Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

December 1991

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the construct validity of the two instruments measuring readiness in Situational Leadership: the Readiness Scales--Manager Rating Form and Staff Member Rating Form--developed by Hambleton, Blanchard, and Hersey (1977). The study examined the relationships between readiness and achievement motivation, and between readiness and faculty education and work experience. The study also explored the concurrent validity of the two instruments measuring McClelland's (1961) achievement motivation: The Achievement Orientation Scale and The NachNaff Scale. The respondents were 66 department chairs and 156 faculty from 12 comprehensive institutions in the South. Data on faculty readiness were collected with the Readiness Scales. Data on achievement motivation were collected using the Achievement Orientation Scale and the NachNaff Scale. A faculty demographic questionnaire was used to collect data on faculty education and work experience: amount of education, length of teaching experience, publications and presentations, public service, and rank. The results of the study provided only partial support for the construct validity of the Readiness Scales. Faculty work experience was significantly correlated with faculty self-rated job readiness for teaching (r =.16, p $<$.05), research (r =.29, p $<$.001), and service (r =.23, p $<$.23). Significant differences were found in faculty self-rated job readiness for teaching (F (2, 143) = 5.08, p $<$.01) and for service (F (2, 139) = 4.33, p $<$.05) among full, associate, and assistant professors. Significant differences were also found in faculty self-rated job readiness for teaching (t = 2.59, p $<$.01) and research (t = 2.79, p $<$.01) between faculty with a doctorate and those with a master's degree. However, the study did not find any relationship between readiness and achievement motivation. From the results of this study, there was no evidence for the concurrent validity for the Readiness Scale--Manager Rating Form and the Readiness Scale--Staff Member Rating Form. There were no statistically significant correlations between faculty self-ratings and department chairs' ratings of faculty readiness. Additionally, no evidence was found for the concurrent validity of the two instruments of the Achievement Orientation Scale and the NachNaff Scale.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

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