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A QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON THE PERCEPTION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES PROFESSORS AND STAFF OF

ADMINISTRATORS’ TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AT A SELECTED COMMUNITY

COLLEGE DISTRICT IN TEXAS

A Dissertation Defense

Simone A. Gardiner  William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

Dissertation Chair

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Dissertation Committee Members 

• Dr. William Allan Kritsonis Dissertation Chair

• Dr. Patricia Hoffman-Miller• Dr. Deborah Harris

• Dr. Gbolahan Solomon Osho

Chapter 1

Background of the ProblemSince their establishment in 1901,

community colleges have grown into a unique educational system that have proven to be of vital importance not only to the communities they serve, but to the social, economic, and intellectual development of the United States (Sullivan, 2001).

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Statement of the Problem

Limited research has been conducted on leadership in academic departments. Within community colleges, chairpersons have the authority to make departmental decisions, but rarely does formal training exist for this position.

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There was a need to study and focus on how the leadership style among administrators at the community college level may be affected by perceptions of others. This focus was through the eyes of deans and chairpersons with close emphasis on administrators’ transformational leadership style at a selected Community College District in Texas.

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Purpose of the StudyThe purpose of the study was to

examine differences between selected community college district administrators’ and faculty/staff’s perceptions of the administrator transformational leadership style.

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Research Questions

The research questions guiding this study were as follows:

1. Is there a statistically significant difference between faculty and staff perception of administrators and self-evaluation of administrators?

2. Is there a statistically significant difference based on gender of the rater between faculty and staff perceptions of the extent to which administrators at a selected Community College District demonstrate a transformational leadership style?

3. Is there a statistically significant difference based on gender of the selected community college administrators regarding the extent they have a transformational leadership style?

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Research Questions Continued …

4. Is there a statistically significant difference based on ethnicity regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive selected community college administrators to have a transformational Leadership style?

5.Is there statistically difference based on ethnicity between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style?

6. Is there a statistically significant difference based on length of service to the selected Community College District regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive administrators to have a transformational leadership style?

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Research Questions Continued …

7. Is there a statistically significant difference based on length of service between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style?

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Null Hypothesis

H01 - There is no statistical significant difference between faculty and staff perception of administrators and self-evaluation of administrators.

H02a – There is no statistically significant difference based on gender of the rater between faculty and staff perceptions of the extent to which administrators at a selected Community College District demonstrate a transformational leadership style.

H02b – There is no statistically significant difference based on gender of selected Community College administrators regarding the extent to which they have a transformational leadership style.

H03a - There is no statistically significant difference based on ethnicity regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive selected Community College administrators have a transformational leadership style.

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Null Hypothesis continued . . .

H03b – There is no statistically significant difference based on ethnicity between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style.

H04a - There is no statistically significant difference based on length of service to the selected Community College District regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive administrators to have a transformational leadership style.

H04b - There is no statistically significant difference based on length of service between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style.

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Theoretical Framework

The theoretical model used for this study included the Augmentation Model of Transactional and Transformational Leadership.

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Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between transactional and transformation leadership through the Augmentation Model developed by Avolio and Bass (2004).

Figure 1. Augmentation Model of Transactional and Transformation Leadership. Note. Adopted from Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Manual, by B. Avolio and B. Bass, 1995, p. 21. Copyright 1995, 2000, 2004 by Mind Garden, Inc. Reprint with Permission from the Mind Garden, Inc. on May 2, 2011

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Based on the findings of the study, community college professors, administrators, and presidents should be provided with an insight on the various patterns and characteristics of effective leadership beginning at the presidential level at the selected Community College District in Texas.

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The data provides college administrators with the higher order of leadership styles that can be recognized as being transformational and innovative, thus contributing to effective organizational change and educational reform.

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CHAPTER II

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Literature Review

Addressing Community College Administrators The Transformation of Higher Education The Economic Engines for the Nation Diverse and Inclusiveness Meeting the Challenge of Student Completion An Investment towards Student Success Leadership Leadership Prospective Leadership Revitalized Leadership Theories Trait theory Behavioral Contingency theories Transformational Leadership Transformational Leadership Styles Division Chairs/Deans as Leaders

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CHAPTER III

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Research Design

The research design for this study was primarily survey research. This involved the collection of data via surveys. Descriptive and inferential analyses of the data were used to answer the research questions.

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Participants

The target population for this study consisted of community college deans, chairpersons’ faculty, and staff of a selected Community College District in Texas. The total number of participants was approximately 1485 persons.

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Sample

A random sample was selected from the target population. The random sample consisted of 80 community college administrators, 60 community college deans and chairpersons, and 100 faculty and staff members from all the selected community colleges in the study.

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Sample continued…

The four community colleges within the selected Community College District were chosen because of the large number of colleges within each segment. To help facilitate an optimal survey return rate, the researcher contacted the Presidents and Vice Chancellors of the Community Colleges to obtain approval.

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Instrumentation

This research study utilized the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) which includes three new components in leadership styles and behaviors. The MLQ instrument was used to measure the leadership styles of the community college administrators based on a five-point Likert-scale representing the relative frequency of each behavior.

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A numerical value was assigned for each of the responses as the following:

0 = Not at all; 1 = Once in a while; 2 = Sometimes; 3 = Fairly often; and 4 = Frequently, if not always.

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The questionnaire consisted of 45 items that are classified into 12 subcategories and matched to the four leadership styles categories: transformational, transactional, laissez-faire, and augmentation of transformational with transactional leadership.

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The specific inferential statistic in the study was the One-Way ANOVA to ascertain whether there was a statistically significant difference in perceptions of leader transformational leadership styles between leaders and subordinates at the selected Community College District. Differences in perceptions of the levels of transformational leadership based on gender, ethnicity, and length of service with respect to administrator self-perception were also analyzed. These same characteristics were examined with respect to whether there was a statistically significant difference in faculty/staff perceptions of administrative transformational leadership.

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Chapter IV

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Data Analysis

RQ1: Is there a statistically significant difference between faculty and staff perception of administrators and self-evaluation of administrators?

H01 - There is no statistical significant difference between faculty and staff perception of administrators and self-evaluation of administrators.

There was a statistically significant difference between Transformational Leadership self-ratings by the selected Community College administrators and Transformational Leadership ratings of the selected Community College administrators given by faculty and staff. Null Hypothesis 01 was rejected.

RQ2: Is there a statistically significant difference based on gender of the rater between faculty and staff perceptions of the extent to which administrators at a selected Community College District demonstrate a transformational leadership style?

H02a -There is no statistically significant difference based on gender of the rater between faculty and staff perceptions of the extent to which administrators at a selected Community College District demonstrate a transformational leadership style.

There was no statistically significant difference between faculty and staff ratings of the level of Transformational Leadership in selected Community College administrators that they rated based on gender of the rater. Null Hypothesis 02a failed to be rejected.

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RQ3: Is there a statistically significant difference based on gender of the selected Community College administrators regarding the extent they have a transformational leadership style?

H02b -There is no statistically significant difference based on gender of selected Community College administrators regarding the extent to which they have a transformationalleadership style.

There was no statistically significant difference between Transformational Leadership self-ratings among the selected Community College administrators based on gender of the administrator. Null Hypothesis 02b failed to be rejected.

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RQ4: Is there a statistically significant difference based on ethnicity regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive selected Community College administrators to have a transformational leadership style?

H03a - There is no statistically significant difference based on ethnicity regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive selected Community College administrators have a transformational leadership style.

There was no statistically significant difference based on ethnicity of the faculty/staff regarding the Transformational Leadership Style of the selected Community College administrators. Null Hypothesis 03a failed to be rejected.

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RQ5: Is there statistically difference based on ethnicity between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style?

H03b – There is no statistically significant difference based on ethnicity between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style.

There was no statistically significant difference between mean Transformational Leadership self-ratings among selected Community College administrators based on ethnicity of the administrator. Null Hypothesis 03b failed to be rejected.

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RQ 6: Is there a statistically significant difference based on length of service to the selected Community College District regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive administrators to have a transformational leadership style?

H04a - There is no statistically significant difference based on length of service to the selected Community College District regarding the extent to which faculty and staff perceive administrators to have a transformational leadership style.

There was no statistically significant difference between faculty/staff ratings of the level of Transformational Leadership in selected Community College administrators that they rated based on faculty/staff length of service. Null Hypothesis 04a failed to be rejected.

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RQ7: Is there a statistically significant difference based on length of service between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style?

H04b - There is no statistically significant difference based on length of service between administrators’ self-perceptions of the extent to which they consider themselves to have a transformational leadership style.

There was no statistically significant difference between Transformational Leadership self-ratings among the selected Community College administrators based on length of service of the administrator. Null Hypothesis 04b failed to be rejected.

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Chapter V

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Conclusions and Recommendations

1. The findings of this study suggest that leaders within the selected Community College District do value transformational leadership style with many aspiring to achieve at varying levels of success.

2. Subordinates also prefer transformational leadership among their leaders but do not sense it as strongly as the leaders believe that they demonstrate this important leadership style.

3. Greater awareness by administrators of what is perceived by subordinates as truly transformational and what is not perceived as transformational would be an important step in addressing the disconnect found in this study.

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4. The fact that gender differences, ethnic differences (five ethnicities were involved in this study), and length of service (1, 2, and 3 or more years) were not significant factors is indicative that there is a culture within the selected Community College District in which faculty members and staff who are of different genders, different ethnicities, and are individuals with varying years of service actually do not differ in how they rate their leaders.

5. Leaders do not differ based on gender differences, ethnic differences, and length of service on how they rate themselves.

6. Transformational leadership, when effective, removes any historic advantages that gender, ethnicity, or seniority normally provide to some individuals.

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Recommendations for Further Study

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1. A similar study could be conducted at other community colleges within the state of Texas.

2. A similar study could be conducted at other community colleges in other states.

3. A similar study could be conducted at four year colleges and universities within the state of Texas.

4. A similar study could be conducted at four year colleges and universities in other states.

5. A national study could be conducted comparing the results among community colleges between states.

6. A national study could be conducted comparing the results among four year universities between states.

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Some References Antonakis, J., Avolio, B., & Sivasubramaniam, N.

(2003). Context and leadership: An examination of the nine- factor full-range leadership theory using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Leadership Quarterly, 14, 261-295.

Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2004). Multifactor Leadership

Questionnaire (3rd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Mind Garden.

Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

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Cohen, A. M., & Brawer, F. B. (2003). The American community

college (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Fraenkel, J.R. & Wallen, N. E. (2009). How to design and evaluate research in education. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Lashway, L. (2002). Developing instructional leaders (ERIC Digest, 160). Retrieved from http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/digests/digest160.html

Lumina Foundation for Education. (2010). Goal 2025. Retrieved from www.luminafoundation.org/goal_2025/

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Lunenburg, F. C., & Ornstein, A. A. (2004). Educational

administration: Concepts and practices (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomason.

SPSS (2010). SPSS base 18.0 for Windows user's guide. Chicago, IL:

Author.

Sullivan, L.G. (2001). Four generations of community college

leadership. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 25(8), 559-571.

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (2008). Closing the

gaps by 2015: Progress report. Retrieved from www.thecb.state.tx.us/Board/PressRelease.cfm

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Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2008). Complexity

leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. In M. Uhl-Bien & R. Marion (Eds.), Complexity leadership: Part 1 conceptual foundations (pp. 185-224). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

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