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The Perception of the Role of Charismatic Leadership in a Research and Development

Environment

Submitted by

Richard Dwayne Henderson

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctorate of Business Administration

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona

March 23, 2018

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GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

The Perception of the Role of Charismatic Leadership in a Research and Development

Environment

I verify that my dissertation represents original research, is not falsified or plagiarized,

and that I have accurately reported, cited, and referenced all sources within this

manuscript in strict compliance with APA and Grand Canyon University (GCU)

guidelines. I also verify my dissertation complies with the approval(s) granted for this

research investigation by GCU Institutional Review Board (IRB).

__October 23, 2017______

Richard D. Henderson Date

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore participant

perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects and to

understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style for two different R&D departments at a corporation

on the West Coast of the United States. Participants included five top-level managers, five

project managers, and five project team members. This qualitative study addressed a lack

of knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic leadership in project management.

The suitability of the charismatic leadership style in the corporate environment, specifically

within managing R&D projects, was also explored. The theoretical approach for the

dissertation was of a charismatic leadership theory through the lens of social behavior,

stemming from a desire to know how top-level management, project managers, and project

team members perceive charismatic leadership style. Data were triangulated through pre-

interview and demographic questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and a researcher’s

log to a converging line of inquiry to explain the phenomenon. The findings showed that

project management under the influence of a charismatic leader could provide a positive

environment with leadership, loyalty, project management, relationships, and teamwork

that inspire the project team’s performance as perceived by 15 participants. The findings

add to the existing body of knowledge associated with charismatic leadership style by

expanding the subject into the project management field relating to charismatic leadership

theory.

Keywords: Charismatic Leadership, Loyalty, Project Management, Qualitative

Research, R&D Leadership, Relationships, and Teamwork

Dedication

I give all the honor and glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without whom I

would not have been able to embark on this journey. I dedicate this work to my best

friend and wife, Nancy M. Henderson, for her unfailing love, encouragement, prayers,

and constant support of my educational pursuit. I also dedicate this work to my parents,

Emma Henderson, who has since passed away, and Robert Lee Henderson; both for

instilling in me the character, discipline, patience, dedication, perseverance, and the

relentless pursuit of excellence in everything I embark upon.

vii

Acknowledgments

The list of those who supported and encouraged this work is inexhaustible.

However, my first acknowledgment goes to Jesus Christ who not only gave the vision but

also provided the enablement for me to acquire relevant knowledge and wisdom, giving

me some insight into the leadership of his people. The motivation of the Holy Spirit at all

times provided the impetus to press on and finish the work regardless of all obstacles I

encountered. The glory certainly belongs to God.

I must also acknowledge the tremendous support of the Chair and Dissertation

Committee Members, Dr. Patricia A. D’Urso. I remain greatly indebted to her for

allowing me to tap into her wealth of knowledge, experience, and mastery of

phenomenology as a tool of qualitative research. My appreciation also goes to Dr. Robert

A. Branch and Dr. Troy Roland, the remaining two members of my dissertation

committee for their encouragement and support of this project.

Next, you know how people say they wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for

the support and friendship of certain people? So I too, are surrounded by many treasured

friends and colleagues who help make this dissertation possible. Many of them are quoted

here. But in addition, we give special thanks to: Dr. Cratrice Kelly, Dr. Jeff Jernigan, Dr.

Robert Codagnone, Daniel Carroll, Krishna Hoffman, Ellen S. E. Tarantino, Taki Turner,

Mitch Petervary, Craig Wilsey, Jon Embler, Terry Davidson, Steve Greco, Stacy Garner,

Michael Rogerson, Kim Linton, Jason Monroy, Ronen Elkoby, Thomas Pinney, Larry

Smith, Sean Woodward, David S. Witt, Ilya Sedle, Hayden Shea, Carol L. Hamelberg,

Daniel Chen, Morgan Lewis, Jon Carter, Ben Martinez, and Dr. Kambiz

viii

Moghaddam.Thank you all for allowing God to use you as tools of encouragement and

support.

I was blessed to be connected to an editor who painstakingly read, corrected, and

appropriately formatted my dissertation. I thank Dr. Tina Harshman, my editor, and

friend for all of your encouragement and not letting me give up.

Last but not the least, I thank my wife, Nancy M. Henderson for her

encouragement and support throughout the period of my doctoral studies. To my son

Dontaie Henderson who labored with me every day, I say thank you. Your prayers are

greatly appreciated. To God be the glory, amen.

Table of Contents

List of Tables .....................................................................................................................xv

List of Figures ................................................................................................................. xvii

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................1

Background of the Study ...............................................................................................3

Problem Statement .........................................................................................................5

Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................6

Research Questions ........................................................................................................8

Advancing Scientific Knowledge ................................................................................10

Significance of the Study .............................................................................................11

Rationale for Methodology ..........................................................................................13

Nature of the Research Design for the Study ...............................................................14

Definition of Terms......................................................................................................17

Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations ....................................................................20

Summary and Organization of the Remainder of the Study ........................................21

Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................24

Introduction to the Chapter and Background to the Problem ......................................24

Background to the Problem .........................................................................................27

Theoretical Foundations...............................................................................................30

Review of the Literature ..............................................................................................34

Project Management ....................................................................................................36

Nature of project management. ...........................................................................37

Project manager's role. ........................................................................................38

Project manager's leadership skills. ....................................................................39

Project managers and emotional intelligence .....................................................40

Factors for project success. .................................................................................41

Managing resources ............................................................................................42

Empowering. .......................................................................................................44

Developing. .........................................................................................................45

Motivation. ..........................................................................................................46

Critical analysis...................................................................................................47

Self-awareness. ...................................................................................................48

Sensitivity. ..........................................................................................................49

Leadership Theories .....................................................................................................49

Autocratic leadership. .........................................................................................50

Bureaucratic leadership.......................................................................................50

Charismatic leadership. .......................................................................................50

Democratic/participative leadership. ..................................................................50

Laissez-faire leadership. .....................................................................................51

People-oriented /relations-oriented leadership. ..................................................51

Servant leadership. ..............................................................................................51

Task-oriented leadership. ....................................................................................51

Transactional leadership. ....................................................................................52

Transformational leadership. ..............................................................................52

Charismatic Leadership ...............................................................................................52

Characteristics of charismatic leadership. ..........................................................53

Charismatic Project Management ................................................................................55

Project manager’s leadership traits. ....................................................................56

Methodology ................................................................................................................59

Wright (2012). ....................................................................................................60

De Ciel (2012). ...................................................................................................61

Barrantes-Guevara (2013)...................................................................................62

Lee (2010). ..........................................................................................................63

Instrumentation ............................................................................................................65

Summary ......................................................................................................................66

Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................69

Introduction ..................................................................................................................69

Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................70

Research Questions and Phenomenon .........................................................................71

Phenomenon........................................................................................................71

Research questions. .............................................................................................71

Pre-interview questionnaire and demographics ..................................................73

Semi-structured interviews. ................................................................................73

Researcher’s log. .................................................................................................73

Research Methodology ................................................................................................74

Research Design...........................................................................................................77

Population and Sample Selection.................................................................................78

Sources of Data ............................................................................................................81

Pre-interview questionnaire. ...............................................................................81

Semi-structured interviews .................................................................................82

Researcher’s log. .................................................................................................82

Validity ........................................................................................................................83

xii

Reliability .....................................................................................................................84

Data Collection and Management ................................................................................85

Data Analysis Procedures ............................................................................................87

Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................89

Limitations and Delimitations ......................................................................................90

Summary ......................................................................................................................91

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results ................................................................................93

Introduction ..................................................................................................................93

Descriptive Data...........................................................................................................96

Data Analysis Procedures ..........................................................................................113

Pre-interview and demographic questionnaires ................................................115

Semi-structured interviews ...............................................................................115

Researcher’s log for observations .....................................................................116

Data collection struggle ....................................................................................117

Data analysis process ........................................................................................118

Coding process. .................................................................................................119

Validity ......................................................................................................................128

Reliability ...................................................................................................................131

Results ........................................................................................................................132

Individual interviews. .......................................................................................135

Pre-interview questionnaire codes and resulting themes. .................................135

Semi-structured interviews codes and resulting themes. ..................................151

Triangulation of the data. ..................................................................................166

Case study summary. ........................................................................................173

xiii

Summary ....................................................................................................................174

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations ............................................176

Introduction ................................................................................................................176

Summary of the Study ...............................................................................................178

Summary of Findings and Conclusion .......................................................................182

RQ1 ...................................................................................................................184

RQ2 ...................................................................................................................187

RQ1 ...................................................................................................................189

RQ2 ...................................................................................................................192

RQ1 ...................................................................................................................197

RQ2 ...................................................................................................................200

Conclusions. ......................................................................................................202

Implications................................................................................................................203

Theoretical implications. ..................................................................................204

Strengths and weaknesses. ................................................................................207

Practical implications ........................................................................................208

Future implications ...........................................................................................209

Recommendations ......................................................................................................210

Recommendations for future research ..............................................................211

Recommendations for future practice. ..............................................................213

References ........................................................................................................................216

Appendix A. IRB Approval Letter...................................................................................233

Appendix B. Informed Consent .......................................................................................235

Appendix C. Interview Guide ..........................................................................................238

xiv

Appendix D. Permission Letters - Interviews ..................................................................239

Appendix E. Pre-Interview Questions and Demographics ..............................................241

Appendix F. Introduction and Charismatic Leadership Interview Questions .................243

Appendix G. Face-to-Face Interview Observation ..........................................................247

Appendix H. Site Authorization ......................................................................................248

Appendix I. Confidentiality Statement ............................................................................249

Appendix J. Recruiting Materials ....................................................................................250

Appendix K. Conflict of Interest .....................................................................................251

Appendix L. All Participants’ Demographics for PM, PTM, and TLM ..........................255

Appendix M. Participants Interview Observation for PM, PTM, and TLM....................256

Appendix N. Codebook ...................................................................................................257

Appendix O. Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codebook .....................................................261

Appendix P. Semi-Structured Interview Codebook.........................................................263

Appendix Q. Probing Questions (PQ) Codebook ............................................................265

Appendix R. Semi-Structured Interview with Probing Questions (PQ) Codebook ........266

Appendix S. Word Frequency Query Result ...................................................................269

Appendix T. Word Cloud Query Result ..........................................................................273

Appendix U. PM, PTM, and TLM Face-to-Face Interview Observation Breakdown ....274

Appendix V. GCU D-50 IRB Approval to Conduct Research ........................................276

Appendix W. Semi-Structured Interview Details Summary............................................277

List of Tables

Table 1. Pre-Interview Primary Themes ....................................................................... 107

Table 2. Semi-structured Interviews Primary Themes ................................................. 109

Table 3. Semi-structured Interviews Primary Probing Themes .................................... 111

Table 4. Themes from Pre-interview Questionnaires for TLM .................................... 121

Table 5. Themes from Pre-interview Questionnaires for PTM .................................... 122

Table 6. Themes from Pre-interview Questionnaires for Five PM ............................... 122

Table 7. Themes from Semi-Structured Interviews for TLM ....................................... 124

Table 8. Themes from Semi-Structured Interviews for PTM ....................................... 125

Table 9. Themes from Semi-Structured Interviews for PM ......................................... 126

Table 10. Research Question 1- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and TLM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 137

Table 11. Research Question 1- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PTM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 140

Table 12. Research Question 1- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 143

Table 13. Research Question 2- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and TLM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 146

Table 14. Research Question 2- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PTM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 148

Table 15. Research Question 2 - Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 150

Table 16. Research Question 1- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and TLM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 153

Table 17. Research Question 1- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PTM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 155

Table 18. Research Question 1- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 157

xvi

Table 19. Research Question 2- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and TLM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 160

Table 20. Research Question 2- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PTM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 162

Table 21. Research Question 2- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PM

Resulting Themes ........................................................................................... 164

Table 22. Triangulation Results ..................................................................................... 169

xvii

List of Figures

Figure 1. Target sample size ............................................................................................. 98

Figure 2. Demographic percentages of all survey participants ....................................... 100

Figure 3. Top level managers demographic data ............................................................ 102

Figure 4. Project managers: demographic data ............................................................... 103

Figure 5. Project Team members: demographic data ..................................................... 104

Figure 6. Semi-structured interview observations percentages of all participants ......... 112

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

Introduction

The role of project managers is extremely important because they are responsible

for the success or failure of projects, which are directly tied to the company’s revenue

goals. The skill set and leadership style for project managers are of paramount

importance to an organization’s success, as managers and leaders are required to

communicate the company objectives with core members of the team at all times

(Pandya, 2014). According to Bezek and Nacho (2011), more than 50% of a project

manager’s work time is spent interacting with others. The role of a project manager

demands the application of an effective leadership style and continuous management of

human conflicts to build good relationships to ensure the success of the organization’s

projects.

This research study provided a deeper understanding of how projects are managed,

what tasks project leaders should perform by themselves, and what personal

characteristics should be employed to lead a project throughout an enterprise while further

analyzing the skills required to initiate and complete a project or program. These skills

include communication, being a good listener, team building, conflict management,

program or project leadership skills, motivation, negotiation, decision-making, resolution,

and politics (Bezek & Nacho, 2011). The main focus of this research was whether

charismatic leadership is a suitable leadership style for production management in a

Research and Development (R&D) environment in a West Coast corporation.

This study was grounded in the research of Max Weber (1947), which provided a

strong theoretical foundation of charismatic leadership. Max Weber’s concept of a leader,

one who is equipped with the characteristic of charisma, plays a significant role in this

study (Wunderer & Grunwald, 1980, p. 448). The list of skills necessary to be successful

in project management is not all inclusive; therefore, the focus was to cover some but not

all of the issues that need to be addressed during a project initiation or launch from the

perspective of a manager employing a charismatic leadership style.

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore participant

perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects and to

understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team members

view charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on

the West Coast of the United States. A signature study by Grosse (2007), which

investigated multiple leadership styles employed in R&D projects is a basis for this

present study. Grosse (2007) argued that charismatic leadership was an area that required

further research because it had not been studied in the R&D environment. Further

examination of the literature available on this topic shows minimal studies written about

charismatic leadership relating to project management. This is “a significant omission of

research because Charismatic Leadership Theory requires the project leader to define the

meaning of the project and to communicate its meaning to [its] employees” (Grosse,

2007, p. 449) to provide an environment in which to succeed. This study addresses the

gap in existing research identified by Grosse (2007) relating to a lack of knowledge of the

influence and power of charismatic leadership in project management. The gap was

explored specific to the participating West Coast corporation.

Chapter One includes the foundation for this research study. The background of

the research, the research questions, a discussion of the significant value and

contributions to the field, an explanation, and rationale for the methodology and design

was included. Definition of terms provided a point of reference for the reader to clarify

terms, which are unique to this business domain. Chapter One concluded with a

description of the assumptions, limitations and delimitations, and a summary.

Background of the Study

It is critical to recognize the specific traits that contribute to the leadership style to

understand charismatic leadership. Traditionally, charismatic leaders in the corporate

world have been influenced by several demonstrated characteristics. These characteristics

include the ability to build strong teams and empower people based on the development

of healthy relationships. In the years ranging from the late 1970s to the late 1990s,

researchers have altered and expanded leadership theory to depict charismatic leadership

within the context of organizations (Oshinubi, 2007). In organizations involving project

management, working well with project team members is one of the most important

functions that a project manager must perform (Aubry, Hobbs, Muller, & Blomquist,

2010; Oshinubi, 2007).

The West Coast corporation participating in this study is a large aerospace

organization with more than 150,000 employees. Project managers are responsible for

executable actions, yet have no direct authority over the project team members. The

management structure of this organization is also reflected in the program and product

management of the organization (Bezek & Nacho, 2011). One way to accomplish tasks is

by managing through the use of people skills, which requires the manager to use

persuasion, influence, negotiation, salesmanship, and motivation—all essential elements

of charismatic leadership (Anantatmula, 2010; Lewis, 2000). Therefore, it is important

that the project manager learns the individual personalities of employees who are

involved in the project (Bacon, 2009) to ensure proper and timely execution of tasks and

sub-tasks identified within each project, as well as employing effective interpersonal

leadership skills.

In this qualitative exploratory case study, the researcher explored perceptions

about charismatic leadership in a project management work environment of a West Coast

corporation. This allowed for understanding how charismatic leadership style of the R&D

project managers in this organization can influence employees who work in different

R&D departments of the same corporation. The overarching research question that drives

this study is: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments?

The literature review included studies that specifically focus on charismatic

leadership in the work environment, specifically in an R&D project management

environment or in related situations. This study provided an analysis of findings of

participants’ perceptions of the suitability of charismatic leadership as an appropriate

leadership style for R&D projects in a West Coast corporation (Grosse, 2007; Kwak,

2012). The literature review included how charismatic leadership style is applied in a

variety of work settings and, based on the findings; an analysis was drawn from the

perception of participants on how a charismatic leader can influence the R&D

departments of this corporation.

The gaps and omissions identified through the problem statement prompted the

research questions and the design of this study. Grosse (2007) provided extensive

investigation on leadership styles and focused on R&D environments, but stopped short

of conducting research providing findings related to charismatic leadership style in R&D

(De Vries, Bakker-Pieper, & Oostenveld, 2010; Grosse, 2007). This qualitative study

provides an opportunity to explore charismatic leadership because according to Grosse

(2007), the explorers did not consider this leadership style to be suitable for projects,

which only had a low level of uniqueness. Grosse (2007) asserted that charismatic

leadership was an area that required further research about project management. However

even though there are extensive writings on charismatic leadership, there are no empirical

works involving charismatic leadership and the R&D project managers. Takala (2010)

claimed that leaders, more times than not, operate in their role based on lived

experiences. Because of this, as well as the gaps in the literature, it is evident that there is

a need to understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation.

Problem Statement

It was not known how top-level management, project managers, and project team

members view charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

corporation on the West Coast of the United States.The general problem was to explore if

successful project outcomes are dependent upon leadership since many different elements

in the organizational environment are critical to success. The aspect of charisma, as a

contributing characteristic of leadership style, is the focus of exploration.

The sample population consists of five top-level managers, five program

managers, and five project team members. The population comes from two different

R&D departments of a corporation on the West Coast of the United States. There was a

total of 130 employees among these three groups having these titles at both locations.

This qualitative exploratory case study intends to contribute to the body of

literature about the phenomenon associated with the influence of charismatic leadership

style and how it contributes to successful project management. Additionally, this study

focused on understanding how top-level management, project managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

corporation on the West Coast of the United States. According to Grosse (2007),

charismatic leadership is an area that requires further research because it has not been

studied in the R&D environment. Thus, the gap this study addresses the lack of

knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic leadership in project management

(Grosse, 2007), specific to a West Coast corporation. The particular gap about the West

Coast corporation was whether charismatic leadership is perceived to be a suitable style

for practical outcomes for R&D projects within the two different departments. The

findings of this study contributed to the body of knowledge about project management

and leadership style as they specifically relate to charismatic leadership.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore participant

perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects and to

understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team members

view charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on

the West Coast of the United States. This qualitative study addressed the gap in the

current body of research identified by Grosse (2007) as a lack of knowledge of the

influence and power of charismatic leadership in project management. The researcher

investigated the perception of the phenomenon and influence of charismatic leadership

style. The applicability and suitability of the charismatic leadership style in the corporate

environment, specifically within the context of managing R&D, was also explored. Also,

the potential effectiveness of charismatic project leadership regarding the results and

successes of projects led by charismatic leaders was evaluated. For this reason, it is

important that the project manager has the necessary skills to be a motivating leader for

his/her team to complete the project on time and within budget while dealing with other

project-related issues. An expected outcome of this study was a set of guidelines specific

to better project management and motivation of project team members to meet overall

project objectives.

The target population consists of three groups. Participants were drawn from the

target population and included five top-level management leaders, five project managers,

and five project team members of two different departments within a West Coast

corporation. The target population includes 130 employees among these three groups

under these titles at both locations. The sample was a subgroup of the target population

under study. These participants were chosen and interviewed over a two-day period with

each interview lasting approximately one hour. The geographic location of this research

study was California, and Washington.

Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies are often used together to

seek to answer questions (Yin, 2009). However, qualitative methodology asks the why or

how of something (Yin, 2009). The use of qualitative methodology stems from a desire to

understand a group, or a personal problem (Yin, 2009). The qualitative methodological

approach is non-responsive to exact statistics and hypotheses to explain the effect or

underlying causation. Thus, it is suitable for obtaining data that may not be retrievable

using quantitative methods (Winston, 2010). Qualitative methodology research design

can be in the form of phenomenological studies, case study, historical research,

ethnography, or grounded theory (Yin, 2009).

The qualitative exploratory case study was appropriate for this study because the

empirical interview results show that it was perceived that charismatic leadership is

consistent with generating positive organizational and project outcomes. Qualitative

research is a widely accepted methodology for research because an identical set of

questions is asked of a small number of people and findings are analyzed (Neuman,

2011). Qualitative studies use words and descriptions to narrow the subject that leads to a

better understanding of the area being researched (Yin, 2011). The reason for choosing a

qualitative methodology for this research study was to give insight on the influence that

charismatic leadership characteristics have on each participant’s understanding of the role

and characteristics of leaders in project management.

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore participant

perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects and to

understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team members

view charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on

the West Coast of the United States.

Research Questions

The research questions were used to collect data supporting the purpose of this

qualitative case study. The questions explore participant perceptions about whether

charismatic leadership is a suitable style for R&D projects of a West Coast corporation.

The research questions also explored how top-level management, project managers, and

project team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast corporation.This study filled a gap in existing research

regarding the lack of knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic leadership in

project management (Grosse, 2007) for a West Coast corporation.

Utilizing a case study research design allows for exploration of perceptions of the

participants in an in-depth examination of two units (two geographical locations) linking

micro actions (individual actions) with macro events (larger structures or processes). A

definition of charismatic leadership was provided to interviewees and used to ascertain

their perceptions of how employing charismatic leadership can affect the outcomes of

projects. Since qualitative case studies offer holistic elaborations in a situation, the

following research questions guided this study to achieve the purpose intended (George

& Bennett, 2005; Neuman, 2011; Stake, 1995).

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

Advancing Scientific Knowledge

The results from this study advanced the development of the charismatic

leadership theory as originally proposed by Weber in 1947. Weber (1947) ascribed

unique and remarkable facets to the leadership traits that constitute charisma. However,

while Weber presented charismatic leadership as a perceptual phenomenon from the

followers, later researchers looked at the degree of influence exerted by the leader of the

followers and the quality of the leader-follower relationship that evolves as a result of the

charismatic leadership (Weber, 1947). Weber (1947) defined charisma as a certain

quality of an individual by which he or she is considered extraordinary and therefore

treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional

powers or qualities. According to Grosse (2007), these researchers varied to some extent

in their identification of the core set of behaviors comprising charismatic leadership.

Some theorists identified expressing an inventive strategic vision, displaying sensitivity

to the needs of the group members, exhibiting behavior that was considered

unconventional, risk-taking, and showing sensitivity to the environment as key behavior

traits of a charismatic leader (Galvin, Waldman, & Balthazard, 2010).

Other researchers listed the ability to communicate an engaging vision, stressing

the ideological facets of the effort, conveying expectations for high performance,

imbuing confidence in the followers of their ability to achieve that performance,

exhibiting self-confidence, and providing an exemplary role model while reinforcing the

group identity as the primary behavior traits of a charismatic leader (Babcock-Roberson

& Strickland, 2010). More research is needed to develop methods to measure the

characteristics of charismatic leadership (Bacon, 2009; Yukl, 1999). The results from this

study added to the present body of knowledge regarding charismatic leadership.

The gap for this study has been clearly identified as the lack of knowledge of the

influence and power of charismatic leadership in project management (Grosse, 2007) in a

West Coast corporation. The answers to the research questions may advance scientific

knowledge in the area of project management's organizational leadership and specifically

help a West Coast corporation be in a better position to meet its revenue goals.

Significance of the Study

While some have studied and analyzed this role, few have been able to produce a

consistent correlation between project manager leadership characteristics and project

success (Kwak, 2012). The primary focus of this study was to collect data to show

whether charismatic leadership is a suitable leadership style for production management

in an R&D environment in a West Coast corporation. The researcher set out to

understand some of the attributes – the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of charismatic

leaders in project management, which added to the theory of knowledge regarding

charismatic leadership. Also, Weber (1947) claimed that although quantitative studies

were beneficial, qualitative studies were needed to understand specific elements about

charismatic leaders and leadership. This focus leads to an investigation of leadership.

Leadership in itself has been a broad topic of research, covering areas such as leadership

styles, leadership models, leadership skills, and leadership development. However,

research regarding leadership in the project manager context is more limited (van

Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013).

The significance of this qualitative case study was to contribute to the body of

literature about the phenomenon associated with the influence of charismatic leadership

styles and how it contributes to project management and project success. Additionally,

this study focused on understanding what characteristics are required for charismatic

leadership in the two different departments of a West Coast corporation.

This study fits into the existing body of research because it addresses a gap identified by

Grosse (2007), which was a lack of knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic

leadership in project management. This study addresses that gap by providing

information specific to a West Coast corporation. According to Anantatmula (2010),

project management can be learned through on-the-job training. Leadership behaviors

can be achieved through learning and acquiring the needed skill set, which is mostly

accomplished by trial and error. This researcher anticipates a sharing of information from

participants about specific charismatic leadership tools and guidelines for managing

projects, which directly influence project team members based on the data collected

through case study interviews. Since project managers do not have line authority over the

project members, project managers must rely on influencing project members to perform

their assigned functions according to the needs of the project.

The information collected from this research study added to the knowledge base

about project management and satisfy an intrinsic interest in a particularly timely way for

a West Coast corporation. It addresses how this new information relates to the field of

study (George & Bennett, 2005; Neuman, 2011; Stake, 1995), and perhaps provide an

opportunity for leadership style discussion. In addition, the findings of this study

contributed to the body of knowledge about project management and leadership style

specifically related to charismatic leadership.

Rationale for Methodology

A qualitative methodology was selected to incorporate an interview

method/approach for a thorough exploration of participant perceptions regarding

charismatic leadership as a suitable style for R&D projects. Additionally, the qualitative

methodology allows for an understanding of how top-level management, project

managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two

different R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast of the United States. “A

qualitative case study examines a phenomenon within its real-life context. The primary

purpose of a case study is to understand something that is unique to the case” (Guest,

Namey, & Mitchell, 2013, p. 14). Data can be collected on or about a single individual,

group, or event; and in some designs, several cases or events may be studied. The

qualitative case study was appropriate because the empirical interview results support

that it was perceived that charismatic leadership is consistent with generating positive

organizational and project outcomes.

Qualitative research seeks the depth of a subject by focusing on a single

phenomenon and digging deep into it. That is, the researcher attempts to gain a deep

insight into a phenomenon from a small or limited number of participants. Qualitative

research is a widely accepted methodology for research because identical questions are

asked of small numbers of people and findings are analyzed. Qualitative studies use

words and descriptions to narrow the subject, which leads to a better understanding of the

area being researched (Yin, 2011). “Research questions for qualitative studies are best

answered by how and what questions to help the researcher discover what is happening”

(Christopherson, 2014, p. 14). The qualitative method was the ideal means of gathering

data about the perception of charismatic leadership in an R&D environment (Patton,

2002). Qualitative methods were chosen for this study to give insight on the influence

that charismatic leadership characteristics have on each participant’s understanding of the

role and characteristics of leaders in project management.

The majority of studies involving charismatic leadership are quantitative, and

therefore, more qualitative studies are imperative to understand charismatic leadership

from a valuable experiential point of view of participants (Tuytens & Devos, 2012).

Weber (1947) claimed that although quantitative studies were beneficial, qualitative

studies were needed to understand specific elements about charismatic leaders and

leadership. Therefore, the focus of this qualitative case study was on charismatic

leadership style and perceptions among employees of three groups within two different

departments of a West Coast corporation. The findings of this study contributed to the

body of knowledge about project management and leadership style specifically related to

charismatic leadership.

Nature of the Research Design for the Study

This study used a case study design. The qualitative research study focuses on the

individual or groups in the experience and not overarching statistical generalization (Yin,

2011). The case study design using the interview approach focused on individuals who

work in different project management titles in a West Coast corporation. A case study

research design allows for understanding participants’ perceptions of charismatic

leadership styles and showed how top-level management, project managers, and project

team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at

a West Coast corporation. Also, use of case study revealed how top-level management,

project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style (as

defined by Weber, 1947) as having an influence on project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast corporation. A case study is an exploration of a “bounded

system” over time (Yin, 2011). “Bounded system” means that the target to be studied is

easily distinguished from other instances of the same occurrence; it has a clean boundary

differentiating it from all others (Kostere, Kostere, & Percy, 2009; Yin, 2011).

Use of case study research design allowed for identification of each interviewee’s

input and experience in alignment with the purpose of the research. The motivation to

conduct a qualitative case study was to understand how charismatic leadership can

influence top-level management and R&D project managers, who, in turn, influence

project team members, and to determine whether charismatic leadership could enhance

the performance at two R&D departments of a West Coast corporation. The target

population consisted of three groups. Participants were drawn from the target population

and included five top-level management leaders, five project managers, and five project

team members of two different departments within a West Coast corporation. The target

population included 130 employees among these three groups under these titles at both

locations. The sample was a subgroup of the target population under study.

This exploratory case study used three forms of data collection involving

gathering responses to the pre-interview questionnaire, which includes collecting

demographic data of the participants, semi-structured interviews, and a researcher’s log

for observations of participants’ body language and facial expressions during the

interviews. The interview responses were organized and categorized according to the

theme. Results from the three forms of data collection were organized and transferred

from a digital recording to NVivo transcription software. The software function was to

ensure the voice recorded data was captured and developed in logical texts. The software

supports qualitative and mixed methods research and is designed to help organize,

analyze, and find insights in unstructured, or qualitative data such as interviews, open-

ended survey responses, articles, social media, and web content. NVivo, a qualitative

software package, was used to sort the compiled transcript information and responses by

themes and patterns (Walsh, 2003).

The data collected by using case study design can facilitate understanding of how

to approach problem-solving in the project management environment. Questions asked

during semi-structured interviews are designed to elicit data about the various perceptions

and expectations of responders regarding project management (Yin, 2011), as defined by

Weber’s (1947) explanation of charismatic leadership. The questionnaire was used as the

research instrument to complete the individuals’ interviews followed by compiling data

and keeping it stored in a secure location under password protection. Data from the

interview was recorded in the researcher’s log and reviewed and analyzed by the

researcher for common themes and related ideas. These data supported or negated the

applicability and suitability of charismatic leadership in the aforementioned corporate

environment based on participants’ perceptions specifically within the context of

managing R&D. Furthermore, it provided for an evaluation of the potential

effectiveness of charismatic project leadership results and project success.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research

It was not the goal of this study to quantify responses, but rather, discover,

through the perception of the participants, the phenomenon of how charismatic leadership

styles of R&D departments influence top-level management, project managers, and

project team members from two different departments of a West Coast corporation. The

one way to capture this information is through a qualitative case study (Stake, 1995).

Kostere et al. (2009) wrote that the notion of the social constructivist researcher is one

that desires a qualitative journey in which to understand how something influenced

individuals.

Definition of Terms

In the following section, the researcher identifies basic terms associated with the

constructs used throughout this dissertation. This will provide a further understanding of

each term through definitions and references. The terminology and exclusive business

jargon used throughout this study are commonly found throughout charismatic leadership

literature.

Charisma. “A certain quality of an individual by of which he is considered

extraordinary and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least

specifically exceptional powers and qualities” (Weber, 1968, p. 241).

Charismatic leadership. A form of command based on a person’s extraordinary

personality, a person’s exceptional insights, and achievements that inspire great loyalty

and confidence from the leader’s followers (Yammarino, Dubinksy, Comer, &

Jolson, 1997).

Influence. A social process of influencing others, such as project team members

through the leader's interpersonal behaviors to have them commit and contribute their best

efforts to the project objectives (Bacon, 2009).

Leadership. “Leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the

values and the motivation—the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations—of

both leaders and followers” (Bacon, 2009, p. 9).

Leadership style. The leadership style of the project manager refers to a leader

that can have an influence on the way individuals think, and their decision-making

process, which can also have an influence on other team members (Barrantes-Guevara,

2013).

Performance management. An alliance between leaders and groups who together

work with continuing communication to establish work objectives that align with the

overall organizational goals and mission (Morgan, 2012).

Project: A temporary effort undertaken to create a unique product, service, or

result (Morgan, 2012, p. 13).

Project Implementation Profile. “To measure the critical success factors across

the project life cycle to determine project success” (Morgan, 2012, p. 13).

Project lifecycle. Explains changes in strategic direction, organizational culture,

and organizational effectiveness in which there are four stages of the project lifecycle:

Conceptual, planning, execution, and termination (Morgan, 2012, p. 13).

Project management. The application of processes, methods, knowledge, skills,

tools, and capability to achieve project activities in a manner which meet the project

requirements (Piyush, Dahgayach, & Mittal, 2011).

Project manager. Responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across

multiple functional lines as well as providing leadership for the project from inception to

execution. This involves, planning, execution, managing the people, and managing the

project and scope of the project (Barnwell, Nedrick, Rudolph, Sesay, & Wellen, 2014).

Project success. An accomplishment of some of the scheduled project goals

within constraints of time, cost, quality, and performance (Piyush et al., 2011).

Project sponsor. An executive level or senior management individual who

maintains client contact and project cost during the life cycle of the project and who is

ultimately responsible for securing spending authority and resources for the project

(Morgan, 2012).

Project stakeholder. The members of the project team and other project related

environments in which the project exists and organizations that are actively involved in

the project (Morgan, 2012).

Top management. “The Chief Executive Officer, Chairperson of the Board,

President, Director, and other senior management. Top management requires knowledge

of leadership and management skills as well as possess an ability to work together as a

supportive sponsor of the project” (Morgan, 2012, p. 13).

Transactional leadership. This form of leadership assumes that self-interest

motivates workers, obey orders and must be closely supervised (Morgan, 2012).

Transformational leadership. Inspires the members of the group to change their

motivations, expectations, and perceptions towards the objectives of the organization.

The transformational leader transforms the followers into caring for each other working

for the good of the group (Morgan, 2012).

Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations

Assumptions are understandings that individuals have certain perceptions of

situations and circumstances that may not reflect the general population’s view (Martin &

Parmar, 2012). It was assumed that participants have developed their leadership

principles and understanding of leaders consistent with the role and characteristics of a

leader (Chu & Lai, 2011). It was assumed that charismatic leadership has the potential

power to influence and inspire team members and individuals to achieve new heights

because a charismatic leader is an influential leader. It was also assumed that the

participants who are involved with charismatic leadership increase their knowledge

regarding the characteristics of charismatic leadership (Ejere & Abasilim, 2013). It was

further assumed that the participants took part in a study focused on charismatic

leadership involving the two different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation and

provided honest responses to the questions posed by the researcher through their semi-

structured interview. It was also assumed participants have a minimum of five years’

experience in project management.

This research study had limitations over which the researcher had no control. The

following are identified as limitations in this case study:

 The size of the study and the number of participants are 15 in total.

 The possibility exists that some of the respondents may lack reflection or knowledge concerning issues of charismatic leadership and the role of project

management.

 The top-level management, project managers, and project team members under study were sampled from only two different R&D departments within one West

Coast corporation.

 The findings may not be a direct representation of the larger population of R&D project management teams’ environment, and, therefore, a generalization of the

results is not implied beyond the immediate scope of this case studied.

The problem statement itself, or the purposeful exclusion or inclusion of a

problem, and the selection of a sample group constitute delimitations (Patton, 2002).

However, there are additional delimitations in this study. Delimitations narrow the scope

of the study. The following are identified delimitations in this case study:

 This study includes only one company located on the West Coast of the United States.

 This study includes the sample of top-level corporate management, project managers, and project team members who participated and who were selected as a

purposeful sample of the R&D project management environment.

 The study focus was on one company, and the exploration of the effect of charismatic leadership style in the R&D project management environment.

 The study focus was on the R&D project management environment including top- level R&D management, project managers, and project team members from two

different departments of a West Coast corporation.

The findings of this study allow for an analytic generalization of the outcomes specific to

this group of participants within a West Coast corporation.

Summary and Organization of the Remainder of the Study

Chapter One provides the introduction to this qualitative case study. The origin of

the study stems from a thorough review of charismatic leadership literature starting with

Max Weber’s (1947) original writings, The Theory of Social and Economic Organization.

Background information provided a perspective on how researchers have evolved the

theory of charismatic leadership to represent it within the context of formal organizations

(Oshinubi, 2007).

In project management, dealing with project team members is one of the most

important functions (Aubry et al., 2010). Based on an extensive literature review of the

topic, it was evident that charismatic leadership has not been studied in the R&D

environment, supporting a gap established by Grosse (2007). This study addresses that

gap by providing information specific to a West Coast corporation. This gap led to the

development of the problem statement for this study, which was to explore how top-level

management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast of

the United States. Applicability and suitability in the corporate environment within the

context of managing R&D projects and the evaluation of the potential effectiveness of

charismatic project leadership on organizational outcomes were also explored.

Also introduced in Chapter One was the rationale for selecting the research

methodology. The study was a qualitative study that employed a case study design. The

goal of this research was to contribute to the existing body of literature on charismatic

leadership in the R&D field by addressing the unknown perceived effect and influence of

charismatic leadership theory on project management in a West Coast corporation. The

remainder of the study is organized into Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5. Chapter Two is the

literature review for this study and provides the historical origins of charismatic

leadership theory; the characteristics and constructs of charismatic leadership; project

leadership theories; the relationship leadership qualities have to the performance and

success of projects; and newly published works about the subject matter. Chapter Three

presents the methodology and provides a discussion of the qualitative research method,

the case study design, data collection, data analysis procedures, and ethical issues.

Chapter Four presents the collection and analysis of the data as well as the results.

Chapter Five provides the findings of this study, conclusions, and recommendations for

future research.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction to the Chapter and Background to the Problem

This chapter contains a review of literature associated with charismatic leadership

style within project management-based organizations. It is not known how top-level

management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast of

the United States. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore

participant perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D

projects. An additional goal was to understand how top-level management, project

managers, and project team members view charismatic leadership style of two different

R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast of the United States. The general

problem was to explore if successful project outcomes are dependent upon leadership

since many different elements in the organizational environment are critical to success.

The aspect of charisma, as a contributing characteristic of leadership style, was the focus

of exploration.

Chapter 2 is organized systematically. First, an introduction offers the reader with

the background necessary to understand the phenomena to be studied and the information

required to follow the remaining content of the chapter thoroughly. Additionally, the

introduction will describe how the literature was surveyed and organized into categories

or themes. Second, the theoretical foundation used as the anchor for this study is

addressed. The researcher provides the theoretical orientation of the study, which

involves researching charismatic leadership through the lens of social behavior with

regards to project management. This includes the core values expressed by the theory that

are used to generate the problem statement and the research questions. Third, the review

of the current literature surrounding the topic of charismatic leadership style within

project management-based organizations is explored, and this review is delineated by

themes and sub-themes that will be introduced to the readers. Finally, a summary and

analysis of the themes, the theoretical foundation, and how the research questions and

phenomenon for this study are all influenced and connected are presented and discussed.

The review of current literature performed to provide a balanced, wide-reaching

survey and synthesis of the existing research studies related to the topic of R& D project

management. This review took place over an extended period, and doing so allowed the

researcher to analyze and identify themes and patterns in this review. Research for this

project was conducted by surveying journal articles and empirical studies located within

various library sources and Grand Canyon University DC Network. Each identified main

theme can split into two sub-themes with the appropriate articles, books, and studies

categorized accordingly. The literature review is organized in the following manner:

introduction, background to the problem, and theoretical foundations, review of the

literature, project management, leadership theories, charismatic leadership, charismatic

project management, methodology, instrumentation, and summary.

Charismatic leadership was identified by Grosse (2007) as an area that required

further research because the effects of charismatic leadership style had not been studied

in the R&D environment. According to Anantatmula (2010), project management can be

learned through on-the-job training, including learning and acquiring the skill set that is

mostly accomplished by trial and error, as leadership behaviors can be learned. The

following literature review led to the development of the two research questions that

guided the data collection for this study. This qualitative dissertation employed a case

study design toresearch the influence of a charismatic leadership style. This study set

forth to discover how top-level management, project managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation. Furthermore, this study focuses on how top-level management,

project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style (as

defined by Weber, 1947) as having an influence on project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast corporation. In addtion, this literature review is guided from

theoretical foundations introduced by Max Weber (1947), which provided a strong focus

on charismatic leadership. Max Weber’s concept of a leader, one who is equipped with

the characteristic of charisma, plays a significant role in this study (Wunderer &

Grunwald, 1980, p. 448).

This literature review relates to charismatic leadership and how it contributes to

project management. Each topic in this literature review illuminates the gap established

by Grosse (2007), which was a lack of knowledge of the influence and power of

charismatic leadership in project management environments. The topics also allowed for

exploration of the influence that charismatic leadership has on learners in the R&D

environment (De Vries et al., 2010; Grosse, 2007). The research regarding leadership in

the project manager context is limited (van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013); as is existing

literature on charismatic leadership style and the project manager (Anantatmula, 2010).

Therefore, the search for perceptions of discernable patterns or trends using charismatic

leadership in an R&D function was a worthy topic. The gaps and omissions identified in

the problem statement prompted the research questions and the design of this study (Yin,

2009, p.14).

This qualitative case study methodology used in-depth semi-structured interviews

focused on the influences of a charismatic leadership management style within an R&D

environment (Merriam, 2009). The general approach for the research consisted of

conducting interviews with a sample of five top-level management leaders, five project

managers, and five-project team members. Each participant has five or more years of

project management experience within the West Coast corporation. The data collection

approach also involved gathering responses to a pre-interview questionnaire to collect

information for a demograpic profile of the participants. Finally, a researcher’s log was

used during the semi-structured interview process to capture body language and facial

expressions of participants. The interviews on three stratified participant groups (top-

level management, project managers, and project team members) was used to gather data

about their perceptions of charismatic leadership style in the R&D environment. Data

from the interviews and the researcher’s log used to capture notes of observations of

participants during the interview process were analyzed by the researcher for

commonalities, quotes, and ideas by interview participants.

Background to the Problem

A review of prior and current studies revealed a gap in literature examining an

understanding of charismatic leadership characteristics on R&D project management

based organizations. The specific problem was based on a research study conducted by

Dr. Diana Grosse (2007), which investigated several leadership styles employed in R&D

projects. Grosse (2007) established that charismatic leadership was an area that required

further research because the leadership style had not been studied in the R&D

environment. The research question guiding Grosse’s study was regarding a suitable style

of R&D project leadership. The framework for Grosse’s study was a mixed methods

approach combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. The sample size involved

50 semi-structured interviews that were conducted at institutions in Germany. The

research was classified as successful in the sense that the guidelines of the research plan

were essentially implemented. The results of the surveys showed that six out of seven

research questions seemed to be validated by the German institutions where the empirical

data were gathered. The results also showed that there was “a significant linear

correlation between the independent variable and leadership style; management by

objective (MbO) and the dependent variable efficiency of MbO, which were measured on

a scale from 1 = no to 6 = yes” (Grosse, 2007, p. 453).

This literature review was grounded in the writings of Max Weber (1947), which

provided a strong focus on charismatic leadership theory. The materials used as sources

in this document are relatively recent. Most of the research accessed for this review have

been published within the last five years.

The focus of this qualitative study was to explore whether charismatic leadership

is a suitable style in an R&D environment for the management of a West Coast

corporation, and to investigate charismatic leadership style, theories, characteristics, and

models. An important element of leadership is to get people to perform to expectations

(Barnwell et al., 2014). Project managers, in many situations, are responsible for

everything without having direct authority over anyone (Aubry et al., 2010). The most

efficient way to get tasks accomplished is through the management of people skills.

According to Anantatmula (2010), these skills include persuasion, influence, negotiation,

salesmanship, motivation, and not using the words “I need”, but the words “we need.”

For this reason, it is critical that the project manager learns the individual personalities of

the people who are involved in the project that is being managed (Geoghegan &

Dulewicz, 2008; Gorog, 2011). It is important that the project manager manage the

people and the project itself (Bezek & Nacho, 2011).

It is also important that the project manager has the necessary skills to be a leader

and motivate the team to complete the project on-time while dealing with other project-

related issues (Huidan, 2011). The deliverables of this study consisted of identifying the

specific interpersonal skills required to manage projects. The expected outcome was a set

of guidelines for resolving leadership style issues and motivating project team members

to meet the overall project objectives.

The population to be studied consisted of two different departments of a West

Coast corporation that perform product development from concept to completion. The

geographical location of the population was California, and Washington. The references

provide the sources of articles used in the literature review. The articles were found

through a rigorous review of empirical research documents, peer-reviewed articles, and

journal articles. The topics included for this literature review illuminated the gap

established by Grosse (2007), which was the lack of knowledge of the influence and

power of charismatic leadership in project management. Additionally, the topics allowed

for exploration of existing literature as it relates to the influence that charismatic

leadership has on learners in the R&D environment (De Vries et al., 2010; Grosse, 2007).

The gaps and omissions identified led to the development of the research questions for the

study (Grosse, 2007). Even though there are extensive writings on charismatic leadership

there are very few empirical works involving charismatic leadership style and R&D

project managers. Takala (2010) claimed that leaders, more times than not, operate in their

roles based on lived experiences. Because of this, as well as the gaps in the literature, it

became apparent that there was a need to understand how top-level management, project

managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two

different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation.

Theoretical Foundations

This research was grounded in the social behavior and charismatic leadership

theories, applied to project management. The charismatic leadership behavioral theory

was originally proposed by Max Weber in 1947 to delineate how followers ascribe

special and remarkable skills, or traits, to the leader (as cited in Day & Antonakis, 2012).

Weber provided significant research on the concept of charisma that is still valid today.

Weber presented the effectiveness of a leader or communicator, which involved the

social behavior of the unique characteristics of a person (Weber, 1947). Furthermore,

Weber (1947) defined charisma as a certain trait of an individual personality by which he

is considered extraordinary and treated as though endowed with specific qualities.

The idea behind this research study stemmed directly from Weber’s Theory,

which led to the development of the two research questions that guided the study with the

aim being an explanation of the phenomenon and gap (Yin, 2009). The researcher

demonstrated extensive support for these research questions and Weber’s theory through

the remainder of the literature review. The researcher used these research questions to

develop the themes addressed in the literature review, as well. The study fills both a gap

in existing research involving charismatic leadership as education (Galvin et al., 2010), as

well as expanding charismatic leadership research and writings in the field of R&D

project management.

The skills mentioned in the introduction (which include communication, being a

good listener, team building, conflict management, program or project leadership skills,

motivation, negotiation, decision-making, resolution, and politics), when applied, can be

enhanced using charisma (Choi, 2012). Weber presented charismatic leadership as a

perceptual phenomenon from the followers. The more researchers investigate the degree

of influence exerted by the leader of the followers, it is found that the quality of the

leader-follower relationship that evolves is a result of the charismatic leadership (Day &

Antonakis, 2012). According to Grosse (2007), researchers varied to some extent in their

identification of the core set of behaviors comprising charismatic leadership.

Some theorists identified expressing an inventive strategic vision, displaying

sensitivity to the needs of the group members, exhibiting behavior that was considered

unconventional, risk-taking, and expressing sensitivity to the environment as key

behavior traits of a charismatic leader (Kwak, 2012). Other researchers listed the ability

to express an engaging vision, stressing the ideological facets of the effort, conveying

expectations for high performance, imbuing confidence in the followers for achieving

performance, exhibiting self-confidence, and providing an exemplary role model (Wright,

2012). Others identified reinforcing the group identity as a dominant behavior trait of a

charismatic leader (Day & Antonakis, 2012; Yukl, 1999).

Various methods have been used in studies aimed at testing charismatic

leadership theories. These methods include field survey studies, experiments conducted

under laboratory conditions, analysis of the contents of biographies, and historical

narratives and case studies comparing and contrasting different leaders or the same leader

in different circumstances (Bacon, 2009; Yukl, 1999). Some of the aspects of the primary

theories have been supported by the data produced by these tests; however, most of the

propositions of these theories are insufficiently tested. More research is needed to

develop methods to measure the characteristics of charismatic leadership (Day &

Antonakis, 2012; Yukl, 1999).

The focus of this qualitative study was to investigate charismatic leadership style

of R&D project management. This provided information addressing the gap in existing

research established by Grosse (2007), as it relates to the influence that charismatic

leadership has on learners in the R&D environment. Therefore, research needs to be

conducted on charismatic leadership specific to R&D environments.

The gaps and phenomenon identified led to the development of the research

questions for the study. Even though there are extensive writings on charismatic

leadership there are very few empirical works involving charismatic leadership style and

R&D project managers. In an attempt to explore, and perhaps refute that claim, the

researcher set out to understand some of the attributes that include the thoughts, feelings,

and behaviors of charismatic leaders in project management and how they affect

processes and outcomes. The theoretical foundations of this research support the

investigation of how charismatic leadership can influence organizational goals of the two

different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation as constituted by Weber (1947).

The 1950s was the birth of the modern project management age. Prior to then,

projects were managed on an as needed basis using mostly informal techniques and tools

(Bacon, 2009). However, project management has existed in some form for thousands of

years. Nevertheless, anything that requires a method where individuals organize

effectively to align to a plan and achieve specific objectives can be lightly defined as a

project. The history of project management is the history of mega projects involving

planning, coordination, and building of the Ancient Wonders of the World. According to

Martini (1999), the term project management was first coined in civil engineering

projects. Project management’s popularity grew faster from the efforts of Colonel

Schriever of the U.S. Air Force Armed Services. Colonel Schriever was instrumental in

helping develop a team to manage the development of one of the first American missile

R&D programs in 1954. After that, the U.S. Navy industrialized the program evaluation

and review technique, and the term project management emerged.

There is a considerable amount of literature that discusses the importance of

project manager leadership, leadership roles and functions, comparisons to skill sets of

project managers, the selection and assignment of project managers to projects, and the

uniqueness of project managers’ leadership skills. However, several researchers suggest

that the leadership style of the project manager should vary depending on the type of

projects they manage (Barrantes-Guevara, 2013; De Ciel, 2012; Lee, 2010; Morgan,

2012; Wright, 2012). Although these are recent findings, there are a very limited number

of industry-specific empirical qualitative studies that focus on the leadership style of the

project manager as a contributing factor to project success (Barrantes-Guevara, 2013).

This study contributes to the project management and leadership fields as it seeks to

study the influence of charismatic leadership styles. Additionally, this study focused on

undestanding what characteristics are required for charismatic leadership in the two

different departments of a West Coast corporation.

This study encompasses an interview process, which involved an introduction that

includes a welcoming, sharing of names, an explanation of the purpose of the research,

information regarding privacy and the storage of data, and an explanation that there was

no tangible benefit to the interviewee as a participant. An overview of the interview

process included requesting the participant’s verbal permission to record the interview.

The researcher asked ten questions of each participant to explore how the perceptions of

charismatic leadership styles of R&D departments influence top-level management,

project managers, and project team members from two different departments of a West

Coast corporation. The semi-structured, in-depth interview was conducted with five top-

level management leaders, five project managers, and five project team members (with

five or more years of experience in project management), over a period of one month,

with each interview lasting approximately one hour. The researcher transcribed the

interviews.

Review of the Literature

The literature on project management includes a wide spectrum of studies and

does not necessarily provide a general definition of what constitutes a successful project,

but the focus for this review was based on four themes: Project Management, Leadership

Theories, Charismatic Leadership, and Charismatic Project Management. A focus on

technicalities of the project such as cost, time, and quality is not uncommon (Barrantes-

Guevara, 2013; Morgan, 2012). Projects, particularly highly internal projects crossing

several organizational departments and technical disciplines, involve other aspects by

project management literature (De Ciel, 2012; Lee, 2010). In particular, more attention is

needed in the area of investigating how the human element influences a project (Galvin,

Gibbs, Sullivan, & Williams, 2014). This omission further supports the gap in existing

research that was addressed by this study. Project management can benefit from the

application of social theory as presented by Max Weber in 1947. Some of the key topics

in the literature consist of the following:

 Identifying the skill sets required of a project manager

 Identifying the charismatic leadership style and its characteristics

 Identifying the leadership skills required of a project manager

 Identifying the educational background required of a project manager

 Problem-solving and decision making (Bezek & Nacho, 2011).

Managing projects plays an increasingly important strategic role within many

organizations (Morgan, 2012; Wright, 2012). It is important to understand what tools are

required to start and finish a project or program, but what is equally important is to focus

on dealing with people issues (Galvin et al., 2014). According to Redick, Reyna,

Schaffer, and Toomey (2014), a successful project leader should include the following

skills: communication, a good listener, team building, conflict management, program or

project leadership skills, motivation, negotiation, decision-making, resolution, and

politics. This list is not all inclusive of the issues that should be handled by a project or

program. If team issues are not managed well, the lack of optimization or failure of the

project or program is possible (Redick et al., 2014).

A basis for this research study was the study conducted by Grosse (2007), which

investigated several leadership styles employed in R&D projects, but revealed the fact

that charismatic leadership style was an area that required further research because this

charismatic style had not been studied in the R&D projects environment. The leader who

is armed with the characteristic of charisma plays an important role in organizational

effectiveness (Grosse, 2007; Kwak, 2012). The roles of charismatic leaders have a

positive indefinable quality, which allows them to appeal to their groups and inspire

individuals to achieve new heights (Silva, 2014). Charismatic leaders are recognized to

be similar to transformational leaders since they frequently evolve into creative

transformation (Day & Antonakis, 2012). According to Sunindijo, Hadikusumo, and

Ogunlana (2007), a real charismatic leader is a measure of his or her wisdom and

character.

The general core characteristics for this research include the role of the

charismatic leadership within a project environment (Choi, 2012). The project manager’s

success, role, leadership skills, and emotional intelligence are all part of the core

charactersicts of project management (Bakar, Razak, Karim, Yusof, & Modifa, 2011;

Huidan, 2011; Piyush et al., 2011). This leadership theory, which is applicable to project

management (Morgan, 2012), requires project leaders’ skills in alignment with

characteristics of charismatic leadership, in order to be successful with their team (Bacon,

2009; Gorog, 2011; Oshinubi, 2007). For future study, there remains a need to conduct

research on the relationship between charismatic and transactional leadership styles

(Christopherson, 2014).

Project Management

In recent decades, R&D project management has played an important role in

meeting the firms’ revenue goals (Anantatmula, 2010; Morgan, 2012). It is essential that

the projects are completed and delivered successfully within targeted cost and schedule

(Barrantes-Guevara, 2013; Piyush et al., 2011). Therefore, it is highly important to have

the right leadership driving the projects. Charismatic leadership approach to leading

project teams brings value to project teams by creating a team-based collaborative

environment among team members (Takala, 2010) may be able to use multiples.

Nature of project management. Although, the concept of project management

has been around for centuries, the application of project management has become

necessary in order to successfully complete and deliver many projects in all industries.

Project management by nature deals with planning, scope, cost, schedule, risk, and ability

to execute based on these entities in a collaborative environment using all stakeholders

(Silverman, 2014; Skulmoski & Hartman, 2010). Enterprises are moving increasingly

towards project-based organizational structures for the accomplishment of their goals and

objectives (Odom, Boyd, & Williams, 2012). Accordingly, interest has grown in

identifying the key factors that lead to successful projects. There is no general agreement

on the definition of what constitutes success in projects (Anantatmula, 2010). Criteria for

measuring success vary by the nature of the project and how the criteria are applied to

specific objectives of the project (Piyush et al., 2011). Nevertheless, increasing

dependence on project-based organizations has led to studies on researching the factors

that contribute to successful projects (Stewart, 2010). There can be many factors that

affect the outcome of a project (Redick et al., 2014). However, in analyzing projects that

were successful and projects that failed, the role of the project manager has been

identified as the key role in producing a successful project outcome (Bakar et al., 2011).

Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) determined that project managers who are competent in

managing resources, empowering, and developing team members significantly

contributed to the success of the project (Thal & Bedingfield, 2010; Wright, 2012).

Project manager's role. The project manager is first and foremost a leader of the

project team (Barnwell et al., 2014). The project manager interacts with the project team

to communicate decisions, initiate and delegate tasks, coordinate efforts, gather results,

and communicate these results (Barnwell et al., 2014). The project manager, as a research

and development team leader, is self-confident, assertive, knowledgeable, creative, and

experienced (Othman, Taghavi, Aminudin, & Jantan, 2013). According to Bezek and

Nacho (2011), a project manager has the following roles within the project:

 Manager

 Organizer

 Recruiter

 Planner

 Controller

 Coordinator (Bezek & Nacho, 2011, p. 34)

As the role of a project leader, the project manager leads the team members

toward accomplishing the goals of the project (Redick et al., 2014). The project manager

assists the team members in reaching the goals by providing instruction and support to

align the individual team member's personal goals with the goals of the project (Boykins,

Campbell, Moore, & Nayyar, 2013). Other roles are applicable to different phases of the

project (Othman et al., 2013). These roles are essentially management roles. Anantatmula

(2010) differentiates between management and leadership. The project manager must do

both. He or she must manage and lead; however, the leadership role is crucial in dealing

with project teams because the team members may come from different organizational

and functional areas of the organization (Boykins et al., 2013). The project manager, as

the team leader, must coalesce the group of individuals into a team. The project manager

may have to lead the team without direct organizational authority over the team members

(Othman et al., 2013). The project manager, and the company as a whole, benefit from

utilizing the skills of the charismatic leader, especially in this situation of ambiguous

management hierarchy and who reports to whom (Hayibor, Agle, Sears, Sonnenfeld, &

Ward, 2011).

Project manager's leadership skills. A project manager must develop

interpersonal skills to be effective. These skills include inspiring the team members

towards excellence and instilling an internal drive to accomplish their tasks (Odom et al.,

2012). The project manager must lead by example and encourage others to develop

commitment and instill a sense of group pride and team spirit. A project manager must

integrate the skills of the team members to solve technical problems (Barnwell et al.,

2014).The project manager must have the skill of working with others and take

satisfaction in the accomplishments of others. A project manager should demonstrate

trust in others (Huidan, 2011). According to Henderson (2008), a project manager's skill

in communicating and his/her skill as an active receptive listener contributed towards the

team members' satisfaction and the team's productivity. Another skill set by which a

project manager contributes to the success of the project is behavioral, consisting of

attitudes and personality traits (Odom et al., 2012). This area of skill is named a soft

competency by Skulmoski and Hartman (2010). The interpersonal or behavioral skills

may be more important in contributing to the success of the project than the

administrative and technical functions of planning and control (Redick et al., 2014).

Project managers and emotional intelligence. The importance of interpersonal

skills in managing a project team has led to the consideration of emotional intelligence as

another factor that may contribute to what makes a successful project manager (Barnwell

et al., 2014). Clarke (2010) applied the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso-Emotional Intelligence

Ability Test (MSCEIT) to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and

project manager behaviors related to communication, attentiveness, teamwork, and

managing conflict. The results of this study showed that emotional intelligence does

contribute to teamwork and managing conflict although it also showed that personality

had a greater significance on project manager interpersonal competence (Galvin et al.,

2014). In contrast, Davis (2011) used the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) in

addition to the MSCEIT and found that the EQ-i showed consistent and significant

correlations with the Project Manager Interpersonal Competency Inventory (PMICI).

Thus, the EQ-i can be used to identify project managers with strong interpersonal

competencies. Batool (2013), investigated the relationship between emotional

intelligence and effective leadership. The study found that leaders who have developed

emotional intelligence enhance their effectiveness, thereby increasing their organizations’

productivity and performance. Furthermore, personal charisma is another indicator of

highly developed emotional and social communication skills (Weichun, Sosik, Riggio, &

Baiyin, 2012). Charismatic individuals are brilliant and effective communicators who

communicate emotions very well - particularly positive emotions - which further

enhances their effectiveness.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/charisma

Factors for project success. Dearstyne (2012) provided the Project Management

Institute (PMI) definition of a project as a temporary undertaking for the purpose of

producing a singular and specific result. Projects consist of a specific objective, a

schedule, a set of resources provided by the organization, a group of implementers that

embody the project team, and a project manager (Dearstyne, 2012).

Projects have a way of developing new products or accomplishing objectives, and

have increased dramatically in the last decade as evidenced by the growth in the

membership of the PMI (Davis, 2011). Of the various factors contributing to the success

or failure of a project, the role of the project manager has been identified as crucial to the

project outcome (Bakar et al., 2011). The project manager has two primary areas of work:

one, dealing with the technical/administrative aspects of the project objectives and, two,

dealing with the individuals comprising the project team. Because dealing with the

project team as a leader has become sufficiently recognized as critical to the successful

conclusion of the project, the PMI commissioned a study of leadership styles

(Anantatmula, 2010). According to Williams van Rooij (2011), leadership skills are vital

to the success of the project. Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008) applied the Leadership

Dimensions Questionnaire to identify which leadership qualities were associated with

successful projects. The results of this study showed that the following dimensions were

significantly correlated to project success:

 Managing resources

 Empowering

 Developing

 Motivation

 Critical analysis

 Influencing

 Self-awareness

 Sensitivity

Managing resources. The study conducted by Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008)

showed that resource management as a competency was a highly significant contributor

to project success. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient of r = 0.422 with statistical

significance at the p<0.01 level supported Geoghegan and Dulewicz’ findings (p. 63-64).

The project leader has responsibility for managing the project resources. However,

several factors relating to resource management exist which can enhance or constrain the

project leader's capabilities. The project leader's level of authority and degree of influence

over the project team members are both determined by the culture of the organization

sponsoring the project (Allen, Alleyne, Farmer, McRae, & Turner, 2014).

The project leader may be required to lead without having received formal

authorization to run the project On the other hand, the organization employs a matrix

management structure requiring the project leader to share the power in directing the

team members (Anantatmula, 2010). Some factors impinging on the project resources are

external and beyond the control of the project leader. The project leader may have

participated in the planning and scoping of the project, but ultimately the sponsoring

organization dictates the level of resources assigned to the project (Allen et al., 2014).

Developing good working relationships with the project stakeholders (and, in particular,

the sponsoring organization) and engaging their support improved the chances of success

(Wong & Laschinger, 2013).

Anantatmula (2010) emphasized that one must comprehend the difference

between management and leadership. Management relates to the organizational activities

of planning, coordinating, and directing for the purpose of achieving efficiency and

effectiveness in the operation of the organization. He contrasts leadership as the effort to

motivate, guide, and inspire project team members to rise to the challenge of the

organizational goal. An effective project leader must build trust and a spirit of

cooperation with the team members while avoiding the tendency to micromanage them

(Allen et al., 2014). The need to establish good relationships with the team members for a

successful project outcome encompasses other leadership competencies identified by

Geoghegan & Dulewicz (2008).

Kaiser, McGinnis, and Overfield (2012) explored the dichotomy that exists

between the psychological perspective of leadership and the business viewpoint of

leadership. Psychological theorists see leadership as interpersonal behaviors directed

toward motivating followers to engage and commit to organizational objectives. They

perceive leadership regarding how the leader interacts with followers for the purpose of

achieving the group's goals. They focus on styles of leadership that essentially are

variations of social and face-to-face related processes. The business model approaches

leadership from an organizational vantage point.

Business theorists regard leadership as guiding and directing organizational

functions of developing and implementing the strategy, adapting the organization to

changes in the business environment, or establishing internal systems to coordinate and

integrate the organization. The psychological theorists focus on leadership “in” the

organization while the model business theorists look at leadership “of” the organization.

Both groups exclude the others' perspective. This mutual exclusion of views makes the

two views of leadership orthogonal. Kaiser et al. (2012) proposed that these two views

are complementary for achieving effective leadership.

Empowering. The leadership competency of empowering correlated with project

success at a level of high significance (Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.421 with

correlation significance at the 0.01 level, Geoghegan & Dulewicz, 2008, pp. 63-64). The

project leader empowers team members by delegating decision-making authority and

granting them the power to do their jobs. This delegation of authority enables team

members to make decisions and take action on behalf of the project without the project

leader's direct involvement (Zhang & Bartol, 2010). Empowered team members become

actively engaged in problem-solving and contribute to planning and performing tasks. By

empowering the team members, the project leader encourages self-directed, independent

decision-making within the project group. Empowerment includes being held accountable

for results and taking ownership of the outcomes of decisions made.

Sharing information, needed to perform the work with team members, is another

facet of empowerment. The project leader provides team members with information and

knowledge that enables them to enhance their contributions to the project effort (van

Schalkwyk, du Toit, Bothma, & Rothmann, 2010).

The empowering project leader delineates the importance of the project task to the

team members. He/she enables the project team members to participate in the decision-

making process. The project leader communicates his/her confidence in the team

members' abilities and sets a high level of expectations on their ability to carry out their

tasks (Zhang & Bartol, 2010). These actions on the part of the project leader increase the

level of engagement by the project team members, their commitment to the project, and

enhance job satisfaction (Wong & Laschinger, 2013).

Developing. According to Geoghegan and Dulewicz (2008), the competency of

development is significantly correlated with project success [Pearson’s correlation

coefficient of r = 0.388 with statistical significance at p < 0.01 level], (pp. 63-64). The

developing project leader exerts the belief that project team members are capable of

growing into more challenging tasks or take on greater roles in the project. The project

leader communicates this belief and provides encouragement to the team member for

accepting the challenge. The project leader provides support and allocates time and effort

to train and coach. Each grows to enable that person to develop his/her competencies and

contribute to the project effectively. The project leader provides tasks that present

opportunities for growth. The effect of the developing competency communicates to the

team member that he/she is valued as an individual, not just because of his/her

contributions to the project (Young, 2014).

The developing competency lends itself to different leadership styles,

including transformational and transactional. The transformational leader seeks

to motivate through inspiration and to stimulate the team member intellectually.

The transformational leader works to develop and realize the full potential of the

team member.

The transactional leader employs contingent rewards to define the growth

expectations for the team member, including defining the growth task, how the individual

is to accomplish it, and to identify the acknowledgment and rewards to be received for

good performance. The transactional leader defines the criteria for what is a good

performance and what is not. The leader applies management by exception techniques to

supervise the team member, only taking action when corrective action is needed. In either

style, the developing competency engenders positive feelings in the team members

toward the project and the organization (Weichun et al., 2012).

Motivation. Motivation had a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = 0.388 with

statistical significance at p< 0.01 level as a leadership competency (Geoghegan &

Dulewicz, 2008, pp. 63-64). Motivation is the rationale for taking an action or seeking to

achieve a goal. It is also the impetus to continue a behavior, either to gain a reward or to

avoid a negative consequence. This type of motivation is extrinsic. The culture and

working environment an organization provides are sources of extrinsic motivation.

Extrinsic motivators include working conditions, salaries, and relationships with other

employees (Choi, 2012).

A whole organization engenders extrinsic motivators by communicating that it

values its employees above other organizational resources. Another form of motivation is

intrinsic. The motivation that comes from within the job and drives a person to exert a

behavior for its sake. Intrinsic motivators consist of the type of work the individual

chooses to pursue, the pride in doing that job well, and expansion of job responsibilities.

Intrinsic motivators also consist of the desire for recognition from other members of the

organization as well as the wish to advance in the career or seek a promotion (Siddique,

Aslam, Khan, & Fatima, 2011). However, Babcock-Roberson and Strickland (2010)

argued that charismatic leaders are often remembered for their motivations and ideals;

understanding what inspires these charismatic game changers to lead their team to

success is an additional focus of this review.

The empowering project leader works to delegate tasks, extend authority, and

provide team members with growth opportunities. These opportunities have the effect of

increasing motivation. Team members involved in projects have the knowledge and

expertise to carry out their project tasks. Giving the right person the prospect of

participating in decision-making has the effect of increasing motivation, as does give the

person an opportunity to take on a larger role in the project. It also, serves to let the team

member feel his/her contribution is valued which results in an enhanced sense of

connection to the organization, and fostered greater loyalty to the group (Curtis, &

O'Connell, 2011).While transformational leadership provides the opportunity for

employees to take on larger roles and to prove themselves, charismatic leaders create the

environment based on their extraordinary personality, exceptional insights, and

achievements that inspire great loyalty and confidence from the leader’s followers

(Yammarino et al., 1997).

Critical analysis. The critical analysis had a Pearson correlation coefficient of r

= 0.323 with statistical significance at p< 0.05 level as a leadership competency

(Geoghegan & Dulewicz, 2008, p. 63-64). This result was puzzling because the critical

analysis was correlated with the usability success factor of solving problems. The

researchers noted that the sample group scored highly on this dimension on the

Leadership Dimensions Questionnaire (LDQ) norm group. The researchers posited that

project leaders solved problems through the application of the other more highly

significant leadership dimensions of empowering, developing, managing resources, and

motivating. In other words, the project leaders used the dimensions that were highly

significant to solve problems through their project teams (Henderson, 2008).

Influencing. The results of the study conducted by Geoghegan and Dulewicz

(2008) showed that the leadership competency of influencing to have a Pearson

correlation coefficient of r = 0.349 with statistical significance at p <0.05 (p. 63-64).

Leadership is a social process of applying interpersonal behaviors to influence others,

such as project team members. The goal is to have them commit and contribute their best

efforts to the project objectives. The leader operates within the context of the group,

dealing with relations with the other group members. In this context, the leader exerts

direct influence over the team members (Kaiser et al., 2012). Empowerment is a source

of influence for the leader. The empowering leader delegate’s authority, holds the team

members accountable for the results they produce, and involves them in the decision-

making process. The leader encourages the team members to become self-managing in

their tasks and communicates his/her confidence in their ability to handle the challenging

tasks. Empowering actions produce a positive influence on the project team members. It

engenders positive feelings in the members of the group that causes them to commit to

the project (Chen, Sharma, Edinger, Shapiro, & Farh, 2011).

Self-awareness. Self-awareness was correlated with the Project Success

Questionnaire (PSQ) factor of “used by client” with a Pearson coefficient of r = 0.270

with statistical significance at p <0.05 (Geoghegan & Dulewicz, 2008, p. 63-64). A

project leader who is self-aware knows his/her strengths and weakness. A self-aware

leader also has comprehended how these attributes affect the project team members. This

awareness aids the leader in empowering the team members by seeking to complement

his/her strengths and weaknesses with theirs (Wong & Laschinger, 2013). Self-awareness

also contributes to developing the team members because it enables the project leader to

empathize with the team members and trust them. By recognizing their needs and

motives, the leader can identify areas in which he/she can support them in their

development. The leader can direct them to take on more challenging tasks (Young,

2014).

Sensitivity. Sensitivity was also correlated with the Project Success Questionnaire

(PSQ) factor of “used by client” with a Pearson coefficient of r = 0.312 with statistical

significance at p < 0.05 (Geoghegan & Dulewicz, 2008, p. 63-64). Sensitivity is one of

the elements comprising emotional intelligence. It is the capacity to regard other people's

feelings and to comprehend their needs. This ability enables the project leader to identify

and interpret other people's feelings. The project leader uses these insights to find

solutions to interpersonal issues (Ramanauskas, 2013). “Empowerment is significantly

related to both strategic vision and articulation and sensitivity to the environment as key

behavior traits of a charismatic leader” (Weber, 1947, p. 14).

R&D project management is significant in meeting firms’ revenue goals. The

effective leadership can help bring a project to successful completion. Employing

charismatic leadership can support that success by creating a team-based collaborative

environment among team members.

Leadership Theories

Understanding the theories that contribute to positive leadership results for project

managers is a key to evaluating the effectiveness of charismatic leadership in the R&D

projects environment. For this reason, literature pertaining to project manager and

leadership theories was included in this review. Types of leadership explored included

autocratic, bureaucratic, charismatic, democratic/participative, laissez-faire, people

oriented/relations oriented, servant, task oriented, transactional, and transformational

leadership styles.

Autocratic leadership. A dictatorial form of management in which the

supervisor makes all decisions unilaterally and assumes subordinates do not want to

work. Consequently, the autocratic leader retains all power, monitors, controls the

subordinates closely, and motivates employees using predefined rewards and

punishments (Hejny, 2010).

Bureaucratic leadership. A form of leadership rather similar to an autocratic

leader regarding its exertion of control and focus on details. However, autocratic

leadership is ascribed to an individual whereas the bureaucratic leadership applies to a

group of managers and supervisors that constitute a hierarchy within the management

team or organization (Hejny, 2010).

Charismatic leadership. A form of leadership based on a person’s extraordinary

personality, a person’s exceptional insights, and achievements that inspire great loyalty

and confidence from the leader’s followers. This type of leader simplifies and effectively

communicates complex ideas, provides visions through narratives, and motivates the

followers to accomplishments beyond their perceived capabilities because of the

confidence the leader has in team members (Ejere & Abasilim, 2013).

Democratic/participative leadership. Leadership that employs a team approach

in formulating decisions by having the leader elicit the input and opinions of the team

members. The leader encourages team members to say what they think and participate in

the decision process. This form of leadership depends on the experience level, and

competence of the group since the group was significantly influential (Boykins et al.,

2013).

Laissez-faire leadership. Delegates tasks to followers, giving them complete

freedom to make decisions and to take actions to achieve goals with minimal guidance.

The leader trusts the followers to perform their tasks. However, the high degree of

autonomy can be unproductive if the workers do not have the appropriate skill level,

knowledge, or experience to carry out the work (Du, Swaen, Lindgreen, & Sen, 2013).

People-oriented /relations-oriented leadership. Focuses on the development

and motivation of the team members, engendering an environment of collaboration and

teamwork and promoting positive relationships between the persons in the group. This

form of leadership is diametrically opposite to task-oriented leadership in that the leader

seeks to organize and support the team members rather than focusing on the tasks and

goals of the group (Spears, 2010).

Servant leadership. A theory of leadership in which the individual first seeks to

serve others in the group seeking to meet their needs. The individual then seeks to lead

but for the purpose of improving the welfare of the members of the group or community

in which the leader leads (Thompson, 2010). Servant leadership contrasts with other

leadership styles in that service to others occurs first followed by the desire to lead for the

purpose of bettering the lot of the members of the group or community (Greenleaf, 1998;

Hejny, 2010).

Task-oriented leadership. Combines task management with leadership. The

leader provides a clear purpose and explicit task definition, sets objectives, trains the

workers, and organizes the work activity. This form of leadership works well in

structured environments or with repetitive processes that are clearly defined (Boykins et

al., 2013).

Transactional leadership. A form of management theory and supervision that

operates by exchanging rewards for the fulfillment of goals and tasks. This form of

leadership assumes that self-interest motivates workers. It is also assumed that workers

obey orders, and must be closely supervised (Ejere & Abasilim, 2013).

Transformational leadership. A leadership theory in which the leader inspires

the members of the group to change their motivations, expectations, and perceptions

towards the objectives of the organization. The transformational leader transforms the

followers into caring for each other working for the good of the group. This

transformation occurs as a result of the leader’s passion, energy, and vision. This type of

leader works to help his/her followers succeed (Ejere & Abasilim, 2013).

It is important to understand other theories that may contribute to positive

leadership results for project managers to evaluate more thoroughly the effectiveness of

charismatic leadership in the R&D projects environment. Multiple leadership types were

explored for this review to provide comprehensive information for each leadership style.

The explored styles: autocratic, bureaucratic, charismatic, democratic/participative,

laissez-faire, people oriented/relations oriented, servant, task oriented, transactional, and

transformational leadership styles, allowed for a more developed understanding of

leadership styles operating within the R&D projects environment.

Charismatic Leadership

Charismatic leaders are becoming more popular within the project management

based organizations. This is due to the characteristics of such leader’s passion for

successfully completing and delivering their projects while inspiring their teams in a

positive and uplifting environment. This type of success makes charismatic leadership a

desirable style to apply within R&D project management.

Charismatic leadership is one of the most frequently used behaviors in corporate

America (Takala, 2010). This is because of the short supply of leadership abilities

necessary to arrange large-scale transformations (Simola, Barling, & Turner, 2010).

According to Takala (2010), a charismatic leader is a measure of one’s wisdom and

character. Charismatic leaders understand that this type of leadership is not involved with

showmanship (van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013). Charismatic leaders with good

principles and meaning have the power and influence to inspire and transform the team

they lead (Tuytens & Devos, 2012). The most important attribute a charismatic leader can

possess is the ability to communicate his or her vision (Kwak, 2012). “The credibility of

being an effective communicator depends on projecting the ability to be likable,

trustworthy and a knowledgeable person” (Rowold, 2011, p. 4). Those are some of the

characteristics that are required to be an effective project leader (Takala, 2010).

Characteristics of charismatic leadership. Charismatic leaders have style,

excellent personality, and strong confidence, according to van Knippenberg and Sitkin

(2013). Charismatic leaders also have a positive indefinable quality that allows them to

appeal to their groups and inspire individuals to achieve new heights (Tuytens & Devos,

2012). Charismatic leaders are also recognized to be transformational leaders since they

are frequently involved in important transformation activities (Silva, 2014). According to

Sunindijo et al. (2007), a truly charismatic leader is a measure of his or her wisdom and

character. Charismatic leaders understand that this type of leadership is not involved with

showmanship (Bacon, 2009). However, a charismatic leader does understand that the

application of wisdom takes years to build leadership experience.

Next, charismatic leaders have excellent communication skills (Silva, 2014). A

project leader needs these skills to motivate team members through the difficult times and

to help them stay focused throughout the good times as well (Zhikun & Fungfai, 2010).

Charismatic leaders are excellent communicators when in one-on-one situations and team

settings (Fulton, Smith, Smith, & Van Putten, 2011). Charismatic leaders are also capable

of communicating technical information in a more detailed and simple way to understand

whatever the language may be (Silva, 2014). The charismatic leaders have the wisdom to

inspire and communicate effectively with their team members (Gaddam, 2008). Also, the

team members trust each other and the ability of teamwork. Charismatic leaders can live

with humbleness and have the wisdom to listen to concerns to their team members (Silva,

2014). Charismatic leaders have the ability to influence team members of their value to

the company’s long-term strategic plans (Tuytens & Devos, 2012). Charismatic leaders

have the ability to inspire their team members and gain their loyalty, which is necessary

for making it through a rough time (Silva, 2014). It is critical for a charismatic leader’s

words to align with his or her actions, as that has a more lasting impact on the mind of

team members (Tuytens & Devos, 2012). According to Bacon (2009), the tools that a

charismatic leader must have are charisma, excellent personality, strong confidence,

positive indefinable quality, leader inspired enthusiasm, and energy to motivate.

Finally, the foundational understanding of charismatic leaders is guided by using

charm and self-confidence. “The Theory of Charismatic leadership is based on the use of

other people’s admiration to influence them to follow. Charismatic leaders with good

ethics and intentions have the power to inspire and transform the people they lead” (Ejere

& Abasilim, 2013, p. 31).

Project management based organizations are more often seeking charismatic

leaders. Charismatic leaders contribute to a positive culture and a high level of success

for project completion and delivery. The passion and enthusiasm applied in this

leadership style makes charismatic leadership a successful style to apply within R&D

project management (Ejere & Abasilim, 2013).

Charismatic Project Management

Charismatic project managers apply those characteristics and behaviors that

normally lead to a cohesive team-based environment by creating elements of trust,

transparency, and enthusiasm within their team. This often leads to a successful project

completion and delivery. Charismatic project managers tend to be self-motivated and

empower their teams to be more creative and productive.

According to Boykins et al. (2013), many different types of leadership styles exist

within work environments. Each distinct leadership style has differing advantages and

disadvantages. The culture and goals of an organization determine which leadership style

fits the company best (Aubry et al., 2010). There are companies that utilize some

leadership styles within the organization, dependent upon the essential tasks to complete

and departmental requirements (Tuytens & Devos, 2012). However, this study is focused

on charismatic leadership in an R&D project management environment or related

situations.

Project manager’s leadership traits. According to Sunindijo et al. (2007),

researchers have identified the following, thirteen project managers’ leadership traits,

which charismatic leadership must possess:

1. Communicating the vision and clearly delineating the goals of the project team – the leader must have a vision since that provides the focal point of the direction in

which the group or team must head. The leader should use “we” statements in

presenting the vision to foster a collaborative atmosphere in which the team

members will feel that their contributions and participation are necessary parts of

the vision. The leader must work to inspire the team members to feel that they and

their efforts are part of the vision. They must come to feel they have ownership in

the vision. The leader needs to communicate this vision regarding specific goals

that, when achieved, will realize and actualize the vision. These goals must not

only benefit the organization, but the leader must also present the goals in such a

fashion that the team members will perceive they too will benefit from achieving

the goals. The leader must present the vision in terms that includes and empowers

the members of the group (Galvin et al., 2010).

2. Establishing high expectations and simply communicating important objectives – the leader must identify and communicate specific objectives that the group is to

achieve to realize the vision. In doing so, the leader presents his or her expectation

for the members of the group, raising the performance bar while reassuring them

that the leader has confidence in their ability to meet these expectations. The

leader must present these goals as being of mutual interest to all members of the

group. The leader must communicate how the members will also benefit from

achieving the objectives laid out, not just the organization. The leader must

present his or her expectations for the group in a positive, challenging, and

positive manner to inspire them to live up to these expectations (Gandolfi, 2012).

3. Adding team members in viewing problems from different perspectives – the leader can enhance the problem-solving capabilities of the group members by

engendering trust and earning respect from the group members (Chu & Lai,

2011). The leader can exert a positive influence in problem-solving on the group

members by guiding and directing them and by providing a supportive structure.

The leader must work to develop a culture of knowledge sharing within the group.

The leader who serves as a facilitator in promoting, supporting, and encouraging

knowledge sharing will enhance group members’creativity in solving problems.

Accomplishing a knowledge sharing culture requires the leader to build trust and

mutual respect between the various members of the group (Carmeli, Gelbard, &

Reiter-Palmon, 2013).

4. Perceiving and supporting individual team members according to each person's need – supportive behaviors by the leader will enhance member performance,

particularly regarding problem solving and knowledge sharing. A supportive

leader will positively affect the creativity of the individual team members

(Carmeli et al., 2013). Providing a supportive leadership will show the members

that the leader cares about the team members as individuals. He or she will look at

each need. The supporting leader will operate in a way to fulfill the individual's

needs, show concern for their welfare, and endeavor to develop a work

environment that is psychologically and emotionally supportive (Gandolfi, 2012).

5. Providing positive feedback to team members for their accomplishments – an effective leader looks for opportunities to compliment or praise team members.

Recognizing a team member’s accomplishments and providing positive feedback,

particularly when that team member exceeds expectations, will motivate the

person to work harder and will engender loyalty (Barolo, 2013). Publicly

providing individuals with positive feedback for the results they produce will set

the stage among the team members when the project leader needs to deliver

negative comments. The team will remember that the project leader recognizes

the positive, which may enable members to adopt a receptive attitude when they

receive criticism.

6. Providing negative feedback to team members who do not perform – a leader must develop competency in communicating with team members to be effective.

Skills in communicating are particularly important when the leader needs to give

feedback to members who are not performing satisfactorily. The leader must seek

to convey the message in such a fashion that the recipient will accept without

becoming alienated, disgruntled, or react in some other undesirable negative

manner. In these situations, the method by which the leader communicates is as

important as the content of the message (Gandolfi, 2012). The leader must seek to

present the criticism in a positive, assertive manner avoiding remarks that could

be perceived as personal attacks. In delivering the message, the leader must

somehow inspire the team member’s willingness to accept the feedback without

being defensive. The objective for the leader is to provide the team member with

an opportunity to improve.

7. Delegating and challenging team members with difficult tasks to give them opportunities for growth – a leader has to be sufficiently mature to be willing to

give away those tasks he or she would like to do personally. The leader must look

at the work to be done regarding training missions to be delegated to individuals

to provide them with opportunities to learn, grow, and upgrade their skills

(Barolo, 2013). Providing team members with challenges and opportunities for

growth is one method the leader has to signal his or her concern for the team

members’welfare. As the project leader provides team members with

opportunities for success, then the team members will come to appreciate him/her

and perceive the leader as competent. The leader will gain the trust of the team

members (Kirkhaug, 2010).

8. Leading by example – a leader who leads by example is very powerful. The leader must demonstrate to the rest of the team that he or she is also part of the team

when it comes to doing the work. In performing team tasks alongside the other

members, the leader shows he or she is “sharing” the work rather than dictating

what needs to be done (Barolo, 2013).

9. Openly sharing information – the leader must be honest and straight forward with the members of the team. Openly sharing information with the group signals the

leader’s intent to share his or her knowledge with the group. Creating an

atmosphere of openness will support the leader’s efforts to build a knowledge

sharing culture within the group. Placing an emphasis on openness in the group

will encourage the others in the group to share their knowledge, leading to

improvements in the collective creative process (Carmeli et al., 2013).

10. Active listening, both intellectually and emotionally – the leader must be prepared to engage with team members by listening to them. The more the leader listens,

the more he or she will learn. Actively listening to the team members will

communicate with them that they are being heard. Because they are confident that

the leader will listen to their input, the team members will then become more

willing to listen to what the leader has to say. The leader must encourage

communication among the team members to engender consensus and knowledge

sharing. By being a good listener, the leader encourages the team members to be

open and share their knowledge with the leader and the other members of the

team (Wellman, 2012).

11. Explicitly directing the team members – the leader must be task oriented at times. He or she must layout the specific tasks that team members need to perform. The

leader must communicate and clarify requirements that these tasks are to meet.

The leader defines the priorities and resolves any perceived and real conflicts. The

leader builds a framework that serves as a structure for the team members from

which they proceed to carry out the work. This structure provides the team

members with a group focus, which aids them in moving towards the goals. The

structure helps the team members to stay focused to meet deadlines and avoid

diversions from the real effort (Bergman, Entsch, Small, Davenport, & Bergman,

2012).

12. Sharing the decision-making process with the team – the leader engages the team members in participating in the decision-making process. The team members are

encouraged to collaborate with the leader in formulating decisions regarding the

work effort, the sequencing of tasks and the resolution of conflicting priorities.

The leader demonstrates he or she values the inputs from the team members

(Sunindijo et al., 2007). The leader, at times, must make decisions and provide the

group with clear direction. However, there are other times in which the leader

must sense that employing a participative and collaborative decision process will

improve the outcome. The leader must be prepared to be aware of the situation

and adapt to it accordingly (Werder & Holtzhausen, 2009).

13. Proactively seeking information and identifying problems early – the leader needs to be forward looking to envision the next phase of the project to visualize the

tasks and steps that are instrumental to achieving the team goals. He or she needs

to perform this practical exercise regularly to identify problems or issues that will

affect the group effort, or that may arise from the accomplishment of the tasks in

the current phase (Sunindijo et al., 2007). In identifying these issues and

problems, the leader must also define at what level the resolution needs to occur.

In some cases, the leader will need support or involvement from his or her

management. These future issues may involve his or her peers and their respective

organizations. By looking forward, the leader can anticipate and potentially avoid

problems rather than encountering attempting to solve them as they occur

(Wellman, 2012). According to Young (2014), these are traits common to all

project managers, but charismatic leaders go a step further. (p. 167)

The characteristics and behaviors of charismatic project managers create elements

of trust, transparency, and enthusiasm within their collaborative team. This positive

culture can support successful project completion and delivery. Through empowerment

of staff and intrinsic self- motivation, charismatic project managers can support the goals

of the R&D organization, and ultimately support success.

Methodology

This research addressed differing leadership styles, as well as other related

leadership theories within different methodologies. This literature review analyzes the

most relevant and recent research on the subject of charismatic leadership to provide

adequate support for the research question (Davis, 2011; Merriam, 2009; Patton, 2002).

There are a very limited number of industry-specific empirical qualitative studies that

focus on the charismatic leadership style of the project manager as a contributing factor

to project success to substantiate methodologies used (Anantatmula, 2010). Recent

studies by Wright (2012), De Ciel (2012), Barrantes-Guevara (2013), Lee (2010) and

Morgan (2012) explained that R&D projects differ in nature across industries. However,

they are comparable with non-R&D projects because they have similar generic

characteristics, such as project sponsors, project leaders, specialists (project team

members), quality standards, scope goals, time frames, budgets, and start and end dates

(Strang, 2011). Therefore, this qualitative case study addressing how top-level

management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation can draw

upon multidisciplinary research beyond R&D projects such as charismatic leadership,

personality, and project management and explore methods used. The following sections

explore the literature on charismatic leadership, R&D project managers, personality

factors, and R&D performance at a West Coast corporation. The materials used as

sources in document are relatively recent, of which most have been published within the

last five years.

Wright (2012). A recent study by Wright (2012) to investigate possible

situational factors that may cause project managers to choose a particular leadership

behavior was associated through the social medium LinkedIn. Wright used a convenience

sample of 175 project managers from 39 countries to perform a non-experimental,

quantitative, correlational study. The study also investigated relationships that exist

between the project managers' leadership behavioral style and three independent

variables: certification, gender, and country of employment. The research questions that

guided the study consisted of the extent to which there was a difference between

preferences for structure, consideration, or balance in leadership behaviors, the degree of

relations between preferences and structure, consideration, and balance. Wright also

asked if there was a relationship between gender, certifications earned, and country of

employment.

Wright (2012) surveyed the participants with a modified Leader Behavior

Descriptive Questionnaire (LBDQ). The results of this study showed that there is a

significant difference in preferences of behavioral leadership styles among project

managers associated with LinkedIn. By describing and applying correlational statistical

analysis to the present study's primary data, the researcher was able to answer key

questions about the 63 leadership behavior preferences of project managers associated

with LinkedIn.

De Ciel (2012). Another R&D project was conducted by De Ciel (2012) to fill the

void of information concerning the lived conversion experiences of leaders who changed

the practice of pseudo-transformational leadership to transformational leadership. De Ciel

(2012) investigated the conversion of pseudo-transformational leaders to address the lack

of knowledge in this area. In doing so, insights were provided into personality traits

regarding charismatic leadership and the importance of ethical behavior in a truly

transformational leader. The research question that guided the study was “How do leaders

express their experience during key events of their conversion from pseudo-

transformational leadership to transformational leadership” (p. 21). De Ciel conducted a

qualitative interpretive biographical analysis that consisted of three participants. The

small sample size limited this work. The research question was successfully answered,

with the most significant outcome of the study being that a pseudo-transformational

leader can convert to a transformational leader. The person can also undergo a

redemption by returning to the community in which he/she caused harm and apply the

negative experience to help the community and perform reparations. According to De

Ciel’s (2012) theory, these findings are in keeping with the application of social theory as

presented by Max Weber in1947.

Barrantes-Guevara (2013). Barrantes-Guevara (2013) conducted a quantitative,

non-experimental study and explored the relationship between the R&D project

manager’s leadership style, the industry type, and project success. The study used a

probability simple random sample of 72 persons with various titles, including managers,

project managers, service managers, functional managers, and lead engineers in the

United States. Barrantes-Guevara conducted the research at Cappella University. The

survey was performed on-line using the service SurveyMonkey. The primary research

question that guided this study was to what extent is leadership style and industry type

related to project success? (Barrantes-Guevara, 2013). This author formulated

concomitant hypotheses to test the claim posed by the research questions and found the

relationship between transformational leadership behaviors of the project manager and

project success, regardless of the industry. No significant relationshipwas found between

the project type (industry) and project success.

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) 5X-Short survey and the

Project Implementation Profile (PIP) instrument were used to measure project managers'

leadership styles and project success, respectively, in the Barrantes-Guevara research.

The study determined that although the construction/engineering industries have a higher

project success rate than the Information Technology (IT) industry, the difference was

not statistically significant. The combination of leadership styles and industry type also

did not produce a statistically significant relationship with project success.

Morgan (2012) focused on a quantitative correlational study to explore the

relationship between project manager leadership styles and project success. The sample

size consisted of 52 project managers, and the study findings were minor support for a

project manager leadership style having an impact on project success. The Multifactor

Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ form 5X) and the Project Implementation Profile (PIP)

were used to evaluate whether a relationship existed between a project manager

leadership style and project success. The study was conducted in the District of

Columbia, and the research questions were specifical which project manager leadership

styles contribute to project success, and whether styles correlate with project success. The

outcome of this study was a strong correlation between transformational leadership and

project success. There were no strong correlations calculated between transactional and

laissez-faire leadership and therefore, all the research questions were answered.

Lee (2010). Lee (2010) conducted a mixed methods study and explored how and

to what extent situational leadership style characteristics, particularly effectiveness and

flexibility, in project managers affect potential project success. The study used a

probability simple random sample of 74 persons with various titles, including managers,

project managers, service managers, functional managers, and lead engineers in the United

States. The survey was performed on-line using the service SurveyMonkey. The primary

research question that guided this study was to what extent situational leadership style

characteristics, particularly effectiveness and flexibility in project managers, affected

potential project success (Lee, 2010). This author formulated concomitant hypotheses to

test the claim posed by the research questions. The results showed that project managers

with high effectiveness and flexibility scores had no higher or lower virtual project

success scores than project managers with low scores (Lee, 2010).

In the Lee (2010) study, the results of the triangulation showed that in the

qualitative questioning, the majority of project managers responded that they were using

or have used specific leadership techniques, but the quantitative results did not support

these qualitative assertions. The results indicated that none of the correlation coefficients

attained statistical significance at alpha <=.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis tested, for

the sample indicated, that there was no association between specific leadership style and

the specific leadership characteristics of flexibility and effectiveness.

This study used qualitative research methodology to help gain a better

understanding of the perceptions of participants to explore whether a charismatic

leadership style applies to and can be effective for the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation. The phenomenon under study is how the perception of charismatic

leadership styles of R&D departments influence top-level management, project

managers, and project team members from two different departments of a West Coast

corporation. Qualitative is a widely accepted method for research as set questions are

asked of small numbers of people and findings are analyzed. Qualitative studies use

words and descriptions to narrow the subject that leads to a better understanding of the

area being researched (Yin, 2011). This study was designed to gather data utilizing a

qualitative method with a case study design to answer the central research question, how

do top-level management, project managers, and project team members perceive

charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having an influence on

decision making of project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation?

Instrumentation

Instrumentation in a research study functions as a tool for gathering the data. In

general, instrumentation is identified as any media that captures and stores the collected

data for the analysis. In many cases, instrumentation can be in the form of survey,

questionnaire, and interview, and a combination thereof (Yin, 2014). The tools for the

data collection in this study are a pre-interview questionnaire, the face-to-face interview

with probing questions, and the researcher’s log.

A questionnaire has been developed to facilitate data collection in the semi-

structured interview process. The analysis and findings of the data collected contributed

to the body of literature about the phenomenon associated with the experience of

understanding the influence of charismatic leadership styles applied in the R&D

environment (Patton, 2002). An interview questionnaire is a suitable approach to

determine the perceived characteristics required for charismatic leadership in the two

different departments of the West Coast corporation. This study filled a gap in existing

research identified by Grosse (2007), which was a lack of knowledge of the influence and

power of charismatic leadership in project management. Information was provided

specific to whether charismatic leadership is perceived to be a suitable style for practical

outcomes for R&D projects within two different departments of the West Coast

corporation. The pre-interview questionnaire provided a sense of participants’

understanding of the potential for implementation of charismatic leaderhip and how this

leadership style could enhance outcomes.

The current study utilized a qualitative case study design. The data collection

approach involved gathering responses to a pre-interview questionnaire to collect

information for a demograpic profile of the participants; semi-structured interviews; and

a researcher’s log of observations of participants during the semi-structured interview

process to capture body language and facial expressions. The interviews contained the

same questions for the three stratified participant groups (top-level management, project

managers, and project team members) about their perceptions of charismatic leadership in

the R&D environment. This questionnaire was the primary data collection tool (Yin,

2011), and was foundationally based on the definition of charismatic leadership offered

by Weber (1947) and participants’ perceptions of charismatic leadership in the PM

environment.

The use of qualitative methods involves the systematic collection, organization,

and analysis of textual material derived from the talk (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Yin, 2014).

Case study research is more than just conducting research on a single individual or

situation (Yin, 2011), it is an approach has the potential to deal with simple through

complex situations. It enables the researcher to answer “how” and “why” type questions,

while taking into consideration how an occurrence is influenced by the by the context

within which it occurred (Baxter & Jack, 2008).

Summary

This literature review concentrated on the theory of charismatic leadership, to

include characteristics and constructs as defined and expanded upon by researchers and

authors for over three decades. However, even though there are extensive writings on

charismatic leadership, there are limited empirical works involving charismatic

leadership and the R&D project managers. Takala (2010) claimed that leaders, more

times than not, operate within their role based on lived experiences. Because of this, as

well as the gaps in the literature, it became clear that there is a need to understand how

top-level management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation.

The literature on project management is extensive and covers study topics ranging

from projects in the business world to R&D project managers. Research in business

project management has covered various areas, including information technology,

manufacturing, construction, and product development (Anantatmula, 2010). The topic of

general project management is broad and has been studied from many perspectives such

as budgeting and scheduling, project management tools, organizational structuring, and

social capital (Williams van Rooij, 2011). Considerable effort has been placed on

examining the factors that lead to successful projects (Wright, 2012). This line of

research has led to investigating the role of the project manager. The literature on the

project manager is also extensive. Researchers have studied the project manager function,

how the role of the project manager influences the project team and the attributes of a

successful project manager (Wellman, 2012). Various aspects of the project manager

have been studied and analyzed, yet few have been able to produce a consistent

correlation between successful projects and project manager leadership characteristics

(Kwak, 2012). The focus on the project manager leads to an investigation of leadership.

Leadership, in itself, has been a broad topic of research, covering areas such as leadership

styles, leadership models, leadership skills, and leadership development (Thi &

Swierczek, 2010). However, research regarding leadership in the project manager context

is more limited (van Knippenberg & Sitkin, 2013). The existing literature on charismatic

leadership style and the project managers is even more limited (Anantatmula, 2010).

Therefore, the search for perceptions of discernable patterns or trends using charismatic

leadership in an R&D function is a worthy topic.

Chapter three covers the research methodology and several components, which

were used to complete the interview process. Chapter three includes the following

sections: introduction, statement of the problem, research questions, research

methodology, research design, population and sample selection, the source of the data,

validity, reliability, data collection and management, data analysis and procedures,

limitations and delimitations, summary, and ethical considerations.

Chapter 3: Methodology

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore participant

perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects, and to

understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team members

view charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on

the West Coast of the United States. This qualitative study addressed the gap in the

current body of research identified by Grosse (2007) in the R&D work environment. The

researcher investigated the participants’ perception of the phenomenon and influence of

charismatic leadership style. The applicability and suitability of the charismatic

leadership style in the corporate environment, specifically within the context of managing

R&D, were also explored.

To conduct research for this dissertation, a qualitative methodology was

employed with a case study design. Yin (2009) argued that the “case study method allows

investigators to retain the holistic and essential characteristics of real-life events” (p. 4).

Therefore, a case study was chosen for this research because it was supported thorough

investigation of workplace issues and thoroughly explore what is happening in the

organization for the participants of this study.

The problem statement guiding this research is: how do top-level management,

project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two

different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation? This chapter of the dissertation

presents the roadmap utilized by the researcher to conduct this study, offering a detailed

discussion of the methodology, research design, data collection, and data analysis

procedures.

Statement of the Problem

It was not known how top-level management, project managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

corporation on the West Coast of the United States. The general problem was to explore

if successful project outcomes are dependent upon leadership since many different

elements in the organizational environment are critical to success. The aspect of

charisma, as a contributing characteristic of leadership style, is the focus of exploration. It

is anticipated that charismatic leadership was revealed as an effective means of leading in

response to the research questions.

The intent of this qualitative exploratory case study was to contribute to the

existing body of literature about the phenomenon associated with understanding the

influence of charismatic leadership styles, and what perceived charismatic leadership

characteristics are required to enhance performance and to meet financial goals at a West

Coast corporation. Grosse’s (2007) study investigated several leadership styles employed

in R&D projects, and revealed that charismatic leadership was an area that required

further research because charismatic leadership had not been studied in the R&D

environment.

This study addressed the gap in existing research identified by Grosse (2007) regarding a

lack of knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic leadership in project

management (Grosse, 2007). The gap, explored specifically for the West Coast

corporation, is whether charismatic leadership is a suitable style for practical outcomes

for R&D projects within two different departments.

Research Questions and Phenomenon

Phenomenon. To support the purpose of this study, the researcher set out to

understand the phenomenon. This case study design allowed for an exploration of the

perceptions of participants in an in-depth examination of two units (two geographical

locations). Thus, allowing for a linking of micro actions (individual actions) with large-

scale events (larger structures or processes) (Kochan, 2013).

This qualitative study addressed the gap in the current body of research identified

by Grosse (2007), which is the lack of knowledge of the influence and power of

charismatic leadership in project management. The researcher investigated the perception

of the phenomenon and influence of charismatic leadership style. The applicability and

suitability of the charismatic leadership style in the corporate environment, specifically

within the context of managing R&D, was also explored. In addition, potential outcomes

and results of projects led by charismatic leaders were evaluated, as it is important that

the project manager has the necessary skills to be a motivating leader for his/her team to

complete the project on time and within budget, while dealing with other project-related

issues. An expected outcome of this study is a set of guidelines specific to project

management and motivation of project team members to meet overall project objectives.

Research questions. The overarching research question for this study is, how do

top-level management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation? Each of

the outlined research questions targets the phenomenon and influence of charismatic

leadership style. A definition and examples of charismatic leadership, as defined by

Weber (1947), were provided to interviewees and used to ascertain their perceptions of

charismatic leadership and the influence on outcomes of projects. Since qualitative case

studies offer holistic elaborations in a situation (George & Bennett, 2005; Neuman, 2011;

Stake, 1995), the following research questions guided this study to achieve this end:

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive a charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

This study utilized three data sources to obtain desirable data. A pre-interview

questionnaire, which included collecting demographic data and an explanation of the

study, semi-structured interviews, and a researcher’s log to capture notes of observations

of participants during the interview process were the data collection methods. The use of

triangulation for data collection established the validity of findings (McMillan &

Schumacher, 2006). According to Yin (2009), it is a common practice of qualitative

researchers to not only use variations of data, but also to spend a significant amount of

time gathering the data. To add meaning and increase understanding of the phenomenon

being studied, all participants were invited to participate in the pre-interview

questionnaire, the semi-structured interview, and observations were recorded on the

researcher’s log. According to Merriam (2009), “observation makes it possible to record

behavior as it is happening” (p. 119).

Pre-interview questionnaire and demographics. This data collection

instrument consisted of eleven questions in support of the research questions and goals.

Questions to gather necessary demographic information were included. The pre-interview

questionnaire was the same for all three stratified participant groups (top-level

management, project managers, and project team members). The pre-interview

questionnaire was sent via e-mail to each of the participants of all three groups.

Participants were asked to provide demographic information, answer each question, and

return the questionnaires electronically to the principle investigator within two weeks of

receipt of the questionnaire. Please see Appendix C for more details.

Semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interviews were conducted as

scheduled with the three stratified participant groups (top-level management, project

managers, and project team members). The interview began with an explanation of how

the session was to be conducted, and an introduction including identifying each person’s

role (interviewee and interviewer) during the interview process. During the semi-

structured interview, participants were asked five open-ended questions. The five open-

ended questions remained the same for all participants in each of the three groups.

Additionally, the procedure for the interview included recording the participants’

responses via a tape or digital recorder, and the information were transcribed from voice

to manuscript using NVivo software.

Researcher’s log. The researcher’s log was used to capture notes of observations

of participants during the semi-structured interview process of three stratified participant

groups (top-level management, project managers, and project team members), while

capturing body language and facial expressions and overall reaction to each question.

Multiple means of data collection are required to enhance the rich and valid qualitative

data to be collected. The researcher’s log was developed to further identify the

participants’ level of comfort, confidence, and overall willingness to answer each

question.

The researcher kept in mind the limitations identified by Grosse (2007) on the

topic of charismatic leadership in a project management environment, and addressed

those limitations through probing questions. The probing questions were developed to

support the main objectives of each of the interview questions (see Appendix F). Probing

questions also ensured the clarity and objectivity of the questions in order to facilitate

thorough responses.

Research Methodology

This research study used a qualitative methodology to explore participant

perceptions regarding the suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects and to

understand how top-level management, project managers, and project team members

view charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on

the West Coast of the United States. Qualitative methodology explores the why or how of

something and stems from a desire to understand a group or a personal problem (Yin,

2011). The qualitative methodological approach is non-responsive to exact statistics and

hypothesis to explain the effect or underlying causation, thus obtaining data that may not

be retrievable using quantitative methods (Winston, 2010). The qualitative methodology

can be in the form of phenomenological studies, case studies, historical research,

ethnography, or grounded theory (Yin, 2011). Qualitative methodology research can

focus on an individual or groups in the experienced phenomenon and does not address

overarching statistical generalizations (Yin, 2011). This qualitative method focuses on

events, programs, environmental factors, processes, and participant perceptions about the

contemporary, real-life, human situation (Simon & Goes, 2013). Quantitative

methodology can be used for both the qualitative and quantitative approach. It was

described by Guba and Lincoln (1981) as part of a more significant category of

“evaluation” and the importance of using this type of case study is to arrive at a

judgment--“judging is the final and ultimate act of evaluation” (p. 375). The methodology

is used to explore those situations in which an intervention or phenomenon under

investigation is not clearly defined and no clear set of outcomes is evident. The

researcher used the exploratory case study approach as forerunner to future research

whereby the methodologies were used to become clear for more definitive research based

on the exploratory design according to Guba and Lincoln (1981). This was the reason the

researcher chose to conduct a qualitative case study, to understand the target populations’

perception of charismatic leadership styles of R&D departments in an organization where

charismatic leadership has become a focus.

This study focused on exploring the perceptions of the potential influence of a

charismatic leadership style on project management outcomes. The general approach for

the research consisted of conducting interviews with five top-level management leaders,

five project managers, and five project team members with five or more years of

experience. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore the perceptions of

the phenomenon of charismatic leadership styles of R&D top-level management, project

managers, and project team members from two different departments of a West Coast

corporation. The three data gathering sources are pre-interview questionnaires, which

supplied demographic data and study information; semi-structured interviews; and a

researcher’s log. The data analysis consisted of transcribing and organizing the results of

the questionnaires, transcribing the responses to the interview questions, and then

importing these data into NVivo for further analysis, coding, and thematic delineations.

This qualitative method was specifically chosen to explore the topic of charismatic

leadership and determine how top-level management, project managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic leadership and the outcomes of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast corporation. Qualitative approaches facilitate the exploration

of the phenomenon and are a way to get to a deep and rich analysis of the variety of data

collected (Yin, 2011).

The majority of studies involving charismatic leadership are quantitative, and

therefore, more qualitative studies are imperative to understand charismatic leadership

from a valuable experiential point of view of participants (Tuytens & Devos, 2012).

Weber (1947) claimed that although quantitative studies are beneficial, qualitative studies

are needed to understand specific elements about charismatic leaders and leadership.

Therefore, a qualitative case study was chosen to investigate charismatic leadership style

and perceptions among employees of three groups within two different departments of a

West Coast corporation. The findings of this study contributed to the body of knowledge

about project management and leadership style specifically related to charismatic

leadership.

While quantitative methodology seeks to answer the research questions by using

numbers and measurement of figures, and mixed methods attempt to answer all types of

questions through quantitative and qualitative applications (Yin, 2011), it was determined

that qualitative methodology alone would best suit the purpose of this study. While

quantitative methods seek to determine relationships, differences, extents, or degrees of

effectiveness, statistical significance, and cause and effect (Tracy, 2012), qualitative

methods can provide a picture of the experiences of the participants through exploration.

The deep, rich meaning provided through qualitative methods is more applicable to the

intent of this study.

Research Design

This qualitative study utilized an exploratory case study design. A case study is an

exploration of a bounded system over time. The bounded system means that the target to

be studied is easily distinguished from other instances of the same occurrence; it has a

clean boundary differentiating it from all others (Kostere et al., 2009). This study is

bounded by the narrow focus on the R& D department of a West Coast corporation. The

research involved a pre-interview questionnaire, which includes collecting demographic

data, semi-structured interviews, and a researcher’s log designed to capture data about the

various perceptions and expectations of responders regarding project management and

charismatic leadership style.

The qualitative exploratory case study utilized a design to answer the study’s

research questions and explore the phenomenon associated with the experience of the 15

participants. The reason for using the qualitative exploratory case study was to give a

voice to each participant’s experience (Onwuegbuzie & Collins, 2007). The qualitative

exploratory case study was appropriate for this study because the empirical interview

results show that it was perceived that charismatic leadership is consistent with

generating positive organizational and project outcomes. Qualitative research is a widely

accepted methodology for research because an identical set of questions is asked of a

small number of people and findings are analyzed (Neuman, 2011). Qualitative studies

use words and descriptions to narrow the subject that leads to a better understanding of

the area being researched (Yin, 2011). The other reason for choosing a qualitative

exploratory case study for this research was to give insight on the influence that

charismatic leadership characteristics have on each participant’s understanding of the role

and characteristics of leaders in project management.

The use of qualitative methods involves the systematic collection, organization,

and analysis of textual material derived from the talk (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Yin, 2011).

Exploratory case study research is more than just conducting research on a single

individual or situation (Yin, 2011). This approach has the potential to deal with simple

through complex situations. It enables the researcher to answer “how” and “why” type

questions while taking into consideration how an occurrence is influenced by the context

within which it occurred (Baxter & Jack, 2008). The interview questions were used to

collect data to answer the research questions and to learn about organizational structure.

This information converges on the topic of how charismatic leadership affects the project

teams from the different departments of this West Coast corporation.

Population and Sample Selection

The general population for this study was all top-level management, project

managers, and project team members from two different R&D departments of a West

Coast corporation. The target population was a total of 130 project management

employees who serve in these three different titles at both corporate locations. The

sample for the present study consisted of 15 participants--five from each title group--who

were selected purposefully from the target population. Yin (2009) contended that in case

study research, the premise is analytic generalization and therefore a small group of

participants is not of a concern to the researchers, but rather, the richness of the study is

primary. According to Grand Canyon University (2015) research guidelines, a minimum

of nine participants are required for performing interviews for a case study, so including

additional participants built higher confidence in the results. Purposeful sampling was

used by the researcher to select participants of this study (Trochim & Donnelly, 2007).

All participants were invited to participate in the pre-interview questionnaire, the semi-

structured interview, and behaviors were observed for recording on the researcher’s log,

which provided meaningful data and an understanding of the phenomenon being studied.

Participants received a letter of invitation to participate, which contained

information that described the study and its objectives. The demographic pre-interveiw

questionnaire was a ten-point questionnaire that leads participants to think through the

questions concerning the qualities of a charismatic leader and if this type of leadership

would benefit the projects at a West Coast corporation. The researcher then contacted, by

phone or e-mail, those who expressed an interest in participating in the study and

established contact information to schedule the semi-structured interview. Five

participants from each group of project management employees were chosen and

interviewed. The entire interview process was accomplished over a two-day period with

each interview lasting approximately one hour. The actual data-collecting interview took

place in a quiet meeting room, with no interruptions, at either California, or the

Washington location of a West Coast corporation. One meeting was held with each

participant to accomplish the consent process and then start the actual interview.

This exploratory case study used a purposeful sampling of the employees from

two different locations of one corporation. The main goal of purposeful sampling is to

focus on particular characteristics of a population that is of interest to best enable the

researcher to answer the research questions (Patton, 2002). The sample being studied is

not necessarily representative of the total population of project management employees at

other organizations, but is sufficient for researchers pursuing qualitative examination to

extrapolate (Onwuegbuzie & Collins, 2007). A purposeful sample is appropriate when

participants are selected because the researcher has knowledge of the population and can

make a judgment about who provides the most useful, pertinent, and representative

information (Babbie, 2013). For this study, the researcher targeted top-level management,

project managers, and project team members with five or more years of project

management experience with varying levels of responsibility in the R&D department. It

is essential that all participants have experience working with a project manager and a

working knowledge of what a project manager exemplifies using a charismatic leadership

style. This was a stratified purposeful sample that varied by title (five top-level managers,

five project managers, and five project team members). Sampling in qualitative research

includes small sample sizes because the focus is to study in-depth and detailed responses

regarding the phenomenon (Patton, 2002). Site authorization was secured for this study

(see Appendix H).

Sources of Data

The sources of data included a pre-interview questionnaire, which collects

demographic data of the participants and provides study information; semi-structured

interviews; and a researcher’s log to capture observations of participants (body language

and facial expressions) during the semi-structured interviews. A list of questions to be

included in the pre-interview questionnaire and semi-structured interviews are compiled

based on the problem statement and purpose of the study. The questionnaire and semi-

structured interview questions were submitted with the proposal for committee and

academic quality review.

Pre-interview questionnaire. This data collection instrument consisted of 11

questions in support of the research objectives and goals, along with questions to gather

necessary demographic information. The pre-questionnaire was patterned after

questionnaires used in previous research studies (Avolio & Bass, 2004). The pre-

interview questionnaire was administered to three stratified project management groups.

All participants in each group, top-level management, project managers, and project team

members, were asked the same questions about their perceptions of charismatic

leadership style, and specifically its merit for successful project management outcomes in

the West Coast corporation. The pre-interview questionnare was sent via company e-mail

to each of the participants of all three groups. They were asked to provide their responses

for the demographics and each question and return the questionnaires electronically to the

principle investigator with a predetermined timeframe and date. Please see Appendix C

for more details.

Semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interviews were conducted

upon confirmation of the face-to-face interview with three stratified participant groups

(top-level management, project managers, and project team members). The procedure for

this interview began with an introduction on how the session was to be conducted

including identifying each person’s role (interviewee and interviewer) during the

interview process. During the semi-structured interview, participants were asked five

open-ended questions. The five open-ended questions remained the same for all

participants in each of the three groups. The interviews allowed participants to share their

perspectives, stories, and experiences concerning a specific social phenomenon being

observed by the interviewer (Wahyuni, 2012). Additionally, the procedure for the

interview included recording the participants’ responses, which were transcribed from

voice to manuscript using NVivo software. In the NVivo software, information from the

transcript was open coded and provided a label. Open coding allowed the researcher to

verify categories and create labels, decrease the chance of missing an important category,

and ensure significance by generating codes with emergent fit to the fundamental area

under study (Holton, 2010). Please see Appendix D for more details.

Researcher’s log. The researcher’s log is used for noting observations of

participants during the interview process of three stratified participant groups (top-level

management, project managers, and project team members), while capturing body

language and facial expressions and overall reactions to each question. Multiple means of

data collection are required to enhance the rich and valid qualitative data collected

(Shenton, 2004).The researcher’s log was developed to further identify the participants’

level of comfort, confidence, and overall willingness to answer each question

(Gaižauskaitė, 2012). The researcher maintained a researcher’s log to capture

observations during the semi-structured interviews (Patton, 2002). The type of data

gathered included the perception of the use of persuasion, influence, negotiation,

salesmanship, and motivation as these charismatic leadership attributes apply to the

project managers (Bezek & Nacho, 2011). Please see Appendix E for more details.

Validity

The external validity refers to the extent to which the full results of a study can be

generalized across all sectors and populations (Darawsheh, 2014). To have confidence in

the research findings, the study design included techniques to capture valid, trustworthy

and reliable or consistent information (Shenton, 2004). In qualitative research, validity is

centered on whether the study has credibility (Thomas & Magilvy, 2011). To guarantee

construct validity, the researcher utilized multiple sources of data for triangulation

purposes (Yin, 2011). Specifically, the data collection consisted of a pre-interview

questionnaire, which includes collecting demographic data of the participants and study

information; semi-structured interviews; and a researcher’s log. The data collected for the

research originated directly from the participants. The data were collected, filed, and

stored securely to ensure validity and accuracy (Golafshani, 2003). Furthermore, Yin

recommended utilizing multiple strategies for validity. The researcher employed three

data collection strategies. According to Yin (2009), “a major strength of case study data

collection is the opportunity to use many different sources of evidence” allowing “the

development of converging lines of inquiry” (p. 114) known as data triangulation.

Triangulation is the process of establishing converging lines of evidence, using

three or more independent sources, which all point to the same direction (Yin, 2012).

Also, triangulation requires the use of multiple sources of data that corroborate the

findings from the interviews (Flick, 2009). By comparing the data from the stratified

groups in this study, the researcher was able to explore rival explanations as well (Yin,

2011). According to Yin (2012), “triangulation is the most desired pattern for dealing

with case study data” (p. 104), and researchers should seek to attain it.

Another measure of validity used was an expert review process (Davies & Dodd,

2002). The dissertation committee reviewed the interview questions. The content expert

in leadership styles and behaviors guided the formulation of the questions along with

committee chair and methodologist.

Reliability

For qualitative research, reliability is defined as the ability of the instrument to

constantly and consistently provide accurate measurement and consistent responses (Yin,

2011). Reliability is also referred to as the degree of consistency with which instances are

assigned in the similar category by different observers or by the same observer on

different occasions (Thomas & Magilvy, 2011). The stability of findings is considered to

be in place when the similar questions are asked by co-researchers at various times and

yield the same answer. Consistency in respondants’ answers ensures that the questions

pertain to the topic under study. Equivalence is found in the questionnaire process by

asking alternate forms of the same questions to check for concordant answers (Guest et

al., 2013). It is critical that this study is credible in its findings, neutral in its approach,

dependable, and demonstrates real-world application (Golafshani, 2003). Credibility is

achieved by asking questions that relate directly to the problem being studied and

comparing the results to other research. Another way of ensuring credibility is that one

person conducted the study (Golafshani, 2003).

The researcher followed explicit case study protocols as prescribed by Yin to

achieve reliability. Yin’s case study protocol was followed step by step. Yin (2009)

contended that the case study ought to be repeatable and that the researcher should use a

database in which to store the collected data. This study could be repeated by other

researchers because it includes a detailed list of instruments, protocols, and processes

which would provide other researchers an opportunity for replication. These documents

can be found in the appendices. Additionally, relevant tables, permissions, charts, and

graphs are also presented in this section of the dissertation.

The researcher kept the database of data collected on an external flash drive that is

password protected. The researcher established a coding method to record the data

gathered from participants to establish anonymity and safeguard their identities. Each

participant was assigned an alpha numeric code. For example, if the first participant is a

male and works in the title of project manager, the code would be: P1MPM.

Data Collection and Management

The data collection involved gathering responses to the pre-interview

questionnaire, which includes collecting demographic data of the participants and

providing study information; semi-structured interviews; and a researcher’s log for

observations of participants’ body language and facial expressions during the interviews.

There are three stratified participant groups (top-level management, project managers,

and project team members) who are asked the same questions about their perceptions of

charismatic leadership style in the R&D environment. The data collected were secured on

an independent, password protected computer. All recordings and transcripts will be

destroyed after three years of publication of the study per Grand Canyon University

policy.

The pre-interview questionnaire and the semi-structured interview were the

primary data collection tools (Yin, 2011), and were based on the definition of charismatic

leadership offered by Weber in 1947. Once this study was approved by the university’s

Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Academic Quality Review Board, the selected

West Coast corporation was move from contingent permission to full authority for the

researcher to conduct the interviews. The researcher initially sent a cover letter to explain

the purpose of the study to potential participants. Contact, by company phone or e-mail,

was initiated for those who express an interest in participating in the study to establish

contact information and a schedule to meet for the semi-structured interview. The entire

interview process covered at least 15 total hours, with each individual interview lasting

approximately one hour. To reach saturation, some interviews exceeded the time limit.

The researcher realized saturation was reached when interviews with participant no. 7 in

the staff and participant no. 6 in the manager group did not yield any new information

when asked the research questions. The actual data-collecting interviews took place in a

quiet meeting room, with no interruptions, at locations in California and Washington of a

West Coast corporation. The participants were provided with all information about the

study and, if agreeable to participating, signed the consent form.

The Qualitative Research Data Collection Guide (GCU, 2014) was used as

reference material. During this period, a semi-structured, in-depth interview was audio

recorded, and the interviewee was asked a series of open-ended questions about his/her

thoughts, perceptions, understanding, and consciousness of the influences of working

with a manager with charismatic leadership style, based on Weber’s (1947) definition. If

the participant was reticent to share information, probing questions were used. The

researcher then transcribed the recorded interview responses. At no time was personal or

other identifiable information disclosed. The researcher maintained strict confidentiality

and stored all data collected in a secure location.

Data Analysis Procedures

Pre-interview questionnaires, which include questions to collect demographic data

of the participants; semi-structured interviews; and a researcher’s log used to capture

notes of observations of the participants during the semi-structured interview process was

reviewed and analyzed for commonalities, quotes, and ideas. These elements led to 1) an

exploration of applicability and suitability in the corporate environment based on

participants’perceptions specifically within the context of managing R&D, and 2) an

evaluation of the potential effectiveness of charismatic project leadership in terms of the

results and successes of projects led by charismatic leaders. Demographic data was

analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS software and included charts, graphs, and

tables to organize, categorize, and display the themed data. Please see Appendix E for

more details about the researcher’s log that were used to capture notes of observations of

participants’ behavior during the interview process.

NVivo, a qualitative software package, was used to sort the compiled transcript

information and responses by themes and patterns (Walsh, 2003). Themes surrounding

commonalities served as the foundation for creating a description of how charismatic

leadership can influence a West Coast corporation (Kostere et al., 2009). The researcher

utilized the holistic analysis to analyze each of these themes as part of the whole case

(Patton, 2002). Holistic analysis is defined as taking apart the problem to see what

makes it tick and putting it back together, ticking better (Guest et al., 2013; Patton,

2002). Also, data was organized and prepared for analysis. Descriptive statistics, using

SPSS v. 21, was used to facilitate the description and summarization of the numerical

data. Analytical coding, which included interpretation and reflection, (Richards, 2005)

generated themes used to address the research questions:

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

A typical series of four steps can be used to help analyze the data collected from

multiple sources (Kostere et al., 2009; Stake, 1995; Yin, 2014). These steps are:

Step 1 - Involves creating a detailed description of the case as a whole. The

objective is both clarity and detail, creating a rich and textured picture of the case and its

setting.

Step 2 - Looks at single instances in the described data and draws meaning from

each without looking for multiple instances. This process pulls the related data apart and

puts the individual cases back together in more meaningful ways.

Step 3 - Seeks a collection of instances from the data, aggregating these into

categories of meaning, giving rise to the term categorical aggregation.

Step 4 - Analyzes the categories (and the underlying instances and data of the

various types). The researcher identified themes and connections between or among the

themes using the latest version of a thematic analysis software package (Saldana, 2009).

The narrative discussion, which is an opportunity for the researcher to summarize

findings in detail, allows the researcher the freedom to display textually and visually

many of the themes gathered from the data collected (Guest et al., 2013). The researcher

also provided a synthesis of the themes making the data understandable and easy to

follow, and this synthesis was formalized in the case study report and summary in

Chapter 4. Recognizing and interpreting segments of the raw data collected were the

primary focus used to answer the research questions (Merriam, 2009).

Ethical Considerations

Basic ethical principles were foremost to protect research participants from harm.

The data obtained from the pre-interview questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and

researcher’s log notes did not reveal any personal identifiable information. While

individual subjects were known to the researcher, ethical research practices and

considerations exist, and no identifiable personal data of participants was included in the

coding and analysis of the responses. The permission to approach the West Coast

corporation employees to inquire for volunteers was secured (see Appendix G for Site

Authorization Letter). A non-disclosure agreement that the data can only be shared with

the University as part of the dissertation was executed because the corporation required it.

This research is subject to ethical considerations and concerns. All information

was coded analytically and held in the strictest confidence in which the researcher is the

only one who can identify the research participants. In compliance with the Family

Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 34 Code of Federal Regulations Part 99 (FERPA,

2012), the researcher is required to seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from

Grand Canyon University before commencing research. An informed consent document

was included in a recruitment email sent out to the study sample requesting participation

in this study. Alpha and numeric identifiers of human subjects were used when coding

questionnaires and collecting data. All data will be stored on the researcher’s personal,

professional password-protected computer (Research Ethics, 2014) for three years at

which time digital and paper information will be deleted or shredded.

Limitations and Delimitations

A limitation of this study could be viewed by some as using a qualitative case

study with small sample size (Winston, 2010; Yin, 2009). Subjectivity and bias of the

researcher is also a potential limitation (Grbich, 2013; Winston, 2010). A possibility

exists that some of the respondents may lack reflection or knowledge concerning

issues of charismatic leadership and the role of project management. It should be

noted that this West Coast organization has provided professional presentations to

employees on leadership styles, and specifically charismatic leadership style from

thought-leaders in the field.

Additionally, the findings are not a direct representation of the larger population

of an R&D project management team environment. Therefore, a generalization of the

results cannot be implied beyond the immediate scope of this case studied. Finally, there

may be a limitation in the interpretation of the data that may contain embedded researcher

bias because the researcher works in the industry (Yin, 2009).

The delimitations of the study include the small, stratified sample size of five top-

level managers, five project managers, and five project team members who participated.

The study focus is on two different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation and

the exploration of the perceived influence of charismatic leadership and project outcomes

using charismatic leadership style in the R&D project management environment. The

findings of this study are limited to one corporation. It is anticipated that the final

analysis could provide useful information for other companies with a similar profile.

These limitations and delimitations do not diminish the value of the study, since

there is a lack of existing empirical qualitative works in the field of charismatic

leadership (Galvin et al., 2010) in R&D environments. A quantitative study was not an

option in that it would require the testing of existing theory (Yin, 2011) and would lack

the exploration of individual perceptions about the phenomenon. The complexity of the

research questions and the research methodology require a relatively small number of

data points (Yin, 2011). The researcher mitigated the consequence of a small sample size

by emphasizing participant perceptions through the use of probing questions, and by

providing descriptive information to the participants to ensure their understanding of the

purpose of the study and the operationalized terms.

Summary

This research study used a qualitative approach to gather data from two different

departments of a West Coast corporation. The general approach for the research consisted

of conducting interviews with five top-level management leaders, five project managers,

and five project team members. Each of the participants have five or more years of

experience in project management.

The primary purpose of a case study was “to understand something that is unique

to the case” (Guest et al., 2013, p. 14). The qualitative case study is appropriate because

the empirical interview results show that it is perceived that charismatic leadership is

consistent with generating positive organizational and project outcomes. Qualitative

research is a widely accepted methodology for research because an identical set of

questions is asked of small numbers of people, and findings analyzed. Qualitative studies

use words and descriptions to narrow the subject that leads to a better understanding of

the area being researched (Yin, 2011). The reason for choosing the qualitative

methodology for this research study was to give insight on the influence that charismatic

leadership has on each participant’s understanding of the role and characteristics of

leaders in project management given the underpinning of Weber’s theory on charismatic

leadership. According to Galvin et al. (2010), there is a lack of existing empirical

qualitative works in the field of charismatic leadership.

Chapter Three covered the research methodology, research design, and overall

process to prepare, conduct, collect data, finalize the interviews, and validate the

research. Furthermore, the researcher ensured the reliability and validity of the study

design and data collection specifically. The methodology of this study served as the road

map for constructing and completing Chapters Four and Five. In Chapter Four, there is an

analysis and arrangement of the collected and themed data, utilizing the data analysis

protocol created in this chapter.

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to understand how top-level management, project

managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two

different R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast of the United States. The

focus of this chapter is to summarize the data gathered in this qualitative case study,

explain how it was analyzed, and present the results. The general problem was to explore

if successful project outcomes are dependent upon leadership since many different

elements in the organizational environment are critical to success. The aspect of

charisma, as a contributing characteristic of leadership style, was the focus of

exploration.

The intent of this qualitative case study was to contribute to the body of literature

about the phenomenon associated with the influence of charismatic leadership style and

how it contributes to successful project management. According to Grosse (2007),

charismatic leadership is an area that requires further research because it has not been

studied in the R&D environment. Thus, the gap this study addressed was the lack of

knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic leadership in project management

(Grosse, 2007), specific to a West Coast corporation. Therefore, this study explored a

number of components of interest that positively contribute to the successful engagement

of project management.

The following research questions were used in this study:

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

A qualitative methodology using a case study research design was applied for this

study. This approach required data collection, identifying trends or patterns in the data,

and thematic analysis. The case made in this research was developed from the

triangulation of data taken from three different sources.

The study was conducted in California, and Washington locations of a West Coast

corporation in the United States. The general population for this study was all top-level

management, project managers, and project team members from two different R&D

departments of a West Coast corporation. The target population was a total of 130 project

management employees who serve in these three different titles at both corporate

locations. The sample for the present study consisted of 15 participants--five top-level

managers, five project managers, and five project team members who were selected,

purposefully, from the target population. The primary forms of data that were collected

came from a pre-interview questionnaire (see Appendix E), semi-structured interviews

(see Appendix F), and a researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language

and facial expressions during the interviews (see Appendix G). The interviews were

guided by the seven questions presented as part of the interview protocol and an

additional three open-ended, probing research questions.

The researcher led each of the interview sessions, and the researcher’s log was

used for observations of participants’ body language and facial expressions during the

interviews. All 15 participants provided answers for the pre-interview questionnaire,

which included five basic questions, and six demographic questions. The themes emerged

from the interview sessions and the pre-interview questionnaires were all analyzed and

coded in NVivo. A total of 15 participants were individually interviewed in one-on-one,

face-to-face sessions. The data collected from the 15 individual interviews were digitally

recorded, transcribed, coded, and developed into themes using NVivo, a qualitative

software which is designed to help organize, analyze, and find insights in qualitative data

such as interviews, open-ended survey responses, articles, and social media. The total

number of questions that were responded to by the 15 participants from the pre-interview

questionnaires and the semi-structured interviews was 225 questions, including their

individual responses which were all coded in NVivo. NVivo was used to develop a

deeper understanding of the unique phenomenon experienced by the participants and

analyze the themes that emerged from both pre-interview questionnaires and semi-

structured interviews. The 15 participants in the target sample group were identified as

top-level management (TLM), project managers (PM), and project team members (PTM)

from two different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation.

The data collected from the pre-interview questionnaires, the semi-structured

interviews, and the researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and

facial expressions during the interviews provided triangulation. The triangulation of the

data results are discussed later in this chapter. The triangulation of data collection

provided the process that facilitated the findings of this study.

The following section includes an explanation of the descriptive data gathered

from the initial survey questionnaire. These data are reflected in various charts and tables

to visually display the resulting information. This data revealed a demographic picture of

the 15 participants who serve in these three different titles at both corporate locations that

participated in the survey. The remainder of the chapter covers the data analysis

procedures and the results of the analysis. Chapter 5 covers the summary, conclusions,

and recommendations developed from this research study, which demonstrates a clear

synthesis of all the data (Yin, 2014).

Descriptive Data

This section provides an overview of who participated in the study and provided

the data that is considered in the next section. The descriptive data emerged from three

different sources. The triangulation of data included pre-interview and demographic

questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and a researcher’s log for observations of

participants’ body language and facial expressions during the interviews.

The total sample of participants in this study included five top-level managers,

five project managers, and five project team members, for a total of 15 participants. All

the participants gave informed consent for their involvement in the study, then completed

a pre-interview questionnaire, which was also used to collect demographic information.

After receiving the completed pre-interview and demographic questionnaires, each of the

individuals in the three groups was invited to a 45–60minute interview session. However,

the individual semi-structured interviews lasted an average of about 10 to 17-minutes,

which generated a total of 52 pages of transcript from all 15 participants. The 15

individual interview sessions were conducted in private offices in both locations:

California, and Washington. For more details about the semi-structured interviews (see

Appendix W).

The 15 participants for the study were randomly selected from the company’s

internal network system. This system provided a company profile and location

information for each employee within the West Coast corporation. A face-to-face vetting

process was managed by the researcher, to assure those who participated in the research

study were part of the targeted sample group of R&D programs responsible for

developing new technology to help meet the company’s revenue goals and gain a

competitive advantage.

Figure 1 represents the sample population for this study: five top-level managers

(TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM) from two

different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation. The participants’ names were

removed in order to comply with the confidentiality agreement and entered on the Excel

roster as, for example, from PM1, PTM1, and TLM1 (Participant One), through PM5,

PTM5, and TLM5 (Participant five). Participant telephone numbers were redacted to

further ensure confidentiality.

The target population was a total of 130 project management employees who

serve in these three different titles at both corporate locations. The sample size for this

study is displayed in Figure 1 and consists of 15 participants--five from each title group--

who were selected, purposefully, from the target population. Each group involved in this

study below from TLM1 to TLM5 represents five different programs, and there are no

working relationships among them, as each R&D program works independently and is

responsible for developing new technology to meet consumers’ needs, help meet the

company revenue goals, and gain a competitive advantage.

At the West Coast corporation, the role of a TLM involves leading the overall

program execution and performance to plan at a tier one level, developing detailed work

breakdown structure (WBS) and schedule, and maintaining budget and schedule

performance. TLM also manages risk, issue, and opportunity (RIOs) at the program level,

drives strategic direction and deliverables and develops executive briefings to

communicate program progress up, down, and out of the organization (see Figure1):

Figure 1. Target sample size.

The role of a PM at the West Coast corporation involves leading a technology

development project, and establishing task plans, scheduling, and budgeting to complete

tier two and lower levels and ensure performance to plan at project tier two level. The PM

also works to ensure timely completion of deliverables. Additionally, the PM provides

flow up on progress from the tier one level, inputs and reports accomplishments, and

develops briefing material.

TLM1

PM1

PTM1

TLM2

PM2

PTM2

TLM3

PM3

PTM3

TLM4

PM4

PTM4

TLM5

PM5

PTM5

The role of a PTM at the West Coast corporation involves understanding the

purpose and objectives of the project. The PTM works to timescales and within cost

constraints, reporting progress against plan, and producing the deliverables/products to

agreed specifications. The PTM also reviews key project deliverables/products, identifies

issues and risks associated with the project, and works together with the team to

contribute towards successful communication and positive motivation.

An R&D program at the West Coast corporation can consist of many different

R&D projects with many different PMs and PTMs under one TLM. The TLM is

responsible for all projects, execution, and performance to plan. This management

structure is vital for the corporation to remain competitive over the long term for its

survival within the industry.

The initial pre-interview and demographic questionnaire produced demographic

information about the participants in the targeted sample group engaged in this study.

Appendix L provides a breakdown overview of the demographic information, both for

the total number who completed questionnaires and for those who participated in

interviews. The interview participants were drawn from those who completed the

questionnaires (see Appendix L). Data consolidation provides a holistic view of the

participants and their demographics in one table, and additionally identifies the

participants’ positions including five top-level managers (TLM), five project managers

(PM), and five project team members (PTM) from two different R&D departments of a

West Coast corporation (See Appendix L). To protect the privacy of all participants, the

table in Appendix L depicts the participants by their position only as required by the

West Coast corporation’s Proprietary Information Agreement and university policy. The

100

corporate agreement prohibits the researcher, who is an employee, to discuss or share

certain business information outside of the work environment.

The pre-interview and demographic questionnaire was designed to gather

information about the overall percentages of the following: Familiar with charismatic

leadership approach, gender, years of work experience in a project-based environment,

location, age range, current position, and level of education (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Demographic percentages of all survey participants.

Among the 15 study participants, 2 (13.0%) participants were female and 13 (87.0%)

participants were male. There were 11 (73.0%) participants from the, California location,

and 4 (27.0%) participants from the Washington location. Eight participants (53.0%)

53%

Yes

87%

Male

20%

<5yr

73%

California

13%

22-30

33%

Porject Manager

33%

Bachelor

47%

13%

Female

13%

6-12yr

27%

Washington

33%

31-39

33%

Project Team Member

67%

Masters

67%

>=13yr

27%

40-49

33%

Top Level Manager

27%

>=50

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%

Are you familiar with the style of charismatic

leadership approach

Gender

How many years have you worked in a project-

based environment

Location

What is your age range

What is your current position

What is your highest level of education

PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS

DEMOGRAPHIC PERCENTAGES OF ALL SURVEY

PARTICIPANTS

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were familiar with charismatic leadership approach and 7 (47.0%) were not familiar with

charismatic leadership approach (see Figure 2). The age range of the participants was: 2

(13.0%) were 22-30 years old; 5 (33.0%) were 31-39 years old; 4 (27.0%) were 40-49

years old; and 4 were age 50 and over (27.0%). Considering the highest level of

education, ten (67.0%) of the participants has a master’ degree, and 5 (33.0%) held a

bachelor’s degree. All 15 (100%) participants were in current positions working in an R&

D project based environment. Ten of the participants (67.0%) had 13 years or greater of

work experience in project based environments, 2 (13.0%) participants had 6-12 years’

experience, and 3 (20%) participants had 5 years or less work experience in project based

environments, see Figure 2 for further illustration.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 provide a breakdown of the demographic information from

the five participants in each of the following groups: Top-level managers (see Figure 3),

project managers (see Figure 4), and project team members (see Figure 5). Figure 3

below represents the demographic survey information for the five top-level managers

from two different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation. The five top-level

managers selected are currently managing R&D programs.

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Figure 3. Top level managers demographic data.

Among the 5 TLM study participants, 3 (60.0%) had master’s degrees and 2

(40.0%) held bachelor’s degrees. All TLM participants were current top-level managers.

For age range of the participants, 3 (60.0%) were 50 years and over, 2 (40.0%) were 40-

49 years, and 0 (0%) were age 22-30. Four (80.0%) of the participants were from the

California location and 1(20.0%) was from the Washington location. All 5 participants

(100.0%) indicated they had worked in a project based environment for over 13 years.

Four (80.0%) of the participants were male and 1(20.0%) was female. When asked if they

were familiar with a charismatic leadership approach, 3 (60.0%) said yes, and 2 (40.0%)

indicated no, they were not familiar with a charismatic leadership approach.

Figure 4 represents the demographic data information for the five project

managers from two different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation. The five

project managers are currently managing an R&D program.

60% Yes

80% Male

80% California

40% Bachelor

40% No

20% Female

20% Washington

60% Masters

100% >=13yr

40% 40-49

100% Top Level Manager

60% >=50

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%

Are you familiar with the style of charismatic leadership approach

Gender

How many years have you worked in a project- based environment

Location

What is your age range

What is your current position

What is your highest level of education

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY TOP LEVEL MANAGERS

103

Figure 4. Project managers: demographic data.

Among the 5 PM study participants, 3 (60.0%) had master’s degrees and 2

(40.0%) held bachelor’s degrees. All participants were current project managers. For age

range of the participants, 1 (20.0%) was 50 years and over, 1 (20.0%) was 40-49 years,

and 3 (60%) were age 22-30. Three (60.0%) of the participants were from the California

location and 2 (40.0%) were from the Washington location. Two (40%) of the

participants had 13 or more years’ experience working in a project-based environment, 1

(20%) participant had 6-12 years, and 2 (40%) of the participants had five years or less

experience working in a project-based environment. All five (100%) of the PM

participants were male. When asked if they were familiar with a charismatic leadership

approach, 3 (60.0%) said yes, and 2 (40.0%) indicated no, they were not familiar with a

charismatic leadership approach.

60% Yes

100% Male

40% <5yr

60% California

100% Project Manager

40% Bachelor

40% No

20% 6-12yr

40% Washington

60% 31-39

60% Masters

40% >=13yr

20% 40-49

20% >=50

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Are you familiar with the style of charismatic leadership approach

Gender

How many years have you worked in a project- based environment

Location

What is your age range

What is your current position

What is your highest level of education

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY PROJECT MANAGERS

104

Figure 5 represents the demographic data information for the five project team

members from two different R&D departments of a West Coast corporation. The five

project team members are currently managing an R&D program.

Figure 5. Project Team members: demographic data.

Among the 5 PTM study participants, 4 (80.0%) had master’s degrees and 1 (20.0%) held

a bachelor’s degree. All participants were current project team members. For age range of

the participants, 1 (20.0%) was 40-49 years of age, 2 (40.0%) were 30-39 years, and 2

(40%) were age 22-30. Four (80.0%) of the participants were from the California location

and 1 (20.0%) was from the Washington location. Three (60%) of the participants had 13

or more years’ experience working in a project-based environment, 1 (20%) participant

had 6-12 years, and 1 (20%) of the participants had five years or less experience working

in a project-based environment. Four (80.0%) of the participants were male and 1(20.0%)

was female. When asked if they were familiar with a charismatic leadership approach, 2

40% Yes

80% Male

20% <5yr

80% California

40% 22-30

20% Bachelor

60% No

20% Female

20% 6-12yr

20% Washington

40% 31-39

100% Project Team Member

80% Masters

60% >=13yr

20% 40-49

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%

Are you familiar with the style of charismatic leadership approach

Gender

How many years have you worked in a project- based environment

Location

What is your age range

What is your current position

What is your highest level of education

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

105

(40.0%) said yes, and 3 (60.0%) indicated no, they were not familiar with a charismatic

leadership approach.

To summarize the demographic of the study group, the participants consisted of

three groups: five top level managers, five project managers, and five project team

members. Of the three groups, the project team members hold the most master’s degrees

(80%). All 15 (100%) participants are currently working in R&D programs. The

majority of the participants (60%) were in age range 31-39 years in project managers.

The majority of the participants (73%) were located in California. At the time of the

study, all participants (100.0%) were working in a project-based environment. The

project managers were the group that consisted of (100.0%) all male within the two

groups. Most of the participants in the top level management and project management

groups (80%) were familiar with the charismatic style of leadership. All five of the top

level managers were (100.0%) held 13 years or more of work experience in project-based

environments.

Next, the pre-interview questionnaire was included with five basic questions

accompanied by six demographic questions. The responses to the pre-interview

questionnaires were outlined in a bulleted format. The participants were instructed to

respond to five basic questions after reading Weber’s definition of charismatic leadership.

Weber defined charisma as a form of leadership based on a person’s extraordinary

personality, a person’s exceptional insights, and achievements that inspire great loyalty

and confidence from the leader’s followers (Weber, 1947).

Upon completion of the pre-interview questionnaire, the participants were

requested to send their responses back to the assigned e-mail address, along with their

106

informed consent. The total number of questions that were responded to by five top-level

managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM)

from the pre-interview questionnaire were 75 questions, including their individual

responses. The data collected from the 15 individual pre-interview questionnaires were

coded and developed into themes using NVivo software.

The data collected from the first pre-interview questionnaire question resulted in

44 separate codes and three primary themes for PM, two primary themes for PTM, and

three primary themes for TLM. The focus of this question was to record the initial

reactions of the participant concerning their leadership approach within their organization

in comparison with the provided charismatic leadership style definition from Weber

(date). The second pre-interview question was more specific by focusing on the

participants’ opinion; asking, in what ways can charismatic leadership have influence in

the West Coast corporation? From this question, 16 separate codes were identified with

two primary themes for PM, four primary themes for PTM, and no primary themes for

TLM. The third pre-interview question explored what kind of working relationship the

participants have with their current leaders and also exploring the participants’

experience in dealing with a charismatic leader. This question surfaced 15 codes and two

themes for PM, two themes for PTM, and one theme for TLM. The fourth pre-interview

question sought to understand what influence charismatic leadership should have on their

team members for a successful project. From this question, 16 codes were identified and

one theme for PM, two themes for PTM, and no themes for TLM were developed from

the resulting data. The final pre-interview question focused on thoughts about common

characteristics between a successful project manager and charismatic leadership

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approach. This final question produced 10 codes and two themes for TLM, and no themes

for either PM or PTM because the data were thematically analyzed, and synthesized to

determine the outcome of the final results.

Table 1 represents an overview of the data collected from the 15 participant

responses to the pre-interview questions. These data were coded and developed into the

primary themes. Table 1 also provides the number of themes connected to each

participant group.

Table 1

Pre-Interview Primary Themes

Pre-Interview Questions PTM PM TLM

PIQ1 2 3 3

PIQ2 4 2 0

PIQ3 2 2 1

PIQ4 2 1 0

PIQ5 0 0 2

The second data source was the semi-structured interviews, which included seven

basic questions accompanied by three probing questions. All the data collected from each

participant was digitally recorded, professionally transcribed, coded, and developed into

themes from the participants’ responses to the questions. All audio-recorded interviews

were transcribed using a word processor. The files were imported to NVivo for analysis.

The data from the interviews were coded and organized using NVivo software in order to

discover themes.

The total sample of participants who participated in the individual interviews

were the same participants who participated in the pre-interview and demographic

108

questionnaire. All the participants gave informed consent for their involvement in the

study. The five top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project

team members (PTM) who participated in the individual interviews were invited to a 45-

60-minute interview session. The interview consisted of seven interview questions, and

the same set of questions was asked of each participant. The 15 individual interview

sessions also included the use of a researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body

language and facial expressions during the interviews, which was recorded by the

researcher. The 15 individual interview sessions were conducted in private offices in both

locations-- California, and Washington, where the interviews were completed.

The data collected from the first semi-structured interview question resulted in 55

separate codes and six primary themes for PM, one primary theme for PTM, and seven

primary themes for TLM. The focus of this question was to understand the participants’

experience in dealing with a charismatic leader. The second interview question was more

specific by focusing on what kind of working relationship the participants perceive

between the current leadership and their teams. From this question, 26 separate codes

were identified with one primary theme for PM, three primary themes for PTM, and two

primary themes for TLM. The third interview question explored how the participants

have been empowered to make decisions within their current job. This question surfaced

28 codes and three themes for PM, two themes for PTM, and three themes for TLM. The

fourth interview question sought to understand in what ways the participants have been

inspired to complete their tasks under their current leaders. From this question, 8 codes

were identified and two themes for PM, one theme for PTM, and no themes for TLM

were developed from the resulting data.

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The fifth interview question focused on thoughts about the participant's

willingness to follow their current leader to a new project. This question produced 14

codes and two themes for PM, two themes for PTM, and no themes for TLM. The sixth

interview question focused on how the participants perceive the leadership approach in

their organization, in comparison with the provided charismatic leadership style

definition from Weber (date). This question surfaced 12 codes and two themes for PM,

two themes for PTM, and no theme for TLM. The final interview question focused on

what charismatic leadership characteristics participants believe are suitable for their R&D

project managers. This final question produced 11 codes and no theme for PM, no theme

for PTM, and two themes for TLM. Table 2 represents an overview of the data collected

from the 15 participant responses to the semi-structured interview questions that were

coded and developed into the primary themes. Table 2 also provides the number of

themes connected to each participant group.

Table 2

Semi-structured Interviews Primary Themes

Semi-Structured Interview

Questions PM PTM TLM

Q1 6 1 7

Q2 1 3 2

Q3 3 2 3

Q4 2 1 0

The second data source also included three probing questions, which were asked

during all semi-structured interviews. In all interview situations with the three groups, the

same set of additional probing questions were asked of each participant to provide

110

sufficient information to answer the research questions in support of the problem

statement. After the completion of the seven interview questions during each interview,

the researcher decided that the probing questions were required for each participant. The

researcher required the probing questions because the responses to each question during

the interview did not appear to be enough to support the problem statement.

The probing questions were analyzed and identified separately from the interview

questions. The data for the probing questions were identified by question number as PQ1,

PQ2, and PQ3. All the data collected from each participant were digitally recorded,

professionally transcribed, coded, and developed into themes from the participants’

responses to the questions as well. The data from the interviews were coded and

organized using NVivo software to discover themes.

The data collected from the first semi-structured interview probing question

resulted in 21 separate codes and two primary themes for PM, two primary themes for

PTM, and one primary theme for TLM. The question asked if participants can explain a

specific time when they may have experienced this type of leadership. The second

interview question was more specific by focusing on why participants believe charismatic

leadership is suitable for their R&D project manager/participants function. From this

question, 6 separate codes were identified with no primary theme for PM, two primary

themes for PTM, and one primary theme for TLM. The third and final interview question

asked, “relative to Weber’s definition of Charismatic leadership, and given the

participants understanding of the potential for charismatic leadership to make a difference

in the R&D function, in their opinion, what is the potential for enhanced project

outcomes if charismatic leadership can be employed?” This question surfaced 8 codes

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and one theme for PM, one theme for PTM, and one theme for TLM. Table 3 represents

an overview of the data collected from the 15 participant responses to the semi-structured

interview probing questions that were coded and developed into the primary themes.

Table 3 also provides the number of themes connected to each participant group.

Table 3

Semi-structured Interviews Primary Probing Themes

Semi- Structured Interview

Probing Questions PM PTM TLM

PQ1 2 2 1

PQ2 0 2 1

PQ3 1 1 1

The third primary data source was the researcher’s log used for observations of

participants’ body language and facial expressions during the face-to-face interviews.

The face-to- face interview observations of the 15-participants’ body language and facial

expressions during the interviews were being evaluated based on eight questions with

three categories of measurements low, medium, and high (see Appendix G). Appendix G

provides the evaluation sheet that was used during the face-to-face interview for the five

top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members

(PTM). The data sheets after each face-to-face interview observation were downloaded

into a spreadsheet. The data were then imported into NVivo for analysis (see Figure 6).

The face-to-face interview observations produced information about the overall

percentages of the following:

 Body language and attentiveness level.

 Eye contact level.

 Level of comfort during interview.

112

 Willingness to answer questions.

 Level of patience for answering questions.

 Level of the response substance including examples.

 Level of focus on the questions.

 Quality of the answers/responses (directly related to the questions).

Figure 6. Semi-structured interview observations percentages of all participants.

The majority of the 15(7, or 47%) participants gave high-quality

answers/responses (directly related to the questions). There were 13 (87.0%) of the

participants with a high level of focus on the questions and 6 (40.0%) of the participants

with a medium level of the response substance including examples. Nine (60.0%) of the

participants showed a high level of patience for answering questions and 13 (87.0%) had

high willingness to answer questions. Ten (67.0%) of the participants appeared to have a

high level of comfort during the interview. Eleven (73.0%) of the participants made high

27%

20%

27%

13%

40%

13%

33%

80%

73%

67%

87%

60%

33%

87%

47%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Body language and attentiveness level

Eye contact (level)

Level of comfort during interview

Willingness to answer questions

Level of patience for answering questions

Level of the response substance including…

Level of focus on the questions

Quality of the answers/responses (directly…

PERCENT PARTICIPANTS

SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW OBSERVATIONS

PERCENTAGES OF ALL PARTICIPANTS

low medium high

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eye contact level and 12 (80.0%) had high body language and attentiveness level (see

Figure 6).

The initial semi-structured interview observations produced evaluation

information about the participants’ targeted sample group engaged in this study.

Appendix M provides a breakdown overview of the evaluation information. This

information was collected for the total number who completed the semi-structured

interview observations (see Appendix M).

The next section addresses the data analysis procedures for the study. It is

suggested that a qualitative research process is dependent on data that are reliable to

produce results that are valid (Yin, 2014). In addition, triangulation of the data collection

gives data credibility, which is critical to the analysis. The goal of the next section of this

study is to explain how the researcher analyzed the data.

Data Analysis Procedures

This research study utilized three different sources of data collection, which were

the following: pre-interview and demographic questionnaires, semi-structured interviews,

and a researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and facial

expressions during the interviews (see Appendix E, F, and G). The primary data sources

were individual interviews of the participants. The interviews consisted of a semi-

structured interview portion made up of seven open-ended questions and three probing

open-ended questions, and a pre-interview questionnaire made of five open-ended

questions. All interview data collected are included in Appendix N. These data were

recorded, transcribed, coded, and themed to provide information for the case study in

alignment with the research questions.

114

The analysis of the data was done in accordance with the two research questions.

As data were collected from each source, it was guided and categorized in an orderly

fashion. The data were transcribed and coded in the same order as the questions are

aligned (RQ1-RQ2). The questions were aligned to begin with an open inquiry about the

initial responses concerning how do top-level management, project managers, and project

team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at

a West Coast corporation (RQ1). The second research question (RQ2) focused on how

top-level management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having an influence on project outcomes

in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation. There were two research questions

used in this study:

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

The data collected in the 15 pre-interviews questionnaires and the semi-structured

interview responses were coded and developed into 79 themes that were broken down

into the following three groups with five top-level managers (TLM), five project

managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM). The two interview processes,

pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, provided information that

115

was coded, themed, and triangulated across the research questions and the researcher’s

log. The 15 pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews resulted in 10

pages of coded data to provide information for the case study in alignment with the

research questions (see Appendix N). The research data were gathered and prepared as

described in the following paragraphs.

Pre-interview and demographic questionnaires. Questionnaires were emailed

to the participants and the responses were returned to the researcher prior to the semi-

structured interviews. The data from the questionnaires were received and downloaded

from each participant’s Word document, as separate documents. See Appendix E for the

list of pre-interview questions asked. The responses from each of the five top-level

managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM)

were downloaded to separate Word documents. The data were imported into NVivo for

analysis. Each respondent’s demographic data were entered into NVivo, and his or her

responses to each question were imported into NVivo and tied to their demographic

information. All the participants gave informed consent for their involvement in the

study, then completed a pre-interview and demographic questionnaire (see Appendix D).

The demographic data were helpful in examining connections and identifying patterns

among the responses so that more value could be derived from the data. The responses to

the questions could be compared to the education, location, gender, and years of project

management experiences.

Semi-structured interviews. Each of the individuals in the three groups was

invited to a 45-60-minute semi-structured interview session. All the semi-structured

interviews were conducted utilizing a digital recorder, professionally transcribed, coded,

116

and developed into themes from the participants’ responses to the questions. Upon

request of the researcher, permission was verbally granted to record each interview.

Further, each interview participant signed an informed consent agreement in person. The

audio-recorded interviews were transcribed using a word processor. The files were

imported to NVivo for analysis (see Appendix P).

Researcher’s log for observations. All 15-participants’ body language and facial

expressions were evaluated by the researcher during the semi-structured interviews.The

observations were based on eight questions with three categories of measurements low,

medium, and high (see Appendix G). The observation data sheets, 15 in total, were

similarly downloaded into a spreadsheet after each semi-structured interview. The data

were then imported into NVivo for analysis (see Appendix M).

The observation data captured from five top-level managers (TLM), five project

managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM) were broken down into three

groups to capture data that reflected the level of importance concerning the participant

emotions affected during the semi-structured interviews. Appendix U provides a more

detailed view of how each group compares to one another. Each group percentage

breakdown represents the most popular responses in each section of the evaluations. In

comparison to the three groups the, PMs were observed (60.0%) high, PTM’s (60.0%)

low, and TLM’s (80.0%) high quality of the answers/responses (directly related to the

questions). There were (80.0%) PM’s, (80.0%) PTM’s, and (100.0%) TLM’s of the

participants a high level of focus on the questions and (40.0%) high PM’s, (60.0%)

medium PTM’s and (60.0%) high TLM’s level of the response substance including

examples. The participants were (80.0%) medium PM’s, (60.0%) high PTM’s and

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(100.0%) high TLM’s level of patience for answering questions and (60.0%) PM’s,

(100.0%) PTM’s and (100.0%) TLM’s had high willingness to answer questions and

(80.0%) high PM’s, (80.0%) medium PTM’s and (100.0%) high TLM’s level of comfort

during the interview. However, (60.0%) PM’s, (60.0%) PTM’s and (100.0%) TLM’s

made high eye contact level and (60.0%) PM’s, (60.0%) PTM’s and (100.0%) TLM’s

displayed high body language and attentiveness level (see Appendix U). The data

indicate that the five top-level managers (TLM), were more engaged to provide

information to help answer the research questions in support of the problem statement.

Data collection struggle. There were some difficulties in the data collection

process, which had an impact on the study. During all semi-structured interviews, the 15

participants were asked the same three probing questions in addition to the seven

interview questions to provide sufficient information to answer the research questions in

support of the problem statement. The addition of the probing questions was an option

reserved for the researcher to implement. After the completion of the seven interview

questions during each interview, the researcher decided that the probing questions were

required for each participant. This was since the researcher had to repeatedly read

Weber’s definition of charismatic leadership to the participants. The researcher required

the probing questions because participant responses to each question during the interview

were not enough to support the research questions. These probing questions provided a

wealth of additional data that could support research questions. However, probing

questions were analyzed and identified separately from the interview questions. The data

for the probing questions were identified by question numbers as PQ1, PQ2, and PQ3

(see Table 3). There was no error or loss of data, but more data were added because of the

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use of the probing questions. However, if the researcher had not included the additional

three probing questions to the semi-structured interviews this could have added a

significant limitation to the results of this study. In addition, there were no differences

from what was approved at the proposal stage. All of probing questions were digitally

recorded, professionally transcribed, coded, and developed into themes from the

participants’ responses to the questions (see Appendix Q). The files were imported to

NVivo for analysis, included with the seven semi-structured interview questions (see

Appendix R).

Data analysis process. The data from the pre-interview questionnaires, semi-

structured interviews, and the researcher’s log were analyzed for trends utilizing the

various tools in NVivo. As this was an iterative process, the coding was adjusted to

enable the researcher to gain greater meaning from the data. Codes were combined and

separated as the data were mined. An initial set of codes was identified as the transcripts

were reviewed. This list developed and changed as more data were collected.

The data analysis used in this study included both thematic analysis and

descriptive statistics. The data collected from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-

structured interview responses were first coded and themed according to a standard

thematic analysis process supported by Ackroyd (2009); Braun & Clarke (2006); and

Guest, MacQueen, and Namey (2012). This thematic analysis began with the

transcription of semi-structured interviews that were digitally recorded, and the responses

of the pre-interview questionnaires that were coded, and both were imported into NVivo

for analysis. The data from the questionnaires and interviews were compared to the

findings of Davis, (2014) and Griffin (2016). The researcher analyzed these sources in

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the context of the themes that emerged from the data. This was to ensure the validity of

the data.

Coding process. Once the data from the pre-interview questionnaires and the

transcribed semi-structured interviews were imported into NVivo, they were coded. The

initial coding flowed from the responses to the first group of interviews. The transcripts

were reviewed to determine commonalities, and a word search was conducted to

determine some of the most common terms used by the participants (See Appendices S

and T). As these codes began to emerge they were then categorized into concept lists

(Bazeley, 2009). A breakdown of the codebook for emerging themes can be seen in

Appendix O for the semi-structured interview and for the pre-interview portion (see

Appendix P).

The terms were explored more closely to see how they aligned to one another and

to the commonalities discovered in the initial transcript review. For example, the term

teamwork was used widely by the 15 participants in both pre-interview questionnaires

and semi-structured interviews. Observing carefully at what the participants’ response

data revealed, there were differences and similarities between how this word, teamwork

was used. Occasionally, the term teamwork was used in the context of what it would take

to complete a project and other times it was used to define working together with a same

common goal. The term teamwork was also used when the participant attempted to define

or explain project management. These contexts revealed commonalities or “codes” that

allowed the researcher to compare and understand unities among the 15 participants (See

Appendices N, O, P,). Other words were used to describe working relationships related to

teamwork. Occasionally, this was in response to a question about how the participants

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experienced dealing with a charismatic leader and other times it was in the context of

how the participant described how they have been inspired to complete their tasks under

the current leaders. Since it is an iterative process, the coding was refined as the data

were reviewed. To the same degree, the next round of interviews took place and more

data were collected. The codes were reviewed and revised once again. The codes were

organized into a structure so the data could be analyzed more fully. After the information

was coded, the researcher could combine similar and related codes to identify trends and

emerging themes (see Appendices S and T). At this point, themes began to emerge from

the data (see Tables 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9).

The pre-interview questionnaires produced a combined total of 28 themes (see

Appendix O). This list was the result of thematic analysis of the data collected from the

various sources used to answer the two research questions. However, the 28 themes were

down selected, based on the number of times referenced in the codes. There were 21

themes selected from the pre-interview questionnaires. The 21 themes were broken down

into three groups of five top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five

project team members (PTM). See Table 4 for the themes from the pre-interview

questionnaires for five top-level managers (TLM), Table 5 for the themes from the pre-

interviews questionnaire for five project team members (PTM), and Table 6 for themes

from the pre-interviews questionnaires for five project managers (PM).

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Table 4

Themes from Pre-interview Questionnaires for TLM

Research Questions Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

Leadership – Listening charismatic leaders with strong listening

skills could be successful in a West Coast corporation.

Project Management - Management style is with inspirational

motivation to encourage team spirit to reach goals of increased

revenue and market growth for the organization.

Empowerment - Project teams to execute their plans and take

ownership

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Personality- When it is necessary and appropriate, I use my

personality to appeal to the folks in the team, and however, it is not

my natural style.

Teamwork - Ability to get and keep the team engaged and focused on

working toward accomplishing the goal(s)

Relationship - I have positive working relationships with my current

leaders.

Vision - Clear vision of the desired end-state and expected level of

performance.

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Table 5

Themes from Pre-interview Questionnaires for PTM

Research Questions Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

Trust – Develop talent and confidence in their employees usually

have more productive organization

Influence - The biggest positive influence that the charismatic

leadership approach has is personally linking the people to the work

they are performing.

Inspiration - Charismatic leadership can add the needed enthusiasm

and attention needed to accomplish the task. With the inspiration, a

joint purpose can be created making the achievement of goals more

effortless.

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Loyalty- A charismatic leader should stand up for their team – this

creates a feeling of loyalty.

Teamwork - Leaders that building strong relationships and develop

talent and confidence in their employees usually have more

productive organizations.

Leadership - The charismatic leadership approach allows the leader

to see what really motivates a team member.

Motivate - A great leader can realize what motivates each person and

relate that to the work being done. Whether it is technical innovation,

loyalty to company growth, personal growth, financial growth, ETC,

a good leader can make the link to the work.

Table 6

Themes from Pre-interview Questionnaires for Five PM

Research Questions Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

Trust - There needs to be a strong amount of trust between employees

and managers.

Leadership - Charismatic leadership has the potential to inspire

people to think beyond their capabilities.

Project Management - Executive managers are willing to take on

more risk allowing the company to grow

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Loyalty- True charismatic leadership has the potential for greater

employee loyalty, productivity, and innovation.

Teamwork - A culture of shared ownership was created that made all

team members want to succeed.

Relationship - To trust based on well-communicated expectations,

confidence in other’s abilities, respect, and fairness

Inspire - Charismatic leadership very much helps to inspire and bring

awe to the team of who their leader.

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The semi-structured interviews produced a combined total of 51 themes (see

Appendix R). This list was the result of thematic analysis of the data collected from the

various sources used to answer the two research questions. However, the 51 themes were

down selected, based on the number of times referenced in the codes. There were 31

themes selected from the semi-structured interviews in order to reveal more accurate

themes. The 31 themes were broken down into three groups of five top-level managers

(TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM). See Table 7

for the themes from semi-structured interviews with five top-level managers (TLM),

Table 8 for the themes from semi-structured interviews with five project team members

(PTM) and Table 9 themes from semi-structured interviews with five project managers

(PM).

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Table 7

Themes from Semi-Structured Interviews for TLM

Research Questions Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

Goals – I’ve worked in amazing organizations that have allowed that

freedom and target the goal, understand the goal and you can get to

that goal in many ways.

Project Management – Is very specific in the research and technology

business. My whole purpose for existence and my function is to

reduce risk on emerging and promising technologies that we can put

into our future products.

Empowerment - That’s how an empowered, energetic, forward

looking organization that has a charismatic leader I see would be a

huge value.

Teamwork - Working with somebody who is a charismatic leader –

in working with their teams, certainly a lot of passion, a lot of loyalty

and decision making is driven oftentimes by attainment of that vision

and those goals. In conveying that vision down to that team,

Vision - Working for a charismatic leader, some of the characteristics

that I see, strategic vision and empowerment on a path they would

provide a vision.

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Personality - The charismatic leader that I’ve had the opportunity to

work with is highly inspirational, there’s a combination of

knowledge, and wisdom the individual has achieved as well as also

just the personality you want to work with them.

Leadership - I see it consistent with that leadership style definition.

One of the reasons I continue to work in this organization. However,

what I’m seeing above that is a breakdown in that charismatic

approach.

Achievement - Charismatic leader inspirational and there’s a

combination of knowledge and wisdom the individual has achieved

as well.

Environment - Charismatic leader understands how important it is to

work with a team of one or two people, that’s it’s really a

collaborative environment.

Inspire - One of the key ways that I’m inspired right now is knowing

that I’m working on one of the highest priority projects.

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Table 8

Themes from Semi-Structured Interviews for PTM

Research Questions Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

Leadership – Our company is working to develop a culture of

empowerment and accountability. It seems to me that’s what the

essence of charismatic leadership.

Motivation - Encouragement, as you’re making progress on a project,

this is the path that needs to be taken now, okay it seems like a good

path. Not necessarily an inspiration but it’s a form of success,

motivation.

Engagement - If you really get engaged and you have a program

manager that can bring you into that level of engagement, it becomes

a lot more personal and then you really want it to do well.

Relationship - It helps, overall the way the company operates, does

help the program manager interact with the team on a more personal

basis. It doesn’t have to be just about boss, staff, it’s more of an

integrated family team relationship.

Teamwork – Is an open relationship between my leadership and the

teams that are underneath them. I really value that because it lets me outline what I’m supposed to be doing and how I contribute to the

team.

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Empowerment - I’m fairly empowered to make my own decisions.

We work in an environment where projects are not always

completely defined or we’re trying to do new things, so you’re given

a lot of latitudes to develop your own project.

Project Management - The most prominent charismatic leader who I

worked with made sure that you understood what we’re trying to

accomplish in the project of the task.

Inspire - The most charismatic leader I worked with was in a

leadership development program at this company and this leader

could inspire every single person he interacted with.

Achievement – This charismatic leader had a great level of

competence that he backed up through significant achievement in

everything he did.

Loyalty - When it comes to inspiring loyalty and confidence, going

back to my previous response, without an in-person connection being

distributed across different sites, loyalty between the employees and

the leaders, is not there.

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Table 9

Themes from Semi-Structured Interviews for PM

Research Questions Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

Inspire - I’ve been inspired by my current leadership in terms of by

them believing in me

Leadership - In the current environment, I do not see a clear

connection between leaders and their employees.

Project Management - Engage with our customers and requirements

and being able to deliver products that are better quality.

Teamwork – This strength in terms of an example was conveying

what the mission was, the vision really helping it resonate with the

team,

Loyalty - They usually bring a lot of energy to the program which

inspires others to join in and then you become more loyal to that

person, to that program.

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Achievement - It may start with our business goals and objectives,

have a clear mandate to go and achieve something at sort of high

level.

Empowerment - It’s a leadership style that empowers people to make

decisions and leadership style that demands high expectations.

Motivation - In some instances you see leaders who run projects

where they are soft spoken, but they are very well experienced and

people follow them and have confidence in their work.

Trust - A charismatic person will also give people the know how to

be strong and we can do this without being afraid of failure.

Environment - Many times in a research environment, not everything

is fully defined or known. A charismatic leadership will inspire

people to think outside the box. A charismatic person will give

people confidence to find a way where there isn’t a fully defined

path.

Personality - Charismatic, that they come into the room and they

command the room and the engineers respect them and have

confidence in their work, even though they might not be as senior as

others. So, I think you see both in the current organization. It just a

matter of personality, but both have been working.

The analysis of the data were done in accordance with the two research questions.

As data were collected from each source, it was processed and sorted in an orderly

manner. The data were transcribed and coded in the same order as the questions, aligned

with (RQ1-RQ2). The questions were aligned, to begin with an open inquiry about the

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initial responses concerning how do top-level management, project managers, and project

team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at

a West Coast corporation (RQ1). The next area of inquiry, RQ2, built upon what was

learned in responses to RQ1 by addressing how do top-level management, project

managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by

Weber, 1947) as having an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West

Coast corporation.

Two research questions were used to direct this research study:

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

The themes from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews

were placed in an order that best supports each research question. The final themes were

shaped by the order established by the research questions, which, in general, highlighted

the main factors cited by the participants in the study. These themes, or major outcomes,

were developed from an analysis of the research questions of all the survey data, coded

data, the themes that were collected from the pre-interview questionnaire and semi-

structured interviews, and the themes that emerged from the target sample groups. The

pre-question interviews revealed 21 themes and the semi-structured interviews revealed

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31 themes, which were combined based upon both the number of times referenced in the

codes and the emphasis made in the various interview conversations.

Validity

The validity of the study includes the entire research concept and confirms

whether the data met the criteria for all sectors and populations for the particular method

selected for the study (Darawsheh, 2014). To ensure credibility in a research study, Yin

(2014) proposed that numerous approaches can be taken. They include triangulation,

member checking, expert review, and purposeful sampling. This study used purposeful

sampling, expert review, and triangulation to confirm the data.

The use of purposeful sampling is one of the ways a research study can

accomplish validity (Davies & Dodd, 2002). This type of sampling is selected to ensure

that the study finds the answers to the research questions that are being used in the study

(Yin, 2014). In this case, the researcher wanted to understand how top-level management,

project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style of two

different R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast. Therefore, it was decided

that the target sample group would be made up five top-level managers, five project

managers, and five project team members. This group was selected to answer the

research questions in support of the problem statement. Therefore, their involvement in

R&D programs responsible for developing new technology was identified, and they were

invited to participate in interviews exclusively for the purposes of this study.

Another validity measure used was an expert review (Davies & Dodd, 2002).

Expert review for this study was conducted by members of the dissertation committee.

The Dissertation Chair, Dr. Patricia D'Urso, who has an extensive background in

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qualitative case studies, collaborated with the researcher to develop the interview

questions, interview protocol, and the data collection process (Yin, 2012). The

methodologist for this study reviewed all the submitted documents, validated that they

were suitable for this study, and were in alignment with the objectives of the study. The

experts provided the appropriate level of guidance and credibility to ensure that this

method contributed to the validity of the study. The data were collected, filed, and stored

securely to ensure validity and accuracy (Golafshani, 2003).

The validity was also supported in this research by the use of triangulation (Yin,

2014). The credibility of a study can be enhanced by triangulation, a process in which

different methods or sources are used to study one phenomenon. In brief, this process

consists of multiple sources of data, comparing the various input or inferences of their

contributions across the research questions, to discover whether the findings can be

verified and to arrive at the facts (Houghton, Casey, Shaw, & Murphy, 2013). The

process of triangulation that was utilized in this study included interviews that were

designed to get sufficient information from the participants’ experience and perceptions.

The pre-interview questionnaires were coded and thematically analyzed. The semi-

structured interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and a researcher’s log was

used for observations of participants’ body language and facial expressions during the

interviews, which were also thematically analyzed. The data were separated according to

the three sources from which they originated and aligned to the two research questions

guiding the study. The data sources were pre-interview questionnaires, semi-structured

interviews, and a researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and

facial expressions during the interviews. The corresponding data were taken from the

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three data sources mentioned above and were thematically analyzed and synthesized to

determine the initial findings and final results (Flick, 2009).

Finally, the target sample group was carefully selected to ensure that the research

data were collected from five top-level managers, five project managers, and five project

team members who were actually engaged in R&D programs that were responsible for

developing new technology to help meet the company’s revenue goals and gain a

competitive advantage. The data collection instruments were reviewed by content and

methodological experts. The experts provided clarity that the instruments, including the

pre-interview questionnaires, semi-structured interview, and the researcher’s log for

observations of participants’ body language and facial expressions during the interviews.

Protocols were appropriately aligned with the objective of the study and the research

questions. The data were triangulated from the three data sources supporting the two

research questions to confirm that an accurate understanding of the results was

established (Flick, 2009).

In addition, it is important to note that the research questions were influenced by

the foundational theories of Weber (1947) and Grosse (2007), that required further

investigation was used in this study. Although this study was grounded in the research of

Weber (1947), it provided a strong theoretical foundation of charismatic leadership.

Weber’s concept of a leader; one who is equipped with the characteristic of charisma;

plays a significant role in this study (Wunderer & Grunwald, 1980, p. 448).These theories

were at the forefront of the researcher’s mind when developing the objectives of the

study, the research questions, conducting the interviews, and analyzing the data. The

focus of the study was simply to arrive at a greater understanding of how top-level

131

management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation. The

perspectives of Weber’s theory guided the thought processes at every step of this research

study by assisting in the exploration and investigation of how top-level management,

project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic leadership style (as

defined by Weber, 1947) as having an influence on project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast corporation.

Reliability

To establish whether a study is reliable, it is important that the researcher takes

steps to ensure the reliability of the research findings. Therefore, it is critical that the

study findings establish an appropriate level of consistent, applicable and credible if the

results are to be useful to other researchers (Kirk & Miller, 1986). According to Yin

(2014), to accomplish reliability in a study, it must show consistency with whether the

research produces the same results if repeated. Yin (2014) furthermore suggested that a

reliable study must decrease biases and errors. Yin’s case study protocol was followed

step by step.

To describe the approach used in this study to ensure the reliability of qualitative

data, it included a detailed list of instruments, protocols, and processes which would

provide other researchers an opportunity for replicating the same results. To help other

researchers to replicate the same the results the documents can be found in the

appendices. Also included are the following: charts, graphs, permissions, and relevant

tables, which can be found presented in this section of the dissertation.

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The committee for this study included a dissertation chair, content expert, and

research methodologist. The committee members reviewed all of the supporting

instruments used in this study and gave their professional input, suggestions,

recommendations, and edits that were included. The leadership of the dissertation chair

provided direction for the researcher through the process for the development of the

various instruments and reviews. This involved thematic and content analysis associated

with this study as well. This dissertation chairperson has consulted organizations in

research development for over 25 years, both in the education and business industry. The

content expert in this study has consulted organizations in research development for over

25 years, and in higher education, engineering, business development, and politics. The

two committee members, in collaborating with the methodologist, were important

contributors to the development of the study, which contributed to the accuracy and the

reliability of this study.

Results

This chapter provides the results of the study, the data collected, and the data

analysis process. The results of the study are presented in this section starting with how

the study answered or provides insight into the research questions. The data analysis used

in this study included both thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. The researcher

interviewed 15 participants who participated in the pre-interview and demographic

questionnaires, the semi-structured interviews, and a researcher’s log was kept for

observations of participants’ body language and facial expressions during the interviews.

The participants consisted of five top-level managers, five project managers, and five

project team members. All the participants gave informed consent for their involvement

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in the study, then completed a pre-interview and demographic questionnaire. After

receiving the completed pre-interview and demographic questionnaires, each of the

individuals in the three groups was invited to a 45-60-minute interview session. The data

collected from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews responses

were first coded and themed according to a standard thematic analysis process supported

by Ackroyd (2009); Braun and Clarke (2006); and Guest et al. (2012). The thematic

analysis began with the responses from the pre-interview questionnaire that were

imported into NVivo for analysis. The data from the questionnaires were compared to the

findings of Davis (2014) and Griffin (2016). The second thematic analysis was the

transcription of semi-structured interviews that were digitally recorded and imported into

NVivo for analysis. Both sets of analyses produced coded data from NVivo which

evolved into patterns and trends, which were then developed into themes. This was to

ensure the validity of the data.

The purpose of this chapter is to explain how the specific themes were developed

from the coded data collected from both the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-

structured interviews, and how those themes were reviewed and what were the finally

resulted from that process. The analysis of the pre-interviews, semi-structured interviews,

and researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and facial

expressions during the interviews, led to data that aligned with the triangulation process

and produced a number of themes. The themes are provided later in the chapter.

A qualitative case study was selected for this research. Qualitative case studies

require that the research questions lead to a greater understanding of the phenomenon and

ensure that the focus of the study is clearly understood (Yin, 2014). The results of this

134

study are dependent on the accuracy and credibility of the codes and themes that were

produced in the analysis process. The themes were triangulated across the two research

questions and data sources to offer an effective and trustworthy case. This triangulation

process was used to get the results described within this segment of Chapter Four.

The qualitative case study explored participant perceptions regarding the

suitability of charismatic leadership for R&D projects and to understand how top-level

management, project managers, and project team members view charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on the West Coast of the United

States. This qualitative study addressed the gap in the current body of research identified

by Grosse (2007) as a lack of knowledge of the influence and power of charismatic

leadership in project management. According to Galvin et al. (2010), there is a lack of

existing empirical qualitative works in the field of charismatic leadership. Finally, this

section reports on the data collected from the pre- interviews, semi-structured interviews,

and researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and facial

expressions during the interview, which reflect the coding and thematic analysis process

that was used, and end with a description of the triangulation process that led to the

results.

The resulting data from the pre-interview questionnaires, semi-structured

interviews, and researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and

facial expressions during the interview, revealed common themes among the three

groups. These themes generated a series of codes and themes that helped clarify the

relationship to the research questions.The series of codes was generated into a code book

which served as the major outcomes of this study.

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The first section of the data analysis explored the results of the questionnaires that

involved the five top-level managers, five project managers, and five project team

members (see Figures 2-5). Appendix L provides a breakdown of the demographics, for

the total number who completed questionnaires and those who participated in interviews

as well. The results indicated that TLM were more familiar with the style of charismatic

leadership approach. The gender results reveal that there were more male participants in

this target sample group. The years of working in a project-based environment results

revealed that TLM had the most experience in this area. The California location has 10

out 15 of those participants participating in this study. The data reveal the average age for

the study was 31-39 and all of the participants were currently working in a project-based

environment. The education results reveal that PTM had the most Master’s degrees.

Overall, the demographic study remained true to its intentions. The noted omissions

would have enhanced the findings but the researcher does not feel that the study was

harmed as a result.

Individual interviews.

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

Pre-interview questionnaire codes and resulting themes. This first research

question was designed to understand how the TLM, PM, and PTM perceive charismatic

leadership style within two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation.

Research participants were asked to identify their respective leadership style through pre-

interview questionnaires (see Appendix E). There were 21 different codes, resulting in

136

four themes, identified from the five TLM, five PM and five PTM responses to this

question (see Tables 10, 11, and 12). The data from the 21 different codes were

triangulated to develop an accurate understanding of the data and analyzed, it was

synthesized into the final results of the four themes. The four themes are broken down

into three groups of five top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five

project team members (PTM). See Table 10 - for the themes from the pre-interview

questionnaires for five top-level managers (TLM), Table 11 for the themes from the pre-

interview questionnaires for five project team members (PTM), and Table 12 for themes

from the pre-interview questionnaires for five project managers (PM).

The results from the pre-interview questionnaires produced four recurring themes

that offered significant insight into charismatic leadership behaviors within two different

R&D departments at a West Coast corporation. The four central themes were leadership,

project management, teamwork, and relationship. Each participant from TLM, PM, and

PTM independently identified these four themes as being highly significant in

establishing a connection to their management and project team members.

Amongst the five TLM, the four themes in Table 10 present how each participant

perceived charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Results indicated that each TLM had some understanding of what influence

charismatic leadership has on their project team members for a successful project.

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Table 10

Research Question 1- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and TLM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

leadership (27)

project management (35)

teamwork (19)

relationship (3)

empowerment (4)

personality (4)

vision (9)

Leadership – Listening

charismatic leaders with strong

listening skills could be

successful in a West Coast

corporation.

Project Management -

Management style is with

inspirational motivation to

encourage team spirit to reach

goals of increased revenue and

market growth for the

organization.

Teamwork - Ability to get and

keep the team engaged and

focused on working toward

accomplishing the goal(s)

Relationship - I have positive

working relationships with my

current leaders.

The pieces of data taken from the pre-interview questionnaires were coded, which

provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The first theme developed

from RQ1 was titled, “Leadership.” Here are a few quotes that establish this theme. As

stated by participant #TLM4,

I attempt to set high technical and productivity standards and challenge team

members to rapidly evaluate multiple design/analysis options, their impact to

system metrics, and their relative risk. I try to define high-level objectives and

metrics and identify resources, then let people work independently to identify

solutions. If there is help needed, I try to resolve it as quickly as possible and

make sure they are not waiting for me to complete their work. When complete, I

critically review their approach and results to identify improvements if needed.

138

I strive to make teams focus on team objectives and outcomes, and try to avoid

making things overly personal. This helps avoid conflict and making people

defensive. I also try to use humor when possible to lighten the mood.

The leadership approach is taken within the organization by participant #TLM4

compared with the provided charismatic leadership style definition. It was clear that

participant #TLM4 addresses the four themes in Table 10, and understands the role of a

charismatic leader to be one who fulfilled the needs for the West Coast corporation.

Participant #TLM5 stated,

I make every effort to embody the charismatic leadership style to the best of my

ability. I believe it is the leader’s role to define the course and solidify an

organizational culture that can best enable success. That process includes:

Assessing the business to define the largest opportunities for business

improvement and growth, defining conceptually what needs to be done to achieve

the identified improvement but not to the point of creating a “color by number”

mentality. Setting the culture initially through personal example and actions

including Defining high-level vision, work ethic and energy, open communication

and, empowerment, organizational courage, always demonstrating principle

driven behavior, involving the team in both strategy and tactical delivery and

allowing people to fail. In addition, strengthening the organization if necessary

with driven like-minded people to meet the project goals.

This described participant #TLM5’s leadership approach within the organization in

comparison with the provided charismatic leadership style definition. It was clear that

participant #TLM5 addresses the four themes in Table 10 as well, and perceives

139

charismatic leadership style to be working within the West Coast corporation. Therefore,

participant #TLM5 is positive about the influence that charismatic leadership could

provide for the West Coast corporation.

Amongst the five PTMs, the four themes in Table 11 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Each participant from PTM independently identified these four themes as

being highly significant in establishing a connection to their management and project

team members. Results indicated that each PTM had some experience in dealing with a

charismatic leader, based on their responses to the same questions.

140

Table 11

Research Question 1- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PTM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

leadership (46)

project management (25)

teamwork (15)

relationship (6)

motivation (4)

engagement (4)

inspiration (4)

loyalty (2)

Leadership - Our company is

working to develop a culture of

empowerment and

accountability. It seems to me

that’s what the essence of

charismatic leadership.

Project Management - The

most prominent charismatic

leader who I worked with made

sure that you understood what

we’re trying to accomplish in

the project of the task.

Teamwork - Is an open

relationship between my

leadership and the teams that

are underneath them. I really

value that because it lets me

outline what I’m supposed to be

doing and how I contribute to

the team.

Relationship - It helps, overall

the way the company operates,

does help the program manager

interact with the team on a

more personal basis. It doesn’t

have to be just about boss, staff,

it’s more of an integrated

family team relationship.

The pieces of data taken from the pre-interview questionnaires were coded, which

provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The second theme,

developed from RQ1, was titled, “Project Management.” Here is an example of a quote

that supported the establishment of this theme:

I am a firm believer that a promise to the customer is a promise that must be

achieved, therefore myself and my team should personally be accountable for the

141

success of the project. As such, I hold my team members accountable to their

involvements in the project and ensure that each member is aware of their

responsibility to the customer. However, I am also flexible in how my team

members execute their tasks, so I do not micromanage their day-to-day

assignment nor their execution style. I make sure to interact with my team as if I

am working in the trench with them, rather than just at the top handing out

instructions. I am also a firm believer that happiness rather than fear (a style many

Asian managers use) is the best way to motivate the team, and therefore I leverage

social activities such as lunch to help myself and my team work closely together.

(Participant # PTM3)

Participant #PTM3 expressed the value of meeting customer requirements guided by

using project management methodologies and identified some of the traits that were

associated with charismatic leadership as defined by Weber (1947). In addition,

teamwork and building trust were other driving factors of building loyalty, and inspiring

project team members to achieve the overall project goals. Participant# PTM3 clearly

understands the positive value of charismatic leadership.

The third theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Teamwork.” Participant

#PTM4 stated,

I believe that my leadership approach could be considered a charismatic

leadership style – or at least that is always my ultimate goal. I try to use an open

and friendly personality in an open and friendly environment when I am working

with a team. One part of the charismatic leadership that I believe I am missing,

and one that I am working on, is “a person’s exceptional insights, and

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achievements”. I am early enough in my career that I still have to build these

insights and achievements. It is a work in progress. Teamwork is the key to

success – we work with other people in our industry because nobody can know

everything. I try to incorporate that feeling into any meetings that I have by

attempting to include everyone on the team. I think you bring people into the fold

when you give them a stake in the project, IE if they feel attached to the success

of the project because they have directly contributed to it they are more likely to

work hard for the success of the project/company.

Participant #PTM4 expressed the importance of teamwork with the ability to keep the

team engaged and focused on working toward accomplishing the goal. Participant

#PTM4 has clearly identified a positive link between understanding charismatic

leadership and bringing value to the West Coast corporation.

Amongst the five PMs, the four themes in Table 12 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Each participant from PM independently identified these four themes as

being highly significant in establishing a connection to their management and project

team members. Results indicated that each PM had some understanding of what it means

to be a charismatic leader without knowing about the definition of charismatic leadership

as defined by Weber (1947).

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Table 12

Research Question 1- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

leadership (34)

project management (32)

teamwork (15)

relationship (4)

goals (4)

trust (9)

inspire (10)

creative (12)

Leadership - Charismatic

leadership has the potential to

inspire people to think beyond

their capabilities.

Project Management - Executive

managers are willing to take on

more risk allowing the company

to grow

Teamwork - A culture of shared

ownership was created that made

all team members want to

succeed.

Relationship - To trust based on

well-communicated

expectations, confidence in

other’s abilities, respect, and

fairness.

The pieces of data taken from the pre-interview questionnaires were coded, which

provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The fourth theme

developed from RQ1 was titled, “Relationship.” Here is a quote that establishes this

theme:

Having a good working relationship with your team gives a leader confidence to

commit to programs that others would think are out of reach and cannot be done.

When a project leader can deliver on what he promised, executive managers are

willing to take on more risk allowing the company to grow (Participant #PM1).

Participant #PM1 feedback provided a positive opinion in what way charismatic

leadership can have an influence in the West Coast corporation with regards to having

good working relationships with the team. Participant #PM1 believes good working

144

relationships provide the leader confidence to trust the team to complete the project to

meet the company revenue goals.

The first theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Leadership.” Here is a quote

that establishes this theme:

Good leadership should enable team members to achieve more than they

otherwise would through empowerment. By creating a sense of shared purpose, a

leader will deepen their influence, thereby increasing their ability to motivate

team members and align priorities (Participant #PM4).

Participant #PM4 was describing what influence charismatic leadership should

have on the project team members for a successful project. Participant #PM4 expressed

good leadership is allowing team members to be empowered, and the belief that it will

create a deep influence over the team and motivate for successful completion of a project.

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

The second research question was designed to understand how TLM, PM, and

PTM from the West Coast corporation perceive charismatic leadership style in

comparison with the provided definition by Weber (1947). In addition, the research

question allowed for an exploration of the influences on project outcomes in the R&D

function of the West Coast corporation. Research participants were asked in pre-

interview questionnaires (see Appendix E) to identify their respective leadership style, in

comparison to the definition of charismatic leadership by Weber (1947), as having an

145

influence on the project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation.

There were 12 different codes, resulting in three themes, identified from the five TLM,

five PM, and five PTM responses to this question (see Tables 13, 14, and 15). The data

from the 12 different codes were triangulated to develop an accurate understanding of the

data and analyzed, it was synthesized into the conclusive results of the three themes in

response to research question two. The three themes were broken down into three groups

of five top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team

members (PTM).

The results from the pre-interview questionnaires produced three recurring themes

that offered significant insight into the influence of charismatic leadership based on the

definition defined by Weber (1947). There were three recurring themes that were placed

differently amongst the three groups. The supporting theme for TLM was a personality

(see Table 13). The supporting themes for PTM were loyalty and trust (see Table 14).

The supporting themes for PM were loyalty, personality, and trust, which were common

within both TLM and PTM (see Table 15). The three central themes were personality,

trust, and loyalty. Each participant from TLM, PM, and PTM independently identified

these three themes as being highly significant in establishing a connection to their

leadership and project team members.

Amongst the five TLM, the one theme in Table 13 presents how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Results indicated that each TLM understood charismatic leadership style (as

defined by Weber, 1947) and the influence on the project success based on their

responses.

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Table 13

Research Question 2- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and TLM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Personality (4)

Vision (9)

Empowerment (4)

Personality- I wouldn’t say the leadership in my organization is

highly charismatic. I would say

that they do have extraordinary

personalities not from an

outgoing, gregarious type

personality, but from a relaxed,

yet business focus and results

focus personality.

The pieces of data taken from the pre-interview questionnaires were coded, which

provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The first theme developed

from RQ2 was titled, “Personality.” Participant #TLM3 provided a quote that established

this theme:

When it is necessary and appropriate, I use my personality to appeal to the folks

in the team, and however, it is not my natural style. I believe my style is that of a

data-driven, task-oriented leader. I tend to focus on detailed plans and prioritized

goals.

Participant #TLM3 was describing the tools used to drive project success. It was

obvious that participant #TLM3 is somewhat familiar with Weber’s (1947) definition of

charismatic leadership by using personality to drive project team members to complete

the project. Based on the response, participant #TLM3 believes that personality has a

positive influence on the project outcome in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation.

147

Participant #TLM4 said, “I strive to make teams focus on team objectives and

outcomes, and try to avoid making things overly personal. This helps avoid conflict and

making people defensive. I also try to use humor when possible to lighten the mood”.

Participant #TLM4 was describing the approach to getting project team members to work

together and avoid conflict by not dealing with individual personalities but avoiding

being overly personal. Participant #TLM4 can see the benefit of charismatic leadership as

defined by Weber (1947) that can have an influence on the project outcome based on the

response provided.

Amongst the five PTMs, the two themes in Table 14 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having an

influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation. Each

participant from PTM independently identified these two themes as being highly

significant in establishing a connection to their management and project team members.

Results indicated that each PTM expressed a strong knowlegde of charamatic leadership

based on their respsonses and their understanding of what is needed to have a succesful

project.

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Table 14

Research Question 2- Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PTM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

Loyalty (2)

Trust (3)

Influence (3)

Inspiration (4)

Motivate (4)

Environment (3)

Loyalty- A charismatic leader

should stand up for their team –

this creates a feeling of loyalty.

Trust- There needs to be a

strong amount of trust between

employees and managers.

The pieces of data taken from the pre-interview questionnaires were coded, which

provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The second theme

developed from RQ2 was titled, “loyalty.” This theme was supported by the following:

Lead by example: A charismatic leader takes blame where blame is due, and can

make decisions that are best for the team, and receives the loyalty of their

employees by creating a feeling of teamwork.

Stand up for their team: A charismatic leader should stand up for their team – this

creates a feeling of loyalty (Participant #PTM4).

Participant #PTM4 was arguing that loyalty is important to have amongst the project

team members for the team to function as one. Participant #PTM4 was knowledgeable

about Weber’s (1947) definition of charismatic leadership, in that loyalty is the key

149

component of charismatic leadership and believed to have an influence on the project

outcome.

Participant# PTM1 stated,

A great leader can realize what motivates each person and relate that to the work

being done. Whether it is technical innovation, loyalty to company growth,

personal growth, financial growth, etc., a good leader can make the link to the

work.

PTM1 described loyalty as one of the crucial factors for leadership and company growth.

Participant PTM1 also described the link between motivation, loyalty, and personal

growth that can have an impact on the outcome of any project. It was clear that

participant #PTM1 understood Weber’s (1947) definition of charismatic leadership and

the impact it could have on a West Coast corporation project outcome.

Amongst the five PMs, the two themes in Table 15 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having an

influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation. Each

participant from PM independently identified these two themes as being highly

significant in establishing a connection to their management and project team members.

Results indicated that each PM understood the relatonship of loyalty in comparsison to

Weber’s definition of charamatic leadership based on their responses.

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Table 15

Research Question 2 - Pre-Interview Questionnaire Codes and PM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence

on project outcomes in the

R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

Loyalty (2)

Personality (3)

Trust (9)

Capabilities (3)

Inspire (10)

Goals (4)

Creative (12)

Loyalty - True charismatic

leadership has the potential for

greater employee loyalty,

productivity, and innovation.

Personality- So having people

with the right drive and

personality traits to make that

successful are essential.

Trust- Charismatic leadership inspires people to trust

The pieces of data taken from the pre-interview questionnaires were coded, which

provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The third theme developed

from RQ2 was titled, “Trust.” Participant #PM2 supported the theme by stating,

“charismatic leadership inspires people to trust, innovate, and drive improved

performance sometimes working longer hours than necessary to get the job done.”

Participant #PM2 provided positive feedback associated with inspiration and trust to

drive project performance, which are key factors of the definition of charismatic

leadership. Based on participant #PM2’s response, this is how the Weber’s (1947)

definition of charismatic leadership is perceived.

Participant #PM5 said, “a leader that is trustworthy, a visionary, and has great

drive will always have good success in driving a team. The employees will feel vested in

the business pushing them to better solutions and ideas.” Participant #PM5 was

describing trust as a key factor in driving project success which is related to driving the

team to empowerment and ownership which leads to more creativity. Based on

151

participants PM5 response, it shows a strong understanding of the importance of

charismatic leadership.

RQ1: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a

West Coast corporation?

Semi-structured interviews codes and resulting themes. This first research

question was designed to understand how the TLM, PM, and PTM perceive charismatic

leadership style within two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation.

Research participants were asked to identify their respective leadership style through semi-

structured interviews (see Appendix F). There were 24 different codes, resulting in four

themes, identified from the five TLM, five PM and five PTM responses to this question

(see Tables 16, 17, and 18). The data from the 24 different codes were triangulated to

develop an accurate understanding of the data and analyzed, it was synthesized into the

final results of the four themes. The four themes are broken down into three groups of five

top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members

(PTM). See Table 16- for the themes from the semi-structured interviews with five top-

level managers (TLM), Table 17 for the themes from the semi-structured interviews with

five project team members (PTM), and Table 18 for themes from the semi-structured

interviews with five project managers (PM).

The results from the semi-structured interviews produced four recurring themes

that offered significant insight into charismatic leadership behaviors within two different

R&D departments at a West Coast corporation. The four central themes were leadership,

project management, teamwork, and empowerment. Each participant from TLM, PM,

152

and PTM independently identified these four themes as being highly significant in

establishing a connection to their management and project team members.

Amongst the five TLM, the four themes in Table 16 presents how each participant

perceived charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Results indicated that each TLM is very knowledgeable of charismatic

leadership and understood the influence on the outcome of projects at the West Coast

corporation based on their responses.

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Table 16

Research Question 1- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and TLM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project

managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two

different R&D departments at

a West Coast corporation?

leadership (89)

project management (70)

teamwork (36)

relationship (7)

empowerment (12)

inspire (16)

loyalty (7)

goals (13)

vision (32)

personality (10)

environment (15)

achievement (15)

capabilities (3)

execute (7)

Leadership - I see it

consistent with that

leadership style definition.

One of the reasons I continue

to work in this organization.

However, what I’m seeing

above that is a breakdown in

that charismatic approach.

Project Management - Is

very specific in the research

and technology business. My

whole purpose for existence

and my function is to reduce

risk on emerging and

promising technologies that

we can put into our future

products.

Teamwork - Working with

somebody who is a

charismatic leader – in

working with their teams,

certainly a lot of passion, a

lot of loyalty and decision

making is driven oftentimes

by attainment of that vision

and those goals and

conveying that vision down

to that team.

Empowerment - That’s how

an empowered, energetic,

forward looking organization

that has a charismatic leader

I see would be a huge value.

The pieces of data taken from the transcribed semi-structured interviews were

coded, which provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The first

theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Leadership.” To support this theme:

I believe I worked for a charismatic leader, some of the characteristics that I see,

strategic vision and empowerment on a path they would provide a vision and ask

154

their leaders/followers to develop plans to deliver that vision and provide

opportunity tag up to home in those plans, review status of those plans also

consult on those plans, but again a vision would be conveyed (Participant

#TLM1).

Participant #TLM1 was describing the management in which is perceived to be

charismatic leadership based clearly on Weber’s (1947) definition that was provided.

This was a positive response from the perception of participant #TLM1in regards to the

comprehension of the definition of charismatic leadership.

Leaders that don’t have a lot of experience leading, truly leading, and listening to

the collaborative. Also, I would call it favoritism which a charismatic leader

would never do that. They listen to all people, they look at all the facts, and data

and they use wisdom to make decisions. And because they’re so respected by the

total it’s accepted, the final decision that is made (Participant# TLM2).

Participant #TLM2 was describing what was believed to be charismatic leadership with

positive and negative perspectives based on the actual environment in which participant

#TLM2 is working in a project based atmosphere.

Amongst the five PTMs, the four themes in Table 17 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Each participant from PTM independently identified these four themes as

being highly significant in establishing a connection to their management and project

155

team members. Results indicated that each PTM had a positive experience in dealing with

a charismatic leader, based on their responses to the same questions.

Table 17

Research Question 1- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PTM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project

managers, and project team

members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two

different R&D departments at

a West Coast corporation?

leadership (84)

project management (83)

teamwork (56)

relationship (5)

empowerment (8)

engagement (2)

inspire (18)

loyalty (13)

responsibility (4)

environment (4)

achievement (10)

knowledge (2)

motivation (13)

Leadership - Our company is

working to develop a culture

of empowerment and

accountability. It seems to me

that’s what the essence of

charismatic leadership.

Project Management - The

most prominent charismatic

leader who I worked with

made sure that you

understood what we’re trying

to accomplish in the project

of the task.

Teamwork - Is an open

relationship between my

leadership and the teams that

are underneath them. I really value that because it lets me

outline what I’m supposed to

be doing and how I

contribute to the team.

Empowerment - I’m fairly

empowered to make my own

decisions. We work in an

environment where projects

are not always completely

defined or we’re trying to do

new things, so you’re given a

lot of latitudes to develop

your own project.

The pieces of data taken from the transcribed semi-structured interviews were

coded, which provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The second

theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Project Management” A quote that established

this theme was:

156

So my leader has achievements in their projects and have past insights in their

specific types of projects and basically the type of projects we do. We have

customers and the managers visited the customer to learn and understand the

customer requirements inside and out, so they are able to provide a lot of insight

and how that customer thinks (Participant #PTM3).

Participant# PTM3 was describing how project management responds to the customer

needs and how important it is for the project team to be aligned.

The third theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Teamwork”. A participant

quote supporting this theme was:

I think the leaders on my team, the way they operate is close to the definition of

a charismatic leadership approach. The staff meetings are the example I would

use. Not only do they motivate the team members to work toward a common goal,

they also provide highlights not only the projects that we’re doing on our team,

they also point out what the rest of the team is doing (Participant #PTM4).

Participant #PTM4 was describing a positive perspective of charismatic leadership and

how it is suitable for the teamwork based on participant PTM4’s understanding of

Weber’s (1947) definition.

Amongst the five PMs, the four themes in Table 18 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Each participant from PM independently identified these four themes as

being highly significant in establishing a connection to their management and project

team members. Results indicated that each PM had some understanding of what it means

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to be a charismatic leader without knowing about the definition of charismatic leadership

as defined by Weber (1947).

Table 18

Research Question 1- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ1- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D

departments at a West Coast

corporation?

leadership (89)

project management (23)

teamwork (36)

relationship (2)

empowerment (12)

inspire (23)

loyalty (67)

trust (8)

vision (3)

personality (4)

environment (6)

achievement (12)

problem solving (3)

accountability (5)

enjoyment (1)

knowledge (5)

Leadership - In the current

environment, I do not see a

clear connection between

leaders and their employees.

Project Management - Engage

with our customers and

requirements and being able to

deliver products that are better

quality.

Teamwork - This strength in

terms of an example was

conveying what the mission

was, the vision really helping it

resonate with the team.

Empowerment - Many times in

a research environment, not

everything is fully defined or

known. A charismatic

leadership will inspire people

to think outside the box. A

charismatic person will give

people confidence to find a

way where there isn’t a fully

defined path.

The pieces of data taken from the transcribed semi-structured interviews were

coded. This provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The third

theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Teamwork”. Here are a few quotes that establish

this theme:

Participant #PM1 stated, “If the person brings out the best of you, brings out the

best of the group, gets the group to work together, I think remarkable things can be done

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if people work together and are inspired.” Participant #PM1 was describing how well a

team can function if the team is inspired by its leadership and how remarkable things can

happen.

The fourth theme developed from RQ1 was titled, “Empowerment” Here are a

few quotes that establish this theme:

I think that empowerment is probably the biggest part of the inspiration. I know

that I succeed or fail on my own merits, which is very empowering. No one is

going to take away credit for what I do and I know what I need to go do. It makes

me feel responsible and therefore makes me feel empowered (Participant# PM4).

Participant# PM4 was describing the positive perspective on being empowered, and what

it takes to complete a project successfully. In addition, how empowerment gives one the

freedom to be more creative, which ties into the definition of charismatic leadership.

RQ2: How do top-level management, project managers, and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having

an influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast

corporation?

The second research question was designed to understand how TLM, PM, and

PTM from the West Coast corporation perceive charismatic leadership style in

comparison with the provided definition by Weber (1947). In addition, it provides for an

exploration of the influences on project outcomes in the R&D function of the West Coast

corporation. Research participants were asked through semi-structured interviews (see

Appendix F) to identify their respective leadership style in comparison to Weber’s (1947)

definition of charismatic leadership as having an influence on the project outcomes in the

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R&D function of a West Coast corporation. There were 20 different codes, resulting in

five themes, identified from the five TLM, five PM and five PTM responses to this

question (see Tables 19, 20, and 21). The data from the 20 different codes were

triangulated to develop an accurate understanding of the data and analyzed, it was

synthesized into the conclusive results of the five themes in response to research question

two. The five themes are broken down into three groups, of five top-level managers

(TLM), five project managers (PM), and five project team members (PTM).

The results from the semi-structured interviews produced five recurring themes

that offered significant insight into the techniques of an influence of charismatic

leadership based on the definition defined by Weber (1947). There were five recurring

themes that were placed differently amongst the three groups. The supporting theme for

TLM was a personality (see Table 19). The supporting themes for PTM were loyalty,

inspire, environment, relationship, and achievement (see Table 20). The supporting

themes for PM were loyalty, inspire, environment, relationship, and achievement which

was common within both TLM and PTM (see Table 21). The five central themes were

loyalty, inspire, environment, relationship and achievement. Each participant from TLM,

PM, and PTM independently identified these five themes as being highly significant in

establishing a connection to their leadership and project team members.

Amongst the five TLM, the five themes in Table 19 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Results indicated that each TLM understood charismatic leadership style (as

defined by Weber (1947) and the influence on the project success based on their

responses and in comparison, to their definition of charismatic leadership.

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Table 19

Research Question 2- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and TLM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber, 1947)

as having an influence on project

outcomes in the R&D function of

a West Coast corporation?

leadership (89)

project management (70)

teamwork (36)

relationship (7)

empowerment (12)

inspire (16)

loyalty (7)

goals (13)

vision (32)

personality (10)

environment (15)

achievement (15)

capabilities (3)

execute (7)

Loyalty – They usually bring a

lot of energy to the program

which inspires others to join in

and then you become more loyal

to that person, to that program.

Inspire - I’ve been inspired by

my current leadership in terms

of by them believing in me

Environment - Many times in a

research environment, not

everything is fully defined or

known. A charismatic

leadership will inspire people to

think outside the box. A

charismatic person will give

people confidence to find a way

where there isn’t a fully defined

path.

Relationship – I think the

relationships that I’ve seen

between our leaders and their

teams for the past few years has

evolved into something that is

much more of a straightforward

business, data driven, I guess I

would call it a platonic type of

relationship.

Achievement - Charismatic

leader inspirational and there’s a

combination of knowledge and

wisdom the individual has

achieved as well.

The pieces of data taken from the transcribed semi-structured interviews were

coded, which provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The first

theme developed from RQ2 was titled, “Loyalty”. An example of a participant quote

supporting this theme was:

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Participant# TLM1 stated,

Working with somebody who is a charismatic leader – in working with their

teams, certainly a lot of passion, a lot of loyalty and decision making is driven

oftentimes by attainment of that vision and those goals.

Participant# TLM1 was clearly describing what it takes to be a charismatic leader based

on the provided definition from Weber (1947). The feedback from TLM1 was positive

regarding loyalty and decision making.

The second theme developed from RQ2 was titled, “Inspire”. In support of that

theme, participant #TLM4 stated, “so by framing our contributions to the team in those

organizational help and enterprise impact terms, it helps us map our contributions to a

bigger picture, which is inspiring.” Participant #TLM4 was describing a positive

atmosphere regarding inspiration by leadership which contribute to success.

Amongst the five PTMs, the five themes in Table 20 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having an

influence on project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation. Each

participant from PTM independently identified these five themes as being highly

significant in establishing a connection to their management and project team members.

Results indicated that each PTM had some experience in dealing with a charismatic

leader, based on their responses to the same questions.

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Table 20

Research Question 2- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PTM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

leadership (84)

project management (83)

teamwork (56)

relationship (5)

empowerment (8)

engagement (2)

inspire (18)

loyalty (13)

responsibility (4)

environment (4)

achievement (10)

knowledge (2)

motivation (13)

Loyalty – When it comes to

inspiring loyalty and

confidence, going back to my

previous response, without an

in-person connection being

distributed across different

sites, loyalty between the

employees and the leaders, is

not there.

Inspire - The most charismatic

leader I worked with was in a

leadership development

program at this company and

this leader could inspire every

single person he interacted

with.

Environment - I believe the best

thing is for a team member is to

be happy at work. The

charismatic leadership

approach allows the leader to

see what really motivates a

team member and creates a

working environment that

yields the most productive

team.

Relationship – It helps, overall

the way the company operates,

does help the program manager

interact with the team on a

more personal basis. It doesn’t

have to be just about boss, staff,

it’s more of an integrated

family team relationship.

Achievement - This charismatic

leader had a great level of

competence that he backed up

through significant

achievement in everything he

did.

The pieces of data taken from the transcribed semi-structured interviews were

coded, which provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The third

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theme developed from RQ2 was titled, “Environment”. The following quote supported

the establishment of the theme:

I do feel that I would follow my leader to a new project. Mainly because they

inspire me to succeed. They do everything in their power so the project succeeds,

so I want to be on a team that has that momentum. They are the ones leading it

and creating that kind of atmosphere, I like being on that kind of team (Participant

#PTM1).

Participant #PTM1 would follow the leadership to a new project or organization

based on being inspired and the project atmosphere that was created.

The fourth theme developed from RQ2 was titled, “Relationship” To support the

establishment of the theme, participant #PTM3 stated, “charismatic leadership helps

people bond with that leader so it’s not just a boss/staff relationship, but it is more of a

family.” Participant #PTM3 was describing what is perceived to be a charismatic

leadership in comparison to the provided Weber’s (1947) definition. Participant #PTM3

provided a positive response that clearly outlined some of the trends of a charismatic

leader.

Amongst the five PMs, the five themes in Table 21 present how each participant

perceives charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast

corporation. Each participant from PM independently identified these five themes as

being highly significant in establishing a connection to their management and project

team members. Results indicated that each PM had some understanding of what it means

to be a charismatic leader in comparison to the provided definition of charismatic

leadership as defined by Weber (1947).

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Table 21

Research Question 2- Semi-Structured Interviews Codes and PM Resulting Themes

Research Question List of Codes Resulting Themes

RQ2- How do top-level

management, project managers,

and project team members

perceive charismatic leadership

style (as defined by Weber,

1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D

function of a West Coast

corporation?

leadership (89)

project management (23)

teamwork (36)

relationship (2)

empowerment (12)

inspire (23)

loyalty (67)

trust (8)

vision (3)

personality (4)

environment (6)

achievement (12)

problem solving (3)

accountability (5)

enjoyment (1)

knowledge (5)

Loyalty - They usually bring a

lot of energy to the program

which inspires others to join in

and then you become more

loyal to that person, to that

program.

Inspire - I’ve been inspired by

my current leadership in terms

of by them believing in me

Environment - Many times in a

research environment, not

everything is fully defined or

known. A charismatic

leadership will inspire people

to think outside the box. A

charismatic person will give

people confidence to find a

way where there isn’t a fully

defined path.

Relationship – The part of the

relationship building where

you’re trying to understand the

person’s capability, their

vision and their ability to

correctly and quickly identify

the strategy and where to go.

Achievement - It may start

with our business goals and

objectives, have a clear

mandate to go and achieve

something at sort of high level.

The pieces of data taken from the transcribed semi-structured interviews were

coded, which provided trends and patterns that were developed into themes. The fourth

theme developed from RQ2 was titled, “Relationship” Here is a quote that supported the

establishment of this theme:

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Participant# PM3 stated, “The leader works long hours, takes attention to what is

happening to him, at the detail level and the high level. The leader has great working

relationships with executives and commands respect from many people.” Participant

#PM3 was describing the relationship between all levels of management on a project

based team. This is a positive feedback regarding some of the trends that fall under

Weber’s definition of charismatic leadership.

The fifth theme developed from RQ2 was titled, “Achievement”. Quotes such as

the following established the theme:

In some ways it may start with our business goals and objectives, have a clear

mandate to go and achieve something at sort of a high level. I’m not graded on

day to day what I do, but more long-term results of what I deliver. Essentially left

alone to achieve those objectives the way I see fit (Participant #PM4).

Participant #PM4 described what is required to achieve results related to the business

goals of the West Coast corporation associated with long term results in terms of project

deliverables.

This next section reviews the 41 themes and corresponding research questions

that was developed from the 15 pre-interview questionnaires and 15 semi-structured

interviews presented to the five top-level managers (TLM), five project managers (PM),

and five project team members (PTM). It reflects the number of times that all 15

participants showed connected themes according to their experience in the five TLM, five

PM, and five PTM with the findings that were presented. This process served as the

triangulation of the collected data across three data sources of TLM, PM, and PTM.

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Triangulation of the data. The data collected from the pre-interview

questionnaires and semi-structured interviews resulted in 41 unique themes which were

independently identified by the five TLM, five PM, and five PTM as being highly

significant in establishing a connection to their management and project team members.

The 15 participants involved in the pre-interview questionnaires and the semi-structured

interviews findings indicated the connection to five resulting themes. Table 22 reveals

how all 5 resulting themes were produced from the pre-interview questionnaires and

semi-structured interview themes.

It is important to note those themes were the result of a triangulation process that

was utilized to analyze the data. Yin (2011) argues that data sources, coupled with

questionnaires, strengthen the validity of the study by providing triangulation and

comparisons for the data derived from the interviews. Furthermore, according to Yin

(2011), a key method for ensuring validity is the use of triangulation. Triangulation

requires the use of multiple sources of data that corroborate the findings from the

interviews. By comparing the data from the pre-interview questionnaires and the semi-

structured interviews, the researcher was able to seek for rival explanations (Yin, 2011).

According to Leech and Onwuegbuzie (2007), various tools can be used in a qualitative

study to triangulate data. They describe seven different ways to analyze data and suggest

to accomplish triangulation with at least two of the following tools being utilized. The

tools are as follows: componential analysis, taxonomic analysis, domain analysis,

classical content analysis, word count, keywords-in-context, and constant comparison.

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A key method for ensuring validity is the use of triangulation as was written by

Leech & Onwuegbuzie (2007). Definitions of each of the seven approaches or tools are

as follows:

 Componential Analysis: Comparing numerous words shared by the TLM, PM, and PTM in order to understand their relationship and how it clarifies cultural

symbols.

 Taxonomic Analysis: Studying how the keywords are used by each of the TLM, PM, and PTM.

 Domain analysis: Grouping words into types that create a clearer understanding of developing themes.

 Classical Content Analysis: The process of developing an understanding of themes based on the total number of times a certain code is used.

 Word Count: Quantifying the number of times a word or code is used in order to help qualify a theme.

 Keywords-in-Context: An analytical approach that seeks to understand the use of a word or code by the context in which it's used.

 Constant Comparison Analysis: The analysis approach that is constantly attempting to understand the usage of words and phrases to develop themes; a

thematic analysis process.

This study used several approaches that define the triangulation process within

this present study. According to Leech and Onwuegbuzie (2007), Constant Comparison

Analysis is the most common approach used in the qualitative analysis, and it was used in

this study. The researcher analyzed the data with NVivo as it was being shared by the

participants. The data were transcribed and thematically coded during the development of

the themes. Also, ‘keywords-in-context’ was another approach taken in this analysis, with

the help of NVivo. As TLMs, PMs, and PTMs shared their thoughts, many of the codes

and resulting themes were understood more clearly as a result of the context in which the

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participants explained their project based experiences. Finally, with the help of NVivo,

‘word count’ and ‘classical content analysis’ was used. NVivo, a qualitative software

package, was used to sort the compiled transcript information and responses by themes

and patterns (Walsh, 2003). NVivo was used to support all seven approaches or tools to

develop themes as required from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured

interviews participant responses.

These seven approaches above were used in the triangulation process of the

collected data and the analysis that led to the results. As the themes emerged from the

pre-interview questionnaires and the semi-structured interviews, it formed an

understanding of some of the characteristics of charismatic leadership experiences that

are associated with R&D projects. After the data was triangulated from the pre-interview

questionnaires and semi-structured interviews responses and analyzed, it was synthesized

into the final five resulting themes that can be reviewed below in Table 22.

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Table 22

Triangulation Results

Themes Pre-Interview

Questionnaire

Semi-Structured

Interviews

TLM, PTM

and PM Results

Accountability X

Loyalty x X x

Leadership x X x

Inspire x X

Team Work x X x

Motivation x X

Empowerment x X

Goals x X

Vision x X

Personality x X

Project Management x X x

Environment x X

Relationship x X x

Trust x X

Enjoyment X

Achievement

Responsibility

Capabilities

Problem Solving

Knowledge

Execute

Engagement

Creative

Influence

Inspiration

Table 22 represents the themes developed from the pre-interview questionnaires

and semi-structured interviews. There were 41 unique themes which were independently

identified by the five TLM, five PM, and five PTM as being highly significant in

establishing a connection to the two research questions.The themes from the pre-

interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were synthesized and produced

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five resulting themes common to each group. The five common themes were loyalty,

leadership, teamwork, project management, and relationship (see Table 22). The five

emerging themes were independently identified across all 15 participants’ responses

involved in the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as a result of

the triangulation process. There were a total of 41 different codes that supported those

themes. The five TLM, five PM, and five PTM were asked the same pre-interview

questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions, which were developed from RQ1

and RQ2. The first research question produced the three following themes: leadership,

teamwork, and project management. The second research questions produced the two-

following themes; loyalty and relationship.

Here are a few quotes from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured

interviews that expressed those five final resulting themes: loyalty, leadership, teamwork,

project management, and relationship (see Table 22).

Participant #TLM 4 stated,

I think a lot of the people have a lot of loyalty and confidence in his ability to

lead the team. I personally react very strongly to that and in recent organizational

churn I stayed with the group specifically because of the leadership in that role.

Participant #TLM 4 provided a positive response to the experience in dealing with a

charismatic leader in regard to loyalty. Participant #TLM4 believed loyalty and

confidence empower the team to be successful.

Participant #TLM2 stated, “Listening- charismatic leaders with strong listening

skills could be successful in a West Coast corporation. Leveraging the listening skills,

will assist honing the message of engagement of their people and organization.”

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Participant #TLM2 argued that listening is a very powerful skill that every leader must

have in order to be successful in leading a project.

Participant #PM4 stated, “A culture of shared ownership was created that

made all team members want to succeed.” Participant #PM4 provided positive feedback

in regards to ownership. Ownership empowers a team to a successful project completion.

Participant #PM1 stated, “Having people in the group who are creative and

willing to do what it takes to make a program successful.” Participant #PM1 described

the goal of project management on every project, which is having people that are creative

and are willing to go above and beyond to make the project successful.

Participant# PTM1 stated,

I have a great relationship with my leaders. They motivate the entire team

in a couple of different ways. One example is how they conduct our staff

meetings. They tell the whole group what projects everyone is doing. This allows

the team to be more connected. The leaders also explain how each project moves

toward the company’s goals.

Participant# PTM1 addressed the power of relationship in regard to leadership and

motivating each team member to execute under a certain leadership.

Semi-structured interview quotes:

Participant #TLM4 stated, “One is charisma, one is extraordinary personality, one

is exceptional insight, one is achievements that inspire loyalty and confidence.”

Participant #TLM4 provided positive feedback in regard to charismatic leadership

characteristics in order to build loyalty and confidence amongst the project team

members.

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Participant #PM1 stated, “I think that as a whole, the current leadership does a

fairly good job. I think sometimes that the daily grind of the job takes some of that

charisma out of somebody.” Participant #PM1 was expressing positive feedback

regarding current leadership and believes that with any leadership, daily execution of a

project can be a challenge; but to some degree charismatic leadership can be a valuable

asset to a West Coast Corporation.

Participant #PM4 stated, “I think he’s someone who trusts his team to do the right

thing, hold people accountable in a fair way, which I think is important. Participant #PM4

has described current leadership and that leader ability to trust in the team to execute and

be accountable.

Participant #PTM2 stated:

When people showed passion for a particular assignment or project, he

empowered them to take a leadership role there and once he identified those

projects, he actually let them be and let them see those projects all the way

through.

Participant #PTM2 was describing how project management interacts with the team

members and empowers the team members to take on more leadership roles.

Participant #PTM1 stated, “I see an open relationship between my leadership and

the teams that are underneath them and how he gets along with them.” Participant

#PTM1 described the relationship with the current leader and interactions with other

leadership, and respects others as well as his own team. The response was viewed as a

positive interaction.

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The most important point made in these five themes was that successful project

outcomes are dependent upon loyalty, leadership, teamwork, project management, and

relationship since many different elements in the organizational environment are critical

to success. Additionally, the themes allowed for an exploration of how top-level

management, project managers, and project team members view charismatic leadership

style of two different R&D departments at West Cost corporation.

The next section provides a Case study summary. It integrates the results of the

analysis of the data and the themes developed from the pre-interview questionnaires and

semi-structured interviews. Also, the final five resulting themes from the five top-level

management, five project managers, and five project team members that emerged from

the data analysis are displayed in Table 22 and are explained in the next section.

Case study summary. As described by Yin (2014), a case study is an analytical

process to "play with the data" to develop meaningful results. This study required

synthesizing the collected data to determine what significant factors contribute to how do

top-level management, project managers, and project team members perceive charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation.

To answer the study’s research questions, the researcher collected and analyzed

each participant’s pre-interview and demographic questionnaires, semi-structured

interviews, and a researcher’s log for observations of participants’ body language and

facial expressions during the interviews to build a converging line of inquiry for

triangulation (Yin, 2009). The data from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-

structured interviews were coded and organized using NVivo software to discover

various themes. There were 41 unique themes which were independently identified by the

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five top-level management, five project managers, and five project team members as

being highly significant in establishing a connection to the two research questions.The

themes from the pre-interview questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were

synthesized and formulated five resulting themes that are believed to be the important

factors to the phenomenon and common to each group. The five common resulting

themes were (1) loyalty, (2) leadership, (3) teamwork, (4) project management, and (5)

relationship. The analysis of the data was done with the entire study centered on the two

central research questions. Also, in regards to the participants’ responses there were no

outlier responses; all responses were considered mainstream. The next section contains a

summary of the analyzed data. Also, the section summarizes the relation to the research

questions and provide application and research opportunities.

Summary

The data collection and analysis of this qualitative case study was conducted in

order to answer the study’s two research questions that asked, how do top-level

management, project managers, and project team members perceive a charismatic

leadership style of two different R&D departments at a West Coast corporation and how

do top-level management, project managers, and how project team members perceive

charismatic leadership style (as defined by Weber, 1947) as having an influence on

project outcomes in the R&D function of a West Coast corporation? The design for the

research was a case study that utilized thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. The

resulting data came from the triangulated approach to data collection across the pre-

interview questionnaires and semi-structured interview questions, which provided

validity and reliability to the results. The data analysis also consisted of discovering

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emerging themes from the collected data to build the case descriptions for the five TLM,

five PM, and five PTM group. The emergent themes for this study were: (1) loyalty and

leadership, (2) teamwork (3) project management, (4) and relationship, (5). The findings

of the data are important because they address the problem of this study, that it is not

known how top-level management, project managers, and project team members perceive

charismatic leadership style of two different R&D departments at a corporation on the

West Coast of the United States. There were no additional limitations found in this study

other than those listed in chapters one and three.

This work now moves into Chapter 5. The researcher provides a summary of the

overall objective of the study. Also, the study’s findings and conclusions, the implication

of the study, and discusses final recommendations for future study.

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Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand participant