Observational Research for Leadership Specific to Gender and Ethnic Diversity
Option #2: Observational Research for Leadership Specific to Gender and Ethnic Diversity
The evolution of leadership theory brought attention to early study findings that identified leader traits that were based on a narrow segment of the population. As diversity in leadership gained consideration, the subject was often added to the foundation of earlier studies.
Leaders in all settings have an obligation to recognize their own biases and observe individuals and cultural dynamics as objectively as possible. Take the opportunity in this Critical Thinking Assignment to practice objectivity in research.
This Critical Thinking Assignment culminates in the form of a management report based on data from your own observational research within your work environment or community organization. The problem that you are investigating is the low percentage of women in formal leadership positions in the organization. Gather scholarly articles on two leadership theories associated with diversity, especially gender diversity, to serve as a backdrop for your investigation.
To prepare for the observational research, work to set aside any preconceived notions of what might be discovered. Also, look beyond the human actors to note the role of non-human elements of the setting. Select a group or team within the organization to observe and answer the following:
Who is sitting at the leadership table? Who is absent?
Whose voices are heard? Whose aren’t, and why?
Whose values and interests are represented?
Is there leadership that goes unnoticed?
NOTE: if you are unable to physically access a location for observational research or to conduct such observations in general, you may complete this assignment by doing one of the following:
Enlist the support of another person who can help you interpret the group.
Write a paper about the best practices to employ, using a group scenario that you construct and describe. Address all the questions and requirements in the regular assignment.
Ask a group if you may observe them using SKYPE or FaceTime, for example. Reach out to your instructor for more assistance if needed.
After the observations are completed, prepare the data for analysis. You might define categories or identify themes based on what was recorded. Then analyze the data according to relevant diversity leadership theories that you gathered, from this week’s required readings, and from the lecture.
Prepare a management report for a hypothetical audience of managers having a stake in the stated problem.
Requirements for the Management Report
Include five sections. The report sections include:
The Introduction of your investigation, including a statement about why the research is important. (Remember your audience!)
A description of how you collected the observational data, prepared data, and analyzed for results. Explain why these methods are appropriate and support with scholarly sources.
A literature review of two associated theories.
A discussion of the results and how managers might use the findings to address the stated problem.
A summary of the investigative process and a closing statement of what you, the researcher, learned from the study.
Add appendices to include raw data, data preparation worksheets, or analytic tools.
Include associated citations and reference pages.
Additional Requirements:
Your paper should be 4-6 pages in length and conform to APA guidelines in the CSU Global Writing Center (Links to an external site.).
Include at 2-5 scholarly references in addition to the course textbook. The CSU Global Library (Links to an external site.) is a good place to find these references.
Observational Research for Leadership Specific to Gender and Ethnic Diversity
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Observational Research for Leadership Specific to Gender and Ethnic Diversity
Gender and ethnic diversity in leadership are significant and have been adequately considered by the corporate world. However, the major issue is the reduced number of women at the C-suite or executive level. The barrier to women in management has also raised different concerns, especially at mid-and entry-level leadership levels. According to Mousa et al. (2020), only 38% of women reach top-level leadership, while 48% are entry-level. Closing such a gender gap can be beneficial to organizations in many ways. However, to close the gap, comprehensive research is needed to identify the hidden stereotypes and unconscious biases that women face. Besides, it also needs a multifaceted and prolonged commitment by women and men leaders to address the issue that impacts women's leadership roles. Different tools and strategies exist that women can consider for successful inclusion in leadership, including collaboration, job evaluation criteria, and observational techniques. The paper is based on an investigation conducted through an observational approach to pinpoint the stereotypes and challenges women face in management and leadership. The participant in the study is a group of employees from EMBROKER Company. The company is noted to have women representation issues, and observing its employees would provide adequate data for its top management, which is the audience.
Description of Data collection, Preparation, and Analysis
The data was collected through an observational technique. Observation involves watching physical characteristics, events, and behavior in a specific natural setting (Kawulich, 2012). The researcher used an overt approach of observation, which is a process where every individual knows they are being observed. Before the actual observation, the researcher gained consent to avoid future ethical and privacy challenges. The researcher used a face-to-face approach to examine the group's key activities, focusing mainly on women's engagement. The researcher used observation guides to ensure the successful recording of behaviors and processes that the group upholds. Data preparation was achieved using recording sheets with unique areas such as the number of women in the group, leadership roles, and frequency of engagement. The researcher recorded the collected data as raw and attached it to appendix A. The data were then transcribed and coded for analysis. The researcher used a thematic analysis to understand the stereotypes and other elements surrounding the underrepresentation of women in leadership and management.
The observation approach is a significant technique and allows the researcher to collect adequate and primary data for analysis. According to Kawulich (2012), observation is advantageous since it reduces bias due to close interaction between the audience and the researcher. It is also one of the simplest methods for collecting data, and it is easy to identify key behaviors and record actual actions for analysis. Lastly, the thematic approach of data analysis is appropriate since the main data collected is qualitative. Therefore, it is easy to note the trends and behavioral patterns among the group under study. Thematic analysis is appropriate since it does not rely on technical and theoretical knowledge compared to other qualitative approaches (Clarke et al., 2015). Besides, it also creates a better ground for analysis of management and workplace issues which is the main goal of the investigation. Therefore, the comprehensive data recorded in Appendix A is due to effective data collection, preparation, and analysis approaches.
Literature Review
Behavioral Theory
Behavioral theory is a critical theory of leadership associated with diversity. The theory majorly addresses the behaviors of the leaders. According to Phillips & Phillips (2016), the behavioral theory does not view leaders as innate or born butt focuses on leadership creation. Phillips & Phillips (2016) suggest that everyone, regardless of gender and ethnicity, can be a leader as long as they have leadership qualities such as effective decision-making and problem-solv...