Behaviour of Leadership Common in Taibah University - Research Paper Example

Qualitative Analysis Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Table of Contents CHAPTER FIVE Error: Reference source not found QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Error: Reference source not found Chapter overview…………………………………………………………………………….3 Methodology Error: Reference source not found Qualitative Collection of Data 6 Discussion and Analysis of Data Error: Reference source not found Leadership Concepts 7 The Role of Leadership 9 Leadership Education and Training 12 Leadership According to Islam 13 QUANTITATIVE MEASURES…………………………… ………. …………………………14 Conclusion 15 References 17 Figure 1 Error: Reference source not found Figure 2 19 Figure 3 Error: Reference source not foundError: Reference source not found CHAPTER FIVE QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Chapter Overview This is a chapter that seeks to provide qualitative data analysis results of the study. To achieve this adequately, this section will be separated into three main segments. The first section of the results part used to explain the rationale for carrying out the study, followed by the explanation of the instruments and qualitative research methods used in the study. The second part of the section used to show the background information of the participants utilised in the study’s interviews, and the reasons for choosing these participants. The third part, on the other hand, used show the results of the study and will also show the discussions that the study conducts based on the major questions of the study. Methodology Melhem in 2002 argued that interviews are the most essential tools in any form f scientific research, and, therefore, features as an indispensable tool in numerous fields (Melhem, 2002). Studies have found out that research interviews carried out purposely for seeking to explain or describe the main themes in the world, or life of the individuals interviewed. As it follows, the main purpose of carrying out an interview is to understand the meaning of the expressions, and opinions of the interviewee. Further, research in the area points out that a qualitative research interview seeks to understand both a meaning and a factual level, though it is usually challenging to carry out an interview on a meaning level. Interviews, therefore, are especially useful for getting the story and understanding it from the experiences of the interviewee. The interviewer usually has the option of carrying out an in- depth inquiry to collect information and data related to an area of concern. Interviews can also be effective methods of pursuing certain responses to interview questions (Kvale, 1996). Appleton defines interviews as a useful tool that can be used to gather information or data, and that, which involves more than two parties, including the respondent, and the interviewer. It is carried out either over the telephone or face to face, or through electronic mails (Appleton, 1995). Furthermore, an interview can be taken as a powerful tool that can be utilised, in a research, to collect data and information in human resource departments, as it usually is a conversation between the interviewee and the interviewer. The interviewer in this case must prepare a set of questions which the respondent must answer. Because of this, interviews have been known to be the best strategies for obtaining data and information about a certain issue (McMillan, 2008). Therefore, in addition to being a powerful tool, to collect information, data and facts; about the attitudes, lives, experiences, and opinions of individuals; the interview can also be an essential tool for gathering information about a phenomena’s meaning; that the participants in an interview live in; as it follows, interviews are the most meaningful ways of gathering information and shaping and creating opinions and views about different issues (Hannan, 2007). It has also been argued that interviews are useful in explaining the phenomenon of experiences people have witnessed, (Al Enzi, 2005) and the participant’s opinions, in addition to, their views and feelings about the subject (Hannan, 2007). This can be achieved by carrying out a verbal interaction between the respondent and the interviewer so as to explore the behaviours in leadership that occur in Taibah University. Figure 2 summarises the process that the study is going to adapt in the analysis of the obtained qualitative data. The figure indicates that data analysis should follow a certain flow which, moves from the collection of data to the presentation and interpretation of the data. The figure includes six basic steps that must be followed, for the qualitative analysis of the collected data, to be comprehensive. These six steps include; the qualitative collection of information and data, the translation and transaction of data, scanning and skimming of the collected data, categorising the data, and the interpretation and the presentation of the data. These steps will be analysed in detail in the following paragraphs. Qualitative Data Analysis in the Study The following is a figure showing the process of qualitative data analysis. Figure 2 Data analysis procedure of the study Qualitative data collection: (Tape-recording of interviews and document collections) Data transcription & translation Data skimming & scanning Categories (thematic & analytic coding) Interpretations/Presentations First, based on the semi- structured schedule of the interview, the data were collected from interviewees who were treated as the sample representatives. The study conducted a total of 14 interviews with the deans of college of the university. The interviewees were selected from different faculties and departments in the university. The interviews were then translated into the English language by an experienced English teacher before they were brought into the N- Vivo software for analytical and topics coding analysis. The data codes used for analyzing the data were formulated from the questions of the research as well as the underlined topics in the presented and interpreted interview guide. NVivo for the Coding and Analysis of Data The study used the NVivo software to code and analyzes the collected data for a number of reasons. One of the reasons was that it was quick and easy to identify the collected data through the software. Second, the software also allows the researcher to come up with an analysis that is precise, in addition to, aiding him link up the quantitative data with the qualitative data. This linking of data is an efficient method of indicating that the analysis of data started as soon as the data was fed into the software. NVivo has been indicated to be among some of the best qualitative software tools used, in qualitative studies, to analyze semi- structured, structured, or unstructured data derived from interview transcripts of either individuals or groups. The software can also be used to analyze literature reviews, video and audio recording, diaries, and reports, among others. The utilization of this software has numerous advantages. For example, it has been shown that the software provides researchers with in- depth understanding of the data derived from a study. The software also is an efficient way for a researcher to explore issues, comprehend trends, and answer several questions about an issue. The software is also advantageous especially when a researcher is interested in gaining some insight into the attitudes, values, behaviours, motivations, concerns, and aspirations of individuals. The software is also useful in aiding individual’s inform their decisions in business, communication in policy- making, and research. The software is easy to use. It is possible to transport documents or data from a processing package for word and code the data on screen. Stripes for coding can also be made visible in the document margins so that the researcher can easily see which codes have been utilised where (Morrison, Moya & Moir, 1998). One way the data can be imported into the program is through the use of nodes, which can be defined as the positions were the categories of data and coding are kept for giving the researcher a reliable and valid qualitative study (Richards, 2005; International, 2006). Qualitative Data Background Information Qualitative information and data can be collected by the use of semi- structured interviews. It has been argued that these kinds of interviews are best suited for small samples and for analysing certain situations or for adding and validating data collected from other research methods. Also, since this kind of research gives one insights into what the opinions and concerns of the people are, it can be highly effective for giving one a better insight into issues that cannot be recognized immediately but those that are nonetheless essential in particular areas or segments of the population. Semi- structured interviews have several common traits. These include; the fact that the interviews are formal, the interviews follows a previously developed guide, and the fact that the interviewer can stray from the interview plan slightly, so long as they deem it appropriate. Lindlof and Taylor in 2002 argued that semi- structured interviews are best used when an interview is almost sure that they not get another chance to interview the interviewee. The guide or plan of the interviews provides the interviewer with a clear set of instructions that help him collect data that are reliable, and comparable. Before, carrying out a semi- structured interview, it is best if an interviewer precedes this activity with observation, and interviews that are informal and unstructured so that he understands the issue at hand better (Lindlof & Taylor, 2002). Hence, the interviews used in this study were carried out with a number of college deans from the university. Figure 1 will give a better overview of sample distribution. Discussion and Analysis of Data The focus of this section will be to present the interviews of the study. The conducted interviews will be shown in a group basis and according to categories into which the respondents were assigned. Since this section is about the interviews and analysis and discussion of the interviews, it should be noted that a substantial amount of material will be quoted from the interviews. However, the identities of the participants will be protected because of a number of constraints presented by the official positions of the deans. Each correspondent was issued with a letter showing them to what group or category they belonged to, and their views are presented in between single quotation marks in italics. For example, if an interviewee belonged to group A, or B, then they were given a name that coincided with their group like B1, B2 and so forth. Leadership Concepts It is in this section where the different views of the respondents is presented. Notably, participants had acknowledged that leadership is a means that is interactive between a number of working groups towards addressing an issue, as well as, addressing the challenges and problems faced during work. In addition to this, they agreed that leadership is a method of easing conflicts or disagreements between employees, as well as, a guideline for work relations for the purposes of coming up with the best decisions and creating communication means that are effective at work. Moreover, the respondents agreed with the fact that leadership is a social influence process in which an individual can require the others to support and aid them achieve a certain goal. It was noted that most participants believed in the social aspect of leadership. This aspect is based on a number of factors; motivation, voluntary attitude, and enthusiasm. As it follows, leaders who are trustworthy, those who have vision and values must comply with these social aspects. Different participants had different definitions of leadership. B1, for example, defined leadership as the activity conducted by a leader or the responsibility that has the main focus to bring together several efforts for achieving objectives and goals, and as an expression that defines an association between power, authority and ability. On the other hand, B9 defined leadership as a social process that is whose foundations are built on fostering desire, motivation, and enthusiasm to work. B10 indicated that leadership was supposed to be the responsibility of the boss. He thought that its nature is based on the authority given to him by the institution; the authority, according to him, was the main driving force behind leaders. B14 agreed with this claim by arguing that leadership is the ability of an individual to influence one’s co-workers regardless of the place or the nature of work. It was noted that most of the understandings, expressed by the participants, of leadership was in consistent much of the definitions found in the literature, as leadership is a social process that is based on making an impact on other individuals (Northouse, 2009, p. 1). Leadership is also the behaviour expressed by an individual for the purposes of guiding the efforts of other individuals (Grint, 2010, p. 13). Leadership has also been defined as the social process or behaviour an individual expresses so as to influence others to volunteer (Grint, 2010, p. 19). With the above definitions, it was obvious that leadership is based on three main elements; a leader with the ability to lead others, a group of people who can follow such guidance, and a goal to be attained by following utilizing such coordinated efforts. As it follows, the three elements that are followers, leader, and situation must be present for one to comprehend appropriately the behaviours of leadership. The Role of Leadership To come up with the appropriate answers for this section, the responses of the interviewees had to be read numerous times. It was clear from the responses that the role of leaders emerged from the relationship that results from the behaviours and influences of influence and the receiver of the influence. For one to comprehend this influence correctly, they must be able to create some kind of relationship with their followers. Respondents B13 and B9 argued that the roles of leaders resulted, from the needs and interests of individuals and from the motivation of these individuals, to practice their responsibilities, and coordinate their relations and efforts for the purposes of achieving a goal. Furthermore, they argued that the leadership was practiced or was expressed when the positive impact of the behaviour of the leaders benefited their followers, by influencing their social associations towards better and improved corporation in work, as well as productivity. B1, on the other hand, said that practicing leadership can be achieved through practicing and achieving its sub missions, found in coordinating and administrating work to enable workers to work efficiently. B7 was quick to add that practising leadership must branch from imagination, intelligence and thinking ability, confidence, tolerance, and reflection. In addition to this, a leader who is considered effective must be able to act well, and lead through example, unless they want to become irrelevant, or to be ignored by their followers. Good leaders, according to B7, are those leaders who are able to withstand criticism and tolerate others in case their followers commit errors that are tolerable. In this way, the leader can guide and shape the kind of behaviour expressed by his followers and turn it from a direction that is negative to a more positive and profitable direction. B11, agreed and, pointed out that the only purpose for one to practise leadership is to obtain certain goals. He said that achieving the goals that are desired was the only reason why he practiced leadership in his work. He further argued that a leader could only be considered competent if he was able to inspire and motivate others for the purposes of making sure that their cooperation and respect for authority leads to desirable and profitable outcomes. B14 added that leadership is a social process that can only be practised through the creation of the followers, and the influence. As it follows, a leader can only practice leadership if they exercise it through specific roles. For one to effectively practice leadership, B14 argues that they must first establish a relationship that is stable and continuous, between those who exercise the leadership influence and those that receive this influence. According to B14, a leader is an individual who is able to retain his leadership position and one who is able to exercise and display the kind of behaviour that is usually associated with the same position he holds. With regards to the roles and responsibilities of a leader, it was found that leaders had the following duties; to motivate followers, to manage work flow, to control his followers, to achieve goals that have been priory planned, to establish a balance between stakeholder, followers, and interested parties, to solve problems, and to coordinate and manage individuals and groups for the purposes of achieving goals. As already seen, all of the participants seemed to think that leaders must possess certain skills and competencies. From the related literature, it was clear that leaders do need several skills and competencies to carry out their duties. Though no trait has been found wanting in individuals who are not leaders when compared to leaders, it has been indicated that leaders possess more drive and determination, and, in most cases, more have a higher level of positive qualities that individuals who are not leaders (Sinnema & Robinson, 2007). Though certain qualities might differ in different kinds of leaders, studies have shown that the basic characteristics of leaders do not change (Sinnema & Robinson, 2007). Some of these qualities include; appropriate communication skills, honesty, visionary, and ability to identify and select a good team, being able to lead by example, ability to motivate their followers, consistency, and ability to withstand criticism (Sinnema & Robinson, 2007). Moreover, a leader must be able to utilise a number of motivation styles with his followers. They must be unpredictable, effective and inspiring (Luthans, 1995, p. 50). Additionally, Luthans indicated that for one to be able to utilise leadership for achieving desirable results, one has to use a particular style of interaction, or motivate his workers towards achieving their goals. He argued that leaders had to possess numerous leadership styles so as not to become boring or monotonous. For a leader to be effective, unpredictable and inspiring, they have to possess a number of leadership styles. The study carried out a survey to find out how leaders were managing to be effective, motivating, and inspiring, without getting monotonous or predictable. The participants indicated that they had to possess a number of characteristics so as to be effective. Such examples include; being participative, guiding and directing workers, caring about their employees, and letting their workers accomplish their work without interfering. Leadership Education and Training This section focused on the issue of the role education and training plays in developing and enhancing leadership skills. After reviewing the answers provided by the respondents, it became clear that most interviews had a number of similarities in their opinions and views about the kind of education they had obtained. Most of them agreed that they had received education and training from university programs, professional development programs, conferences, discussions and peers by peers, and personal reading. It was also noted that most participants indicated that the education they had received had helped in a large way in shaping them as leaders. It was, however, noted that most interviewees expressed regret that most university programs were useless in grooming individuals to be effective leaders. B3 affirmed that university education was not enough to train individuals about being leaders, and so did interviewees B9 and B11. B3 argued that there is no official education or training program in universities for leadership, and, as a result, he did not benefit from any of it in his job as a leader. B9 felt that most universities and colleges focused more of the visions of the administration more than the innovative visions of the students. B11 lamented that the only education and training he got of leadership was from his own readings and from colleagues other than from the university as the university did not offer any good training programs in leadership. B6, however, indicated that training was not as important as accumulated experience in grooming one to be an effective leader. He argued that most programs provided by the universities focus more on increasing and enhancing leadership skills than in developing and establishing leadership behaviour. The essentiality of training in developing good leaders has long been valued. Leadership in the education area has been considered essential. Therefore, training should not be considered to be less significant in fostering leaders with the essential goals (Austin, 2001, p. 46). With the current climate in business, and the increased growth and development in technology, the need to train, leaders has become critical (Austin, 2001, p. 30). Training is a term used to refer to the activity that alters the behaviour of individuals. The driving force behind most training programs is arguably to increase productivity. Training can also increase motivation, and inspiration. Training has several advantages; it increases motivation, morale, satisfaction, efficiency, capacity to work with emerging technology, innovation, and reduces the turnover of workers (Training Magazine, 2001). Leadership According to Islam From the answers provided by the interviewees, it was found that Taibah University displays a number of Islamic leadership behaviours and tendencies. These behaviours included; trust or Ammaneh, justice or Adalah, integrity or Nazaha, consultation or Shura, commitment and excellent example, and observation of Islamic principles and rules. These definitions of leadership were further confirmed by the interviewees. For example, interviewee B1 thought that an excellent leader had to have Nazaha and Ammaneh. By this, he meant that a leader had to be trustworthy and of high integrity. B3 thought that a leader had to practice consultation and authorization for them to be considered good leaders. B2 indicated that a leader had to be of high integrity for them to be considered excellent leaders. B7 said that an effective leader is the one who exercise Ammaneh and justice. Leadership is supposed to be a coaching and inspiring voluntary process that aims at guiding followers to fulfil a shared and a clear objective (Chowdburry, 2001; Altalib, 1991). According to Islam, a leader cannot act as he feels like, he must also not act according to the wishes of others; he can only act in a manner that fosters the wishes of Allah (Beekun & Badawi, 1999, p. 68). In Islam, a good leader does good deeds for the sake of his community, humankind, and Allah (Kader, 1973). The Role within Leadership According to Sharpe (1992:125), when a leader understands the importance of serving others, their values and ideas, which help in shaping the school’s conventional community. B1 described a leader as the president of work who maintains workflow and controls the employees’ performance. B6 defines a leader to be an individual who keeps the teams’ cohesiveness, cooperation and obedience in line with organizational objectives. B9 views a leader as one who completes their jobs in accordance with the structural system of administrative duties. They strive to accomplish the organizational goals, and they are well conversant with the hierarchy of jobs. In addition, they guide, coordinate, control and make decisions in the learning institution. Taibah University, 2001, depict the role of leaders as drawing and fostering general educational policies. a) Quantitative measures In quantitative data analysis, statistical software is used to analyse data by allowing researchers channel their energies to problem thinking. SPSS is a statistical software that provides association measures, correlation and analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessing variables’ co-variation and variation (Morrison & Moir, 1998). It is also used to provide statistical and practical tests. In this research, the SPSS software is not concerned about exploratory approaches, but confirmatory analysis. The advantage of this is that it is detailed and shows analyzed formal results. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was introduced to measure transformational leadership in regard to perception of followers of a leader’s behaviour (Northouse, 2009, p. 198). Each of the factors associated to the Full Range of Leadership model was put into consideration since they are reliable and give valid results. Outcomes like effectiveness of transformational leadership have been measured by this instrument analytically. Others that have a positive effect on MLQ include charisma and motivational factors of leading individuals in an organization or institution. Contingent reward, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation are also important factors to be considered during the research (Northouse, 2009, p. 199). Management-by-exception are related both negatively and positively to the outcomes related to leadership styles. Effectiveness and organization satisfaction are some of the outcomes negatively affecting laissez-faire leadership style. A sample presented in Figure 2, gives a clear clarification of how the MLQ (Form 5X-short) explores one’s conviction and discernment regarding non-transactional, transformational, and transactional leadership. The questionnaire presented gives the reader a clear picture of one’s style and transformational leadership complexities experienced. Conclusion The previous chapter has put a lot of its focus on the respondents views and opinions on the behaviour of leadership common in Taibah University. The correspondents were divided into different groups that were composed of several representatives of college deans in the institution. The views and opinions of these representatives indicated different leadership concepts and responsibilities of leaders. Furthermore, the participants also expressed their opinions of the characteristics of leadership that is based on Islam as practised in the Taibah University. From the above chapter, several things were realised. For example, it was realised that, for quantitative analysis, it is an area preparing leaders to integrate effectively quantitative analysis into their process of decision making. This has given them an insight on how and when to skilfully utilize techniques like SPSS programs in solving practical problems in the institution. It is one of the most widely applied methodologies in risk and decision analysis, probability and statistics, data and forecasting analysis. The standard format used in quantitative experiments generates hypothesis needing to be disproved or proved by use of mathematical and statistical means. Qualitative analysis on the other hand has been clearly displayed by use of the formal interviews. The interviews conducted have clearly shown how the deans of different university departments view leadership behaviours. The semi-structured interviews have proven the different opinions of leadership styles and have also given their recommendations on the way forward. 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Educational Research: Fundamentals for the consumer. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Morrison, M. & Moir, J. (1998). The role of computer software in the analysis of qualitative data: efficient clerk, research assistant or Trojan horse? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28(1): 106-116. Northouse, P. G. (2009). Leadership: Theory and Practice. California: SAGE. Sinnema, C. & Robinson, V. (2007). The leadership of teaching and learning: Implications for teacher evaluation. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 6 (4): 1-25. Silverman, D. (2004). Qualitative research: theory, method and practice. California: SAGE. Training Magazine. (2001). Industry Report 2001.Minneapolis, MN: Bill Communications. Figure 1 Figure 2 Transformational Leadership Styles Attributes (Influence that is idealized) For the good of my group, I go beyond my self-interest as a leader 0 1 2 3 4 Behaviors (Influence that is idealized) The moral and ethical considerations of making decisions is vital for leaders 0 1 2 3 4 Motivational Inspiration I am optimistic about the future 0 1 2 3 4 Intellectual Stimulation I re-examine assumptions that address critical questions and their appropriateness 0 1 2 3 4 Consideration that is Individualized Help others in developing their strength 0 1 2 3 4 Transactional Leadership Styles Contingent Reward I formulate clear expectations on performance goals that need to be achieved 0 1 2 3 4 Active: Exceptional Management Keeping track of all mistakes 0 1 2 3 4 Key: 0 = Not at all 1 = Once in a while 2 = occasionally 3 = fairly often 4 = recurrently, if not always Figure 3 Read More