Research plan: quantitative dissertation

QUANTITATIVE (Statistical) Studies Only

This Research Plan form, version 2. 42, must be completed and reviewed before taking steps to collect data and write the dissertation. In the School of Business and Technology, its satisfactory completion satisfies dissertation milestone 5, indicating that the RP proposal has passed the “ scientific merit review,” part of the IRB process.
Before going any further, review carefully the Research Plan Instructions, v2. 4, available on iGuide. It will be difficult to complete the RP without using the Instructions.

Specialization Chair’s Approval after Section 1

When you have completed Section 1 along with initial references in section 8, send the RP to your mentor for review. When your mentor considers it is ready, he or she sends it to Dissertation Support to forward to your specialization Chair. The Chair approves the topic as appropriate within your specialization. You then go on to complete the remaining sections of the RP.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do use the correct form! This RP is for QUANTITATIVE designs (statistical analysis). For a qualitative-only or a mixed methods study, use that form.
Do prepare your answers in a separate Word document. Editing and revising will be easier.
Set font formatting to Times New Roman, 11 point, regular style font. Do set paragraph indentation (“ Format” menu) for no indentation, no spacing.

Do copy/paste items into the right-hand fields when they are ready.

Don’t delete the descriptions in the left column!
Don’t lock the form. That will stop you from editing and revising within the form.
Do complete the “ Learner Information” (A.) of the first table, and Section 1 first.
Don’t skip items or sections. If an item does not apply to your study, type “ NA” in its field.
Do read the item descriptions and their respective Instructions carefully. Items request very specific information. Be sure you understand what is asked. (Good practice for IRB!)
Do use primary sources to the greatest extent possible as references. Textbooks are not acceptable as the only references supporting methodological and design choices.
Do submit a revised RP if, after approval, you change your design elements. It may not need a second review, but should be on file before your IRB application is submitted.
Scientific Merit ReviewThe following criteria will be used to establish scientific merit. The purpose of the review will be to evaluate if the study:

Advances the scientific knowledge base.

Makes a contribution to research theory.
Demonstrates understanding of theories and approaches related to the selected research methodology.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Complete the following steps to request scientific merit approval (SMR) for your dissertation:
Develop topic and methodological approach:
Talk with your mentor about your ideas for your dissertation topic and a possible methodological approach.
Collaborate with your mentor to refine your topic into a specific educational research project that will add to the existing literature on your topic.

Complete Section 1 of the RP form.

Complete Section 1 addressing the topic and basic methodology and e-mail the form to your mentor for approval. Follow the instructions carefully.

DISSERTATION RESEARCHERS: STOP!!!

If this RP is for your dissertation (after comps), forward completed Section 1 plus your references gathered so far (section 8) to your Mentor for review and for Specialization Chair’s Approval. (Work on your full Literature Review while waiting for topic approval)
Learner: Stop here and submit to your Mentor for final approval. Continue working on your final literature review while you wait for SMR approval.

APPENDIX

Literature Review on Authentic Leadership, Job Satisfaction and Retention
This part of the research is a review of literature and related study about the impact of authentic leadership on employees’ satisfaction and retention in select hospitals. The literature review is arranged based on authors’ credibility, relevance of scholarly articles, inter alia of the sources gathered from various online databases. The first part of this review deals with the definition of authentic leadership, job satisfaction, and employee retention.
What are authentic leadership, job satisfaction, and employee retention?
Authentic leadership refers to genuine or realistic approach of leading staff. Authentic leaders show their true selves to others, such that they do not view their weaknesses as an infirmity of their personality, rather as a way to improve themselves. On the other hand, job satisfaction is the degree to which an individual finds pleasure in his or her work because of good working environment, satisfactory employer-employee relations, continuing professional training, high remuneration, regular increase in incentives, and so forth. Employee retention is when employees in an organization remain in the company because their objectives, purpose and goals align with the company’s mission statement, vision, and philosophy.
Why study authentic leadership, job satisfaction, and employee retention?
Authentic leadership is considered as the root of positive forms of leadership (Authentic Leader Development, 2005). Since humans have learned to lead others using a variety of leadership styles, they continue to look up to genuine leaders who were themselves followers before. Modern-day authors of authentic leadership, such as Bruce Avolio, James Burns, Cecily Cooper, Alice Eagly, Galit Eilam, to mention a few have written various topics on the matter. Examples of these leadership experts’ topics include authentic leadership processes, leader-follower relationship quality, humor as used in leadership, gender leadership, organizational changes, and a lot more. Specifically, Pulitzer Prize historian James MacGregor Burns devoted his career in studying leadership as evident in the content of his classic book entitled “ Leadership” (1978). Just like other authors, Burns delved deeply in leadership decision-making, moral leadership, and so on. There is a seeming in-exhaustive list about authentic leadership that are related, one way or the other, to this study.
Related specific topics about leadership is Berkovich’s (2014) dialogical or “ between person-to-person pedagogy” (p. 245). In an article published in the Academy of Management Learning and Education, Berkovich critiqued some dominant functionalist discourses regarding authentic leadership theory. He presented ways to perceive authentic leadership development in light with experts’ and practitioners’ views. He recommended the adoption of a dialogical philosophy for conceptualizing this specific leadership type. Berkovich suggested that authentic leadership can further be improved using the dialogical pedagogy, such as open-mindedness, critical thinking, mutuality, care, respect, empathy, etc. In his discussion, he also mentioned the benefits, limitations, as well as, implications of his recommendation regarding authentic leadership improvements. For my part, I also consider the limitation and delimitation of my research in light of experts’ view realized from these previous related studies and literature.
In my own research plan, I propose to study the impact of authentic leadership in the healthcare sector, specifically, hospital settings. The research problems will revolve around essential authentic leadership skills in satisfying and retaining staff in the organization. Because the nurse administrators’, supervisors’, or managers’ role, for example, is an important aspect in the workplace, nursing staff has to be encouraged and develop in order to achieve and sustain quality patient care (Curtis & O’Connel, 2011). Through effective authentic leadership, nurses will have the sense of ownership, empowerment, and motivation to stay with the hospital; otherwise, it is impractical to have a working environment where employees are dissatisfied and yet still remain for so long with the company.
Among a group of newly graduated nurses whose work experience influence their job satisfaction and retention in view of the effects of authentic leadership on them, SpenceLaschinger and his co-authors (2012) found out in a cross-sectional study that retaining engaged and skillful nursing staff is critical in times of staff shortage. As such, nurses need protection from workplace bullying and burnout, which are dissatisfying factors. Such unwholesome practices threaten the wellbeing and health of newly transitioned nurses. Additionally, job dissatisfaction among nurses compromises quality patient care and may result to quitting their work. Unexpected turnovers may lead to “ additional strain” on financial resources (p. 1266). Among the 342 participants in Spence Laschinger and colleagues’ (2012) research, they divulged the significant effect of authentic leadership with nurses’ job satisfaction and intention to remain in their present job.
Affirming the positive influence of authentic leadership has on employee satisfaction and retention, Shirey’s (2006) research findings likewise revealed that authentic leaders create a healthful work environment for nursing workforce and profession, as well as, the health care delivery system and community. He further discussed that a healthy workplace is critical in employee retention given that its opposite means employee dissatisfaction due to burnout and related issues. Shiery admitted that, as of 2006, there were few guidelines available about the creation and sustenance of the crucial healthy workplace elements. For instance, it was in 2005 that the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACCN) set the “ standards” of a healthy healthcare workplace (p. 256). These standards include authentic leadership that glues a healthy workplace environment together. Aside from the definition of authentic leadership, Shiery mentioned the attributes of authentic leadership as consisting of genuineness, compassion, believability, trustworthiness, and reliability. My own proposed research plan would likewise focus on authentic leadership programs for employee satisfaction and retention.
In relation authentic leadership, job satisfaction and employee retention, there is also a significant link found between authentic leadership and employees’ organizational trust (Onorato & Zhu, 2014). The emphasis has been, not just on authentic leadership, but also on the effect of authentic leaders’ followership development. Through a nationwide survey conducted by Onorato and Zhu (2014), they found the “ high correlation” between authentic leaders’ attributes and employees’ organizational trust of them (p. n. p). Hence, as hypothesized in my own study, there is a significant relationship between authentic leadership training program and job satisfaction and retention. However, as noted by the said authors, there is a significant difference in the effect of authentic leadership among different industry segments (that is, in my study, the healthcare sector). Nevertheless, authentic leadership has a significant effect on a particular segment, which has yet to be proven in my study (Onorato & Zhu, 2014).
Other than authentic leadership and the two dependent variables (job satisfaction and retention), some researchers also compared authentic leadership with other forms of leadership (e. g., transformational, transactional, servant), which I would not attempt to find out from the self-constructed survey questionnaire that I will use in my study (Harrison, 2011; Marshall, 2011; Tonkin, 2013). Nonetheless, according to Harrison (2011), multiple regression analysis showed that a leadership style is a significant predictor of task performance because there was communication satisfaction between parties concerned. He further presented the implications of his study and in the case of my own proposed research, I will only explore the effect of a leadership style and not with other styles, but in relation to staff satisfaction and retention.
Marshall (2011), in effect, discussed the effect of a particular type of leadership in nursing practice. He explained that expert clinicians could transition to becoming influential leaders, just like authentic leaders. It is the goal of leaders to lead effectively despite complex challenges (that is, not only in leading their subordinates, but also on matters of initiating policy changes, reworking tight budget, and improving healthcare outcomes). He recommended that nursing graduate level students should use his instructional guidebook to help them develop further their skills and apply them in their new roles as clinical leaders. Just like in my study plan, authentic leadership innovative training programs should be incorporated in nursing practice so that reforms would transform into reality in the healthcare sector. Doing so would mean enhanced leadership and followership in the face of constant challenges within a complex organizational system.
Tonkin (2013), on a positive note about authentic leadership, discovered how it affects followership as compared to another leadership style (that is, transformational leadership). Due to various corporate scandals, many employees have called for authentic leadership. Tonkin revealed that authentic as against transformation leadership mediated more the overall job satisfaction of employees. Hence, the researcher recommended that practical interventions, such as authentic leadership training programs, should be used for workers’ satisfaction. Tonkin’s study is aligned with my own research plan given that it would focus on authentic leadership development intervention vis-à-vis employee retention and satisfaction.
Synthesis
As a synthesis to all the research findings from various experts, researchers, and authors in the field of healthcare profession and leadership, there is also a need for a change in authentic leadership values (Elworthy, 2014). There is a need for ongoing research, just like in my own proposed study, so that “ deeper encounter, exploration and dialogue” are instituted for better workplace environment in hospitals. In my study plan, I would also like to see more in-depth the impact of authentic leadership on employees’ satisfaction and retention. Depending on the results of my research, any leadership crisis may require a paradigm shift in perception, perspectives, attitude, and values of stakeholders. Nevertheless, a full range leadership may be required and not just a single leadership type to assess employees’ satisfaction and retention (Bass and Avolio, 1997).
References
Authentic Leadership Development: Getting to the Root of Positive Forms of Leadership. (2005). Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 339-340.
Bass, B. & Avolio B. (1997). Full range leadership development: manual for the multifactor leadership questionnaire. Palo Alto, USA: Mind Garden Inc.
Berkovich, I. (2014). Between Person and Person: Dialogical Pedagogy in Authentic leadership Development. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 13(2), 245–264.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
Curtis, E. and O’Connel, R. (2011). Essential leadership skills for motivating and developing staff.
Elworthy, S. (2014). Authentic leadership: ten values we have to change. Journal of Holistic Healthcare, 11(1), 12-13.
Harrison, J. L. (2011). Instructor Transformational Leadership and Student Outcomes. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 4(1), 82-136.
Marshall, E. (2011). Transformational leadership in nursing: from expert clinician to influential leader. New York: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
O’donnell, D. M., Livingston, P. M., & Bartram, T. (2012). Human resource management activities on the front line: A nursing perspective. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 41(2), 198-205.
Onorato, M. & Zhu, J. (2014). An Empirical Study on the Relationships between Authentic Leadership and Organizational Trust by Industry Segment. SAM Advanced Management Journal.
Rosenthal R & Rosnow R. L. (2008). Essential of behavioral research: methods and data analysis. Boston: Mc Graw-Hill.
Shirey, M. R. (2006). Authentic leaders creating healthy work environments for nursing practice. American Journal of Critical Care: An Official Publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 15(3), 256-267.
Spence Laschinger, H. K., Wong, C. A., & Grau, A. L. (2012). The influence of authentic leadership on newly graduated nurses’ experiences of workplace bullying, burnout and retention outcomes: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(10), 1266-1276. doi: 10. 1016/j. ijnurstu. 2012. 05. 012.
Tonkin, T. (2013). Authentic Versus Transformational Leadership: Assessing Their Effectiveness on Organizational Citizenship Behavior of Followers Development. International Journal of Business and Public Administration, 10(1).
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