Data driven decision making -Milestone 4

Topic Selection and Research Questions

Data driven decision making

13 January 2026

Topic Selection and Research Questions 1. Selected Research Topic

Effects of Transformational Leadership on engagement and performance of employees.

This is a topic that has a direct relation to the leadership in organizations since the leadership style has a great influence on the manner in which employees conduct themselves, their performance and dedication to their organizations. Transformational leadership is the leadership style that is much discussed in the literature on leadership since it encourages the employees in comparison with transactional incentives, as it concentrates on vision, inspiration, intellectual stimulation and individual attention. The role of transformational leadership in employee engagement and overall organizational performance has come at the right time and in a practical manner in the present time when organizations are fast changing, globalizing, and have diverse workforce.

The topic has the right scope of an academic research paper. Neither is it too broad, since it deals with a narrow leadership style and two outcomes (employee engagement and organizational performance) that can be measured. Meanwhile, it is sufficiently wide to enable the inclusion of various peer-reviewed sources in industries and the organizational environment. Also, this subject is consistent with the aim of organizational leadership research that enhances the decision-making process, leadership style, and organizational performance (Wilson, 2014).

2. Research Questions and Definition of Key Concepts Research Question 1 What is the effect of transformational leadership in the modern organizations concerning employee engagement? Definition of key concepts: Transformational leadership is a type of leadership whereby the leaders inspire and motivate their followers by building a strong vision, promoting innovation and critical thinking, serving as role models, and addressing the needs of individual employees (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Employee engagement refers to the extent of employee commitment, both emotionally, cognitively, and socially to work and their organization in terms of enthusiasm, dedication and the readiness to do much beyond their organizational job descriptions (Kahn, 1990). This question is dedicated to the behavioral leadership and the direct connection between leadership and employee attitudes and behaviors. This is possible since involvement is usually quantified by validated surveys and has been extensively researched in the literature of organizations.
Research Question 2 How is there a relationship between organizational performance and employee engagement with transformational leadership? Definition of key concepts: Organizational performance is the effectiveness of an organization in meeting its objectives which can be financial performance, productivity, quality service delivery, innovation and staff retention. In this case, relationship means the association or the connection between the level of engagement of the employees and the result of the performance in the case that there is transformational leadership. This question is logically construct on the first one as it explores whether employees who are being engaged under the transformational leaders contribute to better organizational results. It helps to achieve the aim of the research in translating the theory of leadership into organizational outcomes that is prioritized in the leadership (Wilson, 2014).
Research Question 3 What are the organizational factors that facilitate and/or undermine the effectiveness of transformational leadership on employee engagement and performance? Definition of key concepts: The conditions in the organization are those ones that are related to organizational culture, communication practices, type of industry, workforce diversity, and organizational structure. Effectiveness is how the transformational leadership is able to deliver positive results in terms of engagement and performance. This question gives contextual factors, which acknowledges that leadership is not a lone activity. It provides the possibility to analyze the effectiveness of leadership more critically and thoroughly. 3. Assumptions Underlying the Research Questions

These research questions are based on a number of assumptions. These suppositions are acceptable and rational according to the existing theory of leadership and empirical studies.

Assumption 1: The style of leadership has a great impact on the behavior and attitudes of employees.

The study presupposes that the behavior of the leaders can affect the employee engagement and performance in a meaningful way. This is one of the assumptions that are largely supported by the organizational leadership literature, and it has repeatedly indicated that leaders influence the climate of work, motivation, and the results of employees (Bass and Riggio, 2006). The given assumption is agreeable since it is based on decades of theoretical and empirical studies.

Assumption 2: Employee engagement is one of the main factors driving organizational performance.

The other assumption is that engaged employees are more productive, dedicated, and volunteer to make their contribution to organizational success. This is a valid assumption as many studies have associated engagement with such good results that include higher performance, reduced turnover and customer satisfaction (Kahn, 1990). Although the engagement is not the sole factor influencing performance, it is an influential one that is well-known.

Assumption 3: Transformational leadership is not a universal leadership.

The study presupposes that organizational factors could be used to determine the effectiveness of transformational leadership. This is a reasonable assumption since organizations vary in terms of culture, structure, and the composition of workforce. According to research methodology literature, untested assumptions will restrict the scope of knowledge, thus being clear on contextual variation will enhance the research design (Saunders et al., 2019).

All in all, these assumptions can be tolerated since they are open to critical analysis with the available research, are transparent, and based on theories. By admitting them, one can prevent any bias and contribute to more rigorous and ethical research.

Conclusion This milestone has offered a solid base to the final paper by choosing a topical and manageable topic, defining the research questions and critically analyzing the assumptions made behind the research questions. The course focus on organizational leadership and the topic and research questions are in line with the requirements of a feasible, interesting, relevant, and ethically sound research. These questions may be further narrowed down as one applies more insight into the academic material as the course continues. References

Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A., & Bristow, A. (2019). Research methods for business students (Chapter 4). Pearson Education.

Wilson, J. (2014). Essentials of business research. SAGE Publications.