Learning Activity 6.1

For this activity, I chose to focus on Carter and Baghurst’s (2014) article The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement.

1. What research design was used to guide the study? Was it justified?
   Rating: 3/3
   Carter and Baghurst (2014) used a phenomenological research design to study the effects of servant leadership on the experiences of 11 restaurant employees. This was the most appropriate research design to study the “lived experience” of servant leadership (Waters, 2017). Many of the sources that the authors cited were written within the last 10 years of the article’s publication date so recent and relevant literature was used. Since there is very little research on the effects of employee engagement as a result of servant leadership, the authors posit that their a phenomenological research design will “explore servant leadership from both a follower and leader perspective through personal examples in an effort to gain an understanding of the influence of servant leadership on employee engagement” (Carter & Baghurst 2014, p. 455).
2. Does the qualitative research design address the study’s purpose?
   Rating: 3/3
   Yes, the phenomenological research designed allowed the researchers to interview 11 restaurant employees over a course of two months. They asked strategically chosen questions that allowed them to gauge how servant leadership from management affected the level of employee engagement at the restaurant (Carter & Baghurst, 2014). Results showed that because of the environment of self-development and growth, employees were able to build meaningful relationships with their managers and their coworkers (Carter & Baghurst, 2014, p. 462). This allowed employees to feel more ownership in their positions and to be more motivated to deliver exceptional service to customers (Carter & Baghurst, 2014, p. 462).

References

Carter, D., & Baghurst, T. (2014). The Influence of Servant Leadership on Restaurant Employee Engagement. Journal Of Business Ethics, 124(3), 453-464. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1882-0

Waters. J. (2017). Phenomenological Research Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.capilanou.ca/psychology/student-resources/research-guidelines/Phenomenological-Research-Guidelines/

Original assignment post found here.