Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
May 1991
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceptions of academic deans and department chairpersons regarding the leadership behavior of deans; and, to determine the relationship between perceived leadership behavior of deans and job satisfaction of department chairpersons in the public institutions of higher education. The study involved a random sample of 50 academic deans and 285 department chairpersons at public universities in Tennessee. Testing of five null hypotheses was based upon responses of 42 academic deans (84%) and 173 department chairpersons (60%). The Leadership behavior of academic deans was measured by the Leadership Practices Inventory (Kouzes & Posner, 1987). The job satisfaction of department chairpersons was determined through the Index of Job Satisfaction. A combination of means difference tests and correlational methods was used to answer questions concerning the relationship between leadership behavior of academic deans and job satisfaction of department chairpersons. Of the five null hypotheses tested, two were found to be significant at the level of.05. The conclusions drawn from the rejected hypotheses were: There was a significant difference between deans and department chairpersons in the perception of leadership behavior of deans. The overall mean score of LPI-Self was significantly higher than that of LPI-Other. The deans perceived their leadership behavior, as described in LPI, to be more effective than did department chairpersons. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the leadership behavior of deans perceived by department chairpersons and their job satisfaction. The more effective the department chairpersons perceived the deans' leadership behavior to be, the more they were satisfied with their jobs. Finally, the total number of years in the department chairpersons' position had a significant impact on how they perceived deans' leadership behavior. Department chairpersons in the position for a total of less than a year perceived deans' leader behavior as more effective than those who had been in the position for 7-9 years.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Xu, Zhi L., "The Relationship Between Leadership Behavior of Academic Deans in Public Universities and Job Satisfaction of Department Chairpersons" (1991). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2999. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2999