A Critique of an Experimental Study, Article Critique Example

Background of the Study

Leadership is often considered as the backbone of every successful organization. Around the globe, the manner by which an organization reaches its successful peak is considered to be dependent on the capacity of leaders to bring in specific conditions of development into the system followed by the organization and its employees. Relatively, such assumption of development comes from the deep distinction of the skills that the leaders have in par with the strategies they use to attend to the needs of their organization and the employees working under their care. In the study that was conducted by Valdiserri and Wilson, they tried to examine three forms of leadership and observe how such approaches to directing organizations actually affect employee performance. The three forms of leadership that were observed herein include the transactional leadership, the transformational leadership and the laissez faire leadership. Each particular approach is assumed to be rooted in a particular culture that defines not only the capacity of the leader to impose change and development but also instantiates the condition by which each leader is able to inspire personal progress among the employees that they are giving particular assistance to.

Methodologies

To be able to come up with a good source of competent information related to the issue being examined, the researchers intended to use the experimental approach to the study. Through the utilization of a quantitative measurement design of observation on their subjects, the researchers were able to decipher the correlation between leadership and employee performance through seeing the results of such relationship in connection to the profit that the organization yields.

Notably, two aspects of progress were observed. One is that of the development and profitability of the organization based on the effectiveness of employee performance and another is the internal success of the business which is believably seen through the level of satisfaction felt by the employees.

To support both their ideas and their hypothesis about the matter, the researchers intended to utilize the definition of researchers McGuire and Kennerly with regards the proper application of leadership in business organizations. Quoting other writers, the researchers of this study were able to seek the most competent sources of information that could further improve the way that they present their arguments to the readers with regards proper leadership. Measuring enforcement against motivation, the methodology of this research is dedicated to seeing what works best in relation to leadership and the manner by which it affects the people who receive such guidance from higher organizational authorities.

Variables Used

This research was designed depending on the Pearson r correlation, which specifically suggests that for one independent variable, there could be at least two dependent variables that would be affected by the existence of such element directly. Observing at least six organizations, the independent variable in this study is constructed as the leadership itself and the dependent variables are the forms of leading that the participants took into consideration. The resulting end of such leading assumptions applied towards the aim of defining the process of work attitude, performance and behavior of each employee are all considered as the free variables of the study. This indicates that the free variables are the ones that cannot be controlled by either the dependent or the independent variables. In this case, it is the interaction between the two elements that would create a resulting end for the conditions of development on the performance of the organizations involved in the study.

Outcomes

The results of the study imposed that it was more effective for the small businesses to apply transformational approach of leadership towards their employees. Relatively, this particular form of leadership motivates people to give more to the organization as they are expected without feeling too much pressure, thus becoming more satisfied than stressed like those employees undergoing transactional and laissez faire approach of leading from their authorities. Apparently, this study shows that it is not necessary to force people to work, it is better to give them a reason why they should work. This is especially true when it comes to establishing a strong backbone for small businesses that are striving to survive the challenges of modern business systems. It is more important to promote employee loyalty than to create a specific source of commotion when it comes to the relationship of the employees and the administration as well as the supervisors leading them. The friction of such relationship would only weaken the structure of the organization thus creating more reason for small businesses to fail especially when facing their big competitors in the industry.

Analysis of the Results

The analysis of the results of the study was basically based on the quantitative approach of measurement. It could be observed that even though this was helpful in presenting the final arguments of the research, it could have been better if the utilization of qualitative observation was also included in the process in the analysis of the results. Since the assumption of leadership results depend on the understanding of the behavioral response of the employees to the approaches utilized by their leaders, it would have been better to use qualitative approach as it does impose on the relative connection of human behavior on the reactive results of applicable elements such as leadership.

Practical Implications of the Study

The very approach used by the authors in the study could be considered effective especially in relation to the issue they are aiming to examine. The expansion of the topic based on the three aspects of leadership approaches being observed creates a relatively broad yet clear definition of the problem that most small businesses could easily relate to. The direction of the research was clear and the variables used in the methodology were effective enough to bring out the proper assumptions of what real and effective leadership is all about. Considering that small businesses are now at a fighting stand and are making a good name in the process of improving the American economy, this research helps well in creating a more useful source of information for businesses aiming to establish their stand under the command of good leadership. Notably, this means that with the implications of this study regarding the application of effective transformational leadership, the creation of more satisfied employees would become possible thus affecting the profitability of small organizations effectively in a positive manner. In this case, it could be assumed that reading through the pages of this research would provide leaders the information they need to make sure that they are able to create good rapport with the employees as they impose to affect them positively in the hope of making them perform better for the benefit of all members of the organization. In this case, it is assumed that in the future, where it is expected that small businesses would become core players in the economy, the creation of good leaders could be a good source of success even for small entities in the industry of modern business operations.

Reference:

Valdiserri, G. and Wilson, J. (2010). The Study of Leadership in Small Business Organizations: Impact on Profitability and Organizational Success. The Entrepreneurial Executive 15 (2010): 47-71.