Help with undergrad research proposal

sadista

Undergrad here, working on my final year business research proposal and experiencing some difficulty. I have an initial idea and have done some preliminary background research. I'd appreciate your feedback on my topic choice, its usefulness or insights about how I could best go about answering my research question. Methodology does not appear to be my strong suit unfortunately

I'm interested in researching the area of leader behaviour and its effects on subordinate/workplace creativity (of the garden variety kind). I would specifically like to find out about subordinates perception of specific leader behaviours which are aimed at promoting or enhancing creativity in subordinates i.e. to what extent employees find these behaviours effective and why. I'm unsure as to how I would go about measuring this. I hope someone can point me in the right direction. Thanks!:)

Black Swan

This assumes that you will use a deductive approach to guide your inquiry, from theory to research questions to conceptual framework to methodology to data collection to results to conclusions:

Theory: You may want to consider using transformational leadership as a theory (Bernard Bass) that suggests how creativity may be motivated in subordinates?

Research Questions: To paraphrase and modify Bass accordingly, the following two research questions emerge (although there may be more):

1. How do leaders raise the level of awareness, consciousness, and importance of creativity to the furtherance of desirable organisational outcomes in subordinates?
2. To what extent do leaders help subordinates to transcend their own self-interests in favour of creative organisational outcomes?

Before considering a possible conceptual framework, methodology, data collection, results, or conclusion approaches, what do you think of the above theory and research questions? Also, some useful references below.

Useful references:

• Matthew R. Redmond, Michael D. Mumford, Richard Teach (1993, June), Putting Creativity to Work: Effects of Leader Behavior on Subordinate Creativity, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes Volume 55, Issue 1, Pages 120-151.
• Teresa M Amabile, Elizabeth A Schatzela, Giovanni B Monetaa, Steven J Kramer (2004 February), Leader behaviors and the work environment for creativity: Perceived leader support, The Leadership Quarterly Volume 15, Issue 1, Pages 5–32.
• Dong I. Jung (2001), Transformational and Transactional Leadership and Their Effects on Creativity in Groups, Creativity Research Journal Volume 13, Issue 2 (published online 08 Jun 2010).

sadista

Hi Black Swan,

Thanks for your input The questions you have suggested are similar to my own research question but are much more precising, they make my head hurt a little less! I had also considered transformational leadership as the theoretical basis for my research and have come across the suggested articles by Mumford and Amabile et al. etc. in my initial literature search so we are on the same wavelength in that regard

TheHillOfDoom

I would look at the laissez-faire style management compared to autocratic.

TheHillOfDoom

I did a project on management styles, but the following might be a starting point:

"The R&D Department on the other hand would be at the extreme end of the Democratic style of Leadership being very laissez-faire in terms of management. The engineers here would not be as constrained by time as other departments. There would be a high level of trust between the manager and engineers in this department, that the engineers would be self-motivated and interested in their various projects, so there is no requirement for an autocratic approach here. Dunlap2 found that by empowering employees, managers create a nurturing environment in which staff can learn, grow, improve, and function effectively. Staff empowerment gives employees a sense of trust, importance, and capability – creating a positive work environment. This department would have followed this approach. "

To me the above is relevant. Trust was something that the tutor felt was crucial in terms of their ability to work creatively. That and the fact that the disparity in education/ability/experience between management and 'underlings' in R&D depts. is usually minimal.

Have no idea if any of the above helps, but sure I tried! Good luck!