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Week 6: Evaluate a Qualitative Research Study

Article Reviewed: Ragnarsson, S., Kristjánsdóttir, E. S., & Gunnarsdóttir, S. (2018). To Be

Accountable While Showing Care: The Lived Experience of People in a Servant Leadership
Organization. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018801097

Part 1 Quality Criteria: Your Evidence and/or Reasoning

Research Design

Does a research design guide the Good.

conduct of the study? Yes, the research design determines the appropriate conduct of
the study. As the article includes, the identified question, data
collection information, evidence, methods & approaches, and
results of the research study.

Does the research design address the Good.

study’s purpose? Yes, the research design does address the purpose of the study.
As the research design have identified question and data types,
and one of the most effective methods for the data collection and
data analysis is being used for developing qualitative result.

Overall Assessment: Good

Source: Plano-Clark & Creswell (2015). Understanding Research (p. 301).

Part 2 Quality Criteria: Your Evidence and/or Reasoning

Participants and Data Collection

Is the sample size appropriate and Good

justified? According to Creswell (2013), having 5 participants would have
been sufficient. However, in the study, 10 respondents were
interviewed, half belonged to the management group and the
other half was not management employees. Moreover, the
sample size is also warranted as participants were of same
level of education with different ages, gender mix and work
experience.

Are the data types appropriate? Good.

As the research study focuses primarily on understanding how
servant leadership is practiced within a servant leadership
organization by including the experience of managers and
employees (Heller & Van Til, 1983; Hollander, 1992; Jago,
1982). Therefore, both managers and employees within the

Are the data collection issues handled
ethically and thoughtfully?
Overall Assessment: Good
Source: Plano-Clark & Creswell (2015). Understanding Research (pp. 349).
Part 3 Quality Criteria:
Findings
Do the findings include a description
of the people, places, or events in the
study?
Do the findings include appropriate
themes about the central
phenomenon?
Does the data analysis represent a
good qualitative process?
Do the findings provide a good
exploration of the central
phenomenon?
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servant leadership organization can be considered as suitable
variables.
Excellent.
The phenomenology approach was used for the data collection
methodology and in-depth interviews were semi-structured.
Also, the identity of the interviewees was kept anonymous.
Following the interview, the thoughts, statements and even
observations of those interviewed were digitally recorded. After
that, the recordings were transcribed, analyzed and interpreted
using the phenomenological procedure of description,
reduction and interpretation (Lanigan, 1988). In addition to
conducting interviews an observation of critical incidents was
also included.
Your Evidence and/or Reasoning
Poor.
The findings do not include the enough description of the
participants. As in the results section, both the comprehensive
approach and the clear result of the study are missing.
Moreover, the author has failed to specify the factors that
influenced the variables underlying this finding.
Good
In the result section, the author qualitatively discusses about
the two main emerged themes and sub-themes about the
central phenomenon.
Good.
The data analysis was performed using phenomenological
methodology. Also, the interviews were digitally recorded and
were transcribed, analyzed, and interpreted according to the
phenomenological procedure of description, reduction, and
interpretation (Lanigan, 1988), to ensure results emerged
should provide an accurate and credible portrayal of the
information found within the collected data.
Good.
The findings do provide the good qualitative result of the
specified research question. In the result section, the author
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discusses about the theme and subthemes emerged from the

research study.

Overall Assessment: Good

Source: Plano-Clark & Creswell (2015). Understanding Research (pp. 377).