Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth

Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth ORDER NOW FOR CUSTOMIZED AND ORIGINAL ESSAY PAPERS ON Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth One of the areas where organizations face the greatest challenge today is in the growth of employees, especially those in the entry-level position. Many firms fail in this sector because their leadership is not well trained to deal with the increasing demands of the modern economic times when it comes to maintaining a certain level of employee growth. Leadership behavior have a direct correlation to employee’s growth from the entry-level position (Bayram, & Dinc, 2015). Organizational cultures can lack innovation with leadership development and growth for entry-level employees (Joo, & Lim, 2013). The general business problem is organization have a high turnover rate for entry-level employees that are a misguided by leadership. The specific business problem is the lack of the leadership strategies to educate and retain entry-level employees. Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth lit_review_needed.doc Assessing the Correlation between Leadership Behavior and Employee Growth from Entry-Level Position Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Abstract In the modern times of economic struggles and trouble, layoffs, pay cuts and reduction of budgets are very common in the employment sector. Leadership behaviors have a direct effect on employee’s growth from the entry-level position. Therefore, misinformed and reckless behavior from the leaders can adversely affect employee growth in a negative way. The purpose of this study was to describe how leadership behavior correlates to the growth of employees from the entry-level position due to the working environments and the nature of leadership strategies in an organization. Conducting a research was be essential for this study because it sought to gather an in-depth understanding of the factors that shape leadership behaviors, and providing information about the experiences of several employees as well as leaders through questionnaires and interviews. The sample was provided with questionnaires with open-ended questions where they were required to give a full response to the questions in order to provide more details about the subject matter. From there, the researcher conducted interviews with questions shaped from the responses given in the questionnaires. This study would lead to social change since it would benefit the individual employees who would receive better treatment from their leaders and improve their social lives and interactions with leaders and fellow employees. The results of the study revealed that leadership behavior correlated with employee growth from the entry-level position. Key words : Social change, interviews, data, sample. Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth Table of Contents List of Tables. iv Section 1: Foundation of the Study. 1 Background of the Problem.. 1 Problem Statement 2 Purpose Statement 3 Nature of the Study. 3 Research Question (Qualitative Only) 4 Interview Questions (Qualitative Only) 5 Theoretical or Conceptual Framework. 5 Operational Definitions. 6 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations. 6 Assumptions. 6 Limitations. 7 Delimitations. 7 Significance of the Study. 7 Contribution to Business Practice. 7 Implications for Social Change. 8 A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature. 8 Transition. 9 Section 2: The Project 10 Purpose Statement 10 Role of the Researcher 10 Participants. 10 Research Method and Design. 11 Research Method. 11 Research Design. 11 Population and Sampling (Qualitative Only) 12 Ethical Research. 12 Data Collection Instruments (Qualitative Only) 13 Data Collection Technique. 13 Data Organization Technique (Qualitative Only) 13 Data Analysis (Qualitative Only) 14 Reliability and Validity (Qualitative Only) 14 Reliability. 14 Validity. 15 Transition and Summary. 15 Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change. 16 Introduction. 16 Presentation of the Findings (Qualitative Only) 16 Applications to Professional Practice. 17 Implications for Social Change. 17 Recommendations for Action. 18 Recommendations for Further Research. 18 Reflections. 18 Conclusion. 19 References. 20 Appendix: Correlation of Leadership Behavior and Employee Growth. 22 List of Tables Table 1. Correlation Coefficients Among Study Predictor Variables. 17 Section 1: Foundation of the Study Background of the Problem In the modern times of economic struggles and trouble, layoffs, pay cuts and reduction of budgets are very common in the employment sector. The employee morale reduces among those people who are lucky enough to retain their jobs and positions in different organizations. Productivity levels reduce, employee satisfaction and employee growth also suffers, as well as an increased loss of faith in the traditional model of the business sector (Bouckenooghe et al., 2014). At such times, many leaders and executives cower behind their prestigious positions and authority until the economic storm calms down. By so doing, they condemn the employees at the entry-level position to a state of retarded growth both in their performance at the work place and individual economic development. Leadership behaviors have a direct effect on employee’s growth from the entry-level position. Therefore, misinformed and reckless behavior from the leaders can adversely affect employee growth in a negative way. The main area where leaders fail to fulfill their responsibilities and ensure engagement and total commitment from employees is their failure to demonstrate respect. No other leadership behavior has as much effect on employee growth like treating them with respect. Appreciation and recognition are very paramount for any employee to motivate them and enhance their growth. However, several leaders still disregard the significance of respect towards their employees hence act as the root cause to the problem of retarded employee growth economically (Hartmann, Stephens, & Jahren). Many leaders tend to focus their efforts to find a solution for the hard times by laying most of the blame on the employees. Because of this, most employees end up being terminated from their employments and or being subjected to pay cuts to accommodate the reduction in organizational budgets. If leaders do the exact opposite and focus on their own leadership duties and effectiveness, they can increase employee satisfaction and commitment, productivity and profitability of the organization even during the challenging times, and consequently enhance the growth of employees from the entry-level position. The lack of respect is therefore the main cause of the problem of reduced employee growth from the entry-level position (Hartmann, Stephens, & Jahren). Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth Problem Statement One of the areas where organizations face the greatest challenge today is in the growth of employees, especially those in the entry-level position. Many firms fail in this sector because their leadership is not well trained to deal with the increasing demands of the modern economic times when it comes to maintaining a certain level of employee growth. Leadership behavior have a direct correlation to employee’s growth from the entry-level position (Bayram, & Dinc, 2015). Organizational cultures can lack innovation with leadership development and growth for entry-level employees (Joo, & Lim, 2013). The general business problem is organization have a high turnover rate for entry-level employees that are a misguided by leadership. The specific business problem is the lack of the leadership strategies to educate and retain entry-level employees. Purpose Statement The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe how leadership behavior correlates to the growth of employees from the entry-level position due to the working environments and the nature of leadership strategies in an organization. This will be achieved using interviews and questionnaires based on open-ended questions as well as records and observations from different firms or organizations. This study will be piloted in Maryland and will apply the use of secondary data as well as applying theoretical skills and abstract knowledge in the application of the several prevailing data to address the specific research questions. This study has the potential of affecting social change by revealing the main reasons why employees in the modern world find it very challenging to grow in their places of business both economically and individually and come up with the alternative solutions that can be implemented to remedy the situation. In such tough economic times as today, leaders would be encouraged to apply new strategies in their day to day leadership roles and ensure that their employees attain the required level of growth from the entry-level position. Nature of the Study This study is about how leadership behavior correlates with the growth of employees from the entry-level position. Therefore, qualitative research will be essential because it seeks to gather an in-depth understanding of the factors that shape leadership behaviors, and providing information about the experiences of several employees as well as leaders through questionnaires and interviews. A qualitative methodology would be essential for this study because it will describe different phenomena related to the subject matter hence enabling people to clearly understand it and report the totality of the situation. A qualitative study will use the responses and experiences of different employees and leaders and help the researchers to analyze the complex relationships between employees and their leaders. The study will also apply the use of a case study which will give detailed consideration to the development and growth of each individual participant. A quantitative study would also be essential because it would measure the relationship between variables and find a correlation between leadership behavior and employee growth from the entry-level position through h results of the experiences and responses of the different employees and leaders question during the interviews. It would apply the use of smaller samples that are focused on getting the required information and data to help the researchers observe the behavior of both leaders and employees through personal interviews while seeking a better understanding of the relationship between employees and leaders (Cegielski & Jones-Farmer, 2016). Research Questions (Qualitative Only) This study will be guided by the following research questions; Does leadership behavior directly correlate to employee’s growth from the entry-level position? How does the relationship between employees and leaders result in a reduction in the rate of employee growth? What Sample size will be appropriate for conducting a well-focused and widely beneficial qualitative research? Do organization cultures innovation with leadership development and growth for entry-level employees? Does the high turnover rate for entry-level employees that are a misguided by leadership lead to the problems faced during the employee’s growth from the entry-level position? Is the lack of the leadership strategies to educate and retain entry-level employees the main cause of the problem? Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth Interview Questions (Qualitative Only) How much importance do you lay on good and functional employee-employer relationships? How does your organization go about the training and innovation sectors for both employees and their leaders to ensure that their relationship results in employee growth? How do you suppose leadership behavior correlates to employee’s growth from the entry-level position? Theoretical or Conceptual Framework The motivation theory applies to this study since there is a very close interconnection between employee motivation and their growth. As discussed before, treating employees with respect and rewarding or recognizing their efforts in the workplace helps to boost their morale and motivate them to improve further. As employees improve, they grow in their workplace, economically and individually hence are capable of moving upwards from the entry-level position to more established positions. Operational Definitions Data : Statistics collected for reference or analysis purposes Social change : Alterations in societal mechanisms in the form of behavioral changes, changes in cultural symbols, social institutions and social relations. Leadership strategies : The techniques that leaders in an organization use when dealing with the day to day governance of the organizations. Sample : A smaller category of a larger population picked during a study in accordance with specific attributes and characteristics. Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations Assumptions are facts considered to be true but are not actually verified. Limitations refer to potential weaknesses of the study, while delimitations refer to the bounds or scope of the study. Assumptions All kinds of leadership behavior correlates with employee growth from the entry-level position. Employees will always perform better in their jobs and improve when they receive the right amount of motivation from their leaders. Limitations Some of the potential weaknesses of this study would arise from receiving false and inadequate information from the sample audience which may lead to the collection of less or misinformed data, hence interfering with the credibility of the study. Delimitations The main scope of this study would be focused on the relationship between employees and leaders and how this relationship can promote or reduce growth of employees. Significance of the Study Contribution to Business Practice This study will fill the gaps that are often present in trying to understand the effective practice of businesses by clearly indicating and explaining the important aspects and factors that shape the employee-leader relationships and how both parties are required to relate with each other when it comes to the day to day running of the organization and the fulfillment of their duties (Hill, 2014). It will clearly indicate the numerous problems that employees face in their endeavors to achieve growth from the entry-level position. By identifying these issues and the leadership behaviors that hinder their growth, this study will provide solutions to the most serious problems facing businesses in the modern day and make people understand business practice better. Implications for Social Change Treating employees with respect makes them feel more worthy and dignified. This study focuses on incorporating respect in the relationship between leaders and employees in an attempt to develop them individually, improve their dignity and promote a business oriented culture where everyone is valued regardless of their position. It will therefore enable organizations to improve the productivity of their employees and consequently improve their profitability. This would lead to economic development and hence social change and the improvement of human social conditions (Hill, 2014). A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth To further understand this study, we can apply the theories of motivation which can also be looked at from a cognitive stance to try and understand employee satisfaction levels which is a major contributing factor to employee growth (Yidong & Xinxin, 2012). It doesn’t however assess the fulfillment and happiness that an entry-level employee draws from his or her job in an organization; but rather assesses to degree to which certain jobs are viewed as satisfactory by the employee in comparison to their own objectives or the expectations they set with other jobs. The Existence, Relatedness and Growth theory can also be used when considering the internal or individual growth of employees, including the esteem needs and the needs for self-actualization in each individual employee. These needs are the ones that often drive them towards growth. The transformational leadership theory is also essential in examining the phenomenon which concerns the way leaders and their behavior or leadership skills and responsibilities can affect the growth of individual employees. Leadership in the modern business sector has been eroded with the beliefs that the leader is the one with all the authority and the employees must be submissive. However, without a combined effort from both parties, the organization is doomed to fail. The transformational leadership theory can therefore enlighten the leaders on the significance of a more involving form of leadership that would enhance increased productivity and profitability by making employees feel relevant and valued (Joo & Lim, 2013). Transition Based on the above discussions, it is clear that this study will be very influential in enhancing growth on both the economic and individual fronts and enlightening the leaders on how to relate with their employees to ensure higher levels of profitability. The next section will focus on the main purpose of the project as well as methodologies used in data collection and analysis. Section 2: The Project This section will be primarily focused on the primary aspects of the main study or research; including the different methods of data collection, the ethical considerations while collecting the data, the participants and the main objective and duty of the researcher. Purpose Statement The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe how leadership behavior correlates to the growth of employees from the entry-level position due to the working environments and the nature of leadership strategies in an organization. This will be achieved using interviews and questionnaires based on open-ended questions as well as records and observations from different firms or organizations. Role of the Researcher The role of the researcher will be to identify the correlation between employee growth from the entry-level position to a more established position and leadership behaviors. These two variables will be the main subjects guiding this study since all the research and data collection will be directed towards determining the correlation between the two variables. Participants The participants will be selected from a broader population into samples. The sample for this particular study will entail executive leaders from a high performing textile industry in Maryland as well as a few other leaders from a manufacturing industry that is not as well established as the former. We will also include a few employees from both organizations; from those with high wages to those who are paid lesser wages. The leaders will be a combination of Chief Executive Officers from both organizations as well as the managers and supervisors who have direct interactions with the employees in their places of work. Research Method and Design Research Method In the qualitative study, the employees and the leaders will be provided with questionnaires with open-ended questions where they will be required to give a full response to the questions in order to provide more details about the subject matter. From there, the researcher will conduct interviews with questions shaped from the responses given in the questionnaires. The main purpose of the interviews will be to get more information about some important parts which were not well explained in the questionnaires. At least two leaders and two employees; each from very organization will be interviewed. Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth Research Design The use of the questionnaires and interviews will ensure that the employees reveal more information than they would reveal to their leaders; as well as enabling the leaders to present some of the obstacles they encounter from employees during their day to day interactions. Qualitative research would therefore ensure that more personal information is revealed, hence ensuring the success of the study (Hartmann, Stephens, & Jahren). Population and Sampling (Qualitative Only) The qualitative sampling method that will be used in this study will be the quota sampling; where the researcher will identify the type and size of the sample prior to the research. Characteristics such as the type of leader, whether manager or CEO, employee status in the organization including their wage limits will be pre-identified before the beginning of the study to ensure a much more organized data collection and research process. The sample will be identified depending on their communication skills and coherency, especially those to be interviewed. Ethical Research There won’t be too much ethical issues since most of the study will be conducted while making reference to past discoveries on the subject matter such as journals and other past research findings which have already been approved for referencing. The authorization for the different sites on employee-leader relations have already been obtained and the studies already published and approved for review by the Institutional Review Board. For this reason, there is no need to seek consent from the researchers who conducted and published their research findings (Bouckenooghe et la., 2014). Data collected during this study will be maintained in a safe place for 5 years to protect rights of participants. For credibility and ethical purposes, the final doctoral manuscript will include the Walden IRB approval number. Data Collection Instruments (Qualitative Only) Most of the data collected in this study will be extracted from an examination of samples which include leaders and employees from the two organizations stated earlier, through open ended questionnaires and interviews in order to allow for a better understanding of the phenomenon; which is the correlation between leadership behaviors and growth of employees from the entry-level position. The instruments to be used will include paper stacks on which the questionnaires will be printed and pens for writing, as well as sound recording equipment to be used during interviews to allow for reviews whenever a something is not well explained. The intended population will be around 50 individuals, to be slashed to 30 during sampling. The scaling system will be between 1-10, and the study will take close to one week to be wholly completed. Data Collection Technique Some of the data collected will be extracted from published research findings from past studies. However, most of the data will be collected using the interviewing technique where the researcher will conduct a face to face conversation with the interviewees in the sample population and ask them questions related to the phenomenon being studied (Cegielski & Jones-Farmer, 2016). The questions asked will be particularly based on the specific opinions of individual interviewees and the most recurring responses from both sides noted down for use in the final draft of the research findings. Data Organization Technique (Qualitative Only) The data will be organized according to the position of the respondent in their respective organizations, such as leaders or employees; who are further categorized into CEO’s or supervisors and low or high positioned employees. The data will be stored electronically and destroyed after 5 years. Data Analysis (Qualitative Only) Data analysis will be done through involving all the employees and leaders in the sample population and providing them with questionnaires with open-ended questions to answer and then conducting interviews. The data will then be analyzed through the instruments of data collection mentioned in the prior section. This study will provide the basic characteristics of the data and a brief summary of the sample. The main steps of data analysis will include the following; Comparison and analysis of data among employees and leaders in the sample. An analysis of the major negative aspects of the relationship between employees and leaders. Thematic analysis of data Thematic data coding to help understand the phenomenon. Reliability and Validity (Qualitative Only)Discussion: maintaining a certain level of employee growth Reliability Reliability will involve the checking for the dependability of the research data and findings by inviting an expert to validate the interview questions, direct observation of leadership behaviors, and checking of the data interpretation by the members of the research team. Collecting enough data to the extent of reaching data saturation would ensure the dependability of the findings. Validity Validity of qualitative findings refers to the credibility and confirmability of the research findings. Reaching data saturation will ensure validity of the findings, as well as checking for data interpretation and participant transcript review. Transition and Summary The data collection process and the analysis should all be done in an ethical manner to ensure that no unauthorized information about the sample population is left for public consumption. The information stored electronically must be protected by log in passwords to avoid any unauthorized access. After effective data collection, the data should be presented in an organized manner with recommendations, applications of the study to professional practice and its implications for social change well examined and indicated. Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change Introduction The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe how leadership behavior correlates to the growth of employees from the entry-level position due to the working environments and the nature of leadership strategies in an organization. The results of the study revealed that leadership behavior is directly linked to employee growth from the entry-level position. Some of the leadership behaviors that impact employee growth directly include management and supervision activities. The findings indicate that leaders who treat their employees with respect enable the employees to work more freely and increase their productivity, and also their growth. Organizations which offer much adequate training and innovation to both leaders and employees boast the highest rate of employee growth since they offer a conducive environment for the development of employees as individuals and as workers in a company. Presentation of the Findings (Qualitative Only) I received 56 surveys in total. One of the records was however eliminated due to missing data; resulting in the analysis of 55 surveys. Table 1 below contains the descriptive statistics of the study variables. The findings confirm that the correlation between leadership behaviors of CEO’s strongly correlates with employee growth, whereas organizational cultures are weakly correlated to the activities and behaviors of CEO’s and supervisors. Since coordinators and supervisors often interact closely with employees, their leadership behavior strongly correlate to employee growth. Table 1 Correlation Coefficients Among Study Predictor Variables Variables Leadership behavior Employee growth Turnover rate Organizational cultures Employees .541 1.00 .151 1.00 CEO’s 1.00 .321 .561 -.010 Supervisors .432 1.00 .130 -.010 Coordinators 1.00 .151 .562 .151 Note . N=55 Applications to Professional Practice The study findings can be used to clearly understand the complexities in the relationship between leaders and employees, as well as the specific ways through which leadership behaviors affect employee growth. These are important variables which are very essential in the business sector which can make business owners capable of understanding the business environment hence enhancing development and profitability (Joo & Lim, 2013). Implications for Social Change As organizations grow, so does the economy. Economic developments promotes social change in the society as the behaviors of people change with the changing status. Similarly, individuals, especially the employees experience a certain sense of worth and feel appreciated s the attitudes and behaviors of their leaders towards them changes. This study will enlighten organization leaders to treat their employees better, hence improving their self-esteem and enabling them to develop as individuals in their social lives (Hill, 2014). Recommendations for Action For better action, leaders need to treat employees as part of the organization and interact with them with more respect and appreciation to ensure that they reciprocate by giving their best work output and improving the profit level of the organization. The employees will grow from lower positions to higher ones in the organization and their levels of job satisfaction will also improve (Hill, 2014). The employees also need to improve on their cooperation with their leaders to ensure that the organization runs smoothly and everyone performs their duties. Recommendations for Further Research To ensure that the researcher does not receive false or inadequate information from the sample, the interview protocol or questionnaires must no include leading questions or closed questions. This is because closed questions would limit the interviewees to specific answers which may not reveal the entire scope of the study and enable the researcher to understand the phenomenon better. Reflections The possible biases in this study would arise while choosing the sample. The researcher might select more individuals from a given category, such as employees or leaders, which would result in collection of data that is skewed towards a particular side. This might lead to misinformed research findings which would affect the results and convince leaders and employees to interact in a manner that would lead to more negative repercussions on either side. My opinion on leadership behavior and its effects on employees has changed after this study since it has made the scope of business more expansive and easy to understand from the perspectives of both the leaders and the employees on how they wish to be treated in the workplace. Conclusion Leadership behaviors strongly influence the way employees react to the conditions of their jobs and job satisfaction. Leaders in every organization must therefore pay close attention to the manner in which they interact with their employees in order to improve organizational performance. Organizational cultures also need to be shaped in such a way that they favor every side; employees and leaders. 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