Date of Graduation

1988

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This study determined the leadership style of community college presidents in West Virginia and Virginia as perceived by faculty members, measured the job satisfaction of the faculty members, and examined the possibility of a correlation between the perceived leadership style of the presidents and the job satisfaction of the community college faculty members. From a population of 2,028 faculty members in the three free-standing community colleges of West Virginia and the 23 community colleges of Virginia, a random sample of 321 was chosen. Each participant received a packet which contained a demographic information sheet, the Hersey Blanchard Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description Other to measure leadership style, and the Mohrman-Cooke Mohrman Job Satisfaction Scales survey to measure job satisfaction. The returned surveys that were usable numbered 192 or 60%. Statistical procedures were used to determined relationship. The General Linear Models procedure of the Statistical Analysis System was administered. Also administered were analysis of variance and Duncan's Multiple Range Test. Analysis of the data indicated the following findings. There was a significant relationship between leadership styles and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was significantly higher for both extrinsic satisfaction items and intrinsic satisfaction items with the S3, or low task/high relationship, leadership style. The leadership style which brought the next highest job satisfaction was the S2, or high task/high relationship, style. A significant difference was also indicated between job satisfaction and the demographic variables of department, years at institution, and sex. The study found that if community college presidents in West Virginia and Virginia wished to increase the job satisfaction of their faculty members, they would use the S3 leadership style. Also, the study indicated that community college faculty members achieved higher job satisfaction when the leader put the focus on relationship behavior. The study also found that vocational faculty members, faculty members whose tenure at the institution was over 15 years, and male faculty members might not perceive their presidents as providing the relationship behavior which was characterized by socio-emotional support, mutual trust, open channels of communication, and delegation of responsibility.

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