A Critical Review of Self-Leadership and Critical Thinking Skills

This essay provides a critical review of the article "Relations between self-leadership and Critical thinking skills" by Ay et al. (2015), examining the relationship between critical thinking skills and self-leadership, particularly among university students. The review covers the article's background, research objectives, methodologies (California Critical Thinking Depository and Self Leadership Scale), and key findings, which indicate a positive correlation between self-leadership and critical thinking. The essay agrees with the researchers' emphasis on the importance of developing these skills in students for future management roles, while also pointing out limitations in the sample selection. It highlights the strengths of the research presentation and validates the research findings, emphasizing the overall value of fostering critical thinking and self-leadership in future leaders. The essay concludes that self-leadership and critical thinking share a vital, significant, and positive relationship with one another, and that both should be encouraged in students to train them as great managers and leaders in the future.

Running head: CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
Critical Thinking and Managerial Decision Making
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
Critical thinking is often defined as a form of reasoned thinking that has a purpose to it.
Critical thinking is seen to aid a number of cognitive processes, such as the application of critical
thinking to decision making activities (D’Alessio et al., 2019). This essay engages in a critical
review of an article, “Relations between self-leadership and Critical thinking skills” by Ay et al.
(2015), with the purpose of the review being to understand the crucial relationship that is shared
between critical thinking and leadership.
The background of the article listed above is one that deals with the relationship that
exists between critical thinking skills and self-leadership. It deals primarily with ways by which
the entities of critical thinking and self-leadership are interdependent on one another and how the
process of critical thinking and the act of self-leadership are seen to come into play, quite
effectively, in the running of an organization (Ay et al., 2015). Specifically, the background of
this research article is concerned with the importance of deploying critical thinking skills when
performing managerial duties and how teaching students critical thinking skills is quite crucial as
it is going to help them do well when they are recruited into jobs in organizations in the future
(Ay et al., 2015).
The research objective of the above mentioned peer reviewed journal article is to
research on the general relations that are seen to exist between the sub-dimensions of the levels
of critical thinking ability and the self-leadership of university students. In particular, what the
objective of this research article is focused on is an in-depth examination as well as analysis of
the relations that are known to exist between the ability to think critically and the ability to
exercise acts of self-leadership among senior university students (Ay et al., 2015).

2CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
Some of the core research questions that are addressed by the article above are why it is
important for preparing future employees and future leaders who are well versed with the act of
critical thinking, and what are the ways by which self-leadership and critical thinking can be
instilled in university in order to prepare them well in the process of being good and effective
leaders and managers in the near future? It is important for these research questions to be
addressed, because managers who possess critical thinking abilities and who are able to exercise
self-leadership bring them with a certain degree of autonomy and independence. It is also crucial
for such research questions to be addressed, because instructing students in abilities and concepts
that can make them good leaders in the future is an effective process, given that students have
good memory retention and are at an age when they can learn and retain things in the most
effective manner (Ay et al., 2015)
As stated above, the peer reviewed article being analyzed is one that is researched upon
through the use of two complex tools known as the California Critical Thinking Depository
which was developed by Faciona and Al and the Self Leadership Scale which was developed
by Anderson and Prussia in the year of 1977. As a part of the study as many as 257 students were
placed under surveillance all of whom were attending the last semesters of the university at
Cumhuriyet University in Turkey. Specifically, the students who were surveyed belonged to the
Faculty of Science and Literature. The data that was obtained as a result of the research process
was then analyzed through the use of regression and co-relation methods. It seems that
quantitative research methodology was made use of by the researchers for the purpose of
ensuring accuracy of the results generated (Ay et al., 2015).
Some of the major findings of the research are that the level of self-leadership among
university students, and senior university students at that, was found to be quite high while their

3CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
levels of being able to think critically were found to be quite moderate. It was also discovered by
the researchers, that a positive co-relation is seen to exist between critical thinking and self-
leadership. The affects that the dimensions of self-leadership were seen to have on the process of
critical thinking were those that were examined through the use of regression analysis. The
researchers argue that what is demonstrated by this analysis is the fact that a meaningful and
positive relationship can be found to be in play between natural reward strategies and strategies
that entail constructive pattern thinking (Ay et al., 2015). The relationship between critical
thinking and self- leadership is therefore quite a positive one in the view of Ay et al. (2015), and
as argued also by other researchers such as Gawin, B. and Marcinkowski, B. (2019), it is
something that should definitely be encouraged in students as it can help them be effective
managers and leaders in the future.
The significance that the findings of this research piece have for future management
practice or future research is that it makes it clear that self-leadership and critical thinking are
both positively co-related and that the development of both should be encouraged in the youth,.
It is argued by Brolisani and Bratinau (2018), as well as by Rigg (2018), that it is students who
are the managers of the future, so that they can lead their organizations towards high levels of
growth and development and make huge strides in the corporate world in the bargain.
One of the most important things that I am on agreement with the researchers, is the
fact that the relationship between critical thinking and self-leadership is a vital leadership and it
is a matter that needs to be studied and explored in the context of university students. It is argued
by D’Alessio et al. (2019) that students are the leaders of the future and it is they who are going
to take on prominent roles in terms of leadership in organizations and companies that they are
recruited into. I also agree with the researchers when they state that the relationship between

4CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
critical thinking and self-leadership is a positive relationship, and indeed the results of the
research reveal the same. I even agree with the use of the research methods that were used by
the scholars to conduct the investigation, that is, the use of the Faciona and Al critical thinking
tool and the Anderson and Prussia self -development tool primarily because of the fact that these
are quantitative research methods. As argued by Stuart and Brown (2019), the results of
quantitative research methodology can for the most part be relied upon. The only thing I am not
in agreement with when it comes to this particular research study is the choice of sample
for the investigation. The sample is broad enough, as it includes a survey conducted on as many
as 257 university students, however, the survey is one that is limited to senior university students
only. Junior university students, that is, those enrolled for bachelor degrees are also capable of
critical thinking and self-leadership and many such students take up a job immediately after
graduation.
Some of the key strengths of this research article are the manner in which the research
has been presented and the language and style of the research piece. Indeed, to read, go through
and ponder over the content of this research piece was a pleasure because of the lucid and
eloquent way in which the researchers have managed to present all the facts and information
before the readers. The presentation of the research is also something that has been carried out in
quite a methodical manner. At first, a backdrop has been provided as to the importance of self-
leadership and critical thinking and the reasons why studying the relationship between both, is
crucial, is something that has been explicitly stated and explained as well, something that is
mandatory for research as stated by Giacalone and Promislo (2019). A theoretical framework,
which is crucial for understanding the process of critical thinking as stated by La Torre et al.
(2019), has been provided for both self-leadership and critical thinking, after which the findings

5CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
of the research have been presented in a clear and concise language, with the findings being well
illustrated and explained using tables containing mathematical figures. Indeed all of the data
collected and analyzed for this investigation have been presented in the most legitimate manner
and have been well validated, which is always crucial for good research as argued by Hislop et
al. (2018), I could detect no weaknesses in this research piece.
In my view, the overall value of the research piece is the fact that it highlights the
importance of developing critical thinking abilities and self-leadership abilities in students, so
that they are able to emerge as good and effective leaders someday. As argued by Nonis and
Hudson (2019), students are at a stage in their lives when they can learn and retain whatever it is
that is being taught to them. It is further argued by Bucaro (2019), and Mladenovic et al. (2019),
that critical thinking is imperative for management activities as managers need to learn to think
outside the box in order to be able to innovate and to encourage employees in an organization to
innovate. In the view of Mukherjee et al. (2019) self-leadership is crucial as only when
employees are able to see their supervisors functioning in an autonomous or independent way
will they be inspired to work in much the same way.
Thus, it is evident from the critical review carried out above that self – leadership and
critical thinking share a vital, significant and positive relationship with one another. Self-
leadership and critical thinking should both be encouraged in students, if the youth of today are
to be trained to become great managers and leaders in the future.

6CRITICAL THINKING AND MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING
References
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