As a consumer of research reports, the most important things in the introduction section of a high-quality research report are the literature review, the purpose statements, and the ability of the author(s) to present their thoughts and arguments in a logical manner, using simple language. The following are my reasons;

 

The literature review

The amount of problems in the world is mind-boggling! Thankfully, not all of these problems can actually be solved through a research. For those that are solvable using research, it is extremely important at the start, to ensure that they have not already been solved in the past, by a different researcher. The only way to avoid this ugly situation is to ensure the author(s) have a solid background that justifies the research problem and also provides sufficient information about existing knowledge gaps that need to be filled by the current research. This is precisely what a literature review ensures. The literature review also guides the purpose statement, informs the methodologies, research design and also helps interpret the results of the research in the right context.

 

The purpose statements

Using the analogy from the Plano-Clark and Creswell (2015) text, you cannot embark on a journey without first knowing where you’re heading. This describes the importance of the purpose statement and how what it does to the entire research; it gives a clear sense of what the researcher(s) intended to achieve, the questions they tried to answer, their research methods, hypothesis (if any). In simpler terms, the purpose statement establishes the sense of direction which informs every other step(s) the researcher(s) would follow.

 

Presentation of thoughts and argument using simple language

It can be said that, without this, it would be difficult to gain useful insights or logical deductions from the research study. The absence of this feature in any research could make the study a new problem, as against being a solution to an existing problem.

 

Question:

Is it possible to apply the principles of servant leadership in situations where the leader lacks the charisma of a messiah or an extraordinary person?

My question was informed from the conceptual framework presented in the study of servant leadership (Sendjaya & Sarros, 2002), one of the leaders was an extraordinary person while the other was a messiah. I could not help thinking about the character of the leaders – Leo and Jesus Christ; if they had no charisma, would their “servanthood” have been noticed?