The role of situational leadership and in-person one-to-one verbal communication: a case study of the Dubai police

Saeed, Maktoum

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The role of situational leadership and in-person one-to-one verbal communication: a case study of the Dubai police

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Saeed, Maktoum (2025) The role of situational leadership and in-person one-to-one verbal communication: a case study of the Dubai police. DBA thesis, University of Gloucestershire. doi:10.46289/IRUP4703

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Abstract

The context of this study is interpersonal verbal communication as a form of information exchange between people using spoken words in the form of face-to-face in the form of in-person one-to-one conversations. This research adopts a case study approach focusing on Dubai Police (DP), an organization with a multinational workforce that operates officially in two languages, primarily Arabic and, to a lesser extent, English. The study aims to examine the challenges faced by situational leadership in formal contexts, particularly those arising from gaps in verbal communication. Also, for understanding the challenges faced by situational leadership in official and formal manner with solutions for improvement by suggesting a theoretically constructed framework. It further proposes solutions to address these issues and offers recommendations to enhance effective interaction. The study considers interpersonal verbal face-to-face communication as an interactive process that occurs between people as they exchange and create messages, collaboratively and inter-dependently, through verbal behaviour in situations between leader and followers. This study examines interpersonal speaking and listening within the framework of Situational Leadership, where leaders adapt their communication styles to meet the specific needs of individuals and the organization through verbal strategies such as telling, selling, participating, and delegating. The research aims to generate new or refined insights into various Situational Leadership styles that support effective face-to-face communication between leaders and followers. The primary research question, along with three sub-questions, is: 'How is Situational Leadership applied in face-to-face verbal communication within Dubai Police? The research methodology used was a qualitative case study having an interpretive paradigm based on relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology where meanings were constructed socially. Following a pilot study, the main data collection method involved conducting 12 individual in-depth interviews, which were analysed thematically. The findings revealed insights into the use of Situational Leadership styles, the resolution of verbal communication challenges between leaders and subordinates, gaps in desired verbal communication, communication in emergency situations, and the specificity of communication. Additionally, the study identified various verbal communication issues, including problems, challenges, difficulties, distortions, limitations, and weaknesses, as well as potential solutions to these issues within Dubai Police. Five key themes emerged from the analysis: directional communication, situational communication, improved communication, flexible communication, and effective communication. The study discusses these findings within a broader context, offering implications and recommendations for enhancing face-to-face, one-to-one verbal communication between leaders and subordinates in Dubai Police through Situational Leadership. Future research could extend this work by employing quantitative or mixed-method approaches to develop a robust model applicable not only to formal organizations but also to informal organizational settings.

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Thesis (DBA)

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