The Problem of Research Method Informing Research Questions in Leadership Research

Abstract

I contend that in leadership research, research method preferences guide the development of research questions rather than the other way around as would prescriptively be expected. This is a problem because leadership research is heavily dominated by survey research. This low diversity in research method preference constrains the consideration set of research questions: leadership research tends to focus on what can be studied in surveys, not because these are necessarily the most interesting issues to study but because of a preference for survey research. This dominance of survey research is self-sustaining both because people are more likely to use the methods they are more familiar with and because it creates an implicit norm as to what are appropriate research methods and appropriate research questions. I discuss how stimulating diversity in research methods is needed to address this problem and to let diversity in research questions follow.