Developing the Argument for the Question You Really Really Want to Answer

Develop a sentence outline of your Introduction in the following format:

Research Title: _______________________________________________________________

Research Question: ____________________________________________________________

[you may have more than one question or an overarching question with minor questions]

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Sentence Outline of Introduction References Cited

I. Overview

[begin by outlining the studys contribution to

leadership theory/literature and its relevance to
Philippine society]

What is the theoretical significance of the problem; why does

it warrant new research?

A. _________________________________________
B. _________________________________________
C. _________________________________________

II. Review of Literature

[outline the key results/findings, theories/approaches,

themes/patterns, and gaps/inconsistencies from the
review of literature, leading to your research question]

What have other studies already discovered about this

problem or phenomenon, and how does our study relate to
and extend this previous work?

A. _________________________________________
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
3. __________________________________
B. _________________________________________
__

1
 1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
C. _________________________________________
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
3. __________________________________
4. __________________________________
D. _________________________________________

III. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

[outline the key assumptions of your theoretical lens

and show how it is suitable or relevant to your research
question]
What is our theoretical approach, framework, or lens in
addressing the problem? Why this approach?

A. _________________________________________
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________
B. _________________________________________
1. __________________________________
2. __________________________________

IV. Research Problem(s) / Hypotheses (if applicable)

References

[minimum of 15 references cited in this sentence outline, listed in APA format]

2
SAMPLE ONLY

NAME: Jaypy T. Tenerife

EXERCISE 1:

Finding a Problem You Want to Solve

RESEARCH AREA

Identify the general area of interest.

I am interested in the area of leadership and organizational commitment in the academe.

For two good reasons: First, the works of Krishma and Marquardt (2007), mentioned that
organizational commitment has been explored over the past 40 years because of its benefits to
individuals and the organization. Similarly, Guest (1991), and Tella, Ayeni, and Popoola (2007),
mentioned that organizational commitment directly affects turnover and employee absences,
factors that may be critical not just for academic institutions, but in almost all types of
organizations. Although many researches in the western context show that it is not prudent to so
say that commitment has direct and immediate impact on performance (e.g., the works of
Hackett, Bycio, Hausadorf, 1994; Shore and Wagner, 1993), this may not be true in Asian
context considering that several researches done in Southeast Asia argues that organizational
commitment contributes to workforce stability, better customer service, hence increase business
performance (Nguyen, Mai, Nguye, 2014; Moscoso Riveros, and Tsai, 2011; and Ling, and
Ibrahin, 2013). Second, the kind of leadership carried-out in the organization may influence the
development or growth of organizational commitment. This idea was driven by the works of
Drury (2004) who studied servant leadership and organizational commitment in US
organizations; Shirbagi (2007) who studied organizational commitment and leadership frames in
Indian and Iranian higher education institutions; and Ling and Ibrahim (2013), who studied
transformational leadership and teacher commitment in Southeast Asia (i.e., Sarawak,
Malaysia).
The works of Lawrence, Ott, and Bell (2010) highlighted that faculty and campus service
are traditionally conceptualized along three activity dimensions: teaching, research, and service.
This makes the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) unique. The HEIs are being driven by the
existing passions and ideological frame of mind of its people (e.g., teachers, administrators,

3
owners and benefactors, customers, and stakeholders). My line of reasoning coming from an
academic lens is, greater commitment and effective leadership approach are needed in HEIs to
ensure a palpable school output. Comparing it with the industry, the critical importance of
leadership and organizational commitment are both recognized in quality and in productivity
gains. In HEIs, both leadership and organizational commitment are expected not just to produce
yields (i.e., graduates) but, also ensure that the outcomes are in a higher moral state (e.g.,
graduates with industry-desired values, upright, and competent).
My aim is twofold: 1) to operationally define leadership and organizational commitment
in the Philippine setting using the lens of managers, administrators, and executives in the
academe; and 2) look into the relationship of leadership and organizational commitment in the
academic sector, specifically in tertiary education.
Based on my scrutiny, the research area may fall under the following: 1) contemporary
research in business; 2) information and management; 3) applied psychology; 4) human
relations; 4) education administration; 6) applied educational research; and 7) leadership studies.

RESEARCH TOPIC

Identify specific topic/s within the general area of interest indicated above.

1. Exploring leadership and organizational commitment frames within family-owned HEIs

in the Philippines
2. The relationship of leadership styles, employee commitment, and organizational
performance in the academe
3. A framework for the development of organizational commitment in the academe using
____ type of leadership (e.g., transformational, generative, servant, etc.)
4. Factors affecting organizational commitment in the academe (i.e., leadership as one of
the variables)
5. Comparing the organizational commitment of private non-sectarian, private-sectarian,
and public HEIs in the Philippines (Greater Manila Area, Leadership as of the
variables)

4
KEY VARIABLES

Identify variable/s within the specific topic/s above.

1. Leadership, Organizational Commitment

2. Leadership styles, employee commitment, organizational performance

LITERATURE SEARCH

A. key word/s used: Leadership and Organizational Commitment in schools

# of hits: 20
Sample title:
1. Career commitment as a complex moderator or organizational commitment and
turnover intention
2. The impact of organizational commitment, senior management involvement, and
team involvement on strategic information systems planning
3. A framework for the development of organizational commitment using action
learning
4. Servant leadership and organizational commitment
5. An empirical assessment or organizational commitment and organizational
effectiveness
6. Factors affecting employees organizational commitment a study of banking staff
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
7. Career commitment and organizational commitment in for-profit and non-profit
sectors
8. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment: the case of shkodra municipality
9. The relationship between training and organizational commitment: a study in the
health care field
10. Exploring organizational commitment and leadership frames within indian and
iranian higher education institutions
11. Creating organizational commitment by satisfying customers
12. Vision, leadership and commitment
13. Transformational leadership and teacher commitment in secondary schools of
Sarawak
14. Management leadership and organizational commitment

5
 15. Relationship of leadership styles, employee commitment and organizational
performance (A study on customer support representatives)
16. Influence of team leadership and team commitment on teamwork and
conscientiousness
17. The effects of transformational and change leadership on employees commitment
to a change: a multilevel study
18. The effects of transformational leadership on teachers commitment to change in
Hong Kong
19. Leadership behavior, organizational commitment, job satisfaction and service
quality in commercial banks in Uganda
20. When change leadership impacts commitment to change and when it doesnt : a
multilevel multi-dimensional investigation

B. key word/s used: Leadership and Organizational Commitment

# of hits: 19
Sample title:
21. Dimensions of organizational commitment: a study of information technology
professionals in Pakistan
22. Meyer and Allen Model of organizational commitment: measurement issues
23. Corporate ethical values and organizational commitment in marketing
24. Commitment and perceived organizational support
25. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment among probation and parole
officers: a case study
26. Experimental analysis of organizational commitment within the scope of
downsizing threat and empowerment opportunity
27. Faculty organizational commitment and citizenship
28. Organizational commitment, relationship commitment and their association within
attachment style and locus of control
29. Assessing the effects of organizational commitment and job satisfaction on
turnover: an event history approach
30. Gender differences in organizational commitment
31. Facilitating organizational commitment through human resource practices
32. Perceived organizational support and organizational commitment: the mediating
role of organization based self esteem

6
 33. Organizational commitment, job involvement, and turnover: a substantive and
methodological analysis
34. Organizational commitment
35. Work motivation and organizational commitment among Iranian employees
36. Organizational commitment of female lectures in higher institutions of learning in
Uganda: its nature and determinant factors
37. Human resource management and dairy employee organizational commitment
38. Psychological constructs and organizational commitment profiles: effects of
contract fulfilment and violation on employee outcomes
39. Work teams and organizational commitment: exploring the influence of team
experience on employee attitude

POSSIBLE RESEARCH PROBLEMS

Identify what you really want to know by putting the key variables together in a problem
written in question form.

1. How do employees of family-owned HEIs in the Philippines perceived leadership and

organizational commitment?
2. What affects the development of organizational commitment in a family-owned HEI in
the Philippines?
3. Does the kind of leadership applied by the proprietors of family-owned HEIs affect
organizational commitment?
4. How leadership and organizational commitment affects the performance of a family
owned-academic institution?
5. Is there a difference on how leadership and organizational commitment are developed in
private-non-sectarian, private-sectarian, and public HEIs in the Philippines?

REFERENCES

Cite at least 5 references used for this exercise in APA format.

Drury, S. L. (2004). Servant leadership and organizational commitment. School of

Leadership Studies. Regent University.
Guest, E. A. (1991). Human resource management. London: McGraw-Hill.
Krishma, V., and Marquardt, M.J. (2007). A framework for the development of

7
 organizational commitment using action learning. The George Washington University
Press.
Hackett, R.D., Bycio, P., and Hausadorf, P.A. (1994). Further assessment of Meyer and
Allens 1991 three components model of organizational commitment. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 79, 340-350.
Lawrence, J., Ott, M., and Bell, A. (2010). Faculty organizational commitment and
citizenship. Springer Science, Business Media.
Ling, S.L.M, and Ibrahim, M. S.(2013). Transformational leadership and teacher
commitment in secondary school of Sarawak. International Journal of Independent
Research and Studies, 2(2), 51-65.
Moscoso Riveros, A. M., and Tsai, T.S. (2011). Career commitment and organizational
commitment in for-profit and non-profit sectors. International Journal of Emerging
Science.
Nguyen, T.N., Mai, K.N., Nguyen, P.V. (2014). Factors affecting employees organizational
commitment a study of banking staff in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Journal of
Advanced Management Science.
Shirbagi, N. (2007). Exploring organizational commitment and leadership frames within
indian and Iranian higher education institutions. Bulletin of Education and Research.
Shore, L.M., and Wagner, S.J. (1993). Commitment and employee behavior. Comparison of
affective commitment with perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 78, 774-780.
Tella, A., Ayeni, C.O., and Popoola, S.O. (2007). Work motivation, job satisfaction, and
organizational commitment of library personnel in academic and research libraries in
Oyo State, Nigeria. Library Philosophy and Practice.