Skip to content
Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter November 22, 2016

Qualitative evaluation of a service leadership subject in a Chinese context

  • Daniel T.L. Shek EMAIL logo , Jing Wu , Li Lin and Emma X.P. Pu

Abstract

Adopting a qualitative methodology, views of the students on a subject on service leadership were examined. Students taking the subject (n=153) were invited to use descriptors and metaphors to describe their experiences about the subject. Regarding the descriptors given by the students, most of them were positive in nature. Similar positive findings were obtained for the metaphors. The findings are generally consistent with those studies using the same methodology reported in the literature. In conjunction with other evaluation findings, the present findings suggest that students had positive experiences about taking the subject and regarded the subject to be able to promote their service leadership qualities.

Acknowledgments

The Service Leadership Education project at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University was financially supported by the Victor and William Fung Foundation.

References

1. Wilhelm WJ. Research on workplace skills employers want. In: Wilhelm WJ, Logan J, Smith SM, Szul LF, editors. Meeting the demand: teaching “soft” skills. Little Rock, AR: Delta Pi Epsilon Society, 2002:12–13.Search in Google Scholar

2. Sorenson G. An intellectual history of leadership studies: the role of James MacGregor Burns. Washington, DC: American Political Science Association, 2002.Search in Google Scholar

3. Weber MR, Finley DA, Crawford A, Rivera D. An exploratory study identifying soft skill competencies in entry-level managers. Tour Hosp Res 2009;9:353–61.10.1057/thr.2009.22Search in Google Scholar

4. British Association of Graduate Recruiters, AGR. Low wages not education to blame for skills gap, says University of Warwick. URL: http://www.agr.org.uk/News/low-wages-not-education-to-blame-for-skills-gap-says-university-of-warwick/128441#.VzBVP4RcRBc.Search in Google Scholar

5. CareerBuilder. Companies planning to hire more recent college graduates this year and pay them better, according to CareerBuilder survey. URL: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=4%2F23%2F2015&id=pr889&ed=12%2F31%2F2015.Search in Google Scholar

6. Tempone I, Kavanagh M, Segal N, Hancock P, Howieson B, Kent J. Desirable generic attributes for accounting graduates into the twenty-first century: the views of employers. Accout Res J 2012;25:41–55.10.1108/10309611211244519Search in Google Scholar

7. Ewing JC, Bruce JA, Ricketts KG. Effective leadership development for undergraduates: How important is active participation in collegiate organizations. J Leadersh Educ 2009;7:118–32.10.12806/V7/I3/RF3Search in Google Scholar

8. Uhl-Bien M, Marion R, McKelvey B. Complexity leadership theory: shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. Leadersh Q 2007;18:298–318.10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.04.002Search in Google Scholar

9. The World Bank. Services, etc., value added (% of GDP). URL: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.SRV.TETC.ZS/.Search in Google Scholar

10. Chung PPY. Service leadership definitions. URL: http://hki-slam.org/index.php?r=article&catid=1&aid=11.Search in Google Scholar

11. Chung P. Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management (SLAM) curriculum framework. Hong Kong: Hong Kong institute of leadership and management, 2011. Available at: http://hki-slam.org/index.php?r=article&catid=3&aid=38.Search in Google Scholar

12. Shek DT, Yu L, Ma CMS, Sun RCF, Liu TT. Development of a credit-bearing service leadership subject for university students in Hong Kong. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2013;25: 353–61.10.1515/ijamh-2013-0033Search in Google Scholar PubMed

13. Layfield KD, Radhakrishna RB, Andreasen RJ. Self-perceived leadership skills of students in a leadership programs in agriculture course. J Agric Educ Res 2000;50:62–8.Search in Google Scholar

14. Commission on Youth. Study on Civic Awareness and Moral Values of Youth, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, 2000.Search in Google Scholar

15. Shek DT, Ma CMS, Lin L. The Chinese adolescent materialism scale: psychometric properties and normative profiles. Int J Disabil Human Dev 2014;13:285–95.10.1515/ijdhd-2014-0314Search in Google Scholar

16. Shek DT. Adolescent developmental issues in Hong Kong: relevance to positive youth development programs in Hong Kong. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2006;18:341–54.10.1515/IJAMH.2006.18.3.341Search in Google Scholar PubMed

17. Shek DT, Keung MH, Sun RCF. A brief overview of adolescent developmental problems in Hong Kong. ScientificWorldJ 2011;11:2243–56.10.1100/2011/896835Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

18. Shek DT. Nurturing holistic development of university students in Hong Kong: where are we and where should we go? ScientificWorldJ 2010;10:563–75.10.1100/tsw.2010.62Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

19. Shek DT, Sun RC, Chui YH, Lit SW, Yuen WW, Chung YY, Ngai SW. Development and evaluation of a positive youth development course for university students in Hong Kong. ScientificWorldJ 2012;2012:8 pages. Article ID: 263731. DOI: 10.1100/2012/263731.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

20. Shek DT. Course outline for service leadership. Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2015.Search in Google Scholar

21. Cronbach LJ, Suppes P. Research for tomorrow’s schools: Disciplined inquiry for education. London: Macmillan, 1969.Search in Google Scholar

22. Shulman LS. Disciplines of inquiry in education: an overview. Educ Res 1981;10:5–12.10.3102/0013189X010006005Search in Google Scholar

23. Turner III DW. Qualitative interview design: a practical guide for novice investigators. Qual Rep 2010;15:754.10.46743/2160-3715/2010.1178Search in Google Scholar

24. Bryman A. Integrating quantitative and qualitative research: how is it done? Qual Res 2006;6:97–113.10.1177/1468794106058877Search in Google Scholar

25. Snape D, Spencer L. The foundations of qualitative research. In: Ritchie J, Lewis J, Nicholls CM, Ormston R, editors. Qualitative research practice: a guide for social science students and researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003:1–23.Search in Google Scholar

26. Shek DT, Li X. Evaluation of an innovative leadership training program for Chinese students: subjective outcome evaluation. Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2015;14:393–400.10.1515/ijdhd-2015-0461Search in Google Scholar

27. Shek DT, Lin L, Liu TT. Service leadership education for university students in Hong Kong: subjective outcome evaluation. Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2014;13:513–21.10.1515/ijdhd-2014-0349Search in Google Scholar

28. Shek DT, Yu L, Ma CMS. The students were happy but did they change positively? Yes, they did. Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2014;13:505–11.10.1515/ijdhd-2014-0348Search in Google Scholar

29. Shek DT, Law MY, Liu TT. Focus group evaluation of a service leadership subject in Hong Kong. Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2015;14:371–6.10.1515/ijdhd-2015-0458Search in Google Scholar

30. Shek DT, Sun RC. Promoting psychosocial competencies in university students: Evaluation based on a one-group pre-test/post-test design. Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2012;11:229–34.10.1515/ijdhd-2012-0039Search in Google Scholar

31. Shek DT, Ma CM. Do university students change after taking a subject on leadership and intrapersonal development? Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2014;13:451–6.10.1515/ijdhd-2014-0341Search in Google Scholar

32. Shek DT, Lin L. Changes in university students after joining a service leadership program in China. J Leadersh Educ 2016;15:96–109.10.12806/V15/I1/A2Search in Google Scholar

33. Shek DT, Ng CS. Qualitative evaluation of the Project PATHS: findings based on focus groups with student participants. ScientificWorldJ 2009;9:691–703.10.1100/tsw.2009.59Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

34. Shek DT, Sun RC. Qualitative evaluation of a positive youth development course in a university setting in Hong Kong. Int J Disabil Hum Dev 2012;11:243–48.10.1515/ijdhd-2012-0040Search in Google Scholar

35. Shek DT, Li Lin. Service leadership education in the global youth leadership programme: a qualitative evaluation. Int J Child Adolesc Health 2016;9:Article 11 [Epub ahead of print]. Available at: https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=58877.Search in Google Scholar

36. Bryson C, Hand L. The role of engagement in inspiring teaching and learning. Innov Educ Teach Int 2007;44:349–62.10.1080/14703290701602748Search in Google Scholar

37. Garvin MR, Ramsier RD. Experiential learning at the university level: A US case study. Educ Train 2003;45:280–5.10.1108/00400910310484349Search in Google Scholar

38. Cade BW. Some uses of metaphor. Aust J Fam Ther 1982;3:135–40.10.1002/j.1467-8438.1982.tb00154.xSearch in Google Scholar

39. Schmitt R. Systematic metaphor analysis as a method of qualitative research. Qual Rep 2005;10:358–94.10.46743/2160-3715/2005.1854Search in Google Scholar

40. Shek DT, Tang V, Han XY. Quality of qualitative evaluation studies in the social work literature: evidence that constitutes a wakeup call. Res Soc Work Pract 2005;15:180–94.10.1177/1049731504271603Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2016-8-15
Accepted: 2016-9-15
Published Online: 2016-11-22

©2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 24.5.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijdhd-2017-7012/html
Scroll to top button