BUSI2231 Dissertation Proposal: Leadership & Working Environment

This dissertation proposal explores the impact of leadership on communication and the development of a healthy working environment. It introduces the research problem, emphasizing the importance of effective leadership in fostering a positive and productive workplace. The proposal includes a literature review, identifying key theoretical concepts and potentially forming hypotheses for quantitative studies. It covers the concept of leadership, the role of communication in effective working, and how leadership contributes to a healthy environment. The methodology section outlines the research philosophy (positivism), research design (explanatory), data collection method (secondary), and data analysis techniques. The proposal also addresses ethical considerations and provides a timeline for the research. This document highlights the crucial role of leadership in shaping the working environment and promoting employee well-being and productivity.

Running head: IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Impact of leadership in communication and development of healthy working environment
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Abstract
The paper has been written based on the leadership qualities that will help a leader to develop
the skills of a leader in brining changes in an organisation. Various factors play a major role
in the development of effective leadership in an organisation. The leaders are the building
block in an organisation. It is important that the organisation must hire leaders who will help
in bringing effective changes in the working as well as productivity of the employees.

2IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................3
1.1 Background of the Study..................................................................................................3
1.2. Statement of the problem................................................................................................3
1.3. Rationale of the research.................................................................................................3
1.4. Research aims and objectives..........................................................................................3
1.5. Research Question...........................................................................................................4
1.6. Research Hypothesis.......................................................................................................4
2. Literature Review...............................................................................................................5
2.1. Conceptual Framework...................................................................................................5
2.2. Concept of leadership......................................................................................................5
2.3. Ways communication help in effective working............................................................6
2.4. Ways leadership will help in development of healthy working environment.................7
3. Methodology.......................................................................................................................8
3.1. Research Philosophy.......................................................................................................8
3.2. Research design...............................................................................................................8
3.3. Research Data Collection................................................................................................9
3.4. Sampling method............................................................................................................9
3.5. Data analysis technique...................................................................................................9
3.6. Limitation of the Study.................................................................................................10
4. Ethical issues.....................................................................................................................10

3IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
5. Timeline............................................................................................................................10
6. Reference List...................................................................................................................12

4IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Leadership is a crucial factor that will develop the working process as well as
efficiency of the employees. According to Yu and Ko (2017), leadership is a crucial factor
that will help in the development of the working process as well as help in the improvement
of the efficiency of the employees. Leadership is a research skill that enables organised
working improving the working style that will be effective in the organisation.
1.2. Statement of the problem
According to Bolman and Deal (2017), understanding the leadership style that will
help in the development of communication as well as working environment. However, most
of the time it has been observed that the leaders are unable to understand the leadership style
that will be effective in the organisation.
1.3. Rationale of the research
The competition in the market and increase productivity of the organisation has been
a great issue for the organisations. In the words of Fortunato, Gigliotti and Ruben (2017),
leadership style is a crucial factor that helps in the growth of the organisation ensuring that
there will be effective working as well as productivity of the organisation. It is necessary that
the leaders must understand in order to develop the working environment it is necessary that
they must develop a good working relationship with the employees.
1.4. Research aims and objectives
The paper will help to understand the impact of leadership in an organisation and the
ways communication will develop a healthy working environment.
The following are some of the research objectives:

5IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
 To understand the leadership style that will have a great impact in brining effective
changes in the organisation.
 To understand the importance of communication in making workplace healthy.
 To understand the importance of healthy workplace that will be influenced by the
leadership style.
1.5. Research Question
The following are some of the research questions:
Q1. How will leadership style have an impact in the working environment?
Q2. How does communication help improve working environment?
Q3. How can communication bring in changes in the leadership style that will enable in the
development of the working environment?
Q4. How workplace environment will help in developing the effectiveness of the productivity
of the employees?
1.6. Research Hypothesis
H0: Leadership has an impact in communication and working environment of the
organisation.
H1: Leadership has no impact in communication and working environment of the
organisation.

6IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
2. Literature Review
2.1. Conceptual Framework
Fig 1: Conceptual Framework
(Source: Created by the researcher)
2.2. Concept of leadership
Leadership is a crucial factor that will help in brining several changes in the
organisation ensuring development of the organisation. In the words of Rosenbach (2018),
leadership is the skills that is being developed by people in order to improve the working
style of the employees in an organisation. With the practice of leadership, there will be
enhancement of the working process of the employees in the organisation. It is necessary that
the leaders must know the organisation and its working well that will help to develop of the
working style of the employees in the organisation. As it has been mentioned by Sanders
(2017), leadership style is an important factor that will help in the development of the
working style of the employees.
Conceptual
Framework
Independend
variable
Leadership
Dependent
Variable
Communication Workplace
environement

7IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The leaders are the building blocks in an organisation who helps in the right working
of the employees motivating them. In the words of Hargett et al. (2017), the leadership is a
person who has the ability to changes the way of thinking of a person. Hence, a leader is
being appointed in an organisation to bring in changes in the mentality and the way of
thinking of the employees. As it has been mentioned by Jin, Meng and Berger (2017), it is
necessary that the leader must understand the employees and develop healthy professional
relationship with the employees as it will help the employees as well as leaders to
communicate issues that about the organisation or the issues that are being faced by the
employees. As it has been mentioned by Northouse (2019), leadership is the practice that
helps a leader to understand the ways that will have an impact in the working process of the
employees brining in changes in the workplace.
2.3. Ways communication help in effective working
Northouse (2019) mentioned that communication is one of the factor that will help in
the effective working in an organisation. Researchers proved that with communication there
has been improvement in relationship among employees and management. Employees
become free while working in an organisation where there is effective communication. In the
process of working, several barriers are being witnessed by the employees. It is the
responsibility of the leaders to ensure that the employees can work effectively which is
possible with the help of communication. As stated by Jin, Meng and Berger (2017), with
communication there will be development of the employees’ job satisfaction. Issues that are
being faced by the employees will be conveyed to the management or the leader that will help
to resolve when there will be effective communication in the workplace.
In the words of Sanders (2017), with communication of the leader there will be
creativity or innovation identified among the employees. As there will be discussion or often
meeting held in an organisation wherein the employees can open up their though or

8IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
communicate there will be creativity developed in the employees. The organisation growth is
also being impacted with the communication that will help in improvement of productivity or
enhance the quality of the products. One of the major aspect that is being developed with
communication is team building. With team building, the leader will be enable to produce
effective production or quality to the organisation that will help in the development of the
productivity of the organisation. In the words of Rosenbach (2018), the leaders must have a
great communication skill, as they are the medium between the organisation and the
employees.
2.4. Ways leadership will help in development of healthy working environment
As it has been mentioned by Northouse (2018), leadership is a crucial factor that helps
in building a healthy and peaceful environment. It is the duty of the leaders to help in
developing a healthy working environment. The working environment is a crucial factor as it
helps in receiving job satisfaction and improve the bonding among the employees. The
leaders cannot change the working environment. However, they can change the working style
of the employees and bring in changes in the effective working in an organisation. As it has
been mentioned by Priest and Gass (2017), the leaders develop policies that will help in
meeting the goals of the organisation. The policies are being developed understanding the
working process as well as the policies must be developed in a way that will help in
development of a healthy working environment.
The leaders with effective communication ensures that the employees have a good
bonding among themselves are tries to resolve the issues that are being faced by the
employees. In case of any conflict in the organisation, the leaders ensure that they follow the
policies and resolve the issue as early as possible (Rosenbach 2018). Hence, the leaders are
the medium between the employees as well as the employees and the organisation. As it has
been mentioned by Sanders (2017), the leaders take up leadership styles that will help in

9IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
maintaining a healthy working environment. Servant leadership is the most common
leadership that is being followed worldwide in various organisations as it is considered that
the leaders work for the employees bringing in peaceful working environment in the
organisation. Hence, leadership is a crucial factor that develops a healthy working
environment.
3. Methodology
3.1. Research Philosophy
The analysis and development of the study is known as research philosophy. To
perform a research proposal there is use of three types of research philosophy that will help in
the development of an appropriate research paper. The three types of research philosophy are
positivism, realism and interpretivism. According to Antonakis and Day (2017), positivism is
a research that is based on in-depth knowledge as well as analysis of topic. Whereas
interpretivism is the management of the activities or functions in the research and realisms is
the mixed approach that will help in the determination of the factors that will help in the
improvement of the working style in the research paper. According to the sensory experiment
and analysis that takes place based on facts is the positivism research. The other two
researches philosophy will be not considered while performing the research paper as it has
various variants that has various perceptions depending on the persons.
3.2. Research design
In order to perform the research design it is necessary to know about the designs that help in
performing the research. In the words of Johannessen (2020), descriptive, exploratory and
explanatory are the three types of research design. With the help of the research, design one
can evaluate and understand the process the paper will be designed. The Analytical or
descriptive research design will help to describe the concept of the paper. On the other hand,

10IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
the exploratory will help to understand the concept in the initial stage of the research and the
explanatory will help to explain the relationship between the two variables dependent and
independent (dur.ac.uk 2020). The paper will be using the explanatory research design, as it
will help to understand the impact of the dependent variable in the dependent variable.
Hence, the other two factors will be rejected.
3.3. Research Data Collection
There are two types of data collection method primary data collection and secondary
data collection method. The primary data collection is the information that is being collected
from people with the help of survey or interviews and the secondary data collection is the
method wherein information is being gathered from articles, journals or any printed sources
like newspaper or internet sources (dur.ac.uk 2020). The data collection method used here is
secondary data collection method as the information that is collected is from articles and
journals.
3.4. Sampling method
The information is being gathered from the articles and journals that were based on
leadership. Every article that was based on leadership was not considered. Articles or journals
that is based on communication and workplace environment and the impact of leadership on
the variables are being selected for the paper.
3.5. Data analysis technique
The data that is being collected from the articles must be based on the topic and the
ways it has been affecting the working process of the research. The information that is being
collected must be converted to graphs and charts that will help in better understanding of the
working process (dur.ac.uk 2020). The qualitative data is being collected with the thematic
approach that will be undertaken.

11IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
3.6. Limitation of the Study
As it has been mentioned by Priest and Gass (2017), numerous limitations will be there is
a research paper no matter how well it is being planned. Timeframe is an important factor
that is a great limitation of a research paper. Another issue that is being faced while
performing a research paper is finding articles that are appropriate for the research paper.
4. Ethical issues
In the words of Northouse (2018), while performing a research paper it is necessary that
the materials that is being collected from articles and journals or internet sources must be
genuine. The research must also ensure that there is no plagiarism, which is copy pasting the
information that is being collected from the sources. As it has been mentioned by Priest and
Gass (2017), the information that is being collected must be ethical and modification in the
information is unethical. Hence, while working in a paper it is necessary that the researcher
must not use any information that is unethical.
5. Timeline

12IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Fig 2: Gantt Chart
(Source: Created by the researcher)

13IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
6. Reference List
Antonakis, J. and Day, D.V. eds., 2017. The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and
leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
Fortunato, J.A., Gigliotti, R.A. and Ruben, B.D., 2017. Racial incidents at the University of
Missouri: The value of leadership communication and stakeholder relationships.
International Journal of Business Communication, 54(2), pp.199-209.
Grint, K., Jones, O.S., Holt, C. and Storey, J., 2016. What is leadership. The Routledge
Companion to Leadership, p.3.
Hargett, C.W., Doty, J.P., Hauck, J.N., Webb, A.M., Cook, S.H., Tsipis, N.E., Neumann,
J.A., Andolsek, K.M. and Taylor, D.C., 2017. Developing a model for effective leadership in
healthcare: a concept mapping approach. Journal of healthcare leadership, 9, p.69.
Jin, Y., Meng, J. and Berger, B., 2017. The influence of communication leadership qualities
on effective crisis preparedness strategy implementation: Insights from a global study.
Communication Management Review, 2(01), pp.8-29.
Johannessen, J.A., 2020. Political Leadership and Value Creation Processes in the Innovation
Economy. In Knowledge Management for Leadership and Communication. Emerald
Publishing Limited.
Northouse, P.G., 2018. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Northouse, P.G., 2019. Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. SAGE
Publications, Incorporated.
Priest, S. and Gass, M., 2017. Effective leadership in adventure programming, 3E. Human
Kinetics.
Rosenbach, W.E., 2018. Contemporary issues in leadership. Routledge.

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Sanders, J.O., 2017. Spiritual leadership: Principles of excellence for every believer. Moody
Publishers.
Western, S., 2019. Leadership: A critical text. SAGE Publications Limited.
www.dur.ac.uk, 2020. Online Ethics Form [Online] Dur.ac.uk. Available at:
<https://www.dur.ac.uk/research.innovation/governance/ethics/process/online/> [Accessed
16 March 2020].
www.dur.ac.uk, 2020. Research And Innovation Services : Ethics And Governance Toolkit -
Durham University. [online] Dur.ac.uk. Available at:
<https://www.dur.ac.uk/research.innovation/governance/ethics/> [Accessed 16 March 2020].
Yu, S. and Ko, Y., 2017. Communication competency as a mediator in the self-leadership to
job performance relationship. Collegian, 24(5), pp.421-425.