Qualitative Reliability and Validity
Creswell (2014) stated that in qualitative studies, validity is the researcher checking for
accuracy of findings through procedures. Yin (2014) stated that there are three forms of validity:
Construct validity with an example tactic of using multiple sources of evidence, internal validity
with an example tactic of pattern matching, and external validity with an example tactic of
replication logic. With construct validity, one such approach is triangulation. Stake (2010) stated
that triangulation is looking at evidence multiple times and through different vantage points.
Creswell and Poth (2018) stated that triangulation with different data sources and various emerging
themes adds validity to the study. Within this case study, triangulation arrived through the setup of
the case and its makeup with varying participation levels in the study. The setup of varying
participation levels and a well-formed interview guide also aimed to address saturation. Creswell
(2014) stated that saturation occurs when you stop collecting data as it no longer provides new
insight or properties. Creswell and Poth (2018) continued that saturation occurs when the
researcher no longer finds new information to understand a category. Another approach used in
this case study is member-checking, which Creswell (2014) described as affording participants of
the study the ability to check for accuracy.
Within the same text, Creswell (2014) also described a detailed description, clarifying bias,
and presenting negative information as forms of construct validity. This research makes every
effort to provide detailed information regarding data regarding each level of the case and cross-
level analysis in arriving at assertions and generalizations. It is important again to clarify any
researcher bias for this case study. The researcher had many years of leadership in the environment
and role of store manager within the case study. The researcher had worked in both environments
with and without an organizational leadership framework. The researcher's experience, along with
research on the field of leadership, believes that this study can address a significant opportunity to
improve the field of leadership. This information is also why it will be essential to present all data
findings, including those that run counter to this perspective or the themes of the study to present
a more realistic and valid view.
In this case study, the researchers position that the presence of a clear strategy or framework
around leadership created a construct that this leaves open the opportunity for individual
perspectives while also maintaining an organizational perspective creating more alignment within
leadership. This construct and its examination in the case study through the analysis of an
organization which practices the use of a vision, mission, or values statement for the form of an
overall company objective and how this is interpreted by its leadership address and align with the
central research questions. With these constructs in place, Yin (2014) showed that the use of pattern
matching, explanation building, addressing rival explanations, and the use of logic models proved
a way to address internal validity. The theoretical proposition of this study lent itself to external
validity. Yin (2014) showed that a case study must have analytical generalization or to be
generalizable beyond the immediate study regardless of method. The theory and constructs of the
case study provided for this generalization. Yin (2014) pointed to replication logic in multiple case
studies and while this was a single case study more depth is attempted through the search for
replication in themes at the various position levels of the participants in the case.
Creswell (2014) stated that reliability in qualitative studies indicates that the researcher's
approach to their work is consistent. Furthermore, Yin (2014) stated that reliability minimizes the
bias and errors in a study by creating and documenting many operational steps so that the case
study is repeatable for the same results. The researcher has created a case study design where
replication can occur, and validation is achievable for reliability. Creswell and Poth (2018) stated
that reliability is possible through detailed notes and accurate transcription of interviews for
coding. The researcher used notetaking during the interview process and transcribed interviews
with the software program ATLAS.ti for accurate coding of all data.
Transition and Summary
This qualitative case study sought to address a gap in leadership knowledge through
changing the focus on individual leadership to that of leadership as a collective system within an
organization via the organizational leadership strategy of an organizational leadership framework.
With no research literature on the topic the researcher sought to theorize that with an organizational
leadership framework, leaders of an organization efforts to achieve the vision, mission, or values
which reflect the main objectives of an organization, are often more coordinated and rather than
left to the interpretation of the individual leader. This section discussed the research method,
design, participants, along with the data collection and analysis.
These sections described the foundation of how the study was designed and performed by the
researcher. The next section discusses the results of the data and findings participant interviews.
Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change
The researcher had multiple objectives in section three of this study, beginning with an
overview of the study. This overview provided why the research is significant to leadership,
procedures performed, and the relationship to the central research questions. In addition, provided
is a presentation of the findings. The presentation of the findings included, themes discovered,
interpretation of themes, representation and visualization of the data, relationship to the findings,
and summary of the findings. Representation and visualization of the data breaks down results
found around the two central research questions. Further data relating to the central research
questions, conceptual framework, anticipated themes, literature, and the problem statement are in
the relationship to the findings section. Next an application for professional practice offers further
details on why and how the work is significant to leadership. Following this information are
recommendations for actions from the study and further study suggestions. Finally, the section
concludes with reflections of the researcher's experience and a summary of the study conclusions.
Overview of the Study
This qualitative case study's objective was to focus on the need for an organizational
leadership framework that shifts the focus from the individual leadership experience to that of a
collective unit. Kellerman (2016) stated that leadership as an industry needs reconceiving through
shedding its obsession with individual leaders and shifting to a learning focus that creates a
systemic approach to leadership. The organizational leadership framework aims to support such a
leadership industry transition by offering a platform for future research and a resource in which
organizations and leaders may leverage in the pursuit of a collective leadership environment.
Leadership as both a role and industry continue to transform. Vecchiotti (2018) showed that further
back in the history of leadership, as more women entered the role of leadership, the definitions
morphed from that of authority to one who recognized followers. Vecchiotti (2018) continued that
leadership definitions transitioned after a new, younger generation emerged, which now places
value in definitions such as collaboration, balance, and feedback.
These generational changes continue to evolve the workplace. Mahmoud et al. (2021)
showed that the younger generation of employees are more intrinsically motivated. These
individuals wish to have impact and have just as much potential of exhibiting leadership behaviors
as their leaders, much like that of the teacher experience within distributed leadership of the
educational industry. The role of leadership is both evolving and expanding, crossing both
boundaries and functions. Anderson and Sun (2017) stated that with the extensive overlaps in
leadership styles, there needs to be a shift away from the individual leader and towards a
coordinated full-range integration leadership strategy.
However, the field of leadership remains focused on the relationship between followers and
leaders, missing the opportunity to approach leadership as a functional unit or group of individuals.
The lack of knowledge in research literature also identifies a gap in the practice of this leadership
approach in the world of business where leadership is practiced. Cockerell (2018) stated that most
organizations' chief executive officers, board members, and executives focus solely on creating
business strategies around growth or innovation while failing to realize that they need a leadership
strategy. The objective of the organizational leadership framework is to offer a solution or platform
in leadership research and the business world to build an expanded leadership approach.
While no research currently exists in leadership around the organizational leadership
framework or the collective unit experience, the study of distributed leadership in the educational
system offered an ideal resource for this study. Jones and Harvey (2017) showed that as educational
institutions experience a change in their industry, they have found a need to focus on leadership,
which crosses boundaries, shares knowledge, and recognizes the need for shared responsibility and
collaboration. The change the educational industry is experiencing in this area reflects the one
suggested by the researcher and research literature in leadership. Bagwell (2019) stated that
distributed leadership offers a way to rethink human capital through a new leadership perspective
of multiple individuals at varying levels. Furthermore, Latta (2019) described distributed
leadership as the movement away from the influence of single individuals towards a network of
interacting individuals with a variety of expertise and unlimited boundaries distributed across many
leaders.
This study aimed to take information in the research literature of leadership along with the
research literature of distributed leadership expansion in educational settings, and thread that
information through the learnings of the study. The learning and data gained from the approach of
this study may then provide the foundation of an impactful shift from the focus on leadership as an
individual experience to that of a collective group experience. The setting for the study involved a
brick-and-mortar retailer within the United States that offered participants at both a store manager
and district manager leadership role. Creswell (2014) stated that saturation occurs when you stop
collecting data as it no longer provides new insight or properties. At the point of saturation, the
study contained 12 participants. At the district manager role, two participants were referenced in
this study: D1 and D2. Ten participants were referenced in this study at the store manager role: S1,
S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, and S10. This sample size represented approximately 10% of the
population of each role within the organization. Yin (2014) stated that in sampling within a case
study, the size will never be adequate to represent the larger population and that the case, rather
than being a sample itself, is meant to shed empirical light about a theoretical concept instead.
Each of the participants in the study participated in a nineteen-question interview. The
interview guide, carefully crafted under the guidance of research theory, ensured the research's
quality and a focus on the central research questions. According to Yin (2014), adequately worded
interview questions focusing on the organization and multiple sources avoid the research becoming
a survey to ensure the quality of research. The two central research questions sought to understand
how leaders approach accomplishing their organization's objectives, such as those represented in
the vision, mission, and values, and how the presence of an organizational leadership framework
affects leadership's approach. The nineteen-question interview guide divided the analysis into two
data sets, each with its respective subsets of data. Stake (2010) stated that triangulation is looking
at evidence multiple times and through different vantage points. Furthermore, Creswell and Poth
(2018) stated that triangulation with different data sources and various emerging themes adds
validity to the study. The two central research questions are analyzed through two data sets. The
two data sets and their respective subsets were analyzed both across the participant's respective
roles and one another's cross-functional roles along with the organization's leadership framework
to obtain themes in the data.
Five themes were expected within this research for an organizational leadership framework,
two within the first central research question and three within the second central research question.
The two expected themes within the first central research question are that participants would align
in their decision-making and prioritization and that the leadership framework of the participating
organization would be pointed to as the resource. The three expected themes of the second central
research questions are that first participants would identify behavior traits of their leadership
framework as how the participating organization views their success. The second is that
participants would have a strong onboarding and development under the leadership framework.
The third is that participants would identify the leadership framework as having a strong impact
on how their leadership relates to one another as a functional group.
Here a priority is placed on alignment amongst the participants’ answers within their
respective roles to the interview question being asked. Based on the conceptual framework of this
research an environment without a leadership framework expects individual leaders to form their
own leadership interpretation and strategy to accomplish the overall mission, vision, or values. The
presence of an organizational leadership framework offered a single common language in which
all leaders collaboratively reference or use as a guide to accomplish the overall mission, vision, or
values. The participating organization of this study contained a leadership framework so high
alignment was expected throughout the study that directly relates back to the leadership
framework.
Presentation of the Findings
This qualitative case study focused on two central research questions through the
researcher’s conceptual framework regarding an organizational leadership framework. The central
research questions in this study aimed to understand the leaders’ approach to their role and what
affect an organizational leadership framework had on the leaders’ approach. The selected
organization’s leadership framework provided the researcher detailed information of the
employer’s desired leadership behaviors or characteristics of the leaders within the participating
organization. An interview guide, carefully crafted under the guide of qualitative research literature
by the researcher, obtained data from the participants that were central to the two research questions
and conceptual framework of this study.
The participants’ data and the participating organization’s leadership framework obtained
in this study were analyzed for themes at the store manager and the district manager role with each
overall role theme results then compared to one another. This learning from the participants, their
leadership framework, research literature on leadership, and research literature on distributed
leadership, provided the researcher significant insight into the two central research questions of
this study. The detailed results are presented in this portion of the study through the sections titled
themes discovered, interpretations of the themes, representation and visualization of the findings,
and relationship of the findings.
The selection of participants for the study came from a brick-and-mortar retail business that
practiced a leadership framework within the United States and whom were at the store manager or
district manager role and had been in position for at least one year. Retail store managers represent
an important leadership role within their organizations. Arnold et al. (2019) stated that store
managers are crucial to implementing corporate strategy in a retail environment and often find
themselves facilitators in bridging various unconnected parties within an organization. Arnold et
al. (2019) continued that with this being the case, there is a need to understand the boundary-
spanning aspect of the store manager role from top management. This selection process fulfilled
Creswell and Poth's (2018) description of purposeful sampling or selecting participants to
understand the research's problem or central phenomenon. The participants’ tenure of at least one
year further supported the selection of these participants as Steffens et al. (2014) stated that
individuals display a higher level of performance as their tenure increases at an organization. This
ensured a presence regarding knowledge of role, a familiarity with the participating organization’s
leadership framework and its execution within each participant.
The organization of the participants reflected its desire for a leadership framework to create
guidelines or a shared global language in which to operate (“The 3 C’s Behind Great Leadership,”
2018). This research defined an organizational leadership framework as a synthesis of an
organization's strategies, functions, culture, and individual behavioral efforts into universal guiding
principles that all facets of the business reference and follow to create more intelligent and
coordinated magnetic-like movements across the organization. The selected organization's
leadership framework and details, according to “The 3 C’s Behind Great Leadership” (2018), is as
follows:
Collaboration: 1) Establish clear shared goals, trust your players to know their roles, and
stick to the game plan; 2) Provide transparency. Share your thinking and logic with others and
involve them in decision-making; and 3) Build and nurture productive relationships, the backbone
of every winning organization.
Confidence: 1) Act and lead with integrity by being true to yourself and your values; 2)
Learning lasts a lifetime. Remember: Accepting you don't know the answer takes confidence; and
3) Set high expectations for yourself and the team. Recognize when targets are reached and when
they are not and address the gaps.
Creativity: 1) Constantly seek the new by asking questions. Accept failure as part of the
process; 2) Enable creativity by being present and engaging people in conversations beyond bullet
points; and 3) Turn ideas into action by encouraging your team to embrace constraints and deeper
into conversations.
