods and results section of a high-quality qualitative research report include:

  • The researchers share the method they used to obtain the results.
  • There is a clear description of the overall design.
  • Researchers provide details on participants and why they were considered qualified.
  • Information in the literature includes how the data was collected and analyzed.

Elements of this section that raise questions and may be confusing:

While evaluating the participants and data collection I was confused by what is meant by data types. I’m looking for more information on data types utilized in qualitative research.

How can you apply this knowledge to your work context or current leadership experience?

In my current role, I can see a qualitative research report being of considerable value. As a leader in an indigenous organization, there is not a great deal of research conducted on indigenous economic development in Canada. Many First Nations are new to economic development and work closely with their lands and resources department on rights and title issues. As the rights and title legal climate is constantly changing, so too is the economic development front and therefore indigenous businesses need to quickly adapt. One unique approach my company has taken is to maintain a strategic mandate despite the current legal climate. The approach is to operate the business in a humble way, and to stick to key principles such as capacity building. By doing so my company has built a very unique operation that is not found amongst many other nations. At this point in time my nation is receiving interest from other nations, banks, lawyers and others working in the field of indigenous economic development, to better understand our business model. I do believe it is a business model that can be shared with other nations that are struggling to get economic development off the ground. Recently I’ve been in discussions with a researcher whom is interested in studying our business model and I believe a qualitative research report would be the most appropriate, given the lack of literature available on the topic. I now feel more confident and better equipped to work with the researchers to develop a study on our business model. It will also be interesting to not let my biases slip in, but will look to the experienced researchers to implement methods to prevent this from happening.

My question to my classmates I am curious to know is, how you too might have managed your biases when participating in a qualitative research study or when reading a qualitative study?

References

Danon Carter, & Timothy Baghurst. (2014). The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement. Journal of Business Ethics, (3), 453. https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca:2420/10.1007/s10551-013-1882-0

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Unit 2 – Blog

Unit 2 Blog

Part A

While considering the research question “What is the best model of indigenous economic development that will help build a healthy and thriving community” the following challenges were identified:

  • Currently there is little information available to First Nations on what are best practices when it comes to creating economic development entities in Canada. Some entities are focused on creating economic wealth through rights and title while others are focused on capacity building or both. Within Canada many First Nations are also only now, starting up economic development companies and so scarce sources are available thus explaining why little research has been conducted.
  • While researching, it was necessary to broaden the search to include “tribal indigenous economic development” as in the U.S.A., the word tribal is more widely used. Also due to a government decision allowing indigenous communities in the U.S.A to open gaming on reserves, many nations have been participating in successful businesses ventures for a longer period of time. This has resulted in more sources of scholarly information published in the U.S.A.
  • While searching some specific journal and article sources, specifically targeting indigenous topics, a number of indigenous driven organizations were found. An example is the UCLA American Indian studies center which may prove to be an excellent source of information in the future.

Part B

The following is an evaluation of a journal called “Realizing the Potential: Global Perspectives on Indigenous Economic Development” related to the targeted research question in Part A:

Author – The Author is Canada’s public policy forum. The public policy forum is a non-profit indicating that its purpose is to improve the quality of government through dialogue. In evaluating any one specific author, it was not indicated and so it required further investigation as to whom the forum was made up of. The forum participant names listed appeared to be mainly from industry as opposed to being identified as indigenous participants. That said each participant was not identified as indigenous or non-indigenous specifically. It was from company or job titles only that it could be surmised that a participant was indigenous. For example one participant was listed as a Chief.

Currency – The article was published in May of 2014 and so moderately current.

Purpose – Not clearly stated however upon reading the information it became apparent that the purpose was to educate businesses wanting to forward projects in the traditional territories of First nations, by providing guidance on approaches. Also it was intended to encourage businesses, in particular in the resource sector, to establish joint ventures and or support other indigenous economic development.

Publication type/process – The publication I would classify as an article and not scholarly in nature. The publication was the outcome of a public forum and based on the opinions of the forum participants. The article was not peer reviewed.

Biases – Project partners included oil and gas companies as well as resource extraction companies. Listed also as forum participants included representatives from these groups. The title of the article is perhaps misleading as it might lead one to believe that the ideas are presented as options that might be of value to indigenous communities involved in economic development. However given the lack of indigenous participants and the project partners core business activities, this article does not factor or consider a comprehensive indigenous perspective.

References

Realizing the potential : global perspectives indigneous on economic development. (2014). Ottawa, Ontario : Canada’s Public Policy Forum, [2014]. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat05965a&AN=alc.1353928&site=eds-live

Part C

In considering what sources of information are needed to conduct research on the question, “What is the best model of indigenous economic development that will help build a healthy and thriving community”, it is apparent that there is minimal scholarly information available on the topic. This has required creativity in searching for key words as well as broadening the search to worldwide sources such as Australia and the United States. The research will to require local surveys and interviews from local indigenous communities as well as industry professionals. The web is also a source for consideration as legislation requires indigenous communities to post audited financial statements. These financial statements will not necessarily answer research questions specifically but will point to indigenous communities that can be targeted for survey’s or interviews.

In consideration of a research question where there is difficulty in locating scholarly sources, does one give up on a topic one is passionate about and is seeking answers for, or is it better to get excited about the topic and take on the challenge?