Leadership Education: a Pilot Study Investigating Employer and Student Perceptions of Value
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Wright State University CORE Scholar Browse all Theses and Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2016 Leadership Education: A Pilot Study Investigating Employer and Student Perceptions of Value Jason Scott Farkas Wright State University Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Repository Citation Farkas, Jason Scott, "Leadership Education: A Pilot Study Investigating Employer and Student Perceptions of Value" (2016). Browse all Theses and Dissertations. 1487. https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/etd_all/1487 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Browse all Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LEADERSHIP EDUCATION: A PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATING EMPLOYER AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF VALUE A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science By JASON SCOTT FARKAS B.A., Wright State University, 2014 2016 Wright State University WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL _____April 25, 2016_____ I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY Jason Scott Farkas ENTITLED Leadership Education: A Pilot Study Investigating Employer and Student Perceptions of Value BE ACCEPTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Science. _______________________ Mindy S. McNutt, Ph.D. Thesis Co-Director _______________________ Sharon G. Heilmann, Ph.D. Thesis Co-Director _______________________ Jill L. Lindsey, Ph.D. Committee on Chair, Department of Leadership Studies Final Examination ___________________________ Sharon G. Heilmann, Ph.D. ___________________________ Mindy S. McNutt, Ph.D. ___________________________ Brenda E. Kraner, Ph.D. ABD ____________________________ Jill L. Lindsey, Ph.D. ____________________________ Robert E. W. Fyffe, Ph.D. Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate Schoo Abstract Farkas, Jason Scott. M.S. Department of Leadership Studies, Wright State University, 2016. Leadership Education: A Pilot Study Investigating Employer and Student Perceptions of Value. This study examined employer and student perceptions of leadership education, specifically as these perceptions relate to value, or usefulness. As post-baccalaureate leadership certification programs are increasingly added to college and university curricula, it is important to understand if these programs are imparting knowledge and skills that are observable and valuable in the workplace. Employer and student perceptions were collected through pilot focus groups and qualitatively evaluated against Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, a framework that is both teachable and measurable. Suggestions for future graduate-level leadership certification programs will be discussed. Keywords: leadership, leadership education, Kouzes and Posner, Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, employer perception iii Table of Contents Page CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE………...………………………………………………1 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………………………………………..3 Definition of Terms……………………………………………………………………………………4 Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………………...5 Scope………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Significance……………………………………………………………………….………………………6 Review of Literature………………………………………………………………………………….7 Theoretical Framework.…………………………………………………………………………….8 Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………...18 CHAPTER II: METHODS………………………………………………………………………………………19 Overview………………………………………………………………………………………………...19 Data Collection and Analysis…………………………………………………………………….19 Sample……………………………………………………………………………………………………20 Measures………………………………………………………………………………………………...21 Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………...22 CHAPTER III: RESULTS……………….………………………………………………………………………23 Overview………………………………………………………………………………………………...23 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………..25 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………………….35 iv Theoretical Implications…………………………………………………………………………..36 Practical Implications………………………………………………………………………………36 Limitations……………………………….……………………………………………………………...37 Recommendations for Future Research……………………………………………………38 Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………...38 REFERENCES……………………….…………………………………………………………………………….40 APPENDICES……………………….……………………………………………………………………………..49 CURRICULUM VITAE…...………..……………………………………………………………………………60 v List of Figures Page FIGURE 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..28 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to thank my thesis committee members, Dr. Mindy McNutt, Dr. Sharon Heilmann, Brenda Kraner, and Dr. Jill Lindsey. The four of you have continually embodied the practices of exemplary leadership. Your encouragement, support, and advice have truly made this a wonderful experience. Dr. Heilmann, thank you for the opportunities. Dr. McNutt, thank you for the wings. Above all, I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to my wife, Samantha, for encouraging me through this process of self-development and renewal. Your dedication to seeing this process through deserves the highest praise and the greatest credit. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the entire Wright State University Leadership Studies department. You all have been an absolute joy to work alongside, and I look forward to many more years of professional collaboration and friendship. vii CHAPTER I Introduction and Purpose The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) noted that leadership skills are the primary attributes desired of college graduates entering the workforce (NACE, 2014). Huhn (2014) and Podolny (2009) suggested a growing resentment towards the value of business degrees, namely the graduate-level Master’s of Business Administration (M.B.A.), in regards to preparation of students with necessary leadership skills; thus, an apparent gap between educational and organizational outcomes exists. In recent years, organizational leadership degree programs have offered an alternative to the prevailing Bachelor of Business and M.B.A. degree programs. These organizational leadership degree alternatives incorporate the development of desired “soft-skills” lacking in traditional business students, providing great value to employers and the wider community (Benjamin & O’Reilly, 2011; Brungardt, 2011; Desman, Moodie, Roebuck, & Siha, 2011; Robles, 2012). So-called soft-skills, including integrity, courtesy, communication, social skills, and flexibility among others, are in high demand within the modern workplace, with up to 87% of employers requesting greater emphasis on leadership and soft skill development among their college-educated workforce (NACE, 2014; Robles, 2012). As the curriculums of traditional business programs and their accrediting bodies -- the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) -- 1 often unsuccessfully incorporate leadership, soft-skills, and ethical study in favor of technical coursework (Huhn, 2014). M.B.A. graduates are entering the workforce with underdeveloped interpersonal and leadership skills along with questionable ethical practices (Huhn, 2014; Pfeffer, 2009; Pfeffer & Fong, 2004; Swanson, 2004). After the ethical and moral failings of business leaders such as Bernie Madoff, Martha Stewart, and others in the banking sector led to the financial downturn of 2008 and subsequent hiring slowdown, the hiring forecast for prospective college-educated job seekers is proposed to increase substantially in the coming years (NACE, 2014; Podolny, 2009; Swanson, 2004). The role and value of leadership education must be a central focus for employers, educators, and students, especially as employers report new college-graduates losing ground in leadership skills (NACE, 2014). Graduate-level leadership certificate programming may provide the necessary bridge between the applicable skills and knowledge desired by employers and the competitive advantage sought by current and prospective business leaders. Currently, seventeen colleges and universities offer a graduate level leadership certificate program as identified by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (Hanover, 2015). Instructional delivery methods vary between institutions, but course designs range from face-to-face to fully online coursework with some colleges presenting classes in a hybrid model. Required course content is greatly variable between programs as content is focused on non-profit management at one institution (Wheelock College), environmental sustainability leadership at another (Hawaii Pacific University), as well as broader theoretical and business concerns in other colleges and universities. A total of 169 certificates were conferred in 2013, the most recent year that complete statistics were 2 available, with mid-sized institutions Drexel University (68), Western Kentucky University (33), and Central Michigan University (23) conferring the most certificates (Hanover, 2015). Statement of the Problem Kouzes and Posner (2006) proposed five behaviors that exemplify ideal leader outcomes. These leadership practices are typically measured via the psychometrically reliable and valid Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (Posner & Kouzes, 1993). Internal reliabilities of the LPI range from .77 to .90 while demonstrating