MSLD 500_Activity 7.3_Kemp,Elijah

Quantitative research is much different than qualitative research. The primary objective of quantitative research is to find out why something happens, not how. In quantitative research, everything should be quantified somehow, or expressed numerically and statistically. One of the biggest differences from qualitative research is that factors that cannot be observed can be measured. Some of the strengths include being able to compare different groups or classes, giving an explanation of causes, and allowing detailed measurements or tests to be expressed in numbers. The weaknesses include data that is only quantifiable data, it gives a very stagnant view of reality, and it asks correct questions that may appear to be close-ended, unlike open-ended questions in a qualitative study.

Quantitative research is very popular in the social science fields like psychology, sociology, and economics. This is because research in these fields can be expressed in statistical terms. The data collected is much more straight forward and factual, rather than opinionated and dynamic. Surveys are a very common method of data collection in this type of research, but the questions are very structured and the responses are pre-determined by the person administering the survey.

MSLD 500_Activity 6.3_Kemp,Elijah

Qualitative research is defined as a type of research that seeks to find answers by collecting evidence and producing findings that were not determined before. Some of the most common qualitative research methods are focus groups, participant observation, and interviews. Focus groups are crucial in collecting data with cultural norms taken into account, participant observation is taking information from people in their usual contexts, and interviewing is used for collecting data on individual thoughts, opinions, views, and background.

In qualitative research, the questions asked to find answers are open ended and appear to be flexible when compared with questions of quantitative research. Participants are given the option to choose their own responses rather than being forced to choose from a pre-determined set of answers. By having this flexibility, the answers are unanticipated by the researcher and they may be more complex and detailed in nature.

Perhaps another significant aspect of qualitative research is that it involves the beliefs, norms, and views of the local population that is involved in the research. Questions can be targeted to a specific audience or group of people who have similar characteristics, with everything from religion, gender, norms, and philosophies being used to in the answers. On the other hand, qualitative research does have its weaknesses. The number of people studied may be much less than in other research methods, the data may be much harder to compile and compare, and the questions asked are dependent upon the researchers own attributes and skills. 

MSLD 500_Activity 5.3_Kemp,Elijah

This is one class where I have been able to make immediate changes in my personal and professional life from the material and content being covered. Two of the biggest changes I have noticed in my decision making and thinking processes is becoming more aware of the assumptions that I make, and using the SEE-I process in real-life applications.

Assumptions are a necessary part of the thinking process as they represent the beginning of reasoning. I tend to make assumptions about people and events at work but rarely ever noticed it and never thought through the implications of making these assumptions. I have become more aware of these assumptions, and I have been able to think through the consequences of the assumptions I make by asking myself questions that pertain to the question at hand. I have found that assumptions are much easier to recognize and think through when I know why I am making them and what I am trying to accomplish by making them.

The SEE-I process has been very beneficial to me, both in my personal and professional life. At work, the SEE-I process has allowed me to better analyze problems and situations by defining them and going into more detail than I normally would. By writing down the situation or problem and using the process to break it down into more detailed sections, finding a solution becomes easier and my decision is made with more confidence.

In my opinion, the only way to make lasting, positive changes in the way I think is by applying the techniques and concepts in everyday life. Like any other subject or topic, information that goes unused is likely to be forgotten. I want to prevent this from happening by using most of the techniques, information, and concepts in my personal and professional life. Using the processes and information learned in this course will ensure the retention of the material and concepts while fine-tuning my critical thinking skills.

MSLD 500_Activity 4.3_Kemp, Elijah

After watching the video, it appears as if Sheena is well-traveled and well-versed in many cultures. I do agree with her in regards to her assumptions. I think that one of the greatest freedoms Americans truly value is freedom of choice. It does not matter if the decision we make is the wrong one, at least we were able to make the decision rather than have someone make it for us, no matter what we are deciding on. Our freedom of choice is something that we inherit and begin to use at a very young age, and because we know nothing else, not having the freedom to choose is quite frightening.

Sheena mentions in one of her examples that Americans, when compared with people from Europe, will actually still choose to make a decision even when the outcome of that decision is too great to handle or bear. This is what we are accustomed to. In other cultures the ability to choose may be severely limited, making freedom of choice a privilege and not an entitlement.

I think my favorite assumption about choice is that more options lead to better choices. We live in a country where you can walk into a grocery store and easily choose between 15 different types of hot sauce, or 25 different types of deodorant. If there were only 15 choices of deodorant, would our decision be of lesser quality than if we had 25 choices? I think not. I think that it actually hinders our ability to choose because we become accustomed to having more and more choices. When we walk into a store with only 5 choices of deodorant we may become lost and unable to choose. It gives us the mindset that we should have 25 choices of deodorant or else we couldn’t possibly make the best decision. We may be a bit spoiled in this regard.

Leadership and choices go hand-in-hand. As leaders we will be faced will decisions that not only affect us but employees and the organization we work within. If we make these assumptions while in leadership positions it could hinder performance and prevent us from maximizing employee potential. On the other hand, it may do the complete opposite. There may not be 10 different choices for us in particular situations, so will we still be able to make that decision, and can we live with it and talk through it? Sometimes there may only be one decision to make and it may not be the most popular one among employees. Or, will having several different options allow us to make the best possible decision for our organization and its team as opposed to having a few options, or maybe even one? I think at all depends on the organization and the leader.

“Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice.”  -  Ayn Rand

MSLD 500_Activity 3.4_Kemp,Elijah

The Hunt Library has been a lifeline for me in my studies with ERAU, and the more I use it the more I realize how refreshing it is compared to typical search engines and informational databases. Traditional search engines offer researchers information from various sources, no matter how credible it is, but the Hunt Library offers sound information from credible sources that could have been reviewed by other students and faculty. For example, I typed the word “leadership” into the Hunt Library and it returned over 6 million results. Various content types like scholarly articles, peer reviewed articles, newspaper articles, and book reviews to name a few, were all generated and easily accessible for the student to use. When I typed the word “leadership” into Google it returned 81 million results, but the content that was returned was nowhere near as detailed as the Hunt Library, or as organized. Google generated everything from definitions to newspaper articles to businesses that offer leadership training.

In my opinion, the Hunt Library is tailored more to students than traditional search engines are. The content is much more detailed, easily accessible and simple to navigate, and the articles and content in general seem to be much more credible. The Hunt Library is student-friendly and serves as a great resource for any course that ERAU offers.

The Hunt Library was a great tool for me in my undergraduate studies, but it will be an even greater tool for me in my graduate studies. As mentioned earlier, the library is very easy to navigate around and has content readily available for almost any topic imaginable, especially leadership. Scholarly and peer reviewed articles are very convenient to use for term papers, and the newspaper articles are extremely beneficial for general discussions and questions throughout each course. It also makes it easy to cite because every piece of material in the library has a page showing the necessary information to give cite your work properly. The library is essentially a one-stop-shop for information, and with an 80-page paper on the horizon, the library is truly inviting.

ERAU has invested a generous amount of time and resources to ensure that students are being taken care of, and the Hunt Library is proof of that. 

MSLD 500_Activity 2.3_Kemp,Elijah

There are two areas in which I hold myself to very high standards: being a good husband and father, and also setting goals for myself.

I pride myself on dedicating almost all of my free time and energy to my family, whether it is helping them with something, cooking a meal, or having fun and enjoying a movie or sports game. Feeling loved and appreciated is perhaps the biggest benefit of being a “family man”, but there are several more. Being a good role model, setting a good example, and being a good provider are all added benefits of setting high standards as a father and a husband. I got married when I was 19, and I immediately had the responsibility of providing for my wife and my step-daughter. Because I had so much responsibility when I was young, I was forced to mature and grow up fast. My wife helped to develop my parenting skills, along with my confidence to live up to the high standards that her and I set for myself. Just as she holds herself to high standards as a mother and wife, I do the same in a father and husband capacity. Over the years I’ve fine-tuned my skills and abilities to overcome change and difficulties in my marriage while maintaining a good relationship with my wife. My maturity has increased every year with the help of my wife, through hard work and dedication. My priorities seem to have changed as well. My family now takes priority over every other person or function in my life, where they may not have in my early years of marriage.

I also hold myself to the standard of setting both short-term and long-term goals for myself. When I do not have goals in my future, I feel as if I am less accomplished, almost as if I have nothing to feel motivated about or to look forward to. My wife consistently empowers me to set goals for myself, both personally and professionally. My first goals included starting college courses and getting home from Iraq alive, and my current goals include finishing my master’s degree, obtaining a promotion at work, and spending more quality time with my family. I feel that over the years my goals have become more difficult to obtain. I enjoy achieving smaller goals that require less time and energy, but long term goals are typically harder to obtain and require much more effort, time, and resources. I think that as time goes by, I will become even more goal oriented. I also feel that this standard I hold myself to will have a positive impact on my first standard, which was being a good husband and father.

No goal is unattainable when you have the right people behind you.

MSLD 500 - Activity 1.6 - Kemp, Elijah

The foundation for critical thinking defines intellectual perseverance as having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or frustrations; firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others (http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528).

In various careers today, especially those in leadership and managerial roles, intellectual perseverance is something that is visited on a daily basis. In my short professional career and in my time as an undergraduate student, I have had numerous opportunities to use my intellectual perseverance to overcome an obstacle, solve a problem, or succeed in a certain position. Being able to make the right decision at the right moment could mean the difference between success and failure, and as I progress in my educational and professional career, this term has never been more pronounced. Intellectual perseverance requires certain traits from an individual that come with experience and those that don’t. Courage, patience, and understanding are three very powerful words that come to mind when I think of this term. Having the courage to make decisions, talk through them, and deal with the consequences is enormous when pursuing a graduate degree, or facing a challenging situation at work. The same can be said for being patient with the process of succeeding, as success does not come easy in most tasks, and also for understanding the situation and views of others well enough to make informed decisions. Intellectual perseverance requires a higher degree of thinking that can be achieved through higher studies, so being able to develop as a critical thinker is pertinent to my success as a student and as a leader.

While I pursue my graduate degree with Embry-Riddle, I will draw from my past experiences as a leader to be successful. To me, intellectual perseverance and good leadership go hand-in-hand. Characteristics of a good leader include relating well to others, having the courage to make decisions, and understanding all view points before making the decision. Different strengths of different leaders can be leveraged to achieve different goals, and ultimately good leaders are respected, admired, and liked by their peers and followers. Building relationships with my peers in class and drawing from their knowledge, skills, and abilities is one way to help me maximize my learning potential as a graduate student. Also, understanding their viewpoints and taking them into consideration during discussions is essential to my development. I want to be able to actively engage the class and offer viewpoints that will help with their development as well.

I never thought I would be enrolled into a graduate degree program, nor did I think I would be a leader in my field, but the opportunity for me to prove myself as an effective and efficient leader has presented itself, both in my academic and professional careers. I have the opportunity to influence others who share the same desire to graduate with a degree in leadership, an opportunity to use my intellectual perseverance to complete challenging assignments and strenuous timelines. Just as I have made difficult decisions, removed obstacles for my team, and built relationships to accomplish tasks in my professional career, I will do the same in my educational endeavors. Some say good leaders are born, not made. In my opinion, good leaders can be made if they possess intellectual perseverance.