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University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Organizational Leadership Ph.D. Program
Quantitative Research Methods – ORLD 611-0101 (#2070) (3 credits)
Hazel Hall 1012
Fall 2012
Todd Matthews, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Coordinator, ORLD Program
Office: 1106 Spaulding Hall
Phone: (410) 651-8361(O)
Email:
ORLD Educational Model
The ORLD program utilizes the cohort model; students who begin their doctoral journey the same semester, follow the same schedule of courses until they reach their electives and the dissertation stage. The cohort model is a powerful pedagogical tool that allows students to pursue the core of the Ph.D.courses at the same pace and facilitates the development of a multidisciplinary knowledge base in leadership studies. Through the cohort model, students are able to reinforce each other by sharing face-to-face and e-learning experiences. The ORLD program intends to develop and equip students for lifelong learning.
The Ph.D. Program in Organizational Leadership (ORLD) is based on a blended educational model that uniquely combines face-to-face classes during alternate weekends with intermittent online delivery of instructional materials and integrative assignments. The program emphasizes student autonomy and self-directed learning in the development of a scholarly understanding of leadership theory, research, practice, and applications.
Course Description
The purpose of ORLD 611 is to develop research skills and competencies necessary to conduct scholarly research in leadership studies. This course emphasizes quantitative reasoning, critical thinking skills, and problem solving. ORLD 611 introduces doctoral students to frequently used quantitative concepts of psychometric theory (i.e., scales of measurement, reliability and validity of leadership instruments), as well as the role of theory in leadership research. The specific leadership research methods covered in this course include survey research (both conventional and online), experimental and quasi-experimental designs, longitudinal and field studies. Also covered is the issue of the generalizability of quantitative data, and ethical issues in quantitative leadership research. As a first doctoral course in research methodology, the focus is on the entire range and depth of topics/issues in quantitative leadership research. Students are expected to complete and critically evaluate empirical articles illustrating the different research methods, generate discussion questions and integrate various literatures into a unified approach to quantitative research methods. Upon completion of the course students will have the necessary background and knowledge to conduct an extensive leadership research project from the beginning to the end.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
· Understand the role of leadership theories in quantitative leadership research
· Analyze the role of theory in quantitative leadership research
· Describe the major concepts of psychometric theory
· Understand and apply a variety of quantitative methodologies
· Design empirical leadership studies using quantitative methodologies
· Derive theory-based research hypotheses
· Differentiate between strong and weak quantitative research designs
· Be fluent in the terminology of quantitative leadership research
· Effectively communicate quantitative research concepts
· Conduct research that satisfies the ethical principles in research with human participants as postulated by the American Psychological Association (APA)
· Reflect on their own leadership development and personal growth
Attendance and Participation
Punctual attendance is expected in all face-to-face classes and in Blackboard discussion sessions. Participation means that students come to class having completed the assigned readings and have prepared some discussion questions based on their understanding of the assigned readings.
Requirements
This syllabus should be regarded as a contract that may be subject to change. Each assignment is designed to incorporate readings, discussion, and students’ real life experiences. Due dates for assignments are set, so please mark your calendars. Late submissions will only be accepted under extenuating circumstances. In-class learning activities must be submitted on time and cannot be made up.
Research Proposal - 40%
The proposal accounts for 40% of the final grade. It should be 1,000-1,500 words and conform to the APA style (6th edition). The proposal is an overall assessment of your understanding of this course. Therefore, you should be able to present a research hypothesis and design an appropriate research strategy to address it. The proposal can be structured as follows: 1. Introduction, 2. Literature review or Theory development & hypotheses (organize this section based on your hypotheses: 1) Dependent variable and Independent variable 1…; 2) Dependent variable and independent variable 2…), and 3) Method (sample/participants, data collection procedure, method, & measurements). You are encouraged to talk with me about your papers as you are working on them. I will expect your topic before the end of the first weekend.
Note: Ten (10%) of the total grade for this assignment will be derived from a 25-minute oral presentation scheduled for Residence 2.
Final research proposals are due Wednesday December 5th, 2012
Word Count: 1000-1500 words
Review of a Quantitative Leadership Research Article – 20%
Each member of the class will select an article from the required readings (articles a – w) listed in this syllabus to present on the scheduled date. Each presentation is 20 minutes, in which important concepts or critical analysis should be presented. When you present, you should do the following: 1) describe what the study is about; 2) identify any hypotheses and/or research questions; 3) identify the research strategy used and its relative strengths and weaknesses; 4) discuss the sample type(s) and sampling procedure; 5) discuss the data collection type(s) and collection procedure; 6) determine what the data analysis technique is (I do not expect you to understand the analysis in most cases – you will learn that later in the program); 7) summarize the results of the study. In addition to the oral presentation, this assignment also requires a written analysis of the research article selected, which should focus on the elements noted above.
You’re required to inform me which article you want to present by Friday, October 12th. Articles selected on the basis of first come, first serve. I will email a final list to your cohort by Monday October 15th.
Reviews are due Monday November 26th, 2012
Word Count: 750 words
Final Exam - 40%
The final exam is designed to assess students’ fundamental grounding in quantitative research methods discussed in this course, their ability to apply research methods to contemporary leadership problems, their ability to integrate information from a variety of sources including texts books, journal articles, class discussions, and outside readings.
The final exam is set up like a comprehensive doctoral exam – in class, open book, time limited - to provide students with the opportunity to practice.
The final exam is scheduled for Sunday November 4th, 2012, 1:30-5:30PM
Grading Scale
This course is not graded on a curve AND there will be NO extra credit. The assignments will be combined using a weighted average grading scheme with the corresponding weights given below.
97 -100 = A+
93 - 96 = A
90 – 92 = A-
87 – 89 = B+
83 – 85 = B
80 – 82 = B-
70 – 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
Below 60 =F
Submission Guidelines
All written assignments MUST be typed and should be submitted to me via the Blackboard system. Note that you should develop a contingency plan in case of computer problems (i.e., backing up files on another computer); computer breakdowns are not an excuse for late submissions. As a backup, you should send a copy to my UMES email account () from YOUR UMES account – emails from other addresses may be filtered through junk mail and not get through, so use YOUR UMES account to be safe!
The files should be named in the following manner:
Last name-ORLD611-assignment
For example: Smith ORLD611–research proposal
Plagiarism
Plagiarizing materials without giving credit where credit is due is a major offense which will result in termination from the program. The ORLD program uses several software programs to check for plagiarism. See the ORLD position on plagiarism on the ORLD website.
Required Texts
De Vaus, D. (2004). Research design in social research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Brewerton, P., & Millward, L. (2008). Organizational research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Fowler, F. (2009). Survey research methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Shadish, W., Cook, T., & Campbell. D. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Various articles (see list below)
COURSE SCHEDULE
Pre-Residence Readings and Assignment:
Students are required to read all pre-readings assignments before the weekend classes begin. The alternate weekend format used in the ORLD program is very challenging; to ensure that course objectives and learning outcomes are accomplished requires excellent time management skills. By becoming familiar with the set of pre-readings, students will be able to gain a good start on their coursework.
The following pre-reading materials will help you to begin your doctoral journey successfully:
Required Readings from Texts
· De Vaus, D. (2004). Research design in social research. Chapters 1-3
· Fowler (2008). Survey research methods. Chapters 1-3
· Brewerton, P., & Millward, L. (2008). Organizational research methods. Chapters 1-5
Additional Required Readings
NOTE: The additional required readings are intended to achieve the following purposes:
1. To test and consolidate the understanding of the major leadership paradigms, the role of theory in leadership research, fundamental concepts of psychometric theory, survey research and longitudinal designs.
2. To continue to develop a thorough grounding in the leadership literature that was started in ORLD 601.
3. To understand the need to remain current in leadership research – both for the conduct of individual research projects throughout the program and dissertation research.
4. To establish a literature base in preparation for comps and dissertation research.
5. To become increasingly familiar with the major leadership journal as a potential publication outlet for students’ research.
THE READINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(1) Lowe, K., & Gardner, W. (2000). Ten years of The Leadership Quarterly: Contributions and challenges for the future. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 459-514.
(2) Gardner, W., Lowe, K., Moss, T., Mahoney, K., & Cogliser, C. (2010). Scholarly leadership of the study of leadership: A review of The Leadership Quarterly’s second decade, 2000-2009. The Leadership Quarterly, 21, 922-958.
(3) Avolio B., Walumbwa. F., & Weber. T. Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(1), 421-449.
Weekend 1 – Residence 1 (on campus October 19-21, 2012)
Topics
· Introduction to research methods
· Major leadership paradigms
· Philosophical assumptions underlying leadership research
· Role of theory in leadership research
· Psychometric theory
· Survey research methods
Off Campus Weeks (October 22 – November 1, 2012)
Required Readings from Texts
· De Vaus (2001), Chapters 4-9
· Fowler (2009), Chapters 9-12
· Shadish et al. (2002), Chapters 1-6, 14
· Brewerton & Millward (2008), Chapters 6-8
Additional Readings (note – this is part of the list of articles you select from for your article presentation)
These readings are intended for students to test and consolidate their understanding of leadership paradigms, the role of theory in leadership research, psychometric theory, survey research, and longitudinal designs. They are also intended as an introduction to different research and leadership journals.
a. Scandura, T., & Williams, E. (2000). Research methods in management: Current practices, trends and implications for future research. Academy of Management Journal, 43(6), 1248-1264. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/19)
b. Bacharach, S. (1989). Organizational theories: Some criteria for evaluation. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 496-515. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/19)
c. Locke, E. (2007). The case for inductive theory building. Journal of Management, 33(6), 867-890. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/19)
d. Shropshire, K., Hawdon, J., & White. J. (2009). Web survey design: Balancing measurement, response, and topical interest. Sociological Methods & Research, 37(3), 344-370. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/20)
e. Cronbach, L., & Mehl, P. (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52(4), 281-302. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/19)
f. Friedrich, T., Byrne, C., & Munford, M. (2009). Methodological and theoretical considerations in survey research. The Leadership Quarterly, 20(1), 57-60. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/20)
g. Zimsek, Z., & Veiga, J. (2001). A primer on Internet organizational surveys. Organizational Research Methods, 4(3), 218-235. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/20)
Residence 2 (on campus November 2-4, 2012)
Topics
· Longitudinal research methods
· Experimental research designs
· Laboratory experiments
· Field experiments
· Quasi-experimental designs
· Methodological artifacts in quantitative leadership research
· Practical issues in experimental design
· Ethical issues in experimental design
Additional Required Readings (note – this is part of the list of articles you select from for your article presentation)
NOTE: In reading the empirical articles in this set, students should focus on the theories the authors used in deriving their research hypotheses, the research hypotheses themselves, the research methods employed in these studies and the discussion section. In most cases, you can skip the results section since few students have been exposed to multivariate statistics. The purpose of these readings is to demonstrate how a researcher sets up an experimental study and why this design is the optimal choice to answer many research question(s). Included in the readings below are examples of a lab, field, quasi-experimental, and longitudinal studies.
h. Epitropaki, O., & Ronin, M. (2005). From ideal to real: A longitudinal analysis of implicit leadership theories on leader member –exchanges and employee outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 659-676. (TO BE PRESENTED 11/2)
i. Giesser, S., van Knippenberg, D., & Sleebos, E. (2005). License to fail? How leader group prototypicality moderates the effects of leader performance on perceptions of leadership effectiveness. The Leadership Quarterly, 20, 434-451. (TO BE PRESENTED 11/2)
j. Goodwin, V., Wofford, J., & Boyd, N. (2000). A laboratory experiment testing the antecedents of leader cognitions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21(7), 769-781. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/21)
k. Highhouse, S. (2009). Designing experiments that generalize. Organizational Research Methods, 12(3), 554-566. (TO BE PRESENTED 10/21)