Research Profile: Mixed Methods Study 1
Research Profile: Mixed Methods Study
Brittany L. Thompson
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Brittany L. Thompson
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Brittany L. Thompson
Email: blthompson11@liberty.edu
Research Profile: Mixed Methods Study 2
Abstract
Too often in society, careers have been reduced to the role of gender. With this role reduction
comes competition. Who is better at what the job? It has been said often too many times if not,
“A woman can do a man’s job just as good.” Education is a field that has somehow sought to
remain neutral in the respects of gender. Male and females are educators across the globe. The
only difference is how they choose to lead their organization. Leadership styles matter because it
can be the determining factor in which an employee choose to leave or remain in the workplace.
This research will consider male and female leaders in higher education settings that lead the
university, such as the President of the university.
Research Profile: Mixed Methods Study 3
Qualitative Design
Proposed Title: The Education Field: Ending Gender Roles
Research Problem and Gap
Education has been a long-standing field that has not been dominated by one gender. You can
find both male and female instructors gracing classrooms across the globe. However, the issue
comes to surface when leadership is combined with education. Society has but much negative
stigma around women leaders, due to allegedly believing women lead with their emotions.
The research problem that is presented is to evaluate the leadership effectiveness of male and
female leaders within higher education. There is much research and data on leadership and then
on education but not the two combined. The study will assist in bringing awareness to the reader
and changing how the educational field is perceived.
Research Purpose Statement
The purpose of this mixed-methods research study is to understand the relationship between
male and female leadership styles within higher education settings with emphasis on leadership
effectiveness. The criteria used to determine leadership effectiveness would be retention rate of
employees, employee satisfaction, and the overall success of the organization. A qualitative
interview methodology will be used to collect data identifying the leadership styles used among
the participants within the higher education setting. A quantitative survey methodology would be
used to determine the relationship that exists, if any, between the effectiveness of the leadership
styles.
Research Questions
RQ1. What leadership style is preferably chosen among men compared to women?
RQ2. What relationship, if any, exists between the leadership style of men and women within
higher education settings?
RQ3. What relationship, if any, exists between employee retention under the leadership of men
compared to women?
RQ4. Are there more men leading universities than women? If so, what contributes to the gap of
female representation in university leadership?
RQ5. What style of leadership is preferred among employees in a higher education setting?
Delimitations of the Research: The study will include men and women from leadership roles
within higher education. These individuals will have been in their role for over 7 years to ensure
the quality and amount of information is credible for the research. This timeframe would
demonstrate commitment and the ability to show longevity in leadership. Also, within this
timeframe a trend for employee turnover and retention can be seen and the overall success of the
leaders’ ability to lead can be observed.
Research Profile: Mixed Methods Study 4
Research Population: The research population will be individuals who are leaders within a
higher education setting. This will include both male and female.
Research Sample(s) and Sampling Technique(s): A sample of 10 males and 10 female leaders
from various universities will be chosen. Purposive sampling will be employed for a specific
sample and snowball sampling in expectation that individuals would volunteer to participate.
Methodological Design: This research will follow the qualitative and quantitative methodology
design due to it being a mixed study.
Proposed Instrumentation (if known): This study will use surveys, individual interviews to
answer the questions this study seeks to explore, observation analysis (visiting classrooms to
observe behavior and style), and statistics from the schools regarding employee retention with
the forewarning that privacy will be protected at all cost.
Limitations of Generalization: The limitation of this study is that the actual information would
be on professors within the Houston, Texas region. This paper will rely heavily upon the
participants responses regarding their experience and career journey. Due to the time constraint
for the study, the researcher may not have the resources to interview every leader of universities
within the Houston region.
Research Competencies to Conduct Study: The competencies that the researcher must possess
are ethical research methods and procedures including the skills and ability to properly
investigate the research issue. The researcher should possess great knowledge of both research
methods and be willing to put in the necessary time and effort to complete the research. In
addition to these skills, the researcher must be highly organized and have a tracking system to
keep up with the data that is being collected, be open and transparent with those that are involved
in the study.
Precedent Literature:
1. Journal of Mixed Methods Research – articles will be used and reviewed from this source
2. Kemper, E., Stringfield. S., & Teddlie, C. (2003). Mixed methods sampling strategies in
social science research. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed
methods in social & behavioral research (pp. 273-296). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
3. Rubin I. & Rubin H. (2012). Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data. Los
Angeles: Sage Publications.
4. Saldana, J. (2013). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. Los Angeles: Sage
Publications.
5. Tashakkori, A., & Teddlie, C. (Eds.). (2003a). Handbook of mixed methods in social &
behavioral research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
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