Research Design Literature Review

Research Methods Literature Review

A literature review on an identified research topic or issue is an important element when conducting a study regardless of whether the study employs qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research design. The significance of conducting a literature review is attributable to the several functions and roles the review plays in the research process. Literature review is crucial when conducting a study because it’s a means of synthesizing prior research and demonstrating how current research fits into the existing body of evidence on the research issue (USC Libraries, 2017). This paper provides a review of literature on how different research methods can be utilized to conduct research. The discussion will also include a comparison of the paradigms or worldviews that are inherent in the methodology of different research designs. The various categories that will be examined in this paper include non-experimental, quantitative experimental, qualitative, and mixed methods research methodologies.
Topic, Research Question, and Hypothesis
The topic that will form the basis for this literature review on research methods is the role of emotional intelligence in leadership development and understanding leadership. This is an important topic of research because emotional intelligence has emerged as one of the most significant area of social science research in relation to leadership. Since this concept was introduced in the 90’s, it has been integrated in several areas of practical application including the field of leadership. However, there is an increased need to understand the role of this concept in leadership development and understanding the leadership process. An understanding of the role of emotional intelligence in leadership development is crucial towards promoting its smooth integration in the field of leadership as well as enhancing leadership effectiveness.
The research question for this study is, “How does emotional intelligence influence leadership development and understanding of leadership?” This research question will help determine the role of emotional intelligence in leadership through examining whether the concept of emotional intelligence has any positive links to leadership. In this regard, the researcher has identified two research hypotheses that will guide the study as follows:
Hypothesis 1: Emotional Intelligence has a positive association with leadership development.
Hypothesis 2: Emotional Intelligence has a positive association with Understanding Leadership.
Literature Review on Research Methods
The identified research question and hypothesis can be examined/tested through the use of different kinds of research methods. There are various research methodologies that are employed in social science research including non-experimental, quantitative experimental, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches.
An example of a non-experimental research methodology that can be applicable in this study is descriptive research design. According to Williams (2007), descriptive research approach is a study design that evaluates the situation as it exists in the present situation. This research approach entails identification of a specific phenomenon through an observational basis. Additionally, a descriptive research approach can involve the examination of the correlation between two or more research phenomena. Salaria (2012) contends that descriptive research focuses on examining the research issue or phenomena based on practice beliefs, relationships, processes, trends, or conditions. As a result, descriptive research methodologies are based on surveys and questionnaires. For this research topic, descriptive research approach will be utilized to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership development and understanding leadership. This process would entail conducting a survey, which utilizes questionnaires to collect data from an identified sample. Therefore, this approach will be useful in this study because it will enable the researcher to explore the relationship between the variables included in the study.
An example of a quantitative experimental research approach is pretest-posttest control group method, which is commonly used in behavioral research. Hunter, Jensen & Rodgers (2014) state that pretest-posttest control group research design involves comparing groups or evaluating change emerging from experimental treatments. Through this approach, research participants are randomly assigned to different groups and conditions. The groups are then measured before and after exposure to the experimental treatments. For this study, participants will be randomly assigned to two groups where one will be trained on emotional intelligence while the other will not. Each group will be required to demonstrate their understanding of leadership and leadership development during the research. The groups will be measured before and after the experimental treatment to examine the role of emotional intelligence in leadership.
Ethnography is a qualitative research approach in which a group that shares a common culture is studied (Williams, 2007). The underlying paradigm or worldview in ethnography research is to understand changes in the culture or behavior of a group over time. Therefore, the focus of this research approach is to examine everyday behaviors of the group in terms of norms, social structures, and beliefs. Data is primarily collected through observation as the researcher becomes immersed in the everyday lives of the participant. This approach could be useful for this research because it would provide practical insights on how emotional intelligence affects leadership. The application of this approach would entail identifying a group of participants who utilize emotional intelligence in the daily leadership practices. The group will then be observed based on their norms, social structures, and practices in relation to leadership. The observations will be utilized to draw conclusions and answer the research question.
The research topic can also be addressed through using mixed methods research design such as exploratory research approach. Strydom (2013) define exploratory research as an approach that generates insights regarding a research issue and creates questions to be evaluated by more comprehensive/thorough studies. This research design entails the use of a sequential approach that begins with qualitative research followed by quantitative research (Cameron, 2009). The underlying paradigm or worldview in an exploratory research is to gain an initial understanding of the research issue or to enhance familiarity with the research topic. While this research does not necessarily produce conclusive answers, it provides satisfactory conclusions for more investigations on the research issue. For this study, this approach could be utilized through obtaining data from a group of participants and/or secondary sources then testing it through quantitative approaches to develop an initial understanding of the role of emotional intelligence in leadership development.
Most Suitable Approach for this Study
As evident in the review, these research approaches have similar and different paradigms or worldviews that determine the suitability for this study. One of the similar paradigms in these approaches is that they focus on providing practical insights on the research issue through various treatments. Secondly, the approaches focus on providing a solid foundation for understanding the various issues on the research topic. Third, the research processes entail obtaining data from a group of participants who are knowledgeable regarding the research topic. However, there are different paradigms in each of the research design including the fact that exploratory approach focus on providing an initial understanding on the research topic rather than conclusive answers to the research question unlike the other approaches. While ethnography study requires the research to immerse him/herself in the daily lives of participants, descriptive and pretest and posttest control group only require the selection of a relevant sample for the research. However, descriptive research focuses on examining the research issue based on its present state while pretest and posttest control group seeks to provide practical insights on the research issue based on its application by the research participants.
In light of these different worldviews inherent in each of the research design, the most suitable approach for this study is a descriptive research methodology. This methodology provides a suitable framework for giving solutions to the what, how, where, who and when questions related to a specific research problem (McCusker & Gunaydin, 2015). Since the research issue is a “how” question, a descriptive research methodology will help in generating solutions to the question and drawing conclusions on the research topic.
In conclusion, there are various kinds of research methods that can be utilized to examine various issues in the field of social science. An example of an issue in the field of social science research is the role of emotional intelligence in leadership development and understanding leadership since it has emerged as an important concept in the field of leadership. Some of the research methods that can be utilized to address this topic include descriptive research, pretest and posttest control group, ethnography, and exploratory research. Based on the underlying paradigms in each of these approaches, the most suitable method for this research issue is descriptive research.


References
Cameron, R. (2009, August). A Sequential Mixed Model Research Design: Design, Analytical and Display Issues. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 3(2), 140-152.
Hunter, J.E., Jensen, J.L. & Rodgers, R. (2014). The Control Group and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Methods and Measurements in the Social Sciences, 5(1
McCusker, K., & Gunaydin, S. (2015). Research Using Qualitative, Quantitative or Mixed Methods and Choice Based on the Research. Perfusion, 30(7), 537-542.
Salaria, N. (2012, April-June). Meaning of the Term – Descriptive Survey Research Method. International Journal of Transformations in Business Management, 1(6), 1-7.
Strydom, H. (2013). An Evaluation of the Purposes of Research in Social Work. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 49(2), 149-164.
USC Libraries (n.d.). The Literature Review. Retrieved online: http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/literaturereview
Williams, C. (2007, March). Research Methods. Journal of Business & Economic Research, 5(3), 65-72.