This assignment aims to develop a nuanced understanding of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in various research themes, fostering the application of critical thinking skills to assess their implications for the field of Leadership.
General Instructions
Critical Review of Research Themes
Grades: 30% written report
Students are required to work on this project individually.
Students are required to submit a soft copy via Turnitin – Blackboard, on or before 08 Sept 2025.
You need to cite all references that you used in your project both in the text (only surname & year) as well as at the end of the project (full citation).
The APA citation and referencing format must be followed strictly. http://www.bibme.org/citation- guide/apa/
PENALTY
Late submission: No submissions will be accepted after the deadline . In the case of a special exception, there will be a 5% penalty for every day late . To ensure the submission is submitted before the deadline, kindly submit your assignment much earlier to avoid bottleneck in the system. Be reminded that Turnitin will need 24 hours to generate the similarity index for 2nd submission and onwards of the same assignment.
Similarity index: There will be a 50% penalty for similarity index more than 20%. To ensure the similarity index to be generated on-time, kindly submit your assignment much earlier as possible.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated [100% penalty + referral to the OAI]. Note that plagiarizing – copying material from a publication, from a web site or from another person without proper attribution - is a serious academic offence. Please read more details on the universities policies on plagiarism.
6. FORMAT
Times New Roman, font size 12, line spacing 2.
The total number of pages are recommended to be around 12 pages. The cover page must include full names of the student, ID and a title. Both the cover page and the content page as well as appendices are not counted as part of the pages.
This assignment aims to develop a nuanced understanding of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in various research themes, fostering the application of critical thinking skills to assess their implications for the field of Leadership. The primary objective of this individual assignment is to undertake a critical evaluation and comparison of research themes presented during the seminar, employing analytical and critical thinking skills to assess the contributions and limitations of each theme. As an integral part of this task, students are expected to conduct a thorough literature review, placing the chosen research themes within the broader context of leadership.
Structure:
Title Page
Title of project, author (your name), name of instructor, date. Please use the university’s formal template!
Executive Summary
A coherent summary of the whole project! It should provide the reader with a clear understanding of the report without having to look at any other part of the report!
Introduction
Briefly introduce the purpose of the assignment.
Provide an overview of the selected research themes.
Clearly state the aim and critically evaluate and compare these themes.
Main Body
Research Theme 1:
Provide a detailed overview of the first research theme presented in the seminar.
Research Theme 2:
Provide a detailed overview of the second research theme presented in the seminar.
Critical Analysis:
Critically evaluate the selected themes.
Apply analytical and critical thinking skills to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each research theme.
Consider the broader implications of the research themes for the field of leadership.
Discuss the contributions and limitations of all research themes.
Conclusion
Your own conclusion is based on the issues discussed in the report.
Please use APA Referencing Style!
References
Rubric: Critical Review of Research Themes
Criteria
Percentage
Exceeds Standards
90 % or above
Meets Standards
75% to 89%
Below Standards
less than 75%
Points
Case summary & problems definition
15%
Identifies clearly the problem and underlying issues.
Recognizes key problems in the case.
Does not identify the problem.
Application of Theory
20%
Discusses facts of the case in relation to theories and concepts.
Considers facts from the case and identify related theories and concepts.
Simply repeats facts listed in case and does not identify related theories and concepts.
Critical Analysis
25%
Provides thorough and sometimes insightful analysis of facts presented in the case, using multiple methods or tools to reach conclusions about potential courses of action.
Uses tools, approaches, or methods as necessary to combine facts or derive meanings from facts in order to reach conclusions about potential courses of action.
Does not attempt to derive meaning from the facts presented in the case, or uncritically accepts opinions as facts.
Recommendations
25%
Provides many alternative solutions and demonstrates the use of integrated knowledge in creative solutions to unfamiliar problems in unfamiliar contexts.
generates an adequate number of solutions. More than one reasonable action proposed.
No action proposed or proposes infeasible action(s).
Overall writing and structure
15%
Effectively uses an academic style and has no errors related to organization, or use of APA citation formatting
Uses an academic style and has minimal errors related to organization, or use of APA citation formatting
Uses an incoherent style and there are major errors related to organization, or use of APA citation formatting
Sample Answer
Introduction
Leadership is one of the most widely studied subjects in business and people management. Different research themes have been developed over time to explain how leaders influence their teams and organisations. The aim of this report is to review two themes that were discussed in the seminar: Transformational Leadership and Employee Engagement and Ethical Leadership and Organisational Trust.
The purpose is not only to describe these themes but to think critically about their strengths, weaknesses, and how they matter in real workplaces. This approach links directly with the CIPD learning outcomes, which expect students to evaluate research and apply it to practice in a balanced way.
Research Theme 1: Transformational Leadership and Employee Engagement
Transformational leadership describes leaders who try to inspire and motivate their people by creating a clear vision and giving them energy to go beyond their basic tasks. They encourage new ideas, show personal support, and act as role models. Research shows that when leaders behave in this way, employees often feel more engaged. Engagement here means being more committed, motivated, and emotionally connected to the work.
Strengths:
Helps employees to feel valued and included.
Encourages creativity, which is important in fast-changing organisations.
Builds higher levels of loyalty and performance.
Weaknesses:
Depends too much on the leader’s personality; not every manager can inspire in this way.
May ignore everyday practical needs, such as policies and resources.
Can sometimes create a “hero” culture, where people follow one leader without asking questions.
Continued...
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