Qualitative social research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Qualitative social research - Essay Example Observations techniques, an example of a qualitative data gathering tool, can yield more candid results which can be more reliable than survey questionnaires in this kind of study. Creswell (2003) lists a number of qualitative procedures and also presents a number of characteristics of the said method. He describes qualitative research as taking place in the natural setting, in the home, office, community etc. of the participant. In such manner, the participant or the subject is more comfortable and is acting more naturally than when he is kept in a holding room for observation. The methods used to determine the conditions and situations of the participant or subject being researched is multiple. An observation method is usually coupled with an interview such that the observations of the researcher will be validated to remove researcher bias. It is also more flexible in as much as human nature is also flexible. And to top it all, the view rendered by a qualitative research is holistic, taking to consideration not only the individual or subject being researched but also the other things and factors that affect it. The March 2009 issue of the Tamara Journal of Critical Organisation Inquiry contains several articles discussing new and emerging issues in qualitative research. Among the issues discussed are reflexivity, role of the researcher, flexibility of the qualitative research process, voyeurism and ethical considerations. The transformational leader as pedagogue, physician, architect, commander, and saint: Five root metaphors in Jack Welchs letters to stockholders of General Electric. By: Amernic, Craig and Tourish Dec 2007 This article discusses how the letters of Welch has contributed to the understanding of his type of leadership. This is an example of a content analysis with the goal of determining the behavior of a

Personal Development as a Manager Journal Essay

Personal Development as a Manager Journal - Essay Example It will take into account the significance of my own beliefs, attitudes and values which are implied by me into the task that I am assigned to perform. Reflective Manager The application of reflective practices is an essential fundamental for those individual who are heading an education or specially a healthcare institution. Similarly, I, the manager of a nursing home, think that reflective ability plays a vital role in my management processes. The reflective practices are defined as a set of basic skills and abilities which require the undertaking of a critical step an orientation to the state of mid or solving problems (Weick, 2001, p. 91). In the real instance, all the managers and leaders are busy reflecting upon their own work and create it an intentional event requiring both the commitment and time. I, as a reflective leader, think that this type of management is one of the basic keys towards creating and organization which is relationship-based. According to the basis of refl ective leadership, I have characterized myself by three major skills: careful observation, self-awareness, and flexible response.   Through these abilities, I am able to study my own decision-making processes and am critical regarding the relationships with workers and colleagues in a constructive manner. I am successfully able to analyze the gaps between knowledge and skills. Besides this, a reflective manager faces the painful and problematic episodes through the identification of learning needs. The process of reflective leader pertains to the assistance of leader teams, communities and committees in leading and managing them with an open heart. The process of this type of leadership tends to assume the leading abilities with joy, fulfilment, peace and creativity disregarding of the various consequences and hassles that might come up during the day. According to my experiences and opinions, such individual or leader, who is able to understand him/herself and is capable of shari ng the joy, fear, weaknesses, strengths and achievements with the followers, is on the way to becoming a reflective leader and manager. Similarly, my nursing home exists with a mission towards improving the lives of all those people who are living in the nursing home (Limerick, Cunninton & Crowther, 1998, p. 280). As the manager, fulfilling my purposes and goals require me to understand and value the human dimension of leadership. I think, translating the relations into actions is an inner journey, and is the practical concept of the struggle for living. Though, it is next to impossible to attain this need fully, however, we constantly strive towards the achievement of a personal vision of enhanced service and self-awareness to others. Thus, theoretically and practically, the practices of reflective leadership, concentrate the attention on such a level where the leaders are most leveraged and the stage impacts and influences their actions the most. It refers to giving the managers t he space of feeling and thinking the stories that exist about the unwritten rules of culture and how the world operates. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory Amongst all other management theories, in my perspective, the theory which concerns most with the management aspect is the Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. The following pyramid reflects the elements that the managerial theory given by