A dissertation is long, and descriptive writing which requires specific skills. Of course, top of the list skill is writing because there is a vast difference between traditional assignments and dissertations. Sometimes students work in the form of groups to write a dissertation. There’s no doubt that group dissertation writing brings a lot of ease. The group members divide tasks among themselves for ensuring this. This division helps them in working on their dissertations effectively, and ensures timely submission of the manuscript as well.
But this cannot be the case every time. If there are pros of working in groups, there are some cons as well. Most of the time, a conflict may arise between the group members. So how can students tackle this if they keep on fighting? We conducted a study on the students of the University of Worcester, UK, to answer this question. The most common answer given by students was related to leadership. They said that all the issues could be resolved with a leader who can manage the group. However, experts of dissertation writing services have looked further into the answer, and explored the importance of leadership in the dissertation as well.
Role of Leadership in Group Dissertation Writing
Leadership is the ability of an individual to lead a group, or an organisation. Here, we will only discuss it in terms of a group. Most teachers assign students dissertations as a group activity in the educational sector. It is highly likely that conflicts may arise among group members. To address those conflicts, the teacher can’t always be with them. So there must be a leader who can tackle the issues. Leaders have a significant role to play. Thus, to perform better in group dissertation writing, a leader must perform his role efficiently. A brief description of the role of leaders in terms of dissertation writing is as follows;
1. Shape a vision of academic success
The ultimate goal of dissertation writing is to get success. Every student strives to get good grades in their dissertations. But we also know that success won’t come with conflicts. A leader shapes the vision of academic success. Many students in a group don’t know the ABC of a dissertation. There will also be some other students who have not used MS Word in their entire life. Under efficient leaders, you’ll see that they will be working more than anybody. Who has changed them this much? It is the vision of success that a leader has brought with him.
2. Creating a learning environment
A leader in a group dissertation writing creates an environment that’s conducive to learning. Conflict of opinion can occur in groups. Yet this doesn’t mean that one student should totally cut him off from the dissertation writing domain. The leader always resolves issues among group members, and creates a learning environment. Effective leaders ensure that both academically strong and weak students work diligently on the dissertation. It happens that many students are good at theory, whereas others may be good at practical. A leader recognises the potential of each student, and assigns them tasks based on their potential as well.
For example, in my case, when I was working on my dissertation, I had four members in my group. Another guy and I were good at writing, so we took the writing part. The remaining two students were good at performing experiments in the lab. I tasked them with the lab work. Thus, as a leader, I created an environment conducive to learning for all members of the group. This way we finished our group dissertation writing on time, and with ease.
3. Interpersonal communication
Communication does play a huge role in producing a fine piece of dissertation. Every student in a group can’t go to the supervisor for asking about the dissertation. If you practise this, the supervise won’t like it. This is where a leader comes into play. He plays his role in communicating instructions of the supervisor. Whenever the group encounters a problem, he contacts the supervisor, and delegates the instructions. One more thing, communication has nothing to do with a leader’s personal traits. As a person, a leader can be an introvert, or extrovert. These things do not affect leadership either.
Flexibility
Flexibility comes at the top while discussing the role of leadership in terms of group dissertation writing. A leader should be flexible towards work and conflicts. The idea that comes to a leader about the dissertation can’t be right. He should be flexible enough to listen to other students’ ideas, and make the best decision possible.
Leadership also means being flexible when a situation demands it. Nothing ever goes as planned. Whether you encounter small blockades or large obstacles, you can’t finish a dissertation at the scheduled time. You’ll need to be prepared for unexpected stops. For example, a group member falls ill and can’t work on a dissertation for some time. In such a situation, the leader has to devise a new course of action. Good leaders always embrace such circumstances, and make their way through them.
Responsibility & Dependability
These are the two qualities that every leader must possess. Sense of responsibility always keeps the leaders motivated. With this motivation, leaders play their role in boosting the other members. The leaders also demonstrate this sense of responsibility in their actions. Doing all sections of a dissertation on the scheduled time depicts that the leader is responsible.
Dependability is another evident trait of leaders. It depicts that the other group members can depend on their leader. Whenever the members face a problem in a group dissertation writing, they look towards their leader. The team members must know that they can depend on their leader in challenging situations.
Conclusion
Leadership is a trait that everyone can’t possess. Though many of us work on developing those qualities, most fail. The roles of a leader mentioned above concerning group dissertation writing are actually also the qualities. Undoubtedly, conflicts arise in groups due to differences of opinion. They can also be diminished through top leadership qualities.
