Open AccessThematic Analysis of Leadership Values in Apologies
Author(s) -
Susanna Bithiah Varma,
Shamala Paramasivam
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of english language and literature
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2368-2132
DOI - 10.17722/jell.v9i3.371
Subject(s) - presidency , forgiveness , thematic analysis , sacrifice , accountability , authentic leadership , sociology , action (physics) , psychology , public relations , political science , social psychology , law , qualitative research , social science , philosophy , politics , physics , theology , quantum mechanics
The aim of the study was to elicit leadership values embedded in Obama’s apology speeches to have an insight of his leadership in the face of crisis. During his presidency, Obama had issued a number of successful remedial apologies as an action performed by the offender to calm the angered party, seek forgiveness and achieve reconciliation. The study found that Obama portrayed an array of values such as responsibility, accountability, determination and dedication to duty, trustworthiness and truthfulness, apologetic, regretful, appreciative of sacrifice, visionary, and to comfort and sympathise. This paper gives an insight of how the methodology for the study of leadership values in Obama’s apologies was carried out. The methodology relies on positive discourse analysis and grounded theory for performing a thematic analysis through linguistic coding.